Professional conversations : a new approach to professional learning in ECEC

In 2009, Australia celebrated the introduction of a national Early Years Learning Framework. This is a critical component in a series of education reforms designed to support quality pedagogy and practice in early childhood education and care (ECEC) and successful transition to school. As with any policy change, success in real terms relies upon building shared understanding and the capacity of educators to apply new knowledge and support change and improved practice within their service. With these outcomes in mind, a collaborative research project is investigating the efficacy of a new approach to professional learning in ECEC: the professional conversation. This paper reports on the trial and evaluation of a series of professional conversations on the Early Years Learning Framework, and their capacity to promote collaborative reflective practice, shared understanding, and improved practice in ECEC. The paper details the professional conversation approach, key challenges and critical success factors, and the learning outcomes for conversation participants. Findings support the efficacy of this approach to professional learning in ECEC, and its capacity to support policy reform and practice change in ECEC.

Digital reflections on learning : a monograph by students of Digital Pedagogies, Semester 2, 2011

Learning a digital tool is often a hidden process. We tend to learn new tools in a bewildering range of ways. Formal, informal, structured, random, conscious, unconscious, individual, group strategies, may all play a part, but are often lost to us in the complex and demanding processes of learning. But when we reflect carefully on the experience, some patterns and surprising techniques emerge. This monograph presents the thinking of four students in MDN642, Digital Pedagogies, where they have deliberately reflected on the mental processes at work as they learnt a digital technology of their choice.

‘Please leave your mobile phone on’ : Social educational networking in a social society : Encouraging in-class engagement at QUT across physical and virtual learning environments

Though stadium style seating in large lecture theatres may suggest otherwise, effective teaching and learning is a not a spectator sport. A challenge in creating effective learning environments in both physical and virtual spaces is to provide optimal opportunity for student engagement in active learning. Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has developed the Open Web Lecture (OWL), a new web-based student response application, which seamlessly integrates a virtual learning environment within the physical learning space. The result is a blended learning experience; a fluid collaboration between academic and students connected to OWL via the University’s Wi-Fi using their own laptop or mobile web device. QUT is currently piloting the OWL application to encourage student engagement. OWL offers opportunities for participants to: • Post comments and questions • Reply to comments
 • "Like" comments
 • Poll students and review data • Review archived sessions. Many of these features instinctively appeal to student users of social networking media, yet avail the academic of control within the University network. Student privacy is respected through a system of preserving peer-peer anonymity, a functionality that seeks to address a traditional reluctance to speak up in large classes. The pilot is establishing OWL as an opportunity for engaging students in active learning opportunities by enabling • virtual learning in physical spaces for large group lectures, seminar groups, workshops and conferences • live collaborative technology connecting students and the academic via the wireless network using their own laptop or mobile device • an non- intimidating environment in which to ask questions • promotion of a sense of community • instant feedback • problem based learning. The student and academic response to OWL has been overwhelmingly positive, crediting OWL as an easy to use application, which creates effective learning opportunities though interactivity and immediate feedback. This poster and accompanying online presentation of the technology will demonstrate how OWL offers new possibilities for active learning in physical spaces by: • providing increased opportunity for student engagement • supporting a range of learners and learning activities • fostering blended learning experiences. The presentation will feature visual displays of the technology, its various interfaces and feedback including clips from interviews with students and academics participating in the early stages of the pilot.

The business of fashion : entrepreneurship and enterprise learning for the new ‘creative’ global marketplace – the Australian case study [Abstract]

While the fashion industry is normally first to recognise trends and embrace creativity, fashion designers are sometimes the last to acknowledge that business acumen and entrepreneurial skills are needed. However, fashion designers and entrepreneurs are now all members of the new ‘creative’ global marketplace with its inherent need to sell globally and be competitive with international brands. For the Australian industry, this tension creates enormous pressures due to Australia’s small population (and market/s), the decreasing textile and manufacturing base, the increase of ‘creative’ micro businesses and with this the increasing number of young Australians wanting to start their own fashion business. This paper highlights the current size of the Australian fashion industry, the trend for small business models, the ‘career portfolio’ entrepreneur and strategies Australian universities are undertaking to address students wishing to enter the business of fashion. It also identifies case studies where enterprise learning pedagogy has been successfully implemented into the business education of an Australian fashion program and concludes with recommendations for an enterprise pedagogy that creates authentic learning, while working with industry and community stakeholders in flexible university formats.

