Internationalisation of vocational education and training: an adapting curve for teachers and learners

Competency-based training and training packages are mandatory for Australian vocational education and training (VET). VET qualifications are designed to provide learners with skills, knowledge, and attributes required for Australian workplaces. Yet, toward the end of December 2011, there were 171,237 international student enrolments in the Australian vocational education sector.

VET currently ranks second behind the university sector by volume of international student enrolments in Australia. The flow of international students into Australian vocational education, their diverse learning characteristics, and their different acquired values have created new challenges as well as possibilities for teachers to transform their pedagogic practices and contribute to reshaping the pedagogy landscape in vocational education.

Drawing on interviews with 50 teachers from VET institutes in three states of Australia, this article discusses the emergence of international vocational education pedagogy that enables international students and indeed all learners to develop necessary skills, knowledge, and attributes in response to the new demands of the changing workplace context and global skills and knowledge mobility.

This article addresses a number of important issues concerning the interrelationship of international pedagogy and learner-centered education, notions of productive and inclusive pedagogies, transnational skills mobility, cultural diversity, and internationalization within the context of the Australian VET sector. Finally, the significance of these issues to educational providers and teachers across different educational levels and national contexts is discussed.

The design and implementation of a novel method for quantifying training loads in elite rowing: the T2minute method

Introduction: A systematic approach to managing the training of elite athletes is supported by accurate training load measurement. However, quantifying the training of elite Australian rowers is complex due to unique challenges: 1) the multi-centre, multi-state structure of the national program; 2) the variety of training undertaken, incorporating rowing-specific and non-specific modalities, with continuous and interval efforts that span the full intensity spectrum; and 3) the limitations of existing quantification methods for capturing total training loads undertaken from varied training. These challenges highlighted a need to create a consistent, location-independent framework for prescribing training in elite rowing, with a capacity to account for varied training. Methods: An in-house proprietary measure (the T2minute method) was developed at the National Rowing Centre of Excellence (NRCE), as a collaborative project between sport scientists and national squad coaches. The design phase was informed by assessments of the existing training measures, and built upon standardised intensity zones established at the Australian Institute of Sport. A common measurement unit was chosen: one T2minute equates to one minute of on-water single scull rowing at T2 intensity (∼60–72% VO2max). Each intensity zone was assigned a weighting factor according to the curvilinear relationship between power output, intensity, and blood lactate response. Each training mode was assigned a weighting factor based on whether coaches perceived it to be “harder” or “easier” than onwater rowing. With coaches’ feedback, the method was refined over a period of five months. The T2minute method was implemented as the core framework for prescribing training for elite Australian rowers throughout the 2009–2012 Olympic cycle. Results: The implementation of the T2minute method successfully established consistency with training prescription and monitoring practices within the NRCE high performance program. The national roll out this method has influenced rowing training methodology at elite and sub-elite levels in Australia. Since implementation, the method has undergone scientific validation. Further research is underway, utilising the method to explore complex relationships between rowers’ training and performance outcomes. Conclusion: The T2minute method is a novel approach that allows rowing coaches and sport scientists to utilise one consistent system to quantify load from varied training. Its implementation represents a considerable achievement in establishing a common framework for managing the training process within a complex organisational structure. This collaborative approach used to develop the T2minute method provides unique insight into the important considerations and practical challenges of applying training science to enhance elite sport performance.

Internationalisation in vocational education and training : moving from the periphery to the centre of VET?

Internationalisation has been one of the most notable phenomena facing tertiary education around the globe over the past three decades. Internationalisation is a crucial response to the demands to develop graduates who possess adequate skills, knowledge and attributes to engage and perform in a globalised and intercultural world.

Shining the light on the dark side of medical leadership - a qualitative study in Australia

Purpose The paper aims to explore the beliefs of doctors in leadership roles of the concept of "the dark side", using data collected from interviews carried out with 45 doctors in medical leadership roles across Australia. The paper looks at the beliefs from the perspectives of doctors who are already in leadership roles themselves; to identify potential barriers they might have encountered and to arrive at better-informed strategies to engage more doctors in the leadership of the Australian health system. The research question is: "What are the beliefs of medical leaders that form the key themes or dimensions of the negative perception of the 'dark side'?". Design/methodology/approach The paper analysed data from two similar qualitative studies examining medical leadership and engagement in Australia by the same author, in collaboration with other researchers, which used in-depth semi-structured interviews with 45 purposively sampled senior medical leaders in leadership roles across Australia in health services, private and public hospitals, professional associations and health departments. The data were analysed using deductive and inductive approaches through a coding framework based on the interview data and literature review, with all sections of coded data grouped into themes. Findings Medical leaders had four key beliefs about the "dark side" as perceived through the eyes of their own past clinical experience and/or their clinical colleagues. These four beliefs or dimensions of the negative perception colloquially known as "the dark side" are the belief that they lack both managerial and clinical credibility, they have confused identities, they may be in conflict with clinicians, their clinical colleagues lack insight into the complexities of medical leadership and, as a result, doctors are actively discouraged from making the transition from clinical practice to medical leadership roles in the first place. Research limitations/implications This research was conducted within the Western developed-nation setting of Australia and only involved interviews with doctors in medical leadership roles. The findings are therefore limited to the doctors' own perceptions of themselves based on their past experiences and beliefs. Future research involving doctors who have not chosen to transition to leadership roles, or other health practitioners in other settings, may provide a broader perspective. Also, this research was exploratory and descriptive in nature using qualitative methods, and quantitative research can be carried out in the future to extend this research for statistical generalisation. Practical implications The paper includes implications for health organisations, training providers, medical employers and health departments and describes a multi-prong strategy to address this important issue. Originality/value This paper fulfils an identified need to study the concept of "moving to the dark side" as a negative perception of medical leadership and contributes to the evidence in this under-researched area. This paper has used data from two similar studies, combined together for the first time, with new analysis and coding, looking at the concept of the "dark side" to discover new emergent findings.

The first professors of accounting in Australia

A range of contributions in the accounting history literature deal with "the first". While such studies set out to identify key points in time in the development of accounting, they may also narrow perspectives on accounting's past. This study on the first professors of accounting in Australia seeks to clarify the historical record while, at the same time, pointing out the difficulties of the task. A call is also made to set such studies within the ambit of a theme identified by Carnegie and Napier (1996, 2000) as "comparative international accounting history".

Thermal simulation studies of a low energy university building in Australia

A key criterion by which any building will be judged when its environmental impact is assessed is its thermal performance. This paper describes the simulation of an office module in a three-storey university building in south eastern Australia. The module, located at the north-west corner of the top floor of the building, was chosen because it is likely to have the highest cooling load - a primary concern of energy conscious designers of commercial buildings for most parts of Australia.

In the paper, the initial key assumptions are stated, together with a description of a "reference" or base case, against which improvements in thermal performance were measured. The simulation process identified the major influences on thermal performance. This enabled changes in materials and construction, as well as basic design concepts to be evaluated. Features incorporated into the base case such as a metal roof and glazed walkway were found to have adverse influence on energy consumption, and were consequently rejected in preference for an improved design which included a hypocaust slab system on the roof of the office module. The final design was predicted to reduce the annual energy consumption for heating and cooling by 72% and 76% respectively.

La performance thermique est l'un des critegraveres cleacutes de l'eacutevaluation environnementale de tout bacirctiment. Cet article deacutecrit la simulation d'un module de bureau appartenant agrave un immeuble de trois eacutetages d'une universiteacute du sud-est de l'Australie. Ce module, situeacute agrave l'angle nord-ouest de l'eacutetage supeacuterieur du bacirctiment a eacuteteacute choisi car c'eacutetait lui qui, vraisemblablement, avait la charge de refroidissement la plus eacuteleveacutee, ce qui est une preacuteoccupation majeure des concepteurs conscients des problegravemes d'eacutenergie des bacirctiments commerciaux dans la plus grande partie du pays. Le processus de simulation a fait apparaicirctre trois influences principales sur la performance thermique par rapport agrave un cas de base. Cela a permis d'eacutevaluer les modifications apporteacutees aux mateacuteriaux et agrave la construction ainsi qu'aux avant-projets. Les caracteacuteristiques inteacutegreacutees dans le cas de base comme le toit meacutetallique et la passerelle vitreacutee avaient une influence neacutefaste sur la consommation d'eacutenergie et ont donc eacuteteacute rejeteacutees au beacuteneacutefice d'un concept ameacutelioreacute qui comprenait une dalle de type hypocauste sur le toit du module de bureau. Le concept final devrait reacuteduire la consommation annuelle d'eacutenergie pour le chauffage et le refroidissement de 72 % et 76 % respectivement, ce qui donne une ideacutee de la valeur ajouteacutee au processus de production agrave partir de proceacutedures avanceacutees de modeacutelisation et de simulation.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon emission loads and profiles from the burning of locally grown wood species in Victoria, Australia - Some pilot project results

