Should I believe this? Reality monitoring of accounts of self-experienced and invented recent and distant autobiographical events

To examine personal and interpersonal reality monitoring, 240 participants wrote accounts of invented or self-experienced autobiographical events. Half the participants wrote about a distant event that happened before the age of 15 and half wrote about a recent event that happened after the age of 15. Using a yoked design, participants rated the qualitative details of their own accounts and the details of other participants’ accounts. Consistent with previous research, we found that self-experienced accounts contained more qualitative details than invented accounts, and that accounts of recent events contained more qualitative details than accounts of distant events. Participants rated their own accounts as more qualitatively detailed than other participants’ accounts, which suggests that they did not base their self-ratings solely on the written details. We discuss the practical and theoretical importance of our findings. Copyright # 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Haptics and virtual reality in modern manufacturing

Product assembly is one of the most studied processes in modern manufacturing. In recent years a number of computer-based virtual reality systems have been proposed, developed and adopted by the manufacturing industries. Such systems have major advantages over conventional training practices for product assembly. Significant cost savings can be realized due to shorter training-scenario development times and reuse of existing engineering math models. In addition, the time span from the product design to full production can be shortened due to non-reliance on actual components and subsystems for training. Such training systems are effective if the knowledge required to be transferred is just process sequence such as assembly sequence. However, knowledge transfer for procedural and cognitive learning as well as skills development is very limited, due to the lack of user interactivity and immersion.

This talk will focus on a research technology platform where haptics and virtual reality are integrated to create an effective environment for production assembly operators’ training. In this system virtual reality provides the grounds for realistic visualization, as well as immersion, whereas haptics enforces physical constraints within the virtual world generating the feelings of realistic interaction, making it accessible for formal learning and better understanding during task performance.

The developed research technology platform imitates real physical training scenarios by providing comprehensive user interaction, constrained within the physical limitations of the real world. Through the utilization of a haptics device, providing realistic force feedback, users are able to engage in product assembly training with a stronger sense of ‘reality’.

The Zebra Finch : the ultimate Australian supermodel

Today, the Zebra Finch is Australia’s most studied bird and the focus of intensive multi-million dollar research projects throughout the world. Here we briefly summarise the history of the Zebra Finch in science and document the way in which studies of this species have proliferated and dominated a number of quite different fields within the biological sciences. The importance of the Zebra Finch is likely to increase still further after the recent publication of its genome sequence – only the second bird to be the focus of such an intensive research effort – and providing an amazing resource for understanding this species and genome evolution more generally. Finally, we highlight the contribution made by the late Richard Zann with his studies of the ecology, physiology and behaviour of the wild Zebra Finch and his tremendous enthusiasm for the species. Richard would have welcomed the status that the Zebra Finch currently enjoys in science, and looked forward to the many exciting research opportunities that this supermodel species will continue to provide in the future.

Doing the ultimate public good through teacher education

It is argued here that the many public goods associated with education are derivatives of an ultimate good. This ultimate good is the overall purpose of life in general and is similar to a telos as understood in ancient Greek culture. This paper reviews the notions of ‘good' and telos, and examines implications of Bauman’s analysis of our present individualizing era, the role of personal meaning making and the nature of education. It is then argued that preservice teachers can do the ultimate public good in a postmodern society, by articulating a developed personal, professional perspective that expresses a purpose (telos) of life.

The illusory everyday : narratives of pleasure in Australian 'reality TV'

This thesis examines the paradox thai the popularity of 'reality TV' lies more in its construction and the pleasure of its reception as entertainment, than ils 'reality'. Through the integration of theoretical perspectives, and industry and viewer interviews, 'reality TV' is explored as an amoebic, amorphous genre, of multiple narratives, interpretations and pleasures.

Reinforcing the myth : constructing Australian identity in 'reality TV'

The current incarnation of ‘reality TV’ in Australia has a strong focus on the portrayal of everyday life. Although based on ‘real’ situations or people, there is a clear tension between ideas of authenticity and performance.  As a global phenomenon, ‘reality’ formats are produced for local audiences by highlighting aspects of the national culture and identity, with format popularity directly linked to identification and affirmation of the spectacle of ‘reality’. This paper will analyse the use of popular Australian myth in ‘reality’ formats by charting narrative and character construction as an ‘illusory everyday’, with reference to Bondi Rescue (Cordell Jigsaw). The paper will examine the representation of Australian identity through both myth and construction in ‘reality TV’ as the perpetuation of a cultural simulation. Implications for research on the genre and the industry are also discussed.

Strategic leadership of teaching and learning centres : from reality to ideal

This paper reports on the third phase of a study of Australian Teaching and Learning Centres to identify factors that contribute to the effective strategic leadership of Centres. Focus groups at 10 Australian universities included 66 respondents, providing a diverse range of perspectives, from students to members of the university executive. Analysis of participant contributions extended findings from prior project phases and the wider literature. They also contributed to the final construction of the strategic leadership Teaching and Learning Centre maturity framework presented here. Centres remain in a state of flux, enduring regular reconfiguration. For most Centres, their level of interaction with students is low and increased engagement with students would be of benefit. Perceptions of Centres vary widely, reinforcing the importance of a strategic partnership between the University’s Senior Executive, the Centre and faculties as a prerequisite for implementing identified high-impact strategies for improvement in teaching and learning.