Visual arts learning with iPads

In this chapter Knight & Dooley discuss arts learning and issues of educational authenticity via children’s engagement with iPads (O’Mara & Laidlaw 2011; Shifflet, Toledo & Mattoon 2012). The chapter begins by considering common perceptions about art and how these popular beliefs and conditions affect and influence how children’s art is defined and valorized. The art produced by children using iPads is then discussed through key observations and reflections, and the chapter concludes with some recommendations when selecting apps for making art.

Effective routing with utilisation of cross-layer information for industrial wireless sensor networks

This thesis focuses on providing reliable data transmissions in large-scale industrial wireless sensor networks through improving network layer protocols. It addresses three major problems: scalability, dynamic industrial environments and coexistence of multiple types of data traffic in a network. Theoretical developments are conducted, followed by simulation studies for verification of theoretic results. The approach proposed in this thesis has been shown to be effective for large-scale network implementation and to provide improved data transmission reliability for both periodic and sporadic traffic.

Community arts in early childhood

Community arts can take many forms, including murals, installations, festivals and performances. The work can be produced by artists solely, by artists working with community groups, or by community groups. Community arts can be on a grand-scale covering whole streets, parks or even towns, or small- scale, such as a mosaic in the corner of a play area. It can be extremely impacting and a permanent fixture, or fragile and small and designed to blow away in the wind. But, common to all these different forms of community arts are the criteria that community arts are made in, for and/or by, the local community.

The work of Media Arts in the age of digital production

This chapter uses as a beginning point Walter Benjamin’s famous essay ‘The work of art in the age of technological reproducibility’(1935/2008) to discuss Media Arts education. It locates ‘Media Arts��� at the intersection of three key ideas: 1) media arts products as objects for popular and everyday consumption and intervention by individuals and broader audiences; 2) materiality and how individuals use their bodies and technologies to produce, combine and share digital materials and; 3) the construction of aesthetic knowledge and how this relates to critical and conceptual thinking. These ideas are discussed in the context of the development of curriculum for students at all ages of schooling, with specific attention given to the knowledge and skills students might develop within Media Arts education in primary schools. Examples from a Media Arts project in a primary school in Australia – where a new Media Arts national curriculum has been developed –are provided to illustrate the key ideas discussed in the chapter.

Decomposition analysis of air pollution abatement in China: empirical study for ten industrial sectors from 1998 to 2009

This study analyzes the management of air pollutant substance in Chinese industrial sectors from 1998 to 2009. Decomposition analysis applying the logarithmic mean divisia index is used to analyze changes in emissions of air pollutants with a focus on the following five factors: coal pollution intensity (CPI), end-of-pipe treatment (EOP), the energy mix (EM), productive efficiency change (EFF), and production scale changes (PSC). Three pollutants are the main focus of this study: sulfur dioxide (SO2), dust, and soot. The novelty of this paper is focusing on the impact of the elimination policy on air pollution management in China by type of industry using the scale merit effect for pollution abatement technology change. First, the increase in SO2 emissions from Chinese industrial sectors because of the increase in the production scale is demonstrated. However, the EOP equipment that induced this change and improvements in energy efficiency has prevented an increase in SO2 emissions that is commensurate with the increase in production. Second, soot emissions were successfully reduced and controlled in all industries except the steel industry between 1998 and 2009, even though the production scale expanded for these industries. This reduction was achieved through improvements in EOP technology and in energy efficiency. Dust emissions decreased by nearly 65% between 1998 and 2009 in the Chinese industrial sectors. This successful reduction in emissions was achieved by implementing EOP technology and pollution prevention activities during the production processes, especially in the cement industry. Finally, pollution prevention in the cement industry is shown to result from production technology development rather than scale merit. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determinants of eco-efficiency in the Chinese industrial sector

This study measures productive inefficiency within the context of multi-environmental pollution (eco-efficiency) in the Chinese industrial sector. The weighted Russell directional distance model is applied to measure eco-efficiency using production technology. The objective is to clarify how external factors affect eco-efficiency. The major findings are that both foreign direct investment and investment for pollution abatement improve eco-efficiency as measured by air pollutant substances. A levy system for wastewater discharge improves eco-efficiency as measured by wastewater pollutant substances. However, an air pollutant levy does not significantly affect eco-efficiency as measured by air pollutants.

Equally engaged : demystifying tertiary study in the creative arts to equity communities

The participation rate of students from low socio-economic (SES) backgrounds into Australian universities remains low. A nationwide initiative to raise participation rates aims to stimulate interest, highlight career possibilities and enhance understanding of university. The program also aims to improve retention and completion rates of those students. This paper provides a case study and preliminary evaluation of QUT’s Creative Industries Faculty’s (CIF) outreach programs to low SES school students, operating since 2012. Programs are conducted across the disciplines of Dance, Drama, Media, Digitalstorytelling, Music and Entertainment. Presenting the arts and creative industries as a viable study / career pathway is particularly challenging to low SES groups. However, the focus on the creative industries aims to broaden understanding of arts and creativity, emphasising the significance of digital technology in the transformation of the workforce, providing new career opportunities in the creative and non-creative sectors. CIF’s outreach programs have been delivered to hundreds of students and this paper presents a case study and evaluation of several programs.

An analysis of digital storytelling as a documentation tool for research in the creative and performing arts

This paper examines the capacity of digital storytelling to document research activity in the creative and performing arts. In particular, it seeks to identify the thought processes and methods that underpin this research and to capture them using the digital storytelling medium. Interest in this issue was prompted by the author’s work with the creative and performing artists from the Queensland Conservatorium and the Queensland College of Art as part of the Federal government’s Research Quality Framework (RQF) in 2007. The RQF compelled artists to address what it means to undertake research in their disciplines, to describe this, measure it and quantify it; for many practitioners this represents a significant challenge. These issues continue to be pertinent in the context of the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) initiative. This research is significant because it seeks to identify, in layman’s terms, the research methods and thought processes used by artists in their research practice. It seeks to do so free of the encumbrances of the professional doctorate policies, the higher education research quality frameworks, and the dense philosophical debates that have to-date dominated discussions of this issue. The research involves qualitative data collection methods including a detailed literature review, interviews with key practitioners and academics involved in the creative and performing arts, and three case studies. The literature review focuses on publications that explore issues of research practice and method in the creative and performing arts. The case studies involve three Queensland-based artists. Digital stories will be developed (and presented) with Marcus and Mafe using their visual materials and drawing on the issues identified in the literature review and interviews. Emmerson’s DVD provided a point of comparison with the digital stories. (Brief bios are attached)

How can partnerships between the universities and schools exploit new opportunities for pedagogies at the intersection of the arts/design and the sciences?

Driven by information accessibility-on-demand provided by the internet, education modes are changing from a teacher-led approach focused on content delivery and assessible outcomes, to a learner-based approach encouraging self-directed, peer-tutored, and cooperative learning. New pedagogies are required to extend learning beyond the classroom and traditional subject areas such as contemporary arts, in alignment with the cross disciplinary priorities of the Australian Curriculum and values of the International Baccalaureate Organisation. This research explores how partnerships with universities and cultural organisations are implicated in the generation of these new forms of pedagogy and contribute to the field of educational research within the context of Education Queensland’s Framework For Gifted Education. In particular, this paper explores a new pedagogical framework for highly capable year five to nine Queensland state school students at the intersection of arts, design and the sciences, which has arisen from an explicit secondary/ tertiary partnership between the Queensland University of Technology Creative Industries Faculty and Precincts and the Queensland Academies Young Scholars Program. The Young Scholars Program offers experiences in the International Baccalaureate and Australian Curriculum contexts to enhance outcomes via global understanding, unique industry partnerships and 21st century pedagogical innovation based not on 'content' but tacit/experiential learning concepts including immersive, creative, intellectual and social strategies. These strategies for highly capable students are centred around authentic opportunities, primary resources, transdisciplinary learning and relationships with likeminded peers including tertiary arts, design and STEM educators and students, professionals and researchers. The presentation details case studies which are hands-on real time workshops involving inquiry based challenges in the arts, design and sciences, mathematics, history, creative writing and other disciplines, with content drawn from collections from public institutions, academic research and tertiary pedagogy. Both programs implicate student collaboration and creative production as methodology/data capture for ongoing action research, in alignment with the Framework For Gifted Education’s emphasis on evidence-based practices. They also challenge gifted students “to continue their development through curricular activities that require depth of study, complexity of thinking, fast pace of learning, high-level skills development and/or creative and critical thinking (e.g. through independent investigations, tiered tasks, diverse real-world applications, mentors)”(Education Queensland, 2011:3). This presentation highlights the strengths of the ongoing collaboration between QUT Creative industries Faculty and Queensland Academies, which not only provides successful extra curricular activities for gifted students towards a place in the International Baccalaureate Program, but also provides mentoring opportunities for tertiary students in their field of endeavor to assist with their own learning, and unique research opportunities for the Faculty as it focuses on excellence in arts, design and creative education and research. Education Queensland.(2011). Framework For Gifted Education Revised Edition 2011 (accessed Nov 19 2011)