A testing facility for combustion of biomass and sampling of emissions has been established at Deakin University. In this pilot project using this facility, four kinds of locally grown wood species were burned and the particle emissions sampled and analysed for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). The selected wood species covering pine, red gum, yellow box and sugar gum, are the most popular domestic fuel wood in Australia. Particulate matter emissions from burning of each load of wood were sampled from the flue using a standard stack emission sampling train. The particle-laden filters were extracted and the .extract analysed to determine PAH concentrations by Gas Chromatographyl Mass Spectrometer (Gc/MS). The sampling was conducted under two different burning conditions with the air inlet of the combustion chamber fully open and with it half open. A suite of 15 PAHs, ranging from naphthalene (C IOHB) to dibenzolahlanthracene (C12H14), were selected for analysis. PAH profiles for the four wood species, under the different burning regimes, have been generated. Some preliminary emission factors for the different wood species have been derived as microgram of summed PAHs (rPAHs) emittedlkilogram of wood burned. Total Particulate Matter (TPM) emission factors were also obtained from gravimetric measurement of the sample filter before and after the combustion. Based on these emission factors, pine displayed the highest level of rPAHs emitted from the combustion of the four wood species, with sugar gum showing the lowest level of rPAHs emission. Emission factors associated with the slow burning condition clearly showed higher l:PAH levels compared to the faster burning condition. During the faster burning condition, red gum and pine show a higher percentage of rPAH to TPM than sugar gum or yellow box. Under the slower burning. the l:PAHlTPM ratio in every case was greater.

RE Kevin and the right of transsexual persons to marry in Australia

This article considers the decision of the Family Court of Australia in Re Kevin (Validity of Marriage of a Transsexual) [2001] FamCA 1074, which was upheld by the Full Court of the Family Court of Australia in February 2003. Re Kevin was the first case in Australia to deal directly with the question of whether a transsexual person could marry under Australian law. In the past, Australia had adhered to the judgement of Ormrod J in Corbett v Corbett [1971] P. 83, which set the benchmark for what is ‘male’ and what is ‘female’ under the common law. Prior to Re Kevin the question of what is a man and what is a woman for the purposes of marriage in Australia mirrored the strict biological test established in Corbett. In other words, the Australian courts relied upon biological factors, as espoused by Ormrod J, when determining a person's true sex. In Re Kevin, Chisholm J examined in detail what it is to be a man or woman, but unlike Ormrod J considered ‘brain sex’ to have a significant impact on a person's view of their own innate sexual identity. The Full Court of the Family Court agreed with the powerful and well-reasoned judgement of Chisholm J at first instance.

Molecular phylogeny and zoogeography of the freshwater crayfish genus Cherax Erichson (Decapoda: Parastacidae) in Australia

The evolutionary history and biogeography of freshwater-dependent taxa in Australia is of intrinsic interest given the present-day aridity of this continent. Cherax is the most widespread and one of the most species-rich of Australia's nine freshwater crayfish genera. The phylogenetic relationships amongst 19 of the 23 Australian Cherax were established from mitochondrial DNA sequences representing the 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA gene regions. The relationships among species support an initial east–west separation, followed by a north–south divergence in eastern Australia. Molecular clock estimations suggest that these divergences date back to the Miocene. The phylogenetic relationships support endemic speciation within geographical regions and indicate that long-distance dispersal has not led to recent speciation as previously hypothesized. This new evolutionary scenario is consistent with the climatic history of Australia and the evolutionary history of other similarly distributed freshwater-dependent organisms in Australia.

Family law in Australia: re Patrick and the matter of Child A

In Re Patrick, Guest J of the Family Court of Australia dealt with the issue of whether a gay sperm donor, known to the lesbian mother of the child, had a right under Australian law to regular contact with the child. Justice Guest held that the sperm donor was allowed contact with the child to the extent that this was in the child's best interests. His Honour did, however, find that due to the way in which particular provisions of Australia's Family Law Act 1975 (Cth) are drafted, a sperm donor cannot be regarded as the 'parent' of the child, and accordingly called for legislative reform to recognise the rights of known sperm donors wanting involvement with the child. In this article, we discuss the matter of Re Patrick, comparing it with the strikingly similar matter of Pursuer Against Defender in the Case of Child A, decided recently by Sheriff Laura Duncan in the Glasgow Sheriff Court. We will then outline a proposal to amend the Family Law Act 1975 so that sperm donors can apply for an order to be a 'parent' for the purposes of the law, and therefore have the same rights and responsibilities as any other parent. In response to the tragic ending to the matter of Re Patrick, we conclude by stressing the need for an educational programme to be established, so that lesbian women who are considering parenthood may do so in the knowledge that the sperm donor does have the status of 'father', and in some jurisdictions 'parent', rather than merely being a 'donor'.

New species of the Bryozoan Genera Batopora and Lacrimula (Batoporidae) from Australia

Examination of samples of bryozoans from the south- eastern slope sediments of Australia ("Franklin" SLOPE Stations 6, 7), has revealed the presence of many specimens of several genera with species which have minute, rooted colony forms. Among these are new species of the genera Batopora Reuss (B. problematica) and Lacrimula Cook (L. affinis). The structure of colonies is briefly described. The family Batoporidae is considered to contain only these two genera, although they have relationships with the discoidal genus Orbitulipora, and similarities in colony form to the genera assigned to the Conescharellinidae.

The history of distance education in Australia

This article presents a history of distance education in Australia. Australia's large distances and widely distributed population has meant that distance education has been an important part of its history. From the earliest provision of schooling by mail through a series of correspondence schools, both state and federal governments have provided a sound infrastructure to support distance education. Innovative uses of technologies to provide communication and interaction and ease the isolation of distance have also been a feature of Australia's distance education history. The impact of this history is particularly relevant as the Internet and information and communication technologies are changing this field and making distance educators of all institutions and sectors.

A historical review of the nurse practitioner role in Australia

Internationally, the nurse practitioner role has been shown to be cost-effective, safe, and instrumental in improving patient outcomes. The nurse practitioner role in Australia is in its infancy. Major stakeholders such as the nurses' boards and state departments of health throughout Australia were contacted to identify major policies and discussion papers. Database searches were conducted in CINAHL and EBSCOhost. Disparity between states exists in all facets of the nurse practitioner role, especially in definition of the role, scope of practice, educational qualifications, and specialized functions. Access to Medicare funding is unobtainable, resulting in inequity of access to health services for disadvantaged communities. The State Nurse Practitioner Taskforce Reports highlight the disparity between the role of nurse practitioner in each State of Australia and has led to fragmentation of the role at a national level. There is a need for consistency, which could be achieved if it were coordinated by a national nursing body with a voice in national health policy development and implementation

Evalutaion of the implementation of the folate-neural tube defect health claim and its impact on the availability of folate-fortified food in Australia

Objective: To evaluate the implementation of the folate-neural tube defect (NTD) health claim and its impact on the availability of folate-fortifed food in Australia.

Methods: During late 2005, a survey was conducted in 16 supermarkets across all Australian capital cities to identify the use of the folate-NTD health claim on the labels of the 128 food products listed in food standard 1.1A.2: 'Transitional standard - Health claims' and the number of products fortifed with folic acid.

Results: Seventy-nine per cent of existing listed food products were found and two of these were implementing the folate-NTD health claim. Forty-four per cent of these listed products, previously fortifed with folic acid, were no longer fortifed. One hundred and seventeen generally available food products were fortifed with folic acid, predominantly breakfast cereals (73%). Twenty-seven per cent of these folate-fortifed products were listed in the transitional standard.

Conclusions: The health claim was not used widely to inform women of child-bearing age of the importance of periconceptional folate intake. The increased availability of folate-fortifed products generally has occurred independently of the health claim. Defciencies in the verifcation system of the tested regulatory framework are identifed. The voluntary regulatory provisions for both folate fortifcation and the use of the health claim diminished the States' infuence over their implementation of public health tools.