Design of a valid simulation for researching physical, physiological and cognitive performance in volunteer firefighters during bushfire deployment.

Every year, Australian firefighters protect our nation from the devastation of bushfire. Understanding the impact of consecutive long shifts in hot, smoky conditions is essential for making decisions during campaign fires. At present, the evidence-base for such decisions is limited to laboratory studies with little relevance to bushfire suppression or field research where the impact of environmental and workload stressors cannot be measured. To counter these limitations, we have developed a three-day simulation that mimics the work and environment of campaign bushfire suppression. Construction of the simulation involved three stages; 1) data collection and analysis; 2) design and development; and 3) trial and refinement. The frequency, intensity, duration and type of physical work performed on the fireground is well documented and a modified applied cognitive task analysis, using experienced firefighters was used as a framework to describe in detail the non-physical aspects of the work. The design and development of the simulation incorporated the physical and non-physical aspects of the work into simulated tasks. Finally, experienced firefighters participated in trials of the simulation and reviewed digital recordings to ensure that the simulation accurately represented campaign bushfire suppression work. The outcome of this project is a valid, realistic, and reliable simulation of the physiological, physical and cognitive aspects of a volunteer firefighter on a three-day bushfire deployment.

Developing lspr design guidelines

Applications of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) such as surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) devices, biosensors, and nano-optics are growing. Investigating and understanding of the parameters that affect the LSPR spectrum is important for the design and fabrication of LSPR devices. This paper studies different parameters, including geometrical structures and light attributes, which affect the LSPR spectrum properties such as plasmon wavelength and enhancement factor. The paper also proposes a number of rules that should be considered in the design and fabrication of LSPR devices

How social is the virtual design studio? A case study of a third year design studio

With the advent of social networks, it became apparent that the social aspect of designing and learning plays a crucial role in students’ education. Technologies and skills are the base on which learners interact. The ease of communication, leadership opportunity, democratic interaction, teamwork, and the sense of community are some of the aspects that are now in the centre of design interaction. The paper examines Virtual Design Studios (VDS) that used media-rich platforms and analyses the influence the social aspect plays in solving all problems on the sample of a design studio at Deakin University. It studies the effectiveness of the generated social intelligence and explores the facilitation of students’ self-directed learning. Hereby the paper studies the construction of knowledge via social interaction and how blended learning environments foster motivation and information exchange. It presents its finding based on VDS that were held over the past three years.

Cigarette smoking, nicotine dependence and anxiety disorders : a systematic review of population-based, epidemiological studies

Background Multiple studies have demonstrated that rates of smoking and nicotine dependence are increased in individuals with anxiety disorders. However, significant variability exists in the epidemiological literature exploring this relationship, including study design (cross-sectional versus prospective), the population assessed (random sample versus clinical population) and diagnostic instrument utilized.

Methods We undertook a systematic review of population-based observational studies that utilized recognized structured clinical diagnostic criteria (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or International Classification of Diseases (ICD)) for anxiety disorder diagnosis to investigate the relationship between cigarette smoking, nicotine dependence and anxiety disorders.

Results In total, 47 studies met the predefined inclusion criteria, with 12 studies providing prospective information and 5 studies providing quasiprospective information. The available evidence suggests that some baseline anxiety disorders are a risk factor for initiation of smoking and nicotine dependence, although the evidence is heterogeneous and many studies did not control for the effect of comorbid substance use disorders. The identified evidence however appeared to more consistently support cigarette smoking and nicotine dependence as being a risk factor for development of some anxiety disorders (for example, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder), although these findings were not replicated in all studies. A number of inconsistencies in the literature were identified.

Conclusions Although many studies have demonstrated increased rates of smoking and nicotine dependence in individuals with anxiety disorders, there is a limited and heterogeneous literature that has prospectively examined this relationship in population studies using validated diagnostic criteria. The most consistent evidence supports smoking and nicotine dependence as increasing the risk of panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. The literature assessing anxiety disorders increasing smoking and nicotine dependence is inconsistent. Potential issues with the current literature are discussed and directions for future research are suggested.

Interplaying user roles in e-government design : a participatory good governance perspective

The interplaying roles among the user groups must be adequately-mapped to fulfil the design needs of Egovernment applications. In previous studies, the design of citizen-centric e-government and its theoretical understanding is still limited in relation to the requirement of engaging malleable features for supporting all relevant users’ roles in governing bodies. Operationalising IS theories to improve the design of e-government application has been a much sought-after objective. Yet, there is a lack of actionable guidance on how to develop e-government application that exhibits high levels of users’ engagement through malleable features. Under a participatory good governance perspective, the paper reports a qualitative study and identifies requirement of malleable provisions to support the interplaying roles among users in a case demonstration of extensional service delivery in government. While service content describes the features available on an e-government application for assisting user groups in completing their support services.

The process of design based learning : a students' perspective

BACKGROUND : Deakin engineering has used Design Based Learning (DBL) as one of its engineering learning principles for further development in teaching and learning. Whilst the students are surveyed after every unit, this data only provides a generic overview of the process and does not help the academic staff determine if DBL is a preferable learning and teaching approach. What is required to improve the process is a holistic approach from the students’ perspective over the entire degree program.

PURPOSE : Do students see any value in DBL and should it be is further developed for teaching and learning? This study examines students’ perceptions of DBL in their curriculum, DBL in final year project, DBL in engineering career.

DESIGN/METHOD : A survey dedicated to DBL from the students’ point of view has been designed and given to 30 fulltime students in 3rd year in engineering at Deakin. A qualitative and quantitative analysis of this survey will give students’ perspective of DBL as they progress through their degree studies.

RESULTS : The full time students’ surveyed indicated that they believed that DBL was a useful tool and was of value to their career. Also that it would be helpful as part of their final project and that it helps teamwork although they would like to see it used for both team and individual work.

CONCLUSIONS : The full time students’ surveyed displayed a basic understanding of DBL and an eagerness to use it. Students’ perceived that DBL approach got an important value in their learning curriculum and it is a positive sign for the Deakin engineering to use it as one of its engineering learning principle.

Developing online construction technology resources in tectonic design education

We outline issues of importance in relation to tectonic design within the architectural profession and the relationship to architectural education in Australia. Twelve years of research and curriculum development at Deakin University is discussed, involving the creation of online resources and case studies, digitally-integrated projects relating to building construction and design studio education. The ethos behind the Construction Primer of engaging students as ‘amateur researchers’ in a way that ensures ‘that student research work is worth more than course assessment’ forms the pedagogical foundation of much of this work. A model of Socially Networked Construction Technology education has been developed that integrates social networks and the Internet to engage students in tectonic design within and outside the classroom through authentic curricula. Through the use of Virtual Galleries, Blogs, YouTube and social networks, a culture of peer learning and sharing has been developed. Through shared knowledge facilitated through social networks, great potential lies for expanding the synergies between higher order learning and online resource development for design decision support.

Virtual design studio via social networks

With the advent of social networks, it became apparent that the social aspect of designing and learning plays a crucial role in students’ education. The ease of communication, leadership opportunity, democratic interaction, teamwork, and the sense of community are some of the aspects that are now in the centre of design interaction. Online interactions, multimedia, mobile computing and face-to-face learning create blended learning environments to which some Virtual Design Studios (VDS) have reacted. On the sample of a design studio at Deakin University the paper discusses details of the Social Network VDS, its pedagogical implications to PBL, and presents how it is successful in empowering architectural students to collaborate and communicate design proposals that integrate a variety of skills, deep learning, and construction of knowledge. It studies the effectiveness of the generated social intelligence and explores the facilitation of students’ self-directed learning. Hereby the paper studies the construction of knowledge via social interaction and how blended learning environments foster motivation and information exchange.

Electrochemical methods applied in innovative corrosion inhibitor experiments : case studies

Electrochemical methods can be used more effectively if innovative experiments are designed and employed. This is especially true if a corrosion system to be tested involves inhibitors that could change the mechanism and pattern of corrosion in complex ways. This paper discusses corrosion inhibitor test design using several practical cases as examples. Particular attention is on difficult issues such as the simulation of localized corrosion phenomena and the influence of corrosion mechanism on inhibitor test results. ©2012 by NACE International.