Teaching and Learning in Maritime Security: A Literature Review

With the rise in attacks and attempted attacks on marine‐based critical infrastructure, maritime security is an issue of increasing importance worldwide. However, there are three significant shortfalls in the efforts to overcome potential threats to maritime security: the need for greater understanding of whether current standards of best practice are truly successful in combating and reducing the risks of terrorism and other security issues, the absence of a collective maritime security best practice framework and the need for improved access to maritime security specific graduate and postgraduate (long) courses. This paper presents an overview of existing international, regional national standards of best practice and shows that literature concerning the measurement and/ or success of standards is virtually non‐existent. In addition, despite the importance of maritime workers to ensuring the safety of marine based critical infrastructure, a similar review of available Australian education courses shows a considerable lack of availability of maritime security‐specific courses other than short courses that cover only basic security matters. We argue that the absence of an Australian best practice framework informed by evaluation of current policy responses – particularly in the post 9/11 environment – leaves Australia vulnerable to maritime security threats. As this paper shows, the reality is that despite the security measures put in place post 9/11, there is still considerable work to be done to ensure Australia is equipped to overcome the threats posed to maritime security.

Communities of practice : building organisational capability through an undergraduate assurance of learning program

This study explores academic perceptions of organizational capability and culture following a project to develop a quality assurance of learning program in a business school. In the project a community of practice structure was established to include academics in the development of an embedded, direct assurance of learning program affecting more than 5000 undergraduate students and 250 academics from nine different disciplines across four discipline based departments. The primary outcome from the newly developed and implemented assurance of learning program was the five year accreditation of the business school’s programs by two international accrediting bodies, EQUIS and AACSB. This study explores a different outcome, namely perceptions of organizational culture and individual capabilities as academics worked together in teaching teams and communities. This study uses a survey and interviews with academics involved, through a retrospective panel design consisting of an experimental group and a control group. Results offer insights into communities of practice as a means of encouraging new individual and organizational capability and strategic culture adaptation.

Communications and learning structures that facilitate transfer of knowledge at innovation transition points

Innovation processes are rarely smooth and disruptions often occur at transition points were one knowledge domain passes the technology on to another domain. At these transition points communication is a key component in assisting the smooth hand over of technologies. However for smooth transitions to occur we argue that appropriate structures have to be in place and boundary spanning activities need to be facilitated. This paper presents three case studies of innovation processes and the findings support the view that structures and boundary spanning are essential for smooth transitions. We have explained the need to pass primary responsibility between agents to successfully bring an innovation to market. We have also shown the need to combine knowledge through effective communication so that absorptive capacity is built in process throughout the organisation rather than in one or two key individuals.

Can transfer of learning be enriched by valuing knowledge transformation and co-creation? Exploring new ways to improve training design

This paper argues that a possible cause of issues with management education outcomes is the fact that most training models operate from a limited ‘transfer’ metaphor. This theoretical paper contends that by reconceptualising existing models, specifically Holton’s transfer of learning model, to incorporate multiple processes and acknowledge the importance of educator- or trainer-student interaction in co-creating knowledge, there is potential to improve training design and ultimately achieve more satisfactory training outcomes.

