School Science Lessons

This website is linked to UNESCO.org and is free to download for educational purposes. It contains a database of school science experiments and investigations in physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, geology, weather studies, agriculture projects for primary and secondary schools; and sexuality education and drugs education. It is based on a revision, updating and expansion of the "New UNESCO source book for science teaching", 1979 edition, UNESCO, Paris. It contains experiments from the "low cost" science teaching movement, simplified versions of classical experiments, experiments using locally available substances and kitchen chemicals, and environmental science. Some experiments anticipate experiments usually done in senior high school or college classes. The experiments should be "student-friendly" and "teacher-friendly" because there is no overwhelming technology. Enough theoretical background is included to remind teachers of the theoretical context of the experiment. Every experiment is based on materials listed in a modern commercial catalogue of chemicals and equipment for use by educational institutions. The procedures and safety standards are consistent with instructions issued by Education Queensland (Ministry of Education), State of Queensland, Australia.

Modern methods for traditional tasks: Developing an electronic version of student fieldwork assessment at The University of Queensland.

Fieldwork placements are an integral part of many professional tertiary programmes. At The University of Queensland, Occupational Therapy students undertake block fieldwork affiliations off campus at a wide range of sites as part of their studies. Students’ fieldwork performance has traditionally been assessed using a hard copy format of the Student Placement Evaluation Form (SPEF), which is posted to the university on completion by the clinical supervisor. This project aimed to develop an electronic version of the UQ Occupational Therapy Student Placement Evaluation Form (SPEF), to allow the assessment to be completed and returned in an on line format. Practitioners had become very comfortable with using the existing print based form so in order to encourage and assist users to extend beyond their comfort zones, numerous steps were taken to ease the learning process including incorporating the existing page layout, consistent colour coding, considerable user instruction, testing and software enhancement cycles. Additionally, the e-version of the SPEF aimed to provide a range of benefits such as on screen assistance in the form of instructions, roll overs and feedback to supervisors, increased accuracy, faster completion, cost savings to the School, up to date design, improved security and confidential and anonymous storage of fieldwork results for potential future research.

All in Good Time: Exploring Change in Neanderthal Behavioural Complexity

Since their discovery 150 years ago, Neanderthals have been considered incapable of behavioural change and innovation. Traditional synchronic approaches to the study of Neanderthal behaviour have perpetuated this view and shaped our understanding of their lifeways and eventual extinction. In this thesis I implement an innovative diachronic approach to the analysis of Neanderthal faunal extraction, technology and symbolic behaviour as contained in the archaeological record of the critical period between 80,000 and 30,000 years BP. The thesis demonstrates patterns of change in Neanderthal behaviour which are at odds with traditional perspectives and which are consistent with an interpretation of increasing behavioural complexity over time, an idea that has been suggested but never thoroughly explored in Neanderthal archaeology. Demonstrating an increase in behavioural complexity in Neanderthals provides much needed new data with which to fuel the debate over the behavioural capacities of Neanderthals and the first appearance of Modern Human Behaviour in Europe. It supports the notion that Neanderthal populations were active agents of behavioural innovation prior to the arrival of Anatomically Modern Humans in Europe and, ultimately, that they produced an early Upper Palaeolithic cultural assemblage (the Châtelperronian) independent of modern humans. Overall, this thesis provides an initial step towards the development of a quantitative approach to measuring behavioural complexity which provides fresh insights into the cognitive and behavioural capabilities of Neanderthals.

Distortion product otoacoustic emissions in children at school entry: A comparison with pure tone screening and tympanometry results

This study examined the test performance of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) when used as a screening tool in the school setting. A total of 1003 children (mean age 6.2 years, SD = 0.4) were tested with pure-tone screening, tympanometry, and DPOAE assessment. Optimal DPOAE test performance was determined in comparison with pure-tone screening results using clinical decision analysis. The results showed hit rates of 0.86, 0.89, and 0.90, and false alarm rates of 0.52, 0.19, and 0.22 for criterion signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values of 4, 5, and 11 dB at 1.1, 1.9, and 3.8 kHz respectively. DPOAE test performance was compromised at 1.1 kHz. In view of the different test performance characteristics across the frequencies, the use of a fixed SNR as a pass criterion for all frequencies in DPOAE assessments is not recommended. When compared to pure tone plus tympanometry results, the DPOAEs showed deterioration in test performance, suggesting that the use of DPOAEs alone might miss children with subtle middle ear dysfunction. However, when the results of a test protocol, which incorporates both DPOAEs and tympanometry, were used in comparison with the gold standard of pure-tone screening plus tympanometry, test performance was enhanced. In view of its high performance, the use of a protocol that includes both DPOAEs and tympanometry holds promise as a useful tool in the hearing screening of schoolchildren, including difficult-to-test children.