Fictional inquiry : an alternative process to inspire creativity in children's co-design projects

Children's creativity is a valuable resource for architectural design, and attempts have been made throughout the world to involve children in the design process of their environments. Previous children's co-design projects often followed a problem solving process, however, this process has limitations in stimulating children's creativity. Research has found that children's creativity is different to adult's creativity: Instead of creative problem solving skills, children's creativity is most evident in their imagination and originality of thinking. Addressing this issue, an alternative process in children's co-design projects was experimented: Fictional Inquiry. In this paper, two case studies are used to illustrate how the fictional inquiry process is applied in children's co-design projects.* These two projects were both joint educational projects between Deakin University and schools in Geelong and Melbourne. Through several weeks' of workshops, children and university architecture students worked in small groups to develop architectural design solutions. It was observed that creative design outcomes have been achieved in these two projects, which suggested that Fictional Inquiry was an effective process to inspire children's creativity. Applying the Fictional Inquiry process, Deakin University is currently working with another school in the Geelong Region, with the aim of achieving creative architectural design outcomes.

Integrated construction supply chain design and delivery solutions

This study describes the development of a decision framework to support multi-disciplinary information and knowledge management model which focuses on integrated design and delivery solutions for all construction supply chain actors. The framework was developed within the context of two national information technology research projects in Australia. The first study used diffusion theory to explain the barriers and enablers to future adoption of advanced information technology solutions such as building information modelling (BIM). A grounded theory methodology was deployed and a pathways model for innovative information technology diffusion accommodating diverse patterns of adoption and different levels of expertize was developed. The second study built on the findings of the first study but specifically focussed on innovators, early and late adopters of BIM and the development of a decision framework towards advanced collaborative platform solutions. This study summarizes the empirical results of the previous studies. The core of the decision framework is the creation, use and ownership of building information sub-models and integrated models. The decision framework relies on holistic collaborative design management. Design expertise is diffused and can be found in various locations along the construction supply chain within project teams. A wide definition of design is considered from conceptual to developed to detailed design. The recent development to the decision model offers much potential as the early upstream decisions are often made in a creative, collaborative and uncertain environment. However, decision making needs to balance both a reductionist and exploratory creative empowerment approach. Shared team expertise and competency and team mental models are explored as a fundamental requirement to collaborative BIM. New skills in interdisciplinarity are discussed as an implication of future construction industry collaborative platforms.

Statistical approaches to testing the relationships of the built environment with resident-level physical activity behavior and health outcomes in cross-sectional studies with cluster sampling

To achieve valid conclusions, studies exploring associations of the built environment with residents' physical activity and health-related outcomes need to employ statistical approaches accounting for clustered data. This article discusses the following main statistical approaches: analysis of covariance, regression models with robust standard errors, generalized estimating equations, and multilevel generalized linear models. The choice of a statistical method depends on the characteristics of the study and research questions. While the first three approaches are employed to account for clustering in the data, multilevel models can also help unravel more substantive issues within a social ecological theoretical framework of health behavior.

Steps in the design, development and formative evaluation of obesity prevention-related behavior change trials

Obesity prevention interventions through dietary and physical activity change have generally not been effective. Limitations on possible program effectiveness are herein identified at every step in the mediating variable model, a generic conceptual framework for understanding how interventions may promote behavior change. To minimize these problems, and thereby enhance likely intervention effectiveness, four sequential types of formative studies are proposed: targeted behavior validation, targeted mediator validation, intervention procedure validation, and pilot feasibility intervention. Implementing these studies would establish the relationships at each step in the mediating variable model, thereby maximizing the likelihood that an intervention would work and its effects would be detected. Building consensus among researchers, funding agencies, and journal editors on distinct intervention development studies should avoid identified limitations and move the field forward.

Knowledge translation strategies to improve the use of evidence in public health decision making in local government: intervention design and implementation plan

Background: