Scaffolding reflective inquiry - enabling why-questioning while e-Learning

This paper presents some theoretical and interdisciplinary perspectives that might inform the design and development of information and communications technology (ICT) tools to support reflective inquiry during e-learning. The role of why-questioning provides the focus of discussion and is guided by literature that spans critical thinking, inquiry-based and problem-based learning, storytelling, sense-making, and reflective practice, as well as knowledge management, information science, computational linguistics and automated question generation. It is argued that there exists broad scope for the development of ICT scaffolding targeted at supporting reflective inquiry duringe-learning. Evidence suggests that wiki-based learning tasks, digital storytelling, and e-portfolio tools demonstrate the value of accommodating reflective practice and explanatory content in supporting learning; however, it is also argued that the scope for ICT tools that directly support why-questioning as a key aspect of reflective inquiry is a frontier ready for development.

Dietetic practice by Australian and Canadian dietitians with people with Parkinson's disease

Although Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex disease for which appropriate nutrition management is important, limited evidence is currently available to support dietetic practice. Existing PD-specific guidelines do not span all phases of the Nutrition Care Process (NCP). This study aimed to document PD-specific nutrition management practice by Australian and Canadian dietitians. DAA members and PEN subscribers were invited to participate in an online survey (late 2011). Eighty-four dietitians responded (79.8% Australian). The majority (70.2%) worked in the clinical setting. Existing non-PD guidelines were used by 52.4% while 53.6% relied on self-initiated literature reviews. Weight loss/malnutrition, protein intake, dysphagia and constipation were common issues in all NCP phases. Respondents also requested more information/evidence for these topics. Malnutrition screening (82.1%) and assessment (85.7%) were routinely performed. One-third did not receive referrals for weight loss for overweight/obesity. Protein intake meeting gender/age recommendations (69.0%), and high energy/high protein diets to manage malnutrition (82.1%) were most commonly used. Constipation management was through high fibre diets (86.9%). Recommendations for spacing of meals and PD medications varied with 34.5% not making recommendations. Nutritional diagnosis (70.2%) and stage of disease (61.9%) guided monitoring frequency. Common outcome measures included appropriate weight change (97.6%) and regular bowel movements (88.1%). With limited PD-specific guidance, dietitians applied best available evidence for other groups with similar issues. Dietitians requested evidence-based guidelines specifically for the nutritional management of PD. Guideline development should focus on those areas reported as commonly encountered. This process can identify the gaps in evidence to guide future research.

CPD : Using evidence based clinical practice guidelines in the management of anaemia in patients with chronic renal failure

Anaemia is a chronic problem in patients with renal insufficiency, especially chronic renal failure (CRF). In patients with CRF, anaemia is primarily due to a deficiency in erythropoietin (EPO), a glycoprotein growth factor that stimulates RBC production. The long-term effects and burden of anaemia for patients with CRF can be physical, emotional and financial. With efficient, systematic management of anaemia, clinicians have the potential to realise not only better clinical outcomes for CRF patients but also significant cost savings for them and the health system. During the last decade, significant advances have been made in clinicians’ understanding of how best to manage anaemia in this vulnerable population. One of the most important efforts to improve clinical practice has been the development of best practice guidelines.

Point-to-point speed enforcement : recommendations for better practice

Point-to-point speed cameras are a relatively new and innovative technological approach to speed enforcement that is increasingly been used in a number of highly motorised countries. Previous research has provided evidence of the positive impact of this approach on vehicle speeds and crash rates, as well as additional traffic related outcomes such as vehicle emissions and traffic flow. This paper reports on the conclusions and recommendations of a large-scale project involving extensive consultation with international and domestic (Australian) stakeholders to explore the technological, operational, and legislative characteristics associated with the technology. More specifically, this paper provides a number of recommendations for better practice regarding the implementation of point-to-point speed enforcement in the Australian and New Zealand context. The broader implications of the research, as well as directions for future research, are also discussed.

Methodologies for measuring research impact for a new interdisciplinary institute

Interdisciplinary research is often funded by national government initiatives or large corporate sponsorship, and as such, demands periodic reporting on the use of those funds. For reasons of accountability, governance and communication to the tax payer, knowledge of the outcomes of the research need to be measured and understood. The interdisciplinary approach to research raises many challenges for impact reporting. This presentation will consider what are the best practice workflow models and methodologies.Novel methodologies that can be added to the usual metrics of academic publications include analysis of percentage share of total publications in a subject or keyword field, calculating most cited publication in a key phrase category, analysis of who has cited or reviewed the work, and benchmarking of this data against others in that same category. At QUT, interest in how collaborative networking is trending in a research theme has led to the creation of some useful co-authorship graphs that demonstrate the network positions of authors and the strength of their scientific collaborations within a group. The scale of international collaborations is also worth including in the assessment. However, despite all of the tools and techniques available, the most useful way a researcher can help themselves and the process is to set up and maintain their researcher identifier and profile.

