Problem-based learning (PBL) in Virtual Space : Developing experiences for professional development

This book reports the outcomes of an investigation into discovering the qualitatively different ways that students experience Problem-based learning (PBL)in virtual space. PBL is increasingly being used in many fields including engineering education. At the same time, many engineering education providers are turning to online distance education. Unfortunately there is a dearth of research into what constitutes an effective learning experience for adult learners who undertake PBL instruction through online distance education. Data were collected from a course which adopted the PBL strategy and was delivered entirely in virtual space. Students were asked to respond to open-ended questions designed to elicit their learning experiences. Data were analysed using the phenomenographic approach. Five qualitatively different ways of experiencing PBL in virtual space were discovered. Results indicate that the design of students' online learning experience was responsible for making students aware of deeper ways of experienceing PBL in virtual space. The outcomes imply that pedagogical strategies can be devised for shifting students' focus as they engage in virtual PBL.

Virtual reality or virtually real : blended teaching and learning in a Master's level research methods class

This paper examines the enabling effect of using blended learning and synchronous internet mediated communication technologies to improve learning and develop a Sense of Community (SOC) in a group of post-graduate students consisting of a mix of on-campus and off-campus students. Both quantitative and qualitative data collected over a number of years supports the assertion that the blended learning environment enhanced both teaching and learning. The development of a SOC was pivotal to the success of the blended approach when working with geographically isolated groups within a single learning environment.

Event-related potential (ERP) correlates of impaired visuospatial memory in schizophrenia

Previous studies have reported that patients with schizophrenia demonstrate impaired performance during working memory (WM) tasks. The current study aimed to determine whether WM impairments in schizophrenia are accompanied by reduced slow wave (SW) activity during on-line maintenance of mnemonic information. Event-related potentials were obtained from patients with schizophrenia and well controls as they performed a visuospatial delayed response task. On 50% of trials, a distractor stimulus was introduced during the delay. Compared with controls, patients with schizophrenia produced less SW memory negativity, particularly over the right hemisphere, together with reduced frontal enhancement of SW memory negativity in response to distraction. The results indicate that patients with schizophrenia generate less maintenance phase neuronal activity during WM performance, especially under conditions of distraction.

Working memory correlates of three symptom clusters in schizophrenia

Examined whether discrete working memory deficits underlie positive, negative and disorganised symptoms of schizophrenia. 52 outpatients (mean age 37.5 yrs) with schizophrenia were studied using items drawn from the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Linear regression and correlational analyses were conducted to examine whether symptom dimension scores were related to performance on several tests of working memory function. Severity of negative symptoms correlated with reduced production of words during a verbal fluency task, impaired ability to hold letter and number sequences on-line and manipulate them simultaneously, reduced performance during a dual task, and compromised visuospatial working memory under distraction-free conditions. Severity of disorganisation symptoms correlated with impaired visuospatial working memory under conditions of distraction, failure of inhibition during a verbal fluency task, perseverative responding on a test of set-shifting ability, and impaired ability to judge the veracity of simple declarative statements. The present study provides evidence that the positive, negative and disorganised symptom dimensions of the PANSS constitute independent clusters, associated with unique patterns of working memory impairment.

Enabling authentic collaborative education in an online environment : the QUT Virtual Law Placement

This paper explores an innovative model for work-integrated learning using a virtual paradigm – The Virtual Law Placement Unit at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Australia. It builds upon the conceptual model previously explored at WACE 2007 and provides an account of the lessons learned from the pilot offering of the unit which was conducted and evaluated in 2008. ----- The Virtual Placement Unit offers students the opportunity to complete an authentic workplace task under the guidance of a real-life workplace supervisor, where student-student communication and student-supervisor communication is all conducted virtually (and potentially asynchronously) to create an engaging but flexible learning environment using a combination of Blackboard and SharePoint technologies. This virtual experience is pioneering in the sense that it enables law students to access an unprecedented range of law graduate destination workplaces and projects, including international and social justice placements, absent the constraints traditionally associated with arranging physical placements. ----- All aspects of this unit have been designed in conjunction with community partners with a view to balancing student learning objectives with community needs through co-operative education. This paper will also explore how the implementation of the project is serving to strengthen those partnerships with the wider community, simultaneously addressing the community engagement agenda of the University and enabling students to engage meaningfully with local, national and international community partners in the real world of work.

Generating Flash files of Your Lectures: Good Practice Strategies Helping Students Engage with Their Learning

Our students come from diverse backgrounds. They need flexibility in their learning. First year students tend to worry when they miss lectures or part of lectures. Having the lecture as an on line resource allows students to miss a lecture without stressing about it and to be more relaxed in the lecture, knowing that anything they may miss will be available later. The resource: The Windows based program from Blueberry Software (not Blackberry!) - BB Flashback - allows the simultaneous recording of the computer screen together with the audio, as well as Webcam recording. Editing capabilities include adding pause buttons, graphics and text to the file before exporting it in a flash file. Any diagrams drawn on the board or shown via visualiser can be photographed and easily incorporated. The audio from the file can be extracted if required to be posted as podcast. Exporting modes other than Flash are also available, allowing vodcasting if you wish. What you will need: - the recording software: it can be installed on the lecture hall computer just prior to lecture if needed - a computer: either the ones in lecture halls, especially if fitted with audio recording, or a laptop (I have used audio recording via Bluetooth for mobility). Feedback from students has been positive and will be presented on the poster.

Building partnerships as a key strategy in developing an event management model for an international dance event : a case study of the 2008 WDA (World Dance Alliance) Global Summit, Brisbane, Australia

With the increasing growth of cultural events both in Australia and internationally, there has also been an increase in event management studies; in theory and in practice. Although a series of related knowledge and skills required specifically by event managers has already been identified by many researchers (Perry et al., 1996; Getz, 2002 & Silvers et al., 2006) and generic event management models proposed, including ‘project management’ strategies in an event context (Getz, 2007), knowledge gaps still exist in relation to identifying specific types of events, especially for not-for-profit arts events. For events of a largely voluntary nature, insufficient resources are recognised as the most challenging; including finance, human resources and infrastructure. Therefore, the concepts and principles which are adopted by large scale commercial events may not be suitable for not-for-profit arts events aiming at providing professional network opportunities for artists. Building partnerships are identified as a key strategy in developing an effective event management model for this type of event. Using the 2008 World Dance Alliance Global Summit (WDAGS) in Brisbane 13-18 July, as a case study, the level, nature and relationship of key partners are investigated. Data is triangulated from interviews with organisers of the 2008 WDAGS, on-line and email surveys of delegates, participant observation and analysis of formal and informal documents, to produce a management model suited to this kind of event.

Re-examining 'gatekeeping': How journalists communicate the truth about power to the public

Journalists in the “new media” era confront important questions as to whether, or how, they adapt their professional practices to a new interactive on-line form that allows citizens to become involved in the news-making process. This paper seeks to re-establish the relevance of traditional journalism practices in the modern era and suggests that they will remain very much a part of the “new journalism” beyond the digital divide. It does so through examining how broadcast journalism interviews challenge authorities in the “public interest”, and suggests, in conclusion, that such practices remain undiminished by the technical, and accompanying social, changes that are driving the “new media”.

Composite load model decomposition : induction motor contribution

In this thesis, a new technique has been developed for determining the composition of a collection of loads including induction motors. The application would be to provide a representation of the dynamic electrical load of Brisbane so that the ability of the power system to survive a given fault can be predicted. Most of the work on load modelling to date has been on post disturbance analysis, not on continuous on-line models for loads. The post disturbance methods are unsuitable for load modelling where the aim is to determine the control action or a safety margin for a specific disturbance. This thesis is based on on-line load models. Dr. Tania Parveen considers 10 induction motors with different power ratings, inertia and torque damping constants to validate the approach, and their composite models are developed with different percentage contributions for each motor. This thesis also shows how measurements of a composite load respond to normal power system variations and this information can be used to continuously decompose the load continuously and to characterize regarding the load into different sizes and amounts of motor loads.

Psychosocial predictors of the use of enhanced podcasting in student learning

The current study examined the influence of psychosocial constructs, from a theory of planned behavior (TPB) perspective, to predict university students’ (N = 159) use of a newly offered on-line learning tool, enhanced podcasts. Pre-semester, students completed questionnaires assessing the TPB predictors (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control) related to intended enhanced podcast use until the middle of semester. Mid-semester, students completed similar items relating to podcast use until the end of semester. Self-report measures of podcast use were obtained at the middle and end of semester. At both time points, students’ attitudes predicted their intentions and, at the initial time point, subjective norm also predicted intended podcast use. An examination of the beliefs underlying attitudes, the only construct to predict intentions at both time points, revealed differences between those students higher, rather than lower on intentions to use the podcasts, especially for the perceived educational benefits of podcast use later in the semester. Intentions to use enhanced podcasting only predicted self-reported use in the second half of the semester. Overall, this study identified some of the determinants which should be considered by those aiming to encourage student use of novel on-line educational tools.

Efficient goal directed navigation using RatSLAM

RatSLAM is a system for vision based Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) that has been shown to be capable of building stable representations of real world environments. In this paper we describe a method for using RatSLAM representations as the basis for navigation to designated goal locations. The method uses a new component, goal memory, to learn the temporal gradient between places. Paths are recalled or inferred from the goal memory by following the temporal gradient from the robot’s current position to the goal location. Experimental results have been gathered in a combined office and laboratory environment using a Pioneer robot. The experiments show that the robot can perform vision based SLAM on-line and in real time, and then use those representations immediately to navigate directly to designated goal locations.

Optimal mission path planning (MPP) for an air sampling unmanned aerial system

This paper presents advanced optimization techniques for Mission Path Planning (MPP) of a UAS fitted with a spore trap to detect and monitor spores and plant pathogens. The UAV MPP aims to optimise the mission path planning search and monitoring of spores and plant pathogens that may allow the agricultural sector to be more competitive and more reliable. The UAV will be fitted with an air sampling or spore trap to detect and monitor spores and plant pathogens in remote areas not accessible to current stationary monitor methods. The optimal paths are computed using a Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs). Two types of multi-objective optimisers are compared; the MOEA Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithms II (NSGA-II) and Hybrid Game are implemented to produce a set of optimal collision-free trajectories in three-dimensional environment. The trajectories on a three-dimension terrain, which are generated off-line, are collision-free and are represented by using Bézier spline curves from start position to target and then target to start position or different position with altitude constraints. The efficiency of the two optimization methods is compared in terms of computational cost and design quality. Numerical results show the benefits of coupling a Hybrid-Game strategy to a MOEA for MPP tasks. The reduction of numerical cost is an important point as the faster the algorithm converges the better the algorithms is for an off-line design and for future on-line decisions of the UAV.

Improved correlation-based modal strain energy method for global damage detection of truss bridge structures

The previous investigations have shown that the modal strain energy correlation method, MSEC, could successfully identify the damage of truss bridge structures. However, it has to incorporate the sensitivity matrix to estimate damage and is not reliable in certain damage detection cases. This paper presents an improved MSEC method where the prediction of modal strain energy change vector is differently obtained by running the eigensolutions on-line in optimisation iterations. The particular trail damage treatment group maximising the fitness function close to unity is identified as the detected damage location. This improvement is then compared with the original MSEC method along with other typical correlation-based methods on the finite element model of a simple truss bridge. The contributions to damage detection accuracy of each considered mode is also weighed and discussed. The iterative searching process is operated by using genetic algorithm. The results demonstrate that the improved MSEC method suffices the demand in detecting the damage of truss bridge structures, even when noised measurement is considered.

Interaction between disinhibition and restraint: Implications for body weight and eating disturbance

An increase in obesity is usually accompanied by an increase in eating disturbances. Susceptibility to these states may arise from different combinations of underlying traits: Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) Restraint and Disinhibition. Two studies were conducted to examine the interaction between these traits; one on-line study (n=351) and one laboratory-based study (n=120). Participants completed a battery of questionnaires and provided self-report measures of body weight and physical activity. A combination of high Disinhibition and high Restraint was associated with a problematic eating behaviour profile (EAT-26), and a higher rate of smoking and alcohol consumption. A combination of high Disinhibition and low Restraint was associated with a higher susceptibility to weight gain and a higher sedentary behaviour. These data show that different combinations of Disinhibition and Restraint are associated with distinct weight and behaviour outcomes.