Empower me : social innovation design for homeless families : collective design creativity

Design Creativity has largely been explored as an individual expression of design cognition rather than as the collective manifestation of interaction in context. Recent approaches to design with an emphasis on co-design suggest that the problem-solution space co-evolves through social interaction. Socially Responsive Design for Social Innovation constitutes the most recent and perhaps the most promising domain of application for design thinking practices that emphasize collaborative innovation. In this paper, we describe the ideation of a service design solution for homeless families (Em.power.me), developed through consultation with a range of stakeholders over a three month period. This service design innovation aimed to visualise how such a service would operate and identify the potential benefits for all stakeholders. We focus here on the phases leading to the ideation of the service design.

Governing virtual worlds : to what extent is it possible to empower players and preserve their rights in virtual worlds, and what is the best method of doing so?

In this paper the author considers the possibilities for establishing democratic governance in virtual worlds. He looks at the freedoms currently available to players in “Second Life”, contrasting these to those established in Raph Koster’s “A Declaration of the Rights of Avatars”, and assess whether some restrictions are more necessary in game spaces than social spaces. The author looks at the early implementations of self-governance in online spaces, and consider what lessons can be taken from these, investigating what a contemporary democratic space looks like, in the form of “A Tale in the Desert”, and finally considers how else we may think of giving players more rights in these developing social spaces.

Critically evaluating rural women’s participation and empowerment : An interdisciplinary feminist framework for research and analysis

Community development is increasingly using participatory processes that aim to be inclusive and empowering. However, researchers have found that such processes can have contradictory effects. Australian research has highlighted the significant leadership of rural women in sustainable community and economic development and in the adoption of new communication technologies such as the Internet. A focus on gender in participatory development may therefore lead to more effective programs and policies. This chapter outlines an interdisciplinary feminist framework for critically evaluating the participation and empowerment of rural women. This framework was found effective in evaluating an Australian project that aimed to enhance rural women’s access to communication technologies and to empower its participants. Its multiple theoretical and methodological approaches are outlined. The framework advocates an analysis of diversity and difference and the macro and micro contexts. Some principles and strategies for rural women’s inclusion, participation, empowerment, and for participatory feminist evaluation are outlined.

Research Monograph: Building Online Participatory Systems: Towards the Community Based Interactive Environmental Decision Support Systems

The importance of broadening community participation in environmental decision-making is widely recognized and lack of participation in this process appears to be a perennial problem. In this context, there have been calls from some academics for the more extensive use of geographic information systems (GIS) and distance learning technologies, accessible via the Internet, as a possible means to inform and empower communities. However, a number of problems exist. For instance, at present the scope for online interaction between policy-makers and citizens is currently limited. Contemporary web-based environmental information systems suffer from this lack of interactivity on the one hand and on the other hand from the apparent complexity for the lay user. This paper explores the issue of online community participation at the local level and attempts to construct a framework for a new (and potentially more effective) model of online participatory decision-making. The key components, system architecture and stages of such a model are introduced. This model, referred to as a ‘Community Based Interactive Environmental Decision Support System’, incorporates advanced information technologies, distance learning and community involvement tools which will be applied and evaluated in the field through a pilot project in Tokyo in the summer of 2002.

Connected digital cities

In the future we will have a detailed ecological model of the whole planet with capabilities to explore and predict the consequences of alternative futures. However, such a planetary eco-model will take time to develop, time to populate with data, and time to validate - time the planet doesn't have. In the interim, we can model the major concentrations of energy use and pollution - our cities - and connect them to form a "talking cities network". Such a networked city model would be much quicker to build and validate. And the advantage of this approach is that it is safer and more effective for us to interfere with the operation of our cities than to tamper directly with the behaviour of natural systems. Essentially, it could be thought of as providing the planet with a nervous system and would empower us to better develop and manage sustainable cities.

Creating and sustaining a basis for life-long learning in tertiary dancer training

This paper acknowledges the influences that a generation Y population brings to dance training methodologies and examines this impact in a tertiary context. Over the last 4 years, Queensland University of Technology has been modifying their curriculum for new students transitioning from the private dance studio into the prevocational university environment. An intensive training program was designed to empower the student creating effective entry points for common understandings in the learning and teaching of dance techniques with improved and accelerated learning outcomes. This paper shares these philosophies and practices in training for life-long learning that prepare the young dancer for longevity in the industry.

Trailblazers

A recent study in the United Kingdom (Ofsted Report 2008) provides strong evidence that well-organized activities outside the classroom contribute significantly to the quality and depth of children's learning, including their personal, social, and emotional development. Outdoor math trails supply further evidence of such enhanced learning: They are meaningful, stimulating, challenging, and exciting for children. Most important, these trails invite all students, irrespective of their classroom achievement level, to participate successfully in the problem activities and gain a sense of pride in the mathematics they create. Additionally, Math trails empower lifelong learning. Integrating "outside" mathematics with "inside" classroom mathematics can sow the seeds to develop flexible, creative, future-oriented mathematical thinkers and problem solvers. Here, English et al discuss how to design and implement math trails to promote active, meaningful, real-world mathematical learning beyond the classroom walls.

Indigenous men's support groups and social and emotional wellbeing : a meta-synthesis of the evidence

Indigenous men’s support groups are designed to empower men to take greater control and responsibility for their health and wellbeing. They provide health education sessions, counselling, men’s health clinics, diversionary programs for men facing criminal charges, cultural activities, drug- and alcohol-free social events, and advocacy for resources. Despite there being ~100 such groups across Australia, there is a dearth of literature on their strategies and outcomes. This paper is based on participatory action research involving two north Queensland groups which were the subject of a series of five ‘phased’ evaluative reports between 2002 and 2007. By applying ‘meta-ethnography’ to the five studies, we identified four themes which provide new interpretations of the data. Self-reported benefits included improved social and emotional wellbeing, modest lifestyle modifications and willingness to change current notions of ‘gendered’ roles within the home, such as sharing housework. Our qualitative research to date suggests that through promoting empowerment, wellbeing and social cohesion for men and their families, men’s support groups may be saving costs through reduced expenditure on health care, welfare, and criminal justice costs, and higher earnings. Future research needs to demonstrate this empirically.

Exercise-induced energy expenditure : implications for exercise prescription and obesity

Objective: Walking is commonly recommended to help with weight management. We measured total energy expenditure (TEE) and its components to quantify the impact of increasing exercise-induced energy expenditure (ExEE) on other components of TEE. Methods: Thirteen obese women underwent an 8-week walking group intervention. TEE was quantified using doubly labeled water, ExEE was quantified using heart rate monitors, daily movement was assessed by accelerometry and resting metabolic rate was measured using indirect calorimetry. Results: Four of the 13 participants achieved the target of 1500 kcal wk−1 of ExEE and all achieved 1000 kcal wk−1. The average ExEE achieved by the group across the 8 weeks was 1434 ± 237 kcal wk−1. Vigorous physical activity, as assessed by accelerometry, increased during the intervention by an average of 30 min per day. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) decreased, on average, by 175 kcal d−1 (−22%) from baseline to the intervention and baseline fitness was correlated with change in NEAT. Conclusions: Potential alterations in non-exercise activity should be considered when exercise is prescribed. The provision of appropriate education on how to self-monitor daily activity levels may improve intervention outcomes in groups who are new to exercise. Practice implications: Strategies to sustain incidental and light physical activity should be offered to help empower individuals as they develop and maintain healthy and long-lasting lifestyle habits.

Food literacy : time for a new term or just another buzzword?

Eating is an essential everyday life activity that has fascinated, captivated and defined society since time began. We currently exist in a society where over-consumption of food is an established risk factor chronic disease, the rate of which is increasing alarmingly. 'Food literacy' is an emerging term used to describe what we, as individuals and as a community know and understand about food and how to use it to meet our need, and thus potentially support and empower citizens to make healthy food choices. What exactly the components of food literacy are and how they influence food choice are poorly defined and understood, but increasingly gaining interest among health professionals, policy makers, community workers, educators and members of the public. This paper will build the argument for why concepts of 'food literacy' need to extend beyond existing terms and measures used in the literature to describe the food skills and knowledge needed to make use of public health nutrition messages.

Proactive communication management beats hostile media exposure : training for multi-cultural community leaders in living with mass media

Proactive communication management instead of mortification in the glare of hostile media attention became the theme of a four-day training program for multi-cultural community leaders, the object of this research. The program in Brisbane from December 2009 through to February this year was conducted under auspices of a Community Media Link grant program shared by Griffith University and the Queensland Ethnic Communities Council, together with Journalism academics from the Queensland University of Technology. Twenty-eight participants from 23 organisations took part, with a team of nine facilitators from the host organisations, and guest presenters from the news media. This paper reviews the process, taking into account: its objectives, to empower participants by showing how Australian media operate and introducing participants to journalists; pedagogical thrust, where overview talks, with role play seminars with guest presenters from the media, were combined with practice in interviews and writing for media; and outcomes, assessed on the basis of participants’ responses. The research methodology is qualitative, in that the study is based on discussions to review the planning and experience of sessions, and anonymous, informal feed-back questionnaires distributed to the participants. Background literature on multiculturalism and community media was referred to in the study. The findings indicate positive outcomes for participants from this approach to protection of persons unversed in living in the Australian “mediatised” environment. Most affirmed that the “production side” perspective of the exercise had informed and motivated them effectively, such that henceforth they would venture far more into media management, in their community leadership roles.

Personalising teacher professional development : strategies enabling effective learning for educators of 21st century students

In the Knowledge Society, new demands are placed on teachers as they strive to empower young people to be global citizens, ready for the 21st century. Systemic shifts need to be made, however, to build capacity across the workforce to practise new ways of teaching and learning, including the personalisation of teacher professional development. This article argues new strategies and approaches for effective adult learning, including an individualised focus, context-based learning and an empowerment of teachers to develop their own personal learning networks. This article concludes with an analysis of the challenges facing professional development leaders in moving towards personalised teacher learning.

Building a methodology for context-aware business processes: insights from an exploratory case study

This paper describes the findings derived from an exploratory case study into the business processes at a leading Australian insurance provider. The business processes are frequently subjected to changes and deviations due to contextual events such as weather, financial conditions and others. In this study, we examine how context impacts business processes and how resulting business process changes are enacted. From our analysis, we suggest a methodological framework to guide organisations in the complex challenge of linking changing contextual factors with internal process design.

Regulating for Sustainability : Property Issues

All Australian governments recognize the need to ensure that land and natural resources are used sustainably. In this context, ‘resources’ includes natural resources found on land such as trees and other vegetation, fauna, soil and minerals, and cultural resources found on land such as archaeological sites and artefacts. Regulators use a wide range of techniques to promote sustainability. To achieve their objectives, they may, for example, create economic incentives through bounties, grants and subsidies, encourage the development of self-regulatory codes, or enter into agreements with landowners specifying how the land is to be managed. A common way of regulating is by making administrative orders, determinations or decisions under powers given to regulators by Acts of Parliament (statutes) or by regulations (delegated legislation). Generally the legislation provides for specified rights or duties, and authorises a regulator to make an order or decision to apply the legislative provisions to particular land or cases. For example, legislation might empower a regulator to make an order that requires the owner of a contaminated site to remediate it. When the regulator exercises the power by making an order in relation to particular land, the owner is placed under a statutory duty to remediate. When regulators exercise their statutory powers to manage the use of private land or natural or cultural resources on private land, property law issues can arise. The owner of land has a private property right that the law will enforce against anybody else who interferes with the enjoyment of the right, without legal authority to do so. The law dealing with the enforcement of private property rights forms part of private law. This report focuses on the relationship between the law of private property and the regulation of land and resources by legislation and by administrative decisions made under powers given by legislation (statutory powers).

Penetration and power

This paper analyses the ways in which it is possible to imagine the relationship between sexual penetration and the expression of power. Taking the particular instance of a penetrative act in the US gay porn film Hard at Work, it applies a series of critical approaches in an attempt to make sense of perceived power relations in that text. Equations of power and activity, power and physical strength, power and the possession of a penis, power and the ability to gaze and power and the control of discourse are all considered and found to be inadequate to the task. The paper finally suggests that in order to usefully discuss relations of power in sexual acts, it is necessary to accept the radical reconceptualisation of power suggested by Mark Gibson, and begin to understand it not as an objective, measurable and real quantity, but as an effect of the interpretation of particular situations.