Early childhood Australia's Best of Sustainability : Research, Practice and Theory

ECA Best of Sustainability: Research, theory and practice by Elliott, Edwards, Davis and Cutter-MacKenzie collates a range of key articles focussing on sustainability from past editions of the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood and Every Child. Sustainable service operation and promoting children’s responsibility and care for the environment are now part of the National Quality Standards and more importantly, all early childhood services must engage with sustainability in this time of increasing global environmental concerns. The publication documents the best of research, theory and practice to date and questions where has early childhood education for sustainability come from and more importantly, where is it going? There are multiple possibilities for educators, researchers, policy makers and managers to take action in early childhood settings for an environmentally sustainable future.

Do look now : re-imagining and re-purposing audiovisual creative practice

The appropriation and elaborate re-working of mediated images and sound stand in a fluid relationship with established notions such as creativity, originality and artistic freedom. The evocative, recontextualised montage works of the eminent video artists Christian Marclay (The Clock) and Tracey Moffatt (Other; Love) may be viewed critically in the light of several theorists’ work, such as Walter Benjamin’s ideas on the crisis of reproduction and reactivation. The ironic pastiche, Do Look Now, a recent video installation work, is presented here as a similar dialogical intervention, representing a subversive deconstruction and critique of filmic codes and conventions, as well as being a new work crafted out of old film clips. (The films quoted in the work are listed here in an Appendix). These practical provocations are framed within a renewed, ‘queering’ investigation of creative works. Such an exploration is, arguably, both illuminating and liberating for particular practitioners and researchers engaged with the unpredictable intersections of creative meaning-making in a heavily legalised, mediated and digitised world.

Implications of comorbidity for clinical practice

In the past, people with comorbidity have often received inadequate care. The ethical principle of equal access to quality services has important implications for agencies, when combined with knowledge about comorbidity and its management, and about diffusion of innovations across organizations. Comorbidity is common, and often has profound impacts on individuals and families. Tobacco smoking in particular is endemic and affects morbidity, mortality, and functioning. This implies that screening for co-occurring problems should be routine, and that a boutique comorbidity service is impractical. Large numbers mean that universal screening and intervention must be capable of large-scale implementation. Since multiple, closely linked problems are often present, treatments should address these multiple issues, and closely interrelated problems will require well-integrated treatment. Involvement of a single health agency is typically needed. Numbers and severity of problems can blind practitioners and patients to strengths and unaffected areas; these should be assessed and fostered. Better policies and practices for co-occurring disorders will require organizational change. Co-occurring disorders must become core business for organizations and practitioners, so that effective comorbidity practice is rewarded, required skills are present or taught, cues to use the practices are provided, and a culture supporting their application is established.

Can Business Continuity Management Create Reliability in Airports? (Issues from Theory into Practice)

The advances made within the aviation industry over the past several decades have significantly improved the availability, affordability and convenience of air travel and have been greatly beneficial in both social and economic terms. Air transport has developed into an irreplaceable service being relied on by millions of people each day and as such airports have become critical elements of national infrastructure to facilitate the movement of people and goods. As components of critical infrastructure (CI), airports are integral parts of a national economy supporting regional as well as national trade, commercial activity and employment. Therefore, any disruption or crisis which impacts the continuity of operations at airports can have significant negative consequences for the airport as a business, for the local economy and other nodes of transport infrastructure as well as for society. Due to the highly dynamic and volatile environment in which airports operate in, the aviation industry has faced many different challenges over the years ranging from terrorist attacks such as September 11, to health crises such as the SARS epidemic to system breakdowns such as the recent computer system outage at Virgin Blue Airlines in Australia. All these events have highlighted the vulnerability of airport systems to a range of disturbances as well as the gravity and widespread impact of any kind of discontinuity in airport functions. Such incidents thus emphasise the need for increasing resilience and reliability of airports and ensuring business continuity in the event of a crisis...

Diabetes mellitus in South Asia : scientific evaluation of the research output

BACKGROUND: Diabetes in South Asia represents a different disease entity in terms of its onset, progression, and complications. In the present study, we systematically analyzed the medical research output on diabetes in South Asia. METHODS: The online SciVerse Scopus database was searched using the search terms "diabetes" and "diabetes mellitus" in the article Title, Abstract or Keywords fields, in conjunction with the names of each regional country in the Author Affiliation field. RESULTS: In total, 8478 research articles were identified. Most were from India (85.1%) and Pakistan (9.6%) and the contribution to the global diabetes research output was 2.1%. Publications from South Asia increased markedly after 2007, with 58.7% of papers published between 2000 and 2010 being published after 2007. Most papers were Research Articles (75.9%) and Reviews (12.9%), with only 90 (1.1%) clinical trials. Publications predominantly appeared in local national journals. Indian authors and institutions had the most number of articles and the highest h-index. There were 136 (1.6%) intraregional collaborative studies. Only 39 articles (0.46%) had >100 citations. CONCLUSIONS: Regional research output on diabetes mellitus is unsatisfactory, with only a minimal contribution to global diabetes research. Publications are not highly cited and only a few randomized controlled trials have been performed. In the coming decades, scientists in the region must collaborate and focus on practical and culturally acceptable interventional studies on diabetes mellitus.

The impact on clinical practice of a postgraduate clinical pharmacy programme, incorporating competency-based performance evaluation

Background A goal of the postgraduate clinical pharmacy programme (PGCPP) at the University of Queensland is to enhance clinical practice. Aims To evaluate student perceptions of the impact of the PGCPP on practice and the inclusion of a competency-based performance evaluation as a formative component of the curriculum. Method In 2010, students completed a questionnaire to evaluate the impact of the PGCPP. In 2011, formative competency-based performance evaluations were conducted as a component of the course and the questionnaire was repeated. Responses, competency ratings and evaluation feedback were collated. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results 51/57 (89%) of students completed the questionnaire in 2010 and 2011. Over 90% of students agreed or strongly agreed that the PGCPP enhanced practice, knowledge, confidence and contribution to patient care. Responses were similarly positive after the inclusion of the performance evaluation. Conclusion This study demonstrated that the PGCPP is achieving the goal of enhancing the practice of pharmacists.

A pilot study exploring Australian general practice nurses roles, responsibilities and professional development needs in well and sick child care

Aim Explore practice nurses' (PNs) role in child health and development, and advising parents about child health issues. Background Introduction of the four-year-old child health check into general practice in 2008 placed additional responsibilities on PNs in child health and wellness. This study explores their readiness to expand their practice into this area. Design Integrated mixed method design, self-report survey. Method A purpose-developed questionnaire explored demographics, child health roles and responsibilities, difficulties encountered, professional development needs, barriers and facilitators, and professional development activities undertaken in the past year. Surveys were posted to 218 PNs in one rural Division of General Practice (DGP) in Queensland, Australia; 29 responded. Results PNs reported a significant role in well and sick child care (93.1%) though few had a paediatric/child health background (14.3%). Roles included immunisations (92.3%), child health checks (65.4%), general child health and development (26.9%), asthma (23.1%), feeding (15.4%), fever (11.5%), settling/sleeping (11.5%). PNs were interested in learning more about (81.5%) and incorporating more child health into their practice (81.5%). Professional development in childhood growth and development (80.0%), health and illness (60.0%) and advising new mothers (20.0%) was needed. Conclusions PNs play a substantial role in child health, are unprepared for the complexities of this role and have preferred methods for undertaking professional development to address knowledge deficits. Implications for practice PNs are unprepared for an advanced role in child health and wellness. Significant gaps in their knowledge to support this role were identified. This ever-expanding role requires close monitoring to ensure knowledge precedes expectations to practice.

Dimensions and reliability of a hospital safety climate questionnaire in Chinese health-care practice

The aim of the current study was to examine the dimensions and reliability of a hospital safety climate questionnaire in Chinese health-care practice. To achieve this, a cross-sectional survey of health-care professionals was undertaken at a university teaching hospital in Shandong province, China. Our survey instrument demonstrated very high internal consistency, comparing well with previous research in this field conducted in other countries. Factor analysis highlighted four key dimensions of safety climate, which centred on employee personal protection, employee interactions, safetyrelated housekeeping and time pressures. Overall, this study suggests that hospital safety climate represents an important aspect of health-care practice in contemporary China.

Scepticism and trust: two counterpoint essentials in science education for complex socio-scientific issues

In this response to Tom G. K. Bryce and Stephen P. Day’s (Cult Stud Sci Educ. doi:10.1007/s11422-013-9500-0, 2013) original article, I share with them their interest in the teaching of climate change in school science, but I widen it to include other contemporary complex socio-scientific issues that also need to be discussed. I use an alternative view of the relationship between science, technology and society, supported by evidence from both science and society, to suggest science-informed citizens as a more realistic outcome image of school science than the authors’ one of mini-scientists. The intellectual independence of students Bryce and Day assume, and intend for school science, is countered with an active intellectual dependence. It is only in relation to emerging and uncertain scientific contexts that students should be taught about scepticism, but they also need to learn when, and why to trust science as an antidote to the expressions of doubting it. Some suggestions for pedagogies that could lead to these new learnings are made. The very recent fifth report of the IPCC answers many of their concerns about climate change.