The standard bearers : Governing teachers through professional standards

Teacher professional standards have become a key policy mechanism for the reform of teaching and education in recent years. While standards policies claim to improve the quality of teaching and learning in schools today, this paper argues that a disjunction exists between the stated intentions of such programmes and the intelligibility of the practices of government in which they are invested. To this effect, the paper conducts an analytics of government of the recently released National Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2011) arguing that the explicit, calculated rationality of the programme exists within a wider field of effects. Such analysis has the critical consequence of calling into question the claims of the programmers themselves thus breaching the self-evidence on which the standards rest.

Characterisation of sugarcane juice particles that influence the clarification process

Problems associated with processing whole sugarcane crop can be minimised by removing impurities during the clarification stage. As a first step, it is important to understand the colloidal chemistry of juice particles on a molecular level to assist development of strategies for effective clarification performance. This paper presents the composition and surface characteristics of colloidal particles originating from various juice types by using scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS) and zeta potential measurements. The composition and surface characteristics of colloidal juice particles are reported. The results indicate that there are three types of colloidal particles present, viz. an aluminosilicatecompound, silica and iron oxide, with the latter two being abundant. Proteins, polysaccharides and organic acids were identified on the surface of particles in juice. The overall particle charge varies from -2 mV to -6 mV. In comparison to juice expressed from burnt cane, the zeta potential values were more negative with juice particles originating from whole crop. This in part explains why these juices are difficult to clarify.

Cultural fitness for business process management : what is it and what is it worth?

While business process management (BPM) is often associated with large investments in IT systems and process analysis projects, the success of BPM initiatives largely depends on the cultural readiness of organizations for process management. In this article, we introduce a model that helps to understand the role of culture in managing business processes and to take the right investments into the development of organizational culture. For that purpose, we also describe an assessment tool that allows examining the supportiveness of an organizational culture for BPM initiatives. We show how the results of such an assessment help organizations to determine in which areas of a corporation investments in cultural change can be most beneficial.

Preservice teachers’ views : Issues for learning to teach SOSE in an overcrowded curriculum

A cohort of third-year preservice teachers (n=24) was given the opportunity to observe and participate in Studies of Society and Environment (SOSE) in primary classrooms through a series of school visits during a semester-long unit. These visits were designed to give preservice teachers opportunities to connect SOSE teaching theories studied in the university setting to SOSE teaching practices within schools. This study investigates the extent of the preservice teachers’ opportunities to observe SOSE teaching in the primary school. Responses from a survey showed that the majority of preservice teachers only agreed with 6 of the 25 items associated with the six categories (personal-professional skill development, system requirements, teaching practices, student behavior, feedback to students, and reflection on practice). Written responses from the questionnaire concurred that most had not experienced SOSE teaching. Various issues are discussed around providing preservice teachers with SOSE teaching experiences. School executives, teachers and university staff need to be part of the process to ensure preservice teachers are receiving quality SOSE teaching experiences that will assist in their pedagogical development. A wider question is also raised through this paper. If preservice teachers are unable to experience quality SOSE teaching in school visits designed for such a purpose, does this signal a changing emphasis in education that leaves the social sciences and humanities off the education agenda?

Modeling heat and mass transfer process during convection drying of fruit

Fruit drying is a process of removing moisture to preserve fruits by preventing microbial spoilage. It increases shelf life, reduce weight and volume thus minimize packing, storage, and transportation cost and enable storage of food under ambient environment. But, it is a complex process which involves combination of heat and mass transfer and physical property change and shrinkage of the material. In this background, the aim of this paper to develop a mathematical model to simulate coupled heat and mass transfer during convective drying of fruit. This model can be used predict the temperature and moisture distribution inside the fruits during drying. Two models were developed considering shrinkage dependent and temperature dependent moisture diffusivity and the results were compared. The governing equations of heat and mass transfer are solved and a parametric study has been done with Comsol Multiphysics 4.3. The predicted results were validated with experimental data.

Akin Collection : curation of a collaboration between Indigenous artists and fashion designers to create a retail-ready luxury fashion label

The Akin collection is the outcome of a project to lead, guide and curate a luxury, retail-ready fashion collection from a collaboration between five emerging fashion designers and five established Indigenous artists. Research background There is a history of Indigenous artists in Australia being treated unethically; by misappropriation and misrepresentation of their work, inequity of payment for their creativity and little acknowledgement of their cultural contribution to collaborative fashion product sold globally. This has created an atmosphere of bad press for fashion, as well as a fear for emerging designers to include/collaborate with Indigenous artists for textile prints. This fear has been so intense that many emerging Australian designers are now seeking collaboration with other countries’ Indigenous communities, thus missing out on a rich cultural and diverse aesthetic that could brand a truly unique Australian label in the international marketplace. The fashion brands that have collaborated with Indigenous Australian artists have traditionally been a ONE designer label incorporating Indigenous prints, for collections that have little acknowledgement of the artist’s contribution and strong branding for the label and/or fashion designer. This collection seeks to create an equitable and profitable fashion collection under one brand where all artists and designers receive equal payment, equal promotion/credibility, as well as equal royalties for any garments ordered by retailers. Research question Is it possible to curate an ethical, luxury, retail-ready, international fashion brand with a collaboration of five (5) emerging designers and five (5) Indigenous artists? Research contribution In the fashion industry, existing collaborations for Australian Indigenous artists have been with ONE fashion designer or one existing fashion label. This is the first fashion collection created under one brand name with equal credibility and profits for both artists and designers. The process involved presenting workshops ranging from understanding the logistics and timing of the fashion supply chain, costing of garments, the process of ‘ranging’ fashion product for a collection and creating repeat prints from a specific artwork, ready for digital printing. A workshop was also facilitated so both designer and artist could work together to create (and co-own) unique t shirt prints. Lawyers were consulted and ethical contracts were drawn up to cover all participants in this innovative collaboration. While the collaboration of artist and designer was important, the collection required curation of all elements so that the final collection came together as a professional and cohesive, quality, retail- ready product. This could only be created by experienced practitioners. Research significance The Akin Collection is the first Australian fashion brand to be created as a collaboration between five equally recognised Indigenous artists and five emerging fashion designers. It has familiarized the Indigenous artists to the logistics and culture of the fashion industry and the emerging fashion designers have been familiarized to the logistics and culture of how to collaborate with the unique Indigenous artwork that exists in Australia. After only three months, this culminated in a fashion parade showcasing the Akin collection to over 400 members of the public, government, media and retail. Feedback has been strong from the media and the industry, and a lookbook and photoshoot has been organised to promote and sell the collection both nationally and internationally. These concepts plus the curation outlined, has created a successful, luxury, quality collection ready for the international runways. This project has devised an ethical template for other Indigenous artists and emerging designers to create fashion collections that offer a unique aesthetic that could position and brand Australian fashion in the international marketplace. Key Words Indigenous artists, emerging fashion designers, Australian fashion design, ethical fashion, luxury Australian brand

Working with actors in open disclosure simulations

A key strategy in facilitating learning in Open Disclosure training is the use of hypothetical, interactive scenarios called ‘simulations’. According to Clapper (2010), the ‘advantages of using simulation are numerous and include the ability to help learners make meaning of complex tasks, while also developing critical thinking and cultural skills’. Simulation, in turn, functions largely through improvisation and role-play, in which participants ‘act out’ particular roles and characters according to a given scenario, without recourse to a script. To maximise efficacy in the Open Disclosure training context, role-play requires the specialist skills of professionally trained actors. Core capacities that professional actors bring to the training process include (among others) believability, an observable and teachable skill which underpins the western traditions of actor training; and flexibility, which pertains to the actor’s ability to vary performance strategies according to the changing dynamics of the learning situation. The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Service of Queensland Health utilises professional actors as a key component of their Open Disclosure Training Program. In engaging actors in this work, it is essential that Facilitators of Open Disclosure training have a solid understanding of the acting process: what acting is; how actors work to a brief; how they improvise; and how they sustainably manage a wide range of emotional states. In the simulation context, the highly skilled actor can optimise learning outcomes by adopting or enacting – in collaboration with the Facilitator - a pedagogical function.

Building sustainable and effective assurance of learning process in a changing higher education environment

In a study of assuring learning in Australian Business Schools, 25 Teaching and Learning Associate Deans were interviewed to identify current issues in developing and measuring the quality of teaching and learning outcomes. Results indicate that for most institutions developing a perspective on graduate attributes and mapping assessments to measure outcomes across an entire program required knowledge creation and the building of new inclusive processes. Common elements of effective practice, namely those which offered consistently superior outcomes, included: inclusive processes; embedded graduate attributes throughout a program; alongside consistent and appropriate assessment. Results indicate that assurance of learning processes are proliferating nationally while quality of teaching and learning outcomes and in the processes for assuring it is increasing as a result.

An exploration of the professional competencies required in engineering asset management

Engineering asset management (EAM) is a rapidly growing and developing field. However, efforts to select and develop engineers in this area are complicated by our lack of understanding of the full range of competencies required to perform. This exploratory study sought to clarify and categorise the professional competencies required of individuals at different hierarchical levels within EAM. Data from 14 interviews and 61 on-line survey participants has informed the development of an initial Professional Competency Framework. The nine competency categories indicate that Engineers working in this field need to be able to collaborate and influence others, complete objectives within organizational guidelines and be able to manage themselves effectively. Limitations and potential uses in practice and research for this framework are discussed.

Understanding process behaviours in a large insurance company in Australia : a case study

Having a reliable understanding about the behaviours, problems, and performance of existing processes is important in enabling a targeted process improvement initiative. Recently, there has been an increase in the application of innovative process mining techniques to facilitate evidence-based understanding about organizations' business processes. Nevertheless, the application of these techniques in the domain of finance in Australia is, at best, scarce. This paper details a 6-month case study on the application of process mining in one of the largest insurance companies in Australia. In particular, the challenges encountered, the lessons learned, and the results obtained from this case study are detailed. Through this case study, we not only validated existing `lessons learned' from other similar case studies, but also added new insights that can be beneficial to other practitioners in applying process mining in their respective fields.

Network interactions and performance of a multi-function IEC 61850 process bus

New substation technology, such as non-conventional instrument transformers,and a need to reduce design and construction costs, are driving the adoption of Ethernet based digital process bus networks for high voltage substations. Protection and control applications can share a process bus, making more efficient use of the network infrastructure. This paper classifies and defines performance requirements for the protocols used in a process bus on the basis of application. These include GOOSE, SNMP and IEC 61850-9-2 sampled values. A method, based on the Multiple Spanning Tree Protocol (MSTP) and virtual local area networks, is presented that separates management and monitoring traffic from the rest of the process bus. A quantitative investigation of the interaction between various protocols used in a process bus is described. These tests also validate the effectiveness of the MSTP based traffic segregation method. While this paper focusses on a substation automation network, the results are applicable to other real-time industrial networks that implement multiple protocols. High volume sampled value data and time-critical circuit breaker tripping commands do not interact on a full duplex switched Ethernet network, even under very high network load conditions. This enables an efficient digital network to replace a large number of conventional analog connections between control rooms and high voltage switchyards.

Process based synthesis to evaluate design flexibility in airport terminal layout

Flexible design concept is a relatively new trend in airport terminal design which is believed to facilitate the ever changing needs of a terminal. Current architectural design processes become more complex every day because of the introduction of new building technologies where the concept of flexible airport terminal would apparently make the design process even more complex. Previous studies have demonstrated that ever growing aviation industry requires airport terminals to be planned, designed and constructed in such a way that should allow flexibility in design process. In order to adopt the philosophy of ‘design for flexibility’ architects need to address a wide range of differing needs. An appropriate integration of the process models, prior to the airport terminal design process, is expected to uncover the relationships that exist between spatial layout and their corresponding functions. The current paper seeks to develop a way of sharing space adjacency related information obtained from the Business Process Models (BPM) to assist in defining flexible airport terminal layouts. Critical design parameters are briefly investigated at this stage of research whilst reviewing the available design alternatives and an evaluation framework is proposed in the current paper. Information obtained from various design layouts should assist in identifying and defining flexible design matrices allowing architects to interpret and to apply those throughout the lifecycle of the terminal building.

Is there a place for pixels in our practice? Dietitians' attitudes towards the use of photographic dietary records within the nutrition care process

Photographic records of dietary intake (PhDRs) are an innovative method for the dietary assessment and may alleviate the burden of recording intake compared to traditional methods of recording intake. While the performance of PhDRs has been evaluated, no investigation into the application of this method had occurre within dietetic practice. This study examined the attitudes of dietitians towards the use of PhDRs in the provision of nutrition care. A web-based survey on the practices and beliefs with regards to technology use among Dietitians Association of Australia members was conducted in August 2011. Of the 87 dietitians who responded, 86% assessed the intakes of clients as part of individualised medical nutrition therapy, with the diet history the most common method used. The majority (91%) of dietitians surveyed believed that a PhDR would be of use in their current practice to estimate intake. Information contained in the PhDR would primarily be used to obtain a qualitative evaluation of diet (84%) or to supplement an existing assessment method (69%), as opposed to deriving an absolute measure of nutrient intake (31%). Most (87%) indicated that a PhDR would also be beneficial in both the delivery of the intervention and to evaluate and monitor goals and outcomes, while only 46% felt that a PhDR would assist in determining the nutrition diagnosis. This survey highlights the potential for the use of PhDRs within practice. Future endeavours lie in establishing resources which support the inclusion of PhDRs within the nutrition care process.

Confronting the shortage of skilled and professional workers : A large scale industry-school partnership initiative

In most of the advanced economies, students are losing interest in careers especially in engineering and related industries. Hence, western economies are confronting a critical skilled labour shortage in areas of technology, science and engineering. The aim of this paper is to document how the organisational and institutional elements of one industry-school partnerships initiative – The Gateway Schools Program - contribute to productive knowledge sharing and networking. In particular this paper focuses on an initiative of an Australian State government in response to a perceived crisis around the skills shortage in an economy transitioning from a localised to a global knowledge production economy. The Gateway Schools initiative signals the first sustained attempt in Australia to incorporate schools into production networks through strategic partnerships linking them to partner organisations at the industry level. We provide case examples of how four schools operationalise the partnerships with the mining and energy industries and how these partnerships as knowledge assets impact the delivery of curriculum and capacity building among teachers. A program theory approach to analysis, informed by theoretical perspectives of Bailey (1994), Bagnall (2007) and Walsh (2004) was adopted. Each of these theorists provides a related but different perspective on the establishment, purpose, and effectiveness respectively of partnerships. Our ultimate goal is to define those characteristics of successful partnerships that do contribute to enhanced interest and engagement by students in those careers that are currently experiencing critical shortages.