NAPLAN, a high priority or . . . ? Statements about its purpose in Queensland schools

This paper reports on statements from Professional Development participants who were asked to comment on NAPLAN. The participants were involved in a project designed by the YuMi Deadly Centre (YDC) for implementation into 25 Queensland School to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and low SES students. Using an action research framework and a survey questionnaire, the preliminary data obtained from participating principals is mixed, with statements indicating that NAPLAN is a high priority for some schools while others indicated that it does not “tell” the whole story of student learning.

Contextualising the teaching and learning of measurement within Torres Strait Islander schools

A one year mathematics project that focused on measurement was conducted with six Torres Strait Islander schools and communities. Its key focus was to contextualise the teaching and learning of measurement within the students’ culture, communities and home languages. There were six teachers and two teacher aides who participated in the project. This paper reports on the findings from the teachers’ and teacher aides’ survey questionnaire used in the first Professional Development session to identify: a) teachers’ experience of teaching in Torres Strait Islands, b) teachers’ beliefs about effective ways to teach Torres Strait Islander students, and c) contexualising measurement within Torres Strait Islander culture, Communities and home languages. A wide range of differing levels of knowledge and understanding about how to contextualise measurement to support student learning were identified and analysed. For example, an Indigenous teacher claimed that mathematics and the environment are relational, that is, they are not discrete and in isolation from one another, rather they interconnect with mathematical ideas emerging from the environment of the Torres Strait Communities.

An empirical test of causal relationships of factors affecting ICT adoption for building project management : an Indian SME case study

Purpose - Building project management (BPM) requires effective coordination and collaboration between multiple project team organisations which can be achieved by real time information flow between all participants. In the present scenario, this can be achieved by the use of information communication technologies (ICT). The purpose of this paper is to present part of a research project conducted to study the causal relationships between factors affecting ICT adoption for BPM by small and medium enterprises. Design/methodology/approach - This paper discusses structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis conducted to test the causal relationships between quantitative factors. Data for quantitative analysis were gathered through a questionnaire survey conducted in the Indian construction industry. Findings - SEM analysis results help in demonstrating that an increased and matured use of ICT for general administration within the organisation would lead to: an improved ICT infrastructure within the organisation; development of electronic databases; and a staff that is confident of using information technology (IT) tools. In such a scenario, staff would use advanced software and IT technologies for project management (PM) processes and that would lead to an increased adoption of ICT for PM processes. But, for general administration also, ICT adoption would be enhanced if the organisation is interacting more with geographically separated agencies and senior management perceives that significant benefits would accrue by adoption of ICT. All the factors are inter-related and their effect cannot be maximized in isolation. Originality/value - The results provide direction to building project managements for strategically adopting the effective use of ICT within their organisations and for BPM general.

Aggression in Sexually Abused Trafficked Girls and Efficacy of Intervention

The broad objective of this study was to understand the incidence and severity of aggression among sexually abused girls who were trafficked and who were then further used for commercial sexual exploitation (referred to subsequently as sexually abused trafficked girls). In addition, the impact of counseling for minimizing aggression in these girls was investigated. A group of 120 sexually abused trafficked Indian girls and a group of 120 nonsexually abused Indian girls, aged 13 to 18, participated in the study. The sexually abused trafficked girls were purposively selected from four shelters located in and around Kolkata, India. The nonsexually abused girls were selected randomly from four schools situated near the shelters, and these girls were matched by age with the sexually abused trafficked girls. Data were collected using a Background Information Schedule and a standardized psychological test, that is, The Aggression Scale. Results revealed that 16.7% of the girls were first sexually abused between 6 and 9 years of age, 37.5% between 10 and 13 years of age, and 45.8% between 14 and 17 years of age. Findings further revealed that 4.2% of the sexually abused trafficked girls demonstrated saturated aggression, and 26.7% were highly aggressive, that is, extremely frustrated and rebellious. Across age groups, the sexually abused trafficked girls suffered from more aggression (p < .05), compared with the nonvictimized girls. Psychological interventions, such as individual and group counseling, were found to have a positive impact on the sexually abused trafficked girls. These findings should motivate counselors to deal with sexually abused children. It is also hoped that authorities in welfare homes will understand the importance of counseling for sexually abused trafficked children, and will appoint more counselors for this purpose.

Reinforcing bad behaviour : the misuse of security indicators on popular websites

Before making a security or privacy decision, Internet users should evaluate several security indicators in their browser, such as the use of HTTPS (indicated via the lock icon), the domain name of the site, and information from extended validation certificates. However, studies have shown that human subjects infrequently employ these indicators, relying on other indicators that can be spoofed and convey no cryptographic assurances. We identify four simple security indicators that accurately represent security properties of the connection and then examine 125 popular websites to determine if the sites' designs result in correctly displayed security indicators during login. In the vast majority of cases, at least some security indicators are absent or suboptimal. This suggests users are becoming habituated to ignoring recommended security indicators.

Technology in the lives and schools of adolescents

This chapter advocates a pedagogy where relationships form the basis for developing curricular and pedagogical ways of being with students. A relational pedagogy begins through considering the broad questions of: Where are music and technology in the lives the teacher and student? Where do adolescents make meaning through music and technology? How can teachers develop a community with their students through music and technology? We argue that relationships should be placed at the center of pedagogical and curricular decision-making. Through this approach, music educators are better equipped to make space for and honor student agency and learning through harnessing the ways adolescents intuitively engage with music and technology.

Cyberbullying prevention : one primary school’s approach

Bullying in all its forms including cyberbullying is a continuing problem in schools. Given the severe consequences it can have on students (socially, psychologically and physically) it is not surprising that a number of intervention programs have been developed, with most advocating a whole school approach. The current study compared students’ self-reports on bullying between schools with and without a Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach. A sample of 35 students in the P4C school and a matched sample of 35 students in other schools between the ages of 10 and 13 completed the Student Bullying Survey. Results indicated that while there were significant differences in incidences of face-to-face bullying, there were similar results from both cohorts in relation to cyberbullying. Both groups of students felt that teachers were more likely to prevent face-to-face bullying than cyberbullying. Findings indicate that teachers and guidance counsellors need to be as overt in teaching strategies about cyberbullying as they are in teaching strategies about reducing face-to-face bullying.

New media services : ratings and recommendations websites in the travel and tourism industry

The travel and hospitality industry is one which relies especially crucially on word of mouth, both at the level of overall destinations (Australia, Queensland, Brisbane) and at the level of travellers’ individual choices of hotels, restaurants, sights during their trips. The provision of such word-of-mouth information has been revolutionised over the past decade by the rise of community-based Websites which allow their users to share information about their past and future trips and advise one another on what to do or what to avoid during their travels. Indeed, the impact of such user-generated reviews, ratings, and recommendations sites has been such that established commercial travel advisory publishers such as Lonely Planet have experienced a pronounced downturn in sales ¬– unless they have managed to develop their own ways of incorporating user feedback and contributions into their publications. This report examines the overall significance of ratings and recommendation sites to the travel industry, and explores the community, structural, and business models of a selection of relevant ratings and recommendations sites. We identify a range of approaches which are appropriate to the respective target markets and business aims of these organisations, and conclude that there remain significant opportunities for further operators especially if they aim to cater for communities which are not yet appropriately served by specific existing sites. Additionally, we also point to the increasing importance of connecting stand-alone ratings and recommendations sites with general social media spaces like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and of providing mobile interfaces which enable users to provide updates and ratings directly from the locations they happen to be visiting. In this report, we profile the following sites: * TripAdvisor, the international market leader for travel ratings and recommendations sites, with a membership of some 11 million users; * IgoUgo, the other leading site in this field, which aims to distinguish itself from the market leader by emphasising the quality of its content; * Zagat, a long-established publisher of restaurant guides which has translated its crowdsourcing model from the offline to the online world; * Lonely Planet’s Thorn Tree site, which attempts to respond to the rise of these travel communities by similarly harnessing user-generated content; * Stayz, which attempts to enhance its accommodation search and booking services by incorporating ratings and reviews functionality; and * BigVillage, an Australian-based site attempting to cater for a particularly discerning niche of travellers; * Dopplr, which connects travel and social networking in a bid to pursue the lucrative market of frequent and business travellers; * Foursquare, which builds on its mobile application to generate a steady stream of ‘check-ins’ and recommendations for hospitality and other services around the world; * Suite 101, which uses a revenue-sharing model to encourage freelance writers to contribute travel writing (amongst other genres of writing); * Yelp, the global leader in general user-generated product review and recommendation services. In combination, these profiles provide an overview of current developments in the travel ratings and recommendations space (and beyond), and offer an outlook for further possibilities. While no doubt affected by the global financial downturn and the reduction in travel that it has caused, travel ratings and recommendations remain important – perhaps even more so if a reduction in disposable income has resulted in consumers becoming more critical and discerning. The aggregated word of mouth from many tens of thousands of travellers which these sites provide certainly has a substantial influence on their users. Using these sites to research travel options has now become an activity which has spread well beyond the digirati. The same is true also for many other consumer industries, especially where there is a significant variety of different products available – and so, this report may also be read as a case study whose findings are able to be translated, mutatis mutandis, to purchasing decisions from household goods through consumer electronics to automobiles.

Cyberbullying in social networking sites and blogs : legal issues for young people and schools

This article examines the social networking phenomenon that has been so readily embraced by school-age adolescents, in the context of its potential to contribute further to the mechanisms for and incidence of cyberbullying amongst school students. Cyberbullying in these online for a, as a misuse of technology to harass, intimidate, tease, threaten, abuse or otherwise terrorise peers, teachers and/or the school in general, is discussed from both the psychological perspective and in terms of its legal ramifications (both criminal and civil) in Australia. Some recommendations for proactive and preventative measures, education and policy adoptions are provided, together with general advice to parents, schools and adolescents on awareness of the risks involved and how young people might better protect themselves in light of that knowledge.

Throwing frame and performance of elite male seated shot-putters

Seated shot-putters rely on a customized assistive device called a throwing frame. Currently, the construction of each individual throwing frame is mainly driven by an empirical approach. One way to refine the conception is to improve the basic understanding of performance of seated shot-putters. The relationship between performance and throwing technique has been well described. Remarkably, the relationship between performance and throwing frame characteristics has received limited attention. The primary objective of this study was to present a cataloguing of characteristics of throwing frames used by seated shot-putters. This cataloguing consisted of defining and grouping 26 characteristics into three main categories (i.e., whole body, foot and upper limb specific characteristics) and seven sub-categories. The secondary objective of this study was to provide raw characterisations of the throwing frames for a group of athletes who participated in a world-class event. The characterisation consisted of describing the characteristics of each throwing frame. Potential relationships between characteristics, performance and classification were also identified. The cataloguing was achieved using a 6-step heuristic approach, involving expert opinions and the analysis of 215 attempts produced by 55 male athletes during the 2006 IPC Athletics World Championships. The distribution of samples across characteristics suggested a relevant level of comprehensiveness for the proposed cataloguing. The raw data, the profile of best athletes and the frequency of characteristics provided key benchmark information for construction of a throwing frame as well as coaching, classification and officiating. Analysis of data sets relating to characteristics, performance and classification were inconclusive.

A controlled rapid approach to curriculum change : addressing the pressures of increased test-based accountability on schools

Increasingly, large amounts of public and private money are being invested in education and as a result, schools are becoming more accountable to stakeholders for this financial input. In terms of the curriculum, governments worldwide are frequently tying school funding to students‟ and schools‟ academic performances, which are monitored through high-stakes testing programs. To accommodate the resultant pressures from these testing initiatives, many principals are re-focussing their school‟s curriculum on the testing requirements. Such a re-focussing, which was examined critically in this thesis, constituted an externally facilitated rapid approach to curriculum change. In line with previously enacted change theories and recommendations from these, curriculum change in schools has tended to be a fairly slow, considered, collaborative process that is facilitated internally by a deputy-principal (curriculum). However, theoretically based research has shown that such a process has often proved to be difficult and very rarely successful. The present study reports and theorises the experiences of an externally facilitated process that emerged from a practitioner model of change. This case study of the development of the controlled rapid approach to curriculum change began by establishing the reasons three principals initiated curriculum change and why they then engaged an outsider to facilitate the process. It also examined this particular change process from the perspectives of the research participants. The investigation led to the revision of the practitioner model as used in the three schools and challenged the current thinking about the process of school curriculum change. The thesis aims to offer principals and the wider education community an alternative model for consideration when undertaking curriculum change. Finally, the thesis warns that, in the longer term, the application of study‟s revised model (the Controlled Rapid Approach to Curriculum Change [CRACC] Model) may have less then desirable educational consequences.

Genetic analysis reveals two stocks of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) in the north western Indian Ocean

Skipjack (SJT) (Katsuwonus pelamis) is a medium sized, pelagic, highly dispersive tuna species that occurs widely across tropical and subtropical waters. SJT constitute the largest tuna fishery in the Indian Ocean, and are currently managed as a single stock. Patterns of genetic variation in a mtDNA gene and 6 microsatellite loci were examined to test for stock structure in the northwestern Indian Ocean. 324 individuals were sampled from five major fishing grounds around Sri Lanka, and single sites in the Maldive Islands and the Laccadive Islands. Phylogenetic reconstruction of mtDNA revealed two coexisting divergent clades in the region. AMOVA (Analysis of Molecular Variance) of mtDNA data revealed significant genetic differentiation among sites (ΦST = 0.2029, P < 0.0001), also supported by SAMOVA results. AMOVA of microsatellite data also showed significant differentiation among most sampled sites (FST = 0.0256, P<0.001) consistent with the mtDNA pattern. STRUCTURE analysis of the microsatellite data revealed two differentiated stocks. While the both two marker types examined identified two genetic groups, microsatellite analysis indicates that the sampled SJT are likely to represent individuals sourced from discrete breeding grounds that are mixed in feeding grounds in Sri Lankan waters.