The cytochrome P-450 isoenzyme CYP2E1 in the biological processing of industrial chemicals : consequences for occupational and environmental medicine

The importance of the isoform CYP2E1 of the human cytochrome P-450 superfamily of enzymes for occupational and environmental medicine is derived from its unique substrate spectrum that includes a number of highly important high-production chemicals, such as aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, solvents and industrial monomers (i.a. alkanes, alkenes, aromatic and halogenated hydrocarbons). Many polymorphic genes, such as CYP2E1, show considerable differences in allelic distribution between different human populations. The polymorphic nature of the human CYP2E1 gene is significant for inter-individual differences in toxicity of its substrates. Since the substrate spectrum of CYP2E1 includes many compounds of basic relevance to industrial toxicology, a rationale for metabolic interactions of different CYP2E1 substrates is provided. In-depth research into the inter-individual phenotypic differences of human CYP2E1 enzyme activities was enabled by the recognition that the 6-hydroxylation of the drug chlorzoxazone is mediated by CYP2E1. Studies on CYP2E1 phenotyping have pointed to inter-individual variations in enzyme activities. There are consistent ethnic differences in CYP2E1 enzyme expression, mostly demonstrated between European and Japanese populations, which point to a major impact of genetic factors. The most frequently studied genetic polymorphisms are the restriction fragment length polymorphisms PstI/RsaI (mutant allele: CYP2E1*5B) located in the 5′-flanking region of the gene, as well as the DraI polymorphism (mutant allele: CYP2E1*6) located in intron 6. These polymorphisms are partly related, as they form the common allele designated CYP2E1*5A. Striking inter-ethnic differences between Europeans and Asians appear with respect to the frequencies of the CYP2E1*5A allele (only approximately 5% of Europeans are heterozygous, but 37% of Asians are, whilst 6% of Asians are homozygous). Available studies indicate a wide variation in human CYP2E1 expression, which are very likely based on complex gene-environment interactions. Major inter-ethnic differences are apparent on the genotyping and the phenotyping levels. Selected cases are presented where inter-ethnic variations of CYP2E1 may provide likely explanations for unexplained findings concerning industrial chemicals that are CYP2E1 substrates. Possible consequences of differential inter-individual and inter-ethnic susceptibilities are related to individual expressions of clinical symptoms of chemical toxicity, to results of biological monitoring of exposed workers, and to the interpretation of results of epidemiological or molecular-epidemiological studies.

Reflexivity and aesthetic inquiry : building dialogues between the arts and literacy

Reflection can form the basis for powerful dialogue between the arts and literacy as we seek interpretive and expressive fluency across modes. Through deep, cumulative reflection we make aspects of our world and experiences more perceivable, and open them up for artistic expression and aesthetic inquiry. Such reflections are also the catalysts for self-awareness and identity building. Theories of reflexivity offer a useful lens with which to understand our relationship with the world and the people, texts and things within it. The reflexive process can prompt us to challenge our understandings and change our representations of self and others through text. This paper offers a discussion of reflexivity and the ways in which it can be expressed and performed in discursive and non-discursive ways to develop literacies through and in the arts.

Defining entertainment : an approach

Entertainment is a key cultural category. Yet the definition of entertainment can differ depending upon whom one asks. This article maps out understandings of entertainment in three key areas. Within industrial discourses, entertainment is defined by a commercial business model. Within evaluative discourses used by consumers and critics, it is understood through an aesthetic system that privileges emotional engagement, story, speed and vulgarity. Within academia, entertainment has not been a key organizing concept within the humanities, despite the fact that it is one of the central categories used by producers and consumers of culture. It has been important within psychology, where entertainment is understood in a solipsistic sense as being anything that an individual finds entertaining. Synthesizing these approaches, the authors propose a cross-sectoral definition of entertainment as ‘audience-centred commercial culture’.

Evaluation of the Australian Performing Arts Market 2014-2018 - Year One Report

The Australia Council awarded the tender of APAMs 2014, 2016 and 2018 to the Brisbane Powerhouse. The Australia Council, in awarding the contract for the presentation of APAM by Brisbane Powerhouse, stipulated that a formal evaluation of the three iterations of APAM and activity in the intervening years be undertaken. Queensland University of Technology, Creative Industries Faculty, under the leadership of Associate Professor Sandra Gattenhof, were contracted to undertake the formal evaluation. This is the first year report on the Brisbane iteration of the Market. This report has drawn from data collected across a range of sources, drawing on the scoping study undertaken by Justin Macdonnell addressing the Market from 1994–2010; the tender document submitted by the Brisbane Powerhouse; in-person interviews with APAM staff, APAM Stakeholders, Vox Pops from delegates in response to individual sessions, producer company/artist case studies and, most significantly, responses from a detailed online survey sent to all delegates. The main body of the report is organised around three key research aims, as outlined in the Brisbane Powerhouse Tender document (2011). These have been articulated as: Evaluation of international market development outcomes through showcasing work to targeted international presenters and agents Evaluation of national market development outcomes through showcasing work to national presenters and producers Evaluation of the exchange ideas, dialogue, skill 
development, partnerships, collaborations and co- productions and networks with local and international peers. The culmination of the data analysis has been articulated through five key recommendations, which may assist the APAM delivery team for the next version, in 2016. In summary, the recommendations are described as: 1. Indigenous focus to remain central to the conception and delivery of APAM 2. Re-framing APAM’s function and its delivery 3. Logistics and communications in a multi-venue approach, including communications and housekeeping, volunteers, catering, re-calibrating the employment of Brisbane Powerhouse protocols and processes for APAM 4. Presentation and promotion for presenters 5. Strategic targeting of Asian producers.

Creative occupations as knowledge practices : innovation and precarity in the creative economy

The ARC Centre of Excellence in Creative Industries and Innovation (herewith CCI) was established with two simple policy objectives. One was to assess anecdotal and boosterish claims about the growth rates of the creative industries, and hence, to measure the size of the creative industries contribution to gross domestic product (GDP). The other was to ascertain the contribution of the creative industries to employment. Preliminary research detailed in Cunningham and Higgs (2009) showed that the existing industrial classifications did not incorporate the terminology of the creative industries, nor did they disaggregate new categories of digital work such as video games. However, we discovered that occupational codes provide a much more fine-grained account of work that would enable us to disaggregate and track economic activity that corresponded to creative industries terminology. Thus was born one major centrepiece of CCI research – the tracking of national occupational codes in pursuit of measuring creative industries policy outcomes. This paper commences with some description of empirical work that investigates creative occupations; however, the real point is to suggest that this type of detailed, occupation-based empirical work has important theoretical potential that has not yet been fully expended (though see Cunningham 2013; Hearn and Bridgstock 2014; Bakhshi, Freeman and Higgs 2013; Hartley and Potts 2014).

Media Arts should be at the core of the Australian Curriculum

The Final Report of the Review of the Australian Curriculum is seriously flawed. Many aspects of the report have attracted comment – but the recommendation that schools do away with a major, world-leading innovation has not. For the first time, Media Arts, one of the five strands of the Arts curriculum, was to become a compulsory subject for primary school students. This will no longer be the case if the Review’s recommendations are adopted by the government.