Learning or legitimacy? an exploration of business planning amongst Australian social enterprises

In recent years, the value of business planning for new business ventures and small firms has been the subject of debate amongst entrepreneurship researchers (Brinckmann et al 2010: 24). Drawing on institutional theory, a number of writers suggest that business planning is primarily used to confer symbolic legitimacy on businesses seeking investment and engagement from external stakeholders ( Karlsson & Honig 2009; Zimmerman & Zeitz 2002; Delmar & Shane 2004). In this sense, business planning may not have any significant effects on firm learning, but may be used as evidence of good business operations in order to attract external resources. Meta-evaluation of the available empirical literature contests this proposition, finding that both the symbolic and organisational learning effects of business planning influence small firm performance (Brinckmann et al 2010: 36) While social enterprise – which we define as organisations that exist for a public or community benefit and trade to fulfill their mission - the study of social enterprise is a nascent and pre-paradigmatic area of inquiry (Nicholls 2010). As a consequence, there has been relatively little empirical analysis of the nature or effects of business planning amongst social enterprises (for two exceptions, see exploratory studies by Hynes 2009 and Bull & Crompton 2006). In this paper, we examine business planning practices amongst Australian social enterprises. Drawing on a survey of 365 social enterprises conducted in 2010 and in-depth interviews with 11 social entrepreneurs and managers from eight social enterprises, we find that social enterprises report being more actively engaged in business planning activities than their mainstream business counterparts. Our exploratory research suggests that both legitimacy and learning drive business planning amongst social enterprises, although legitimacy is the stronger driver. Our results also suggest that, as multi-stakeholder businesses led by mission, business planning can serve unique communicative and relational functions for this business type.

E-learning in traditional industries: balancing the preferences of an ageing workforce with the expectations of a technoloigy-savvy generation

There is widespread argument that traditional organisations and industries with a predominantly older workforce who are not using computers as an integral part of their work, are unlikely to embrace the opportunities afforded by e-learning. However, the challenge remains to engage a younger generation of learners who seem comfortable learning with technology, whilst not alienating those older learners who may prefer to learn in more traditional ways. This paper analyses data from five case organisations within the Australian rail industry to identify how the potential of e-learning can be realised whilst acknowledging the technological divide between younger and older workers.

Learning informative features for indoor traversability

This paper presents a method for automatic terrain classification, using a cheap monocular camera in conjunction with a robot’s stall sensor. A first step is to have the robot generate a training set of labelled images. Several techniques are then evaluated for preprocessing the images, reducing their dimensionality, and building a classifier. Finally, the classifier is implemented and used online by an indoor robot. Results are presented, demonstrating an increased level of autonomy.

Developing and enhancing independent learning skills : using video tutorials as a means of helping students help themselves

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of short video tutorials in a post-graduate accounting subject, as a means of helping students develop and enhance independent learning skills. Design/methodology/approach – In total, five short (approximately five to 10 minutes) video tutorials were introduced in an effort to shift the reliance for learning from the lecturer to the student. Data on students’ usage of online video tutorials, and comments by students in university questionnaires were collated over three semesters from 2008 to 2009. Interviews with students were then conducted in late 2009 to more comprehensively evaluate the use and perceived benefits of video tutorials. Findings – Findings reveal preliminary but positive outcomes in terms of both more efficient and effective teaching and learning. Research limitations/implications – The shift towards more independent learning through the use of video tutorials has positive implications for educators, employers, and professional accounting bodies; each of whom has identified the need for this skill in accounting graduates. Practical implications – The use of video tutorials has the potential for more rewarding teaching and more effective learning. Originality/value – This study is one of the first to examine the use and benefits of video tutorials as a means of developing independent learning skills in accountancy students – addressing a key concern within the profession.

Using cost-effective multimedia to create engaging learning experiences in law and other disciplines

This is the final report of an Australian Learning and Teaching Council Teaching Fellowship which addressed the needs of two separate groups of learners: (1) final year law students studying ethics and (2) law academics and other interested educators in higher education wishing to use information and communication technologies (ICT) to create engaging learning environments for their students but lacking the capacity to do so. The Fellowship resulted in final year law students being infused with an improved appreciation of ethical practice than they receive from traditional lecture/tutorial means by the development of an integrated program of blended learning including an online program entitled "Entry into Valhalla". This "ethics capstone‟ utilises multimedia produced using cost effective resources (including the "Second Life" virtual environment) to create engaging, contextualised learning experiences. The Fellowship also constructed the knowledge of producing cost-effective multimedia projects in other law academics and other educators in higher education by staff development activities comprising workshops, conference presentations and an interactive website using the "Entry into Valhalla" program as a case study exemplar.