'I don’t think I am a learner': acts of naming learners at work

The terms “learning” and “learner” are used in discussions of workplace learning as if they were unproblematic and as if workers, organisations and researchers had a common, shared view about what these terms mean. A study of four different workgroups within an organisation in which the discourse of learning was pervasive suggests that having an identity as a learner may not be compatible with being regarded as a competent worker. The politics of naming oneself as a learner are considered and the power of naming learning and learners are discussed. The broader implications for research on workplace learning of such a discursive approach are noted.

Learning to become an international work-based learner

In this chapter you will learn
• Key success factors for work-based learning students across cultures
• The importance of learning another way to think, write and act to be a successful work-based learning student in a multi-cultural context
• How to build your own personal learning network and wider environment, which will be essential in helping and motivating you through your studies
• How to continually improve your academic performance through self-reflection and self-leadership
• How to plan for and manage

Optimal licensing policy under vertical product differentiation

This paper explores a vertical product differentiation model with a licensing arrangement between a multinational firm with superior technology and a domestic firm with obsolete technology. We find that a subsidy provided by the domestic country's government to the domestic firm to assist with the licensing arrangement is welfare enhancing for the domestic country. Furthermore, both the multinational firm and the domestic country are better off under royalty than under fixed fee licensing. These findings stand in contrast to earlier results in the literature.

A preliminary study of open learner model representation formats to support formative assessment

Open learner models provide a way of showing teachers and students the learning progress of a student against expectations. Creating an effective interface to present a learner model is an important part in open learner modeling. Usefulness of the learner model relies on using a clear andeffective representation format to facilitate users’understanding of the information presented. In this paper, wepropose a range of open learner model representation formatsto display students’ learning task status and achievement interms of learning outcomes. We investigate different types ofrepresentation formats and data useful for users to inspect thelearner model. An interface design prototype has been built toprovide potential users with an evaluation platform thatenables investigation of these aspects. The results obtained willallow us to develop a more effective new open learner modelvisualisation tool.

Innovation in language education: enriching Arabic language learner experiences and proficiency in 2D and 3D environments.

Abstract:-Global language and cultural communicative competency is an ever increasing requirement in our connected world. Learners of Arabic at the only five Australian universities where Arabic is taught have access to predominantly on-campus delivery modes. One of the main challenges learners face when learning another language (L2) in an academic setting in countries where that language is not actively used – so little L2 exposure – is that it is harder to provide meaningful contexts for learning. This restriction in L2 exposure in the formal academic framework is due to the limited face-to-face learning time and, more significantly, is compounded by lack of exposure to the language‟s authentic use settings. Students are often isolated from the target language‟s authentic discourse communities and native speakers. This situation is exacerbated for Cloud (online) students, studying in relative isolation. All of these factors make developing communicative oral fluency in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) moredifficult and challenging for many learners. This paper will discuss two innovative approaches used at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia to enable learners of Arabic at Deakin University to practice their developing skills by listening, practising, and experiencing directly how the language is used outside the classroom boundaries as well as allow learners to develop their oral and cultural communicative competency by engaging them in simulating and evolving authentic language scenarios with native Arabic speakers through the Virtual World (VW).

An empirical study of user perceived usefulness and preference of open learner model visualisations

Many higher education institutions have reformed their academic programmes to adopt unit learning outcomes. It is essential for effective learning management tools to support this fundamental transformation. We see the need for a tool that provides visualisations of Open Learner Models (OLM) and associated e-portfolio content to guide students in achieving intended learning outcomes, help evidence their learning andkeep them engaged in their study. OLMs surface the relationship between learning activities and tasks, formative and summativeassessment, and intended learning outcomes. We have developedand validated a set of candidate visualisations for such OLMs. We report key findings from our study in terms of potential users’ feedback on our tool’s support for tracking learning progress against learning outcomes. Our findings can inform and refine learning management systems.