Showing papers by "Australian Catholic University published in 2002"

Communication loads on clinical staff in the emergency department.

Abstract: SEVERAL STUDIES quantifying the impact of poor communication on clinical work suggest that communication is a likely cause of systematic error in the health system. In Australia, inadequate communication has been associated with 17% of system problems, and, of these, 84% were deemed potentially preventable. 1 About 50% of all adverse events detected by general practitioners were associated with communication difficulties. 2 Within intensive care units, 2% of the activity consists of verbal communication between nurses and doctors, but accounts for 37% of error reports. 3 Thus, the evidence strongly suggests that poor communication wastes time, threatens patient care and may be one of the chief culprits behind preventable adverse events in clinical practice. 4 The research reported here extends work begun in the United Kingdom in the mid-1990s, 5,6 in which it was found that physician teams in hospital were subject to high levels of interruption. Clinical staff also appeared to bear a higher communication load than necessary, considering the many tasks that could be accomplished by accessing information sources rather than asking questions of people. It has since been hypothesised that such interruptions impose cognitive loads on clinical staff and have a negative impact on memory, leading to clinical error. 7 As a continuation of this research, we measured communication load more precisely and studied communication patterns in a high-workload clinical setting. METHODS 1.Methods

A Learner-Centred Approach to Developing Team Skills through Web-Based Learning and Assessment.

Abstract: In traditional face-to-face classrooms, collaborative learning has been endorsed as an effective pedagogy that fosters skills of analysis, communication and higher order thinking. Increasingly, as online learning environments for tertiary learners make use of course support systems, there is greater recognition of the potential of communications technologies to foster dialogue, networking and team skills among learners. Such skills are now among the recognised core attributes that graduates are expected to develop. In face-toface classroom students learn the skills of collaboration and teamwork by engaging in tasks defined and supervised by a teacher. In online environments teacher presence is often limited to task definition, management and feedback functions. Team skills and collaboration therefore need to be supported though different pedagogies and processes such as establishing a climate of trust and openness, communication protocols, resolution of conflict and group processes that provide sanctions and support. In this paper we describe an innovative approach to building the skills of decision-making and conflict resolution, leadership and clarity in goal setting and communication. A case study of tertiary learners illustrates how the essential aspects of task definition, resources to support group learning and integrated online assessment foster team skills.

Planning for future leadership of schools: an Australian study

Abstract: There is growing evidence of a worldwide shortage of persons willing to apply for vacant principal positions in schools. Reports a study about why more persons are not applying for principal positions in Catholic schools in New South Wales, Australia. An analysis of the career aspirations of those eligible and likely to apply at some stage for a principal position revealed a high level of “unwilling” respondents. Ranks and discusses ten factors identified from a study of their perceptions of issues that would discourage or encourage them to apply. The most significant negative factor is the impact on family and personal life. Others include gender issues and the nature of the selection and interview process. The significant positive factor is that principals have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. Reflections on the findings include addressing the changing nature of school culture, the implications for the principalship and the need to develop a culture of leadership in schools.

Maximus the Confessor and his companions : documents from exile

Abstract: I. THE MONOTHELITE CONTROVERSY AND ITS CHRISTOLOGY II. Conciliar Background to Monoenergism III. Biographical Documents IV. The Text Tradition V. Note on the Translation 1. RECORD OF THE TRIAL 2. Dispute at Bizya 3. Letter of Maximus to Anastasius 4. Letter to the Monks of Cagliari 5. Letter of Anastasius Apocrisarius to Theodosius of Gangra 6. Commemoration 7. Against the People of Constantinople

Stroll your way to well-being: a survey of the perceived benefits, barriers, community support, and stigma associated with pram walking groups designed for new mothers, Sydney, Australia.

Abstract: In our survey of 500 mothers with children 0-5 years involving telephone interviews (n = 450) and focus groups (n = 50), we showed that 87% of mothers telephone surveyed used a pram for incidental activities, whilst 47% used the pram specifically for exercise Factors preventing mothers exercising more included poor weather, lack of time, and poor quality paths Ninety-two percent of mothers believed that pram walking would increase mental well-being, and 87% felt that it would help to reduce postnatal depression (PND) However, feedback from focus groups expressed less confidence in the program's ability to potentially benefit mothers with PND Programs will have to be marketed carefully to avoid the stigma associated with PND and successfully target mothers at risk

The educational preparation of undergraduate nursing students in pharmacology: a survey of lecturers' perceptions and experiences.

Abstract: Background: Nurses have key responsibilities in the administration and management of medication therapy and client education. It is of some concern therefore that the literature indicates that nurses are inadequately prepared in this area. Aims: This paper explores the perceptions and expectations of lecturers about teaching and learning pharmacology in preregistration nursing courses. Research methods: Questionnaires were distributed to lecturers involved in teaching pharmacology to undergraduate nursing students during 2000. The questionnaire was distributed to all university campuses (n= 13) in Victoria, Australia, that are involved in undergraduate nursing education. The questionnaire was an adaptation of the survey instrument used in the Nursing and Medication Education [NAME] project and examined in this questionnaire: the integration of pharmacology teaching into nursing, range and depth of classroom-based pharmacology teaching, approaches to teaching and learning, nursing practice in a clinical context, related importance of patient education and communication skills, and the appropriate professional background of academics teaching pharmacology to preregistration nursing students. Results: There was great variation between institutions as to the number of hours devoted to pharmacology and when it was offered. A number of respondents indicated that they were dissatisfied with the preparation of graduates and their knowledge base in pharmacology. Limitations: The study was limited by a low response rate of 34%. Conclusions: A review of nursing curricula is required to improve the knowledge base of nurses in pharmacology and to facilitate their skills in life-long learning.

The concept of clinical leadership.

Abstract: This paper examines the concept of clinical leadership and finds that the concept has been used in a number of ways within the nursing literature. The paper argues that in a nursing practice setting the concept of clinical leadership is an appropriate one. In the clinical setting the nurse leader often has followers in the health care team, patients and their relatives. Thus it is argued that clinical leadership can be defined as the expert nurse who leads patients to better health care.

Parent and School Partnerships in Supporting Literacy and Numeracy

Abstract: This study examined home literacy and numeracy practices. It also focused on the roles of home and school in fostering Year 3 children's literacy and numeracy development in Australian schools. A parent survey of 95 parents from four schools, and focus interviews of parents, teachers and a school administrator within one school, provided the data for this study. Results showed that parents helped their children with literacy and numeracy at home. Most of this assistance is given with reading, some with writing and some with routine mathematics. Both parents and school personnel held the children's learning interests at heart and advocated for the formation of parent/school partnerships. Yet the discourses relating to school and home roles for assisting children's literacy and numeracy development provided contrasting views. Implications for school personnel are drawn from the results of this study.

Computer supported teamwork: An integrative approach to evaluating cooperative learning in an online environment

Abstract: Existing teaching-learning arrangements in many online courses may not offer sufficient scope for off campus and on campus students to work collaboratively. Tasks that support collaboration online, goal sharing and collaborative decision making provide computer programming students with experiential learning, replicating how they will work on completion of university study and when entering the professional world. This study describes the initial implementation and evaluation of an online environment designed to support a collaborative programming task. A holistic, context based approach to evaluating the success of the innovation is documented, together with the framework used for conducting the evaluation. The approach to evaluation is integrative and holistic, seeking multiple forms of evidence for collaboration, engagement and improved learning and teaching. In addition, the study outlines decisions that have to be faced by practitioners in supporting online collaborative skills and carrying through an evaluation of an initial implementation.

Promoting mathematical understanding: Number sense in action

Abstract: Understanding and use of mathematics can be promoted and assisted by the development of number sense. This paper reports on pre-service primary teacher education students’ involvement in a Number Sense programme that was a component of a mathematics education unit. The results suggest that students develop and utilise multiple relationships among number, attempt to make sense of the mathematics investigated, and provide considered explanations for results achieved.

Student Difficulties in Abstracting Angle Concepts from Physical Activities with Concrete Materials.

Abstract: A Year 3 angles unit using the Teaching for Abstraction paradigm was developed on the basis of earlier empirical research and trialed by 12 NSW teachers. Analysis of data submitted by the teachers showed that the unit was generally successful but a number of minor areas for improvement were identified. An analysis of independent classroom observations of students working on the angles lessons is reported in the present paper. It was found that the difficulties students experienced could be classified as matching, measuring, drawing, and describing errors. The results clearly support the hypothesised steps in learning by abstraction.

Social work and technology: Challenges for social workers in practice: A case study

Abstract: Social Work is just beginning to consider the full impact of technology on practice. In this paper the experience of social workers working in Centrelink, the Australian Government's service delivery organisation, is explored in the context of Centrelink's increased reliance on technology to deliver its services to six million Australians. The results of a survey that indicated nearly one half of Centrelink's social workers have received no formal training in how to use the technologies they rely so heavily on in their work are considered, as is the role of the social workers who are working as a part of Centrelink's call centre network. It is argued that social workers need to be careful not to confuse means and ends when it comes to utilising technology as a part of their practice.

Constituting collective consciousness: Information literacy in university curricula

Abstract: Information literacy, encompassing the ability to access, evaluate and use information in contemporary ICT environments, today has a place on the graduate profiles of many Australian universities. Growing recognition of the importance of information literacy at national and institutional levels, raises the fundamental question of how to raise the awareness of a university community about this significant issue in order to make it a focal point in learning design and support. In 1999 the Australian Catholic University (ACU) tackled this question and responded by conceiving a university-wide teaching and learning enhancement project that targeted staff at all levels of the university, across all campuses and all disciplines. In reporting this project, Bowden and Marton's (1998) framework of depicting learning as changing awareness at the individual and collective level is adopted. Key features of the project are discussed, including our developing interest in influencing the ACU collective consciousness, ke...

Education and Policy: Changing Paradigms and Issues

Abstract: The aim of the article is to consider the treatment of education and policy in the International Review of Education between 1955 and 2001. The article focuses on the changing prominence given to various topics in education and policy in IRE during the period and the way conceptual thinking in this area has changed and developed. An attempt is made to link both the shifts in focus on various educational planning policy themes and issues, and the major paradigm shifts in the area, to the changes in perceived education and policy needs and problems in each decade during the period.

Bastadin 21, a novel isobastarane metabolite from the Great Barrier Reef marine sponge Ianthella quadrangulata.

Abstract: Bastadin 21, a novel tribrominated bastadin with the uncommon isobastarane skeleton, was isolated from the Great Barrier Reef marine sponge Ianthella quadrangulata. The structure was elucidated on the basis of the 1D and 2D NMR and MS data of bastadin 21 and its tetramethyl ether.

Some Problematics in International Collaboration in Mathematics Education

Abstract: This paper discusses data from interviews with mathematics educators from Australasia and Colombia on their views of, experiences in and expectations from the internationalisation and globalisation of their discipline. International collaboration is essential for moving the discipline forward in a globalised world and avoiding the colonialism of the past - and allowing the discipline to play its role in bridging the increasing gap between developing and developed countries. The aim of this analysis is to examine some problematical aspects of this collaboration between countries of unequal "power" and resources. In a previous publication (Atweh & Clarkson, 200Ib), we argued that mathematics education is perhaps the most internationalised subject in higher education. This is evidenced by both the similarities on curricula around the world and the number of international organizations, conferences, journals and handbooks in the discipline. However, there has been very little research which examines their causes and effects on the different players in the global scene. In particular we drew attention to some voices from developing countries calling for increased collaboration with developed countries, even to the extent of "a global minimum curriculum below which no continent should be allowed to drift, however under-developed" (Kuku, 1995, p.407). On the other hand, few voices from developed countries have expressed great concern about the effect of international exchanges of the past and their effect on developing countries. In the words of a leading mathematics educator in Australia with a notable reputation and international experience: Over the past 20 years I have often had cause to reflect that it is Western educators who were responsible not only for getting their own mathematics teacher education equation wrong, but also for passing on their errors to education systems around the world. (Clements, 1995, p.3) Both these views were expressed in an ICME regional conference on regional collaboration in mathematics education. Arguably, these specific views may be contentious and perhaps not widely shared within the mathematics education community in their respective regions. However, as we argue in the previous publication, these differences of voice from developed and developing countries do point to the need for further research and dialogue around the world between educators from developing and developed countries about the aims, processes and outcomes of international exchanges in the field. In another conference paper (Atweh & Clarkson, 2001a) we discussed the issue of a "global curriculum vs. global collaboration" in mathematics education. We have argued that while a global curriculum may be an anathema to many mathematics educators, global collaboration is essential for moving the discipline forward in this globalised world - at the same time avoiding the colonialism of the past - and allowing the discipline to play its role in bridging the ever-increasing gap between developing and developed countries. This paper discusses data from two focus group interviews with leading mathematics educators - one conducted with educators from Australia and New Zealand and the other conducted in Colombia in Latin America. This is part of a project funded by the Australian

Australian Children Starting School

Abstract: (2002). Australian Children Starting School. Childhood Education: Vol. 78, International Focus Issue 2002: Going to School Around the World, pp. 349-353.

Counselling Outcomes Attributable to the Working Alliance

Abstract: There is a multitude of counselling theories that have gained respectability for their theoretical and practical contributions to the profession. Although such theories have been instrumental in developing useful therapies, there remain significant differences in their interventions and techniques. Debates flourish over which school of counselling is better and which contribute to the best positive outcomes. Research has confirmed that there is no significant amount of outcome difference between the varying schools and that there is not one therapy that is superior in contributing to quality outcomes. A critical basic question has resurfaced in recent times; what makes counselling effective? If each school of counselling is done differently and uses different techniques, how then does each work? Part of the explanation comes from the “working alliance.” The working alliance that comprises the bond, goals and tasks that form a trans-theoretical view will be reviewed and explored with a focus on their application to counselling.

The socially interactive pedagogical agent within online learning communities

Abstract: Increased recognition of the importance of the social dimensions of learning has had a number of consequences for pedagogical theory and practice. Not least has been a blurring of the distinction between teachers and learners and, often associated with it, a reconceptualizing of the traditional classroom as a community of learners to which all members contribute. This new focus is reflected in many online learning environments, designed so as take maximum advantage of the opportunities for interaction provided by the Internet. Further, it is becoming increasingly common within such learning communities for participants to include software agents enacting a range of socially interactive roles ranging from fellow-learner to the more traditional tutor or instructor. This paper explores the extent to which these pedagogical agents can contribute to the effectiveness of online learning communities.

Experiential learning on-line: The role of asynchronous communication tools

Abstract: The needs of learners are changing rapidly and continually in response to an environment that is characterised by change at economic, political and technological levels There is greater pressure on universities to work more closely with employers in contributing to the process of economic development through the creation of a skilled workforce Universities are becoming increasingly flexible in their responses to meeting the lifelong learning agenda Online experiential learning is an essential element in the move towards more situated and professional orientations and with the drive to providing students with real world working knowledge Asynchronous communication tools and tasks are ideal conduits for the refinement of professional skills This case study profiles an on-line approach to developing professional project management skills for multimedia developers and presents snapshot views of an online learning environment in which students developing real projects for industry clients Theoretical Framework: Experiential Learning Through the design of an asychronous online learning space, learners to were introduced to situations and ways of working with others that were experientially based The processes of learning were emphasised from the outset and students were encouraged to have ownership of the learning, assessment and reflection processes For Kolb (1984), the actual experiences people go through become the starting points for learning, and this underlying educational approach was reflected in the design of the online environment Emotion and reflection are also an integral part of the cycle of learning, and reflective processes are intrinsic to learning from experience In an experiential learning cycle, the learner passes though each of four stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualisation, and active experimentation Our design ensured that we linked the experiential learning cycle to the online environment and the collaborative tools afforded by the technology as follows: • Active experimentation: Students engaged in the discussion and resolution of problems through online discussion using multimedia tools to support the display of responses (eg, Cox, 1994) • Task engagement: Peers analysed the output of the task, and compared problem-solving approaches through discussion, email and conferencing activity (Bonk & Cummings, 1998) • Reflection: Individuals analysed and reflected on the learning tasks, group processes and self-development as they tested new ideas and perspectives in virtual learning groups (English & Yazdani, 1999) • Formation of abstract concepts: Utilising peer and tutor feedback, students developed understandings of key course concepts through engagement with new ideas supported via communications networks (Collis, 1998) Experiential learning was reinforced in various ways through the course pedagogy, which focussed on both process and content aspects of learning Students participated in decision-making processes by choosing and defining a topic for their project, creating and managing their own development team and negotiating peer assessment The design was based on pedagogical and curriculum philosophies that acknowledge group work, peer feedback and support as essential to the development of independent learners and practitioners (Candy, 1994; Schrum, 2000) Reciprocity in giving and receiving peer feedback provides learners with opportunities to deepen their interpersonal skills Through these processes they also developed reflective skills, and learnt to monitor their own learning and appreciate the contribution of others to their learning (Biggs, 1999) Thus, by focussing on learning process and peer supported activities, the learning activities took on a broader perspective, to include the totality of the learning experience while consolidating those aspects of professional learning that would enable the learners to develop transferable skills This process is illustrated in Figure 1, which shows a focus on using learner-centered strategies that encourage learner independence and peer support, which in turn promotes the development of professional skills and process knowledge These then directly contribute to deep and meaningful learning experiences, and as part of the authentic learning experience, students were able to share their knowledge and experiences with their peers through the Listserv Figure 1: Student Learning Process Context of the study: Course description At Edith Cowan University, final year multimedia students are required to complete IMM3330/4330 “Industry Project Development” The aim of the unit is to consolidate core multimedia skills learnt in other units, while at the same making industry contacts and developing a portfolio item to assist with job applications Students are provided with industry projects made available through the Faculty, or they can negotiate a project of their own, as long as it fulfils the course requirements, team-based, commercial in nature and not trivial As part of the unit requirements, students are required to perform a needs analysis, provide a design specification, develop the web site, evaluate it, implement it and produce the required documentation (legal, procedures, metrics, templates and standards) The course objectives were closely linked to the professional competencies required for multimedia development in the industry and integrated authentic assessment tasks where learners could develop multimedia products in a team environment, thus replicating the skills required of them in the workplace The unit runs over a fifteen-week semester, with three hours allocated per week for tutorials and lectures There are no formal face-to-face classes, the unit is largely run online from a Listserv, which provides a rich arena for advice, comments and feedback as there is about one hundred participants subscribed on the List, including industry representatives and ex-students The constructivist approach used in structuring the project work and the Listserv activities was that students should benefit from the experiences of other students, industry representatives and academic tutors in an environment that promotes the exchange of ideas A salient feature of the assessment tasks was the focus on learning processes, rather than mastery of content as this matched the orientation of the course towards skills development The assessment tasks and associated learning processes are presented in Table 1

Coopting the Chinese Women’s Suffrage Movement for the Fifth Modernisation—Democracy

Abstract: (2002). Coopting the Chinese women's suffrage movement for the fifth modernisation — democracy. Asian Studies Review: Vol. 26, No. 3, pp. 285-307.

Employer matters in 2001

Abstract: The expected surge of employer militancy did not eventuate on the legislative or industrial fronts. Employers appeared largely satisfied with the federal regulatory framework and continued to experiment with the choices it offers. In an election year and facing an unwilling Senate, they pulled back from their legislative crusade. Industrially and in the courts, large, adversarial employers have been losing as often as winning. Paradoxically, the main employer associations have more successfully navigated the challenges of a decentralised system. They played leading roles in a number of test cases and in defending employer interests in the face of legislative activism from Labor state governments.

Arithmetic and Quasi-variables: A Year 2 Lesson to Introduce Algebra in the Early Years

Abstract: This paper investigates instruction that assists young children generalise their mathematical thinking in terms of quasi-variables (Fujii & Stephens, 2001). Sixty-five year 2 children participated in a lesson on investigating the patterns in multiples of 5 and 3. From the results it seems that young children are capable of understanding generalising and that specific features of instruction assist this process. The materials, the types of activities and the questions asked by the teacher all play an important role in assisting young children abstract underlying mathematical relationships.

Multiple perspectives on the evaluation of online discussion

Abstract: This paper attempts to examine different methods of content analysis for student online discussion that takes place on bulletin boards. The purpose of that analysis is to determine whether higher order thinking can be distinguished within transcripts of dialogue. The context of the analysis was a higher education undergraduate course. A group of students were presented with a discussion topic and were given a series of criteria against which their work would be assessed. At the end of the discussion their dialogue was analyzed using three different techniques which were then compared to identify whether any one method could be recommended to other practitioners. Suggestions for evaluation of bulletin board transcripts are made on the basis of this investigation. (Contains 17 references and 5 tables.) (Author) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY G.H. Marks Multiple perspectives on the evaluation of online discussion Catherine McLoughlin Australian Catholic University, Australia c.incloughlin@signadou.acu.edu.au Mary Panko UNITEC, New Zealand TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES mapanko@unitec.ac.nz INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 Abstract: This paper attempts to examine different methods of content analysis for student inline discussion that takes place on bulletin boards. The purpose of that analysis is to determine whether higher order thinking can be distinguished within transcripts of dialogue. The context of the analysis was a higher education undergraduate course. A group of students were presented with a discussion topic and O .0 were given a series of criteria against which their work would be assessed. At the end of the discussion their dialogue was analysed using three different techniques which were then compared to identify whether any one method could be recommended to other practitioners. Suggestions for evaluation of bulletin board transcripts are made (21 ' on the basis of this investigation. The development of discussion boards as learning tools U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Discussion boards or bulletin boards are part of a general category of CMC. Discussion boards allow students to interact with one another and with a facilitator and can be used for a variety of teaching techniques designed to stimulate cognitive and metacognitive skills. An extensive literature base (Harasim, 1990; Mason, 1994) has developed which supports the educational value of CMC as a teaching and learning strategy. However, most investigations into the benefits of this form of interaction have tended to be quantitative in nature (McKenzie & Murphy, 2000; Nastasi & Clements, 1992) concentrating on either the number of exchanges that take place, or on diagrammatic representations of the pattern of interaction between participants. During the last decade however, methods of analysis have been applied to this communication technique to identify more precisely the varied educational dimensions that may be found within the online text (Henri, 1992; Gunwardena et al, 1997). Different forms of 'content analysis' have been developed and refined to aid the categorisation of dialogue produced in any debate or online seminar. MacKinnon and Aylward, (2000) for example, have used a system of coding online dialogue using `cognotes', where the e-moderator attaches icons to ongoing text in order to indicate the nature of the interactions which are occurring. This is intended to encourage higher student achievement and more positive relationships between the participants.

Towards a New MODDE of Improving Legal Decision Support Design

Abstract: This paper contributes to the ebb and flow of innovations in decision support system design by presenting the MODDE methodology (Model Of Decision support system Design and Evaluation). It utilizes a simple conceptualisation of the software engineering process, and aims to provide computer consultants with guidance to the way they may include consideration of three qualitative dimensions of high level autonomous decision making. These three dimensions--discretion, consistency and resolution--have arisen directly from work in an applied legal domain. MODDE facilitates systematic attention to these dimensions in a way not previously done and thus complements existing software and requirements engineering practices.