Introduction

The title of this book, Hard Lesson: Reflections on Crime control in Late Modernity, contains a number of clues about its general theoretical direction. It is a book concerned, fist and foremost, with the vagaries of crime control in western neo-liberal and English speaking countries. More specifically, Hard Lessons draws attention to a number of examples in which discrete populations – those who have in one way or another offended against the criminal law - have become the subjects of various forms of stare intervention, regulation and control. We are concerned most of all with the ways in which recent criminal justice policies and practices have resulted in what are variously described as unintended consequences, unforeseen outcomes, unanticipated results, counter-productive effects or negative side effects. At their simplest, such terms refer to the apparent gulf between intention and outcome; they often form the basis for considerable amount of policy reappraisal, soul searching and even nihilistic despair among the mamandirns of crime control. Unintended consequences can, of course, be both positive and negative. Occasionally, crime control measures may result in beneficial outcomes, such as the use of DNA to acquit wrongly convicted prisoners. Generally, however, unforeseen effects tend to be negative and even entirely counterproductive, and/or directly opposite to what were originally intended. All this, of course, presupposes some sort of rational, well meaning and transparent policy making process so beloved by liberal social policy theorists. Yet, as Judith Bessant points out in her chapter, this view of policy formulation tends to obscure the often covert, regulatory and downright malevolent intentions contained in many government policies and practices. Indeed, history is replete with examples of governments seeking to mask their real aims from a prying public eye. Denials and various sorts of ‘techniques of neutralisation’ serve to cloak the real or ‘underlying’ aims of the powerful (Cohen 2000). The latest crop of ‘spin doctors’ and ‘official spokespersons’ has ensured that the process of governmental obfuscation, distortion and concealment remains deeply embedded in neo-liberal forms of governance. There is little new or surprising in this; nor should we be shocked when things ‘go wrong’ in the domain of crime control since many unintended consequences are, more often than not, quite predictable. Prison riots, high rates of recidivism and breaches of supervision orders, expansion rather than contraction of control systems, laws that create the opposite of what was intended – all these are normative features of western crime control. Indeed, without the deep fault lines running between policy and outcome it would be hard to imagine what many policy makers, administrators and practitioners would do: their day to day work practices and (and incomes) are directly dependent upon emergent ‘service delivery’ problems. Despite recurrent howls of official anguish and occasional despondency it is apparent that those involved in the propping up the apparatus of crime control have a vested interest in ensuring that polices and practices remain in an enduring state of review and reform.

Test of the enemy release hypothesis: the native magpie moth prefers a native fireweed (Senecio pinnatifolius) to its introduced congener (S.Madagascariensis)

Abstract The enemy release hypothesis predicts that native herbivores will either prefer or cause more damage to native than introduced plant species. We tested this using preference and performance experiments in the laboratory and surveys of leaf damage caused by the magpie moth Nyctemera amica on a co-occuring native and introduced species of fireweed (Senecio) in eastern Australia. In the laboratory, ovipositing females and feeding larvae preferred the native S. pinnatifolius over the introduced S. madagascariensis. Larvae performed equally well on foliage of S. pinnatifolius and S. madagascariensis: pupal weights did not differ between insects reared on the two species, but growth rates were significantly faster on S. pinnatifolius. In the field, foliage damage was significantly greater on native S. pinnatifolius than introduced S. madagascariensis. These results support the enemy release hypothesis, and suggest that the failure of native consumers to switch to introduced species contributes to their invasive success. Both plant species experienced reduced, rather than increased, levels of herbivory when growing in mixed populations, as opposed to pure stands in the field; thus, there was no evidence that apparent competition occurred.

The foraging behaviour of the Black rat (Rattus rattus) within Australian macadamia orchards

The black rat (Rattus rattus) has been shown to be the primary species responsible for causing significant crop losses within the Australian macadamia industry. This species success within macadamia orchards is directly related to the flexibility expressed in its foraging behaviour. In this paper a conceptual foraging model is presented which proposes that the utilisation of resources by rodents within various components of the system is related not only to their relative abundance, but also to predator avoidance behaviour. Nut removal from high predation risk habitats during periods of low resource abundance in low risk compartments of the system is considered an essential behaviour that allows high rodent densities to be maintained throughout the year.

Transfer of learning across the globe : pre-service teachers taking the initiative

A continuing challenge for pre-service teacher education is the learning transfer between the university based components and the practical school based components of their training. It is not clear how easily pre-service teachers can transfer university learnings into ‘in school’ practice. Similarly, it is not clear how easily knowledge learned in the school context can be disembedded from this particular context and understood more generally by the pre-service teacher. This paper examines the effect of a community of practice formed specifically to explore learning transfer via collaboration and professional enquiry, in ‘real time’, across the globe. “Activity Theory” (Engestrom, 1999) provided the theoretical framework through which the cognitive, physical and social processes involved could be understood. For the study, three activity systems formed community of practice network. The first activity system involved pre-service teachers at a large university in Queensland, Australia. The second activity system was introduced by the pre-service teachers and involved Year 12 students and teachers at a private secondary school also in Queensland, Australia. The third activity system involved university staff engineers at a large university in Pennsylvania, USA. The common object among the three activity systems was to explore the principles and applications of nanotechnology. The participants in the two Queensland activity systems, controlled laboratory equipment (a high powered Atomic Force Microscope – CPII) in Pennsylvania, USA, with the aim of investigating surface topography and the properties of nano particles. The pre-service teachers were to develop their remote ‘real time’ experience into school classroom tasks, implement these tasks, and later report their findings to other pre-service teachers in the university activity system. As an extension to the project, the pre-service teachers were invited to co-author papers relating to the project. Data were collected from (a) reflective journals; (b) participant field notes – a pre-service teacher initiative; (c) surveys – a pre-service teacher initiative; (d) lesson reflections and digital recordings – a pre-service teacher initiative; and (e) interviews with participants. The findings are reported in terms of the major themes: boundary crossing, the philosophy of teaching, and professional relationships The findings have implications for teacher education. The researchers feel that deliberate planning for networking between activity systems may well be a solution to the apparent theory/practice gap. Proximity of activity systems need not be a hindering issue.

A re-assessment of the debate over sex education

The intention of this paper is to call into question the apparent dichotomy between left and right wing positions concerning the implementation of sex education in Queensland Schools. By adopting a more historicised approach, it is suggested that these positions are part of dual and supplementary strategies which work through specific problematisations associated with youth. Accordingly, the emphasis should be shifted from generalised depictions of the adolescent/youth to more focused accounts, questioning how teaching children to manage their sex became a governmental imperative.

Australia : LIS education

The topic of library and information science (LIS) education has been under the spotlight in the professional literature in Australia and New Zealand for a number of years. Critical issues of discussion encompass the apparent lack of a core curriculum for the discipline, the perceived gulf between LIS education and LIS practice, and the pressing need for career-long learning and development. One of the central points of debate that emerges repeatedly is the long-standing question about the positioning of the profession: Is LIS a graduate profession of highly skilled individuals valued for their expertise and professionalism or is it a profession of anyone who works in a library, regardless of their qualifications (LIANZA, 2005)? While Australia and New Zealand do not stand alone in this debate – similar issues are echoed in many other countries – there are inevitably some local characteristics which warrant exploration. The discussion presented here highlights the historical background to professional training, the specific professional policies and standards that guide LIS education and some of the challenges facing professional and paraprofessional education, given the changing environment of education in Australia as a whole, with some comparisons made with the New Zealand situation. While all too often library practitioners point the finger at the library educators to ‘right the wrongs’, the authors wish to reinforce the idea that the future of effective and relevant LIS education is a matter for all stakeholders in the profession: practitioners and educators, students and staff, employers and employees, with cohesion potentially offered by the professional body.

Deposition of combustion aerosols in the human respiratory tract : comparison of theoretical predictions with experimental data

Total deposition of petrol, diesel and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) aerosols in the human respiratory tract for nasal breathing conditions was computed for 14 nonsmoking volunteers, considering the specific anatomical and respiratory parameters of each volunteer and the specific size distribution for each inhalation experiment. Theoretical predictions were 34.6% for petrol, 24.0% for diesel, and 18.5% for ETS particles. Compared to the experimental results, predicted deposition values were consistently smaller than the measured data (41.4% for petrol, 29.6% for diesel, and 36.2% for ETS particles). The apparent discrepancy between experimental data on total deposition and modeling results may be reconciled by considering the non-spherical shape of the test aerosols by diameter-dependent dynamic shape factors to account for differences between mobility-equivalent and volume-equivalent or thermodynamic diameters. While the application of dynamic shape factors is able to explain the observed differences for petrol and diesel particles, additional mechanisms may be required for ETS particle deposition, such as the size reduction upon inspiration by evaporation of volatile compounds and/or condensation-induced restructuring, and, possibly, electrical charge effects.

Application of bag sampling technique for particle size distribution measurements

Bag sampling techniques can be used to temporarily store an aerosol and therefore provide sufficient time to utilize sensitive but slow instrumental techniques for recording detailed particle size distributions. Laboratory based assessment of the method were conducted to examine size dependant deposition loss coefficients for aerosols held in VelostatTM bags conforming to a horizontal cylindrical geometry. Deposition losses of NaCl particles in the range of 10 nm to 160 nm were analysed in relation to the bag size, storage time, and sampling flow rate. Results of this study suggest that the bag sampling method is most useful for moderately short sampling periods of about 5 minutes.

Two Thai teachers' perceptions of cooperative learning

Over the past decade, the need for educational reform in Thailand has become increasingly apparent. The strong tradition of teacher-directed instruction has been the major teaching and learning style in Thai education. Recent policy changes have focused on expanding education opportunities, the implementation of compulsory education and also on more student-centered pedagogies (Carter, 2006). A suggested way of bringing about the changes necessary to improve the standard of education in primary schools and retention rates is to incorporate cooperative learning into Thai primary school classrooms. The action research in this study proceeded in four stages. There were pre-implementation interviews of teachers, teacher preparation, implementation of program, and post-implementation evaluation. This study focused on the two Thai teachers' perceptions about the benefits of cooperative learning and the roles of the teachers in cooperative learning classroom. The study found that the two teachers had constructed different levels of perceptions about the benefits of cooperative learning and the roles of the teacher. These findings indicated that Thai teachers who are relatively inexperienced, lacking in confidence and with little or no experience with group work strategies such as peer tutoring need alternative, less intense professional development programs conducted over a period of a semester than the professional development program implemented in this study. In addition to being conducted over a longer period of time, the findings also indicate that alternative teacher professional programs need to provide additional workshops to improve their understanding of cooperative learning and the teachers' roles.

International students using online information resources to learn

This qualitative study views international students as information-using learners, through an information literacy lens. Focusing on the experiences of 25 international students at two Australian universities, the study investigates how international students use online information resources to learn, and identifies associated information literacy learning needs. An expanded critical incident approach provided the methodological framework for the study. Building on critical incident technique, this approach integrated a variety of concepts and research strategies. The investigation centred on real-life critical incidents experienced by the international students whilst using online resources for assignment purposes. Data collection involved semi-structured interviews and an observed online resource-using task. Inductive data analysis and interpretation enabled the creation of a multifaceted word picture of international students using online resources and a set of critical findings about their information literacy learning needs. The study’s key findings reveal: • the complexity of the international students’ experience of using online information resources to learn, which involves an interplay of their interactions with online resources, their affective and reflective responses to using them, and the cultural and linguistic dimensions of their information use. • the array of strengths as well as challenges that the international students experience in their information use and learning. • an apparent information literacy imbalance between the international students’ more developed information skills and less developed critical and strategic approaches to using information • the need for enhanced information literacy education that responds to international students’ identified information literacy needs. Responding to the findings, the study proposes an inclusive informed learning approach to support reflective information use and inclusive information literacy learning in culturally diverse higher education environments.

The use of the Index for Inclusion in a regional educational learning community

This project utilised the materials of the Index for Inclusion (Booth & Ainscow, 2002) to enhance the development of a learning community of educators in Education Queensland in 2009. The values, dimensions and indicators of the Index for Inclusion, were incorporated into the professional development package, On the Same Page (Education Queensland, 2008), to enhance its wider purpose to improve inclusive education practices explicit within the P-12 Curriculum Framework (Education Queensland, 2008). The incorporation of the values, dimensions and indicators of the Index enabled deeper reflection by participants about their expectations of students and their resulting teaching practices. The subsequent development of action plans assisted participants to develop “a curriculum for all” (Education Queensland, 2008, p. 9). Deeper reflection, action planning and ‘distance travelled’ in understanding of inclusive education were apparent in the comments by participants and their evaluation of the professional development package.

Rare chromosome disorders and their developmental consequences

Professionals working in disability services often encounter clients who have chromosome disorders such as Williams, Angelman or Down syndromes. As chromosome testing becomes increasingly sophisticated, however, more people are being diagnosed with very rare chromosome disorders that are identified not by a syndrome name, but rather by a description of the number, size and shape of their chromosomes (called the karyotype) or by a report of chromosome losses and gains detected through an advanced process known as microarray-based comparative genomic hybridisation (array CGH). For practitioners who work with individuals with rare chromosome disorders and their families, a basic level of knowledge about the evolving field of genetics, as well as specific knowledge about chromosome abnormalities, is essential since they must be able to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to clients (Simic & Turk, 2004). In addition, knowledge about the developmental consequences of various rare chromosome disorders is important for guiding prognoses, expectations, decisions and interventions. The current article provides information that aims to help practitioners work more effectively with this population. It begins by presenting essential information about chromosomes and their numerical and structural abnormalities and then considers the developmental consequences of rare chromosome disorders through a critical review of relevant literature.

Vibrational spectroscopic studies of laboratory scale polymer melt processing : application to a thermoplastic polyurethane nanocomposite

A laboratory scale twin screw extruder has been interfaced with a near infrared (NIR) spectrometer via a fibre optic link so that NIR spectra can be collected continuously during the small scale experimental melt state processing of polymeric materials. This system can be used to investigate melt state processes such as reactive extrusion, in real time, in order to explore the kinetics and mechanism of the reaction. A further advantage of the system is that it has the capability to measure apparent viscosity simultaneously which gives important additional information about molecular weight changes and polymer degradation during processing. The system was used to study the melt processing of a nanocomposite consisting of a thermoplastic polyurethane and an organically modified layered silicate.

Zeolite from alkali modified kaolin increases NH4+ retention by sandy soil : column experiments

Sandy soils have low water and nutrient retention capabilities so that zeolite soil amendments are used for high value land uses including turf and horticulture to reduce leaching losses of NH4+ fertilisers. MesoLite is a zeolitic material made by caustic treatment of kaolin at 80-95oC. It has a moderately low surface area (9-12m2/g) and very high cation exchange capacity (494 cmol(+)/kg). Laboratory column experiments showed that an addition of 0.4% MesoLite to a sandy soil greatly (90%) reduced leaching of added NH4+ compared to an unamended soil and MesoLite is 11 times more efficient in retaining NH4+ than natural zeolite. Furthermore, NH4+-MesoLite slowly releases NH4+ to soil solution and is likely to be an effective slow release fertiliser.

Drivers' and cyclists' experiences of sharing the road : incidents, attitudes and perceptions of visibility

This study explored the beliefs and attitudes of cyclists and drivers regarding cyclist visibility, use of visibility aids and crashes involving cyclists and motorists. Data are presented for 1460 participants (622 drivers and 838 cyclists) and demonstrate that there are high rates of cyclist–vehicle crashes, many of which were reported to be due to the driver not seeing the cyclist in time to avoid a collision. A divergence in attitudes was also apparent in terms of attribution of responsibility in cyclist–vehicle conflicts on the road. While the use of visibility aids was advocated by cyclists, this was not reflected in self-reported wearing patterns, and cyclists reported that the distance at which they would be first recognised by a driver was twice that estimated by the drivers. Collectively, these results suggest that interventions should target cyclists’ use of visibility aids, which is less than optimal in this population, as well as re-educating both groups regarding visibility issues.