Content and functionality of alcohol and other drug websites : results of an online survey

Background: There is a growing trend for individuals to seek health information from online sources. Alcohol and other drug (AOD) use is a significant health problem worldwide, but access and use of AOD websites is poorly understood. ----- ----- Objective: To investigate content and functionality preferences for AOD and other health websites. Methods: An anonymous online survey examined general Internet and AOD-specific usage and search behaviors, valued features of AOD and health-related websites (general and interactive website features), indicators of website trustworthiness, valued AOD website tools or functions, and treatment modality preferences. ----- ----- Results: Surveys were obtained from 1214 drug (n = 766) and alcohol website users (n = 448) (mean age 26.2 years, range 16-70). There were no significant differences between alcohol and drug groups on demographic variables, Internet usage, indicators of website trustworthiness, or on preferences for AOD website functionality. A robust website design/navigation, open access, and validated content provision were highly valued by both groups. While attractiveness and pictures or graphics were also valued, high-cost features (videos, animations, games) were minority preferences. Almost half of respondents in both groups were unable to readily access the information they sought. Alcohol website users placed greater importance on several AOD website tools and functions than did those accessing other drug websites: online screening tools (χ²2 = 15.8, P < .001, n = 985); prevention programs (χ²2 = 27.5, P < .001, n = 981); tracking functions (χ²2 = 11.5, P = .003, n = 983); self help treatment programs (χ²2 = 8.3, P = .02, n = 984); downloadable fact sheets for friends (χ²2 = 11.6, P = .003, n = 981); or family (χ²2 = 12.7, P = .002, n = 983). The most preferred online treatment option for both the user groups was an Internet site with email therapist support. Explorations of demographic differences were also performed. While gender did not affect survey responses, younger respondents were more likely to value interactive and social networking features, whereas downloading of credible information was most highly valued by older respondents. ----- ----- Conclusions: Significant deficiencies in the provision of accessible information on AOD websites were identified, an important problem since information seeking was the most common reason for accessing these websites, and, therefore, may be a key avenue for engaging website users in behaviour change. The few differences between AOD website users suggested that both types of websites may have similar features, although alcohol website users may more readily be engaged in screening, prevention and self-help programs, tracking change, and may value fact sheets more highly. While the sociodemographic differences require replication and clarification, these differences support the notion that the design and features of AOD websites should target specific audiences to have maximal impact.

Queensland Arts Council road trip : an examination of in-schools touring productions (2005-2008)

This research project explores the nature of In-School Touring Productions that are presented in Queensland classrooms by Queensland Arts Council (QAC). The research emerged from my background as a drama teacher working on secondment at QAC in the Ontour inschools department. The research follows the development of a new production Power Trip: the Adventures of Watty and Volt. The research was guided by the key question: What are some of the production and pragmatic issues that relate to In-school Touring Productions and in what ways do QAC’s Ontour inschools productions offer learning experiences? This research involved the creation of three intersecting elements: (1) a 45 minute personal documentary film, 8 Times Around the Equator. The film follows my enthusiasms for this hybrid form of theatre which developed from my childhood, teaching practice and finally in my role at QAC; (2) a multimedia DVD, Queensland Arts Council 2008 inschools Season, which presents a series of short video clips promoting QAC’s Ontour inschools program; and finally (3) this exegetical paper, Queensland Arts Council Road Trip: an Examination of In-Schools Touring Productions (2005-2008). This exegesis supports the multimedia presentations and provides additional descriptions of QAC's Ontour inschools productions which are contextualised within the history of QAC and the field of Youth Theatre generally. During the project I observed 37 QAC productions and analysed them against set criteria and as a result four types of learning experiences were identified: • Category X: X-periencing the Art Form – providing students with exposure to traditional forms of main stage theatre; • Category L: Learning Through the Art Form – communicating information using an art form to educate. For example using comedy, clowning or slapstick to teach science; • Category U: Unpacking the Art Form – deconstructing art forms and providing students with increased awareness and appreciation; and • Category M: M-bodying the Art Form – workshops and artist residencies that allow students to create their own work. The creative works (documentary film and DVDs) combine to make up 65% of the project. This exegetical paper concludes the final 35% required for submission.

Direct instruction in mathematics : issues for schools with high Indigenous enrolments : a literature review

Direct instruction, an approach that is becoming familiar to Queensland schools that have high Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, has been gaining substantial political and popular support in the United States of America [USA], England and Australia. Recent examples include the No Child Left Behind policy in the USA, the British National Numeracy Strategy and in Australia, Effective Third Wave Intervention Strategies. Direct instruction, stems directly from the model created in the 1960s under a Project Follow Through grant. It has been defined as a comprehensive system of education involving all aspects of instruction. Now in its third decade of influencing curriculum, instruction and research, direct instruction is also into its third decade of controversy because of its focus on explicit and highly directed instruction for learning. Characteristics of direct instruction are critiqued and discussed to identify implications for teaching and learning for Indigenous students.