Edge of centre: Australian cities and the public architecture of recent immigrant communities

In the late 1990s, the author undertook a survey of the public architecture of non-western immigrant communities in Melbourne (Beynon 2002). The survey was undertaken within a social context of rapid recent growth in non-Western immigration to Australian cities, coupled with a political context where at state and local level Australian governments were engaged in managing cultural diversity through multiculturalist policies. By the late 1990s, the number of overseas-born, or with overseas-born parentage, had become almost 40% of Australia's total population (Australian Bureau of Statistics 1998-89). Substantial numbers of such immigrants originated from outside the 'West'. Compared to other Australian cities, Melbourne had at the time of the survey the largest communities of certain birthplace groups: notably Sri Lankans, Malaysians, Turks and Somalis. The purpose of this survey was to see to what extent Melbourne's diversifying demography had changed its architectural landscape, and more broadly, what such changes in the built environment indicated about Melbourne's (and by extension Australia's) cultural identity.

Developing preparedness for flexible delivery of training in enterprises

On a basis of research and literature review, Smith, in 2001, suggested a model for the development of preparedness of learners and their workplaces to support the flexible delivery of training in enterprises. Using the model as a framework, he then developed a detailed set of strategies that may be used in operating workplaces to develop learners and workplaces for effective flexible delivery. The research reported here was designed to test that strategy set in 12 different enterprises to assess the feasibility of their implementation in operating workplaces. The research shows that a majority of suggested strategies are feasible for implementation; some are feasible with qualification; and a minority were not seen as feasible.

Are information sources associated with Australian`s beliefs about the necessity of meat?

The aim of this study was to examine whether use of and trust in health, food, and nutrition information sources are associated with the belief that meat is a necessary dietary component. Over 700 South Australians participated in a questionnaire survey that included questions on frequency of use of and level of trust in information sources, vegetarian status, meat beliefs, and demography. It was found that information sources are associated with the belief that meat is necessary, since they
accounted for over 40% of the variance for all respondents. The most important associations were: lack of use of unorthodox sources; trust in orthodox sources; trust in advertising and the mass media; and trust in and use of social sources. There were differences in which predictors were important, however, depending on the respondent's sex, age, and vegetarian status. The implications of these observed communities of interest for health promotion are discussed.

Distribution of disease caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi in Wilsons Promontory National Park and potential for further impact

The extent of disease caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi was determined within vegetation communities of Wilsons Promontory National Park. Aerial survey of visible symptoms by helicopter and systematic survey along all roads and tracks followed by isolation of the pathogen from soil found that in total 551 ha of moist foothill forest, heath and heathy woodland broad vegetation types were affected by the disease. P. cinnamomi was isolated from 93% of sites that, based on the presence of visible symptoms, were expected to yield the pathogen. The species-rich heathy woodland was most affected with 6.5% of the total area of this type showing symptoms of disease. The size of infestation ranged from 229 ha on the slopes of the Vereker Range in the north to less than 1 ha along the Sealers Cove Walking Track in the south. The potential for disease to spread into uninfested vegetation was estimated for all sites from which P. cinnamomi was isolated. Eight of 18 sites where evidence of disease was found were estimated to have a high potential for further disease spread. This study indicates that even though the disease may be waning in some areas of the Park, the pathogen is active and easily isolated from others and provides a continuing threat to susceptible vegetation communities.

Learners' perceptions about the relationship between music education and generic skills development : a case study within the Australian higher education sector

A major issue emerging from the research and debate concerning quality in higher education has been an emphasis on the value of the acquisition of generic skills by undergraduate students, as indicators of quality in education. Music educators have long recognised the contribution music makes to the general education of learners. Learning in and through music can present varied and complex means for the acquisition of generic life skills such as: problem solving, decision-making, critical thinking, oral and written communication and teamwork. This paper documents one particular course of action that was implemented within a university undergraduate primary teacher education program, to systematically gauge learner perceptions about generic skill development/enhancement before and after participation in the music component of the core arts education subject.

The role of informal groups in organisational knowledge work : understanding an emerging community of practice

Managers and researchers alike have sought new ways to address the challenges of sharing dispersed knowledge in modern business environments. Careful consideration by sharers of receivers’ knowledge needs and behaviours may improve the effectiveness of knowledge sharing. This research examines how sharers react to their perceptions of receivers’ knowledge needs and behaviours when making choices relating to sharing knowledge. The focus of this article is to propose and empirically explore a theoretical framework for a study of the role of the receiver in knowledge sharing — receiver-based theory. Data collected from two case studies highlight a key role played by perceived receiver knowledge needs and behaviours in shaping sharer choices when explicit knowledge is shared. A set of receiver influences on knowledge sharing is provided that highlights key receiver and sharer issues. The paper concludes that companies should develop better ways to connect potential sharers with receivers’ real knowledge needs. Further, the findings suggest that sharing on a need-to-know basis hinders change in organisational power structures, and prevents the integration of isolated pockets of knowledge that may yield new value.

Reading scripture from a hermeneutic of rape

In order to construct a basis for reading the Bible from a hermeneutics of rape it is argued that this experience is endemic within religious com munities and defines how those who are affected experience and speak about God. Contemporary scholarship has recognized the important work done by communities of readers in constructing the meaning of texts. Those who have been affected by rape constitute an important interpretative community who will approach scriptural texts on the basis of their experience. While the personal experience of rape is dif ficult to articulate, and thus makes the construction of a hermeneutical position hard to describe, the social location of those affected by rape is more easily analysed. From an understanding of this social location it is possible to construct a hermeneutics of rape, both in relation to those scriptural texts in which rape imagery is explicit and also in regard to those in which abusive power is less evident but no less dangerous. The article concludes that while a shared social location does not generate unitary interpretations it nevertheless should be considered as a highly significant feature of the encounter between the reader and the text.

Review of greywater reuse practices in Victoria

Greywater reuse has become popular in rural and urban communities of Australia. In recent years, the Barwon region of Victoria has been affected by drought and as a result, water restrictions were imposed at different stages. While a water conservation by-law was introduced in February 2003 with overwhelming community support, greywater reuse is still debated among householders, Environment Protection Authority (EPA), local councils, and the water authorities. Higher levels of greywater reuse are needed due to low average rainfall in the region and high water consumption per capita. This paper looks at the position of the different parties that govern greywater reuse and presents the factors that restrain uniform reuse practices. Factors considered include quantity and quality of greywater generated in the Barwon region, current regulatory controls as reviewed through a series of surveys of local councils and water authorities. While the water restrictions resulted in an increased demand for alternative means of watering garden areas, the regulatory conditions were found to be unsettled about greywater reuse, with a wide range of concerns making these authorities unwilling to encourage it.

Vocational learners: testing readiness for online learning

McVay's (2000) Readiness for Online Learning questionnaire is tested for its potential value as an instrument to assess the readiness for online learning of technical level and of university level vocational learners. The research indicates that the instrument yields a reliable factor structure that is replicable across the two learner groups, and is interpretable in a context of broader research and theory on flexible learning. Although the reliability of the instrument and its items is acceptable for the university level sample, reliability was less than acceptable for the technical level learners. The utility of the instrument is discussed for each of these samples of learners.

Progressive discourse in mathematics classes - the task of the teacher

This paper uses data from two mathematics lessons to explore the nature of progressive discourse and examine critical features of teacher actions that contribute to mathematics classrooms functioning as communities of inquiry. Features found to promote progressive discourse include a focus on the conceptual elements of the curriculum and the use of complex, challenging tasks that problematised the curriculum; the orchestration of student reporting to allow all students to contribute to progress towards the community's solution to the problem; and a focus on seeking, recognizing, and drawing attention to mathematical reasoning and justification, and using this as a basis for learning.

Limitations of an established community of practice in developing online innovation

This research was undertaken to explore the effectiveness of an already established community of practice among staff at a small rurally-based training organisation as a vehicle through which to develop innovative practice in online collaboration and learning. The research was situated within that ongoing innovation, and used interview and observational techniques to generate the research data from staff and management personnel. Substantial limitations to using an already existing community of practice to develop innovative practice were shown in the research. Development of new behaviours was substantially inhibited by the power of already established behaviours and practices. Additionally, lack of sufficient experience among community members in online technologies was a further barrier to effective and orderly development. The research indicates that the achievement of innovative practice through communities of practice within existing workplaces may best be served by the strategic development of members of those communities, focusing on change from already established behaviours, and by ensuring a mix of skill and experience to support and lead less experienced participants.

Training packages and the AQTF: freedom to move or components of a compliance-driven straightjacket?

This paper reports on a PhD research project being undertaken through the Faculty of Education, Deakin University. Training Packages and the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF) form part of the ruling relations of VET, but how do they operate in practice? Do they provide frameworks within which training professionals are free to use judgement and respond in innovative ways to local learning and assessment contexts? Do they impose rigid 'guidelines' within which the decision-making authority of practitioners over appropriate practices is displaced by that of auditors, constraining creativity and creating pressures towards conformity? Or does their impact vary, depending on how they are interpreted and who is doing the interpreting? My PhD research explores issues relating to the use of Training Packages in workbased learning. Interview data suggests that, in practice, different training organisations respond very differently to a regulatory framework that aims to achieve national consistency. Some practitioners describe working in a compliance-driven environment, in which their ability to meet the needs of learners is stifled by standardised training and assessment practices imposed by Training Packages and the AQTF. This view is reflected in phrases such as 'you're not allowed to…', and 'you always feel uneasy because you've got AQTF compliance, inspections, auditors'. In contrast, other practitioners talk about having freedom to design learning and assessment programs for their particular target group and context, providing they stay within broad guidelines that guarantee national recognition of qualifications they issue. This view is reflected in comments such as 'it just leaves it open … to be as creative and flexible as you like', and 'It just gives us freedom'. This paper explores the proposition that the impact of these abstract and generalised texts is influenced by local interpretations, and it considers the role that organisational culture plays in determining these interpretations.

Elearning: 40 years of evolution?

Cun-ent rhetoric around the use of 'eLearning' in Higher Education relates particularly to Internet-based flexible eLearning programs that focus on sustaining particular communities of practice. In this paper we argue that this contempormy view of what eLearning comprises arises from a lack of historical perspective on what the focus of educational eLearning programs has been over the past 40 years. Contemporary descriptions of eLearning as a 'new mode of learning' are fallacious and ignore its 40-year evolution from 1: 1 localised didactic models (both constmctivist and behaviourist) to many-to-many distributed social-constmctivist learning models. In addition, the historic divide between Education and Training has led to both the concurrent development of different notions, foci, and labels for technology-enhanced learning in different contexts and situations, and different conceptual origins arising in acquisitive and participatory learning metaphors. We argue that a more inclusive and historically aware conceptual framework is needed to be able to accurately describe what the full repertoire 'eLearning' really embraces

The evolution of an online community - a case study

This article reflects findings from a long term case study of an online community of practice established through a network for the professional education of teachers in Ontario, Canada. The Education Network of Ontario/Réseau éducatif de l'Ontario (ENO/REO) was created in 1992–1993 to support and connect teachers from kindergarten to grