Supporting collaboration in large-scale multi-user workspaces

CubIT is a multi-user, large-scale presentation and collaboration framework installed at the Queensland University of Technology’s (QUT) Cube facility, an interactive facility made up 48 multi-touch screens and very large projected display screens. The CubIT system allows users to upload, interact with and share their own content on the Cube’s display surfaces. This paper outlines the collaborative features of CubIT which are implemented via three user interfaces, a large-screen multi-touch interface, a mobile phone and tablet application and a web-based content management system. Each of these applications plays a different role and supports different interaction mechanisms supporting a wide range of collaborative features including multi-user shared workspaces, drag and drop upload and sharing between users, session management and dynamic state control between different parts of the system.

Supporting an NGO in Developing Mozambique

Many efforts are made to assist with the advancement of developing economies through the activities of Non Government Organizations (NGOs). There are many management l and engagement issues associated with any successful NGO in a developed economy. When the organization is operating in a developing country, where a lack of infrastructure and education, distrust and corruption are part of the operating environment, the issues multiply. This case study discusses the structure of a NGO started in 2008 and describes the development and interaction of its two main components: a community-based NGO in a developing country and a NGO with a voluntary committee in a developed economy, australia. Despertai Mozambique is the NGO set up in Beira, which provides the necessary support, training and funding to the local poor (defined by the UN as living below the internationally accepted poverty line of US$1.25 a day) to help them set up small, often informal, businesses, to enable them to become sustainable, and ultimately to help alleviate poverty. The partnering Australian organization, Awaken Mozambique, is responsible for providing the necessary intellectual and financial resources required by Despertai Mozambique to operate.

International acclaim : the role(s) of the international film festival in supporting emerging women’s cinema

International Film Festivals act as important sites for the exhibition of contemporary world cinema. Film festivals represent an increasingly transnational film culture, where audiences, filmmakers, distributors, press, critics and academics come together from all over the world to discover new films, network with one another and debate about the past, present and future of cinema. This research project investigates the role that international film festivals play within the wider international film industry, with a specific focus on emerging women filmmakers. It therefore explores the arena of contemporary women.s cinema at its intersection with the international film festival industry. The significance and original contribution of the research is its intervention in the growing field of film festival studies through a specific investigation of how international film festivals support emerging women filmmakers. The positioning of the research at the intersection of feminist film theory and festival research within the broader context of transnational cinema allows the examination of each festival, the attending filmmakers and their films to be addressed within a more refined and nuanced lens. A core method for the thesis is the close textual analysis of particular emerging women filmmakers. films which are screened at the respective festivals. The research also utilises the qualitative research strategies of the case study and the interview to ¡°seek to understand the context or setting of the participants through visiting this context and gathering information personally¡± (Creswell 2003, 9). The textual analysis is used in dialogue with the interviews and the participant observational data gathering to provide a related context for understanding these films and their cultural meanings, both personally for the filmmaker and transnationally across the festival circuit. The focus of the case studies is the Brisbane International Film Festival, the International Film Festival Rotterdam and the Toronto International Film Festival. These three festivals were chosen for their distinct geographical locations in the Asia Pacific, Europe and North America, as well as for their varying size and influence on the international film festival circuit. Specifically, I investigate the reasons behind why the organisers of a particular festival have chosen a certain woman.s film, how it is then packaged or displayed within the programme, and how all of this impacts on the filmmaker herself. The focus of my research is to investigate film festivals and their .real-life. applications and benefits for the filmmakers being supported, both through the exhibition of their films and through their attendance as festival guests. The research finds that the current generation of emerging women filmmakers has varying levels of experience and success at negotiating the international film festival circuit. Each of the three festivals examined include and promote the films of emerging women filmmakers through a range of strategies, such as specific programming strands dedicated to showcasing emerging talent, financial support through festival funds, providing visibility within the programme, exposure to international audiences and networking opportunities with industry professionals and other filmmakers. Furthermore, the films produced by the emerging women filmmakers revealed a strong focus on women.s perspectives and experiences, which were explored through the interweaving of particular aesthetic and cinematographic conventions.

Management issues in developing a sustainable model for supporting entrepreneurs in Africa

Small and micro-enterprises play a significant part in economic growth and poverty alleviation in developing African countries. There are, however, a range of management issues that arise when looking at the support required for local enterprise development, the role and management style of the local support agency and the role and style of the, usually Western, funding body. This paper explores the management philosophy required to establish and resource micro-enterprise development and compares the local management processes with those expected by a Western funding body.

A successful strategy for supporting low socioeconomic and accelerated students studying Biosciences in their first year of study

At our regional University low socioeconomic status (SES) campus, enrolled nurses can enter into the second year of a Bachelor of Nursing. These students, hence, have their first year experience while entering directly into the degree’s second year. A third of these students withdrew from our Bioscience units, and left the University. In an attempt to improve student retention and success, we introduced a strategy involving (i) review lectures in each of the Bioscience disciplines, and subsequently, (ii) “Getting started”, a formative website activity of basic Bioscience concepts, (iii) an ‘O’-week workshop addressing study skills and online resources, and (iv) online tutor support. In addition to being well received, the introduction of the review lectures and full intervention was associated with a significant reduction in student attrition. This successful approach could be used in other low SES areas with accelerated programs for Nursing and may have application beyond this discipline.

A Strategy for supporting students given Advanced Standing into Nursing

A strategy for supporting students, given Advanced Standing into the second year of a Nursing degree in bioscience and pharmacology, is being rolled out at QUT.

Study of the initial stage of solid electrolyte interphase formation upon chemical reaction of lithium metal and N-Methyl-N-Propyl-Pyrrolidinium-Bis (Fluorosulfonyl) Imide

Chemical reaction studies of N-methyl-N-propyl-pyrrolidinium-bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide-based ionic liquid with the lithium metal surface were performed using ab initio molecular dynamics (aMD) simulations and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The molecular dynamics simulations showed rapid and spontaneous decomposition of the ionic liquid anion, with subsequent formation of long-lived species such as lithium fluoride. The simulations also revealed the cation to retain its structure by generally moving away from the lithium surface. The XPS experiments showed evidence of decomposition of the anion, consistent with the aMD simulations and also of cation decomposition and it is envisaged that this is due to the longer time scale for the XPS experiment compared to the time scale of the aMD simulation. Overall experimental results confirm the majority of species suggested by the simulation. The rapid chemical decomposition of the ionic liquid was shown to form a solid electrolyte interphase composed of the breakdown products of the ionic liquid components in the absence of an applied voltage.

A combined scanning electron micrograph and electrochemical study of the effect of chemical interaction on the cyclability of lithium electrodes in an ionic liquid electrolyte

The effect of storage time on the cyclability of lithium electrodes in an ionic liquid electrolyte, namely 0.5 m LiBF4 in N-methyl-N-propyl pyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide, [C3mpyr+][FSI–], was investigated. A chemical interaction was observed which is time dependent and results in a morphology change of the Li surface due to build up of passivation products over a 12-day period. The formation of this layer significantly impacts on the Li electrode resistance before cycling and the charging/discharging process for symmetrical Li|0.5 m LiBF4 in [C3mpyr+][FSI–]|Li coin cells. Indeed it was found that introducing a rest period between cycling, and thereby allowing the chemical interaction between the Li electrode and electrolyte to take place, also impacted on the charging/discharging process. For all Li surface treatments the electrode resistance decreased after cycling and was due to significant structural rearrangement of the surface layer. These results suggest that careful electrode pretreatment in a real battery system will be required before operation.

A process-oriented approach to supporting Off-site Manufacture in construction projects

It is well-known that the use of off-site manufacture (OSM) techniques can assist in timely completion of a construction project though the utilisation of such techniques may have other disadvantages. Currently, OSM uptake within the Australian construction industry is limited. To successfully incorporate OSM practices within a construction project, it is crucial to understand the impact of OSM adoption on the processes used during a construction project. This paper presents how a systematic process-oriented approach may be able to support OSM utilisation within a construction project. Process modelling, analysis and automation techniques which are well-known within the Business Process Management (BPM) discipline have been applied to develop a collection of construction process models that represent the end-to-end generic construction value chain. The construction value chain enables researchers to identify key activities, resources, data, and stakeholders involved in construction processes in each defined construction phase. The collection of construction process models is then used as a basis for identification of potential OSM intervention points in collaboration with domain experts from the Australian construction industry. This ensures that the resulting changes reflect the needs of various stakeholders within the construction industry and have relevance in practice. Based on the input from the domain experts, these process models are further refined and operational requirements are taken into account to develop a prototype process automation (workflow) system that can support and coordinate OSM-related process activities. The resulting workflow system also has the potential to integrate with other IT solutions used within the construction industry (e.g., BIM, Acconex). As such, the paper illustrates the role that process-oriented thinking can play in assisting OSM adoption within the industry.

Supporting cooperation and caring through large group experiences

Cooperation and caring are best taught within a group as it promotes connectedness, collaborative effort, and relationship building.

Conservative surgical debridement as a burn treatment : supporting evidence from a porcine burn model

In thermal deep-dermal burns, surgical debridement is normally used in conjunction with skin grafting or skin substitutes and debridement alone as a burn treatment is not usually practiced. The current study addresses whether or not debridement alone would enhance burn wound healing on small deep-dermal-partial thickness burns. This was a prospective and blinded experimental trial using a porcine deep-dermal-partial thickness burn model. Four burns, approximately 50 cm(2) in size, were created on each of eight pigs. Two burns from each pig were immediately surgically debrided and the other two were not debrided as the internal control. Hydrate gel together with paraffin gauze were used to cover the burns for four pigs and silver dressings for the other four. Clinical assessment of wound healing was conducted over a 6-week period. Skin samples were collected at the end of the experiment and histopathological evaluation was performed. The results show thinner scar formation and lower scar height in the debrided compared with nondebrided wounds in the hydrate gel/paraffin gauze groups. There were no statistically significant differences in wound healing assessment between the debrided and nondebrided wounds dressed with silver dressings. This study provides supporting evidence that immediate debridement with an appropriate dressing and without skin grafting may promote wound healing, suggesting its potential benefit for clinical patients.

Supporting cooperative design through "living" artefacts

We present findings from a field trial of CAM (Cooperative Artefact Memory) -- a mobile-tagging based messaging system -- in a design studio environment. CAM allows individuals to collaboratively store relevant information onto their physical design artefacts, such as sketches, collages, story-boards, and physical mock-ups in the form of messages, annotations and external web links. We studied the use of CAM in three student design projects. We observed that CAM facilitated new ways of collaborating in joint design projects. The serendipitous and asynchronous nature of CAM facilitated expressions of design aesthetics, allowed designers to have playful interactions, supported exploration of new design ideas, and supported designers' reflective practices. In general, our results show how CAM transformed mundane design artefacts into "living" artefacts that made the creative and playful side of cooperative design visible.

Remarkable objects : supporting collaboration in a creative environment

In this paper, we report the results of a field trial of a Ubicomp system called CAM that is aimed at supporting and enhancing collaboration in a design studio environment. CAM uses a mobile-tagging application which allows designers to collaboratively store relevant information onto their physical design objects in the form of messages, annotations and external web links. The purpose of our field trial was to explore the role of augmented objects in supporting and enhancing creative work. Our results show that CAM was used not only to support participants' mutual awareness and coordination but also to facilitate designers in appropriating their augmented design objects to be explorative, extendable and playful, supporting creative aspects of design work. In general, our results show how CAM transformed static design objects into 'remarkable' objects that made the creative and playful side of cooperative design visible.

A threshold concepts focus to curriculum design: supporting student learning through application of variation theory

This project develops and evaluates a model of curriculum design that aims to assist student learning of foundational disciplinary ‘Threshold Concepts’. The project uses phenomenographic action research, cross-institutional peer collaboration and the Variation Theory of Learning to develop and trial the model. Two contrasting disciplines (Physics and Law) and four institutions (two research-intensive and two universities of technology) were involved in the project, to ensure broad applicability of the model across different disciplines and contexts. The Threshold Concepts that were selected for curriculum design attention were measurement uncertainty in Physics and legal reasoning in Law. Threshold Concepts are key disciplinary concepts that are inherently troublesome, transformative and integrative in nature. Once understood, such concepts transform students’ views of the discipline because they enable students to coherently integrate what were previously seen as unrelated aspects of the subject, providing new ways of thinking about it (Meyer & Land 2003, 2005, 2006; Land et al. 2008). However, the integrative and transformative nature of such threshold concepts make them inherently difficult for students to learn, with resulting misunderstandings of concepts being prevalent...

Design of an integrated platform for V2X wireless communications and positioning supporting C-ITS safety applications

In this paper, an integrated inter-vehicles wireless communications and positioning system supporting alternate positioning techniques is proposed to meet the requirements of safety applications of Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems (C-ITS). Recent advances have repeatedly demonstrated that road safety problems can be to a large extent addressed via a range of technologies including wireless communications and positioning in vehicular environments. The novel communication stack utilizing a dedicated frequency spectrum (e.g. at 5.9 GHz band), known as Dedicated Short-Range Communications (DSRC), has been particularly designed for Wireless Access in Vehicular Environments (WAVE) to support safety applications in highly dynamic environments. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) is another essential enabler to support safety on rail and roads. Although current vehicle navigation systems such as single frequency Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers can provide route guidance with 5-10 meters (road-level) position accuracy, positioning systems utilized in C-ITS must provide position solutions with lane-level and even in-lane-level accuracies based on the requirements of safety applications. This article reviews the issues and technical approaches that are involved in designing a vehicular safety communications and positioning architecture; it also provides technological solutions to further improve vehicular safety by integrating the DSRC and GNSS-based positioning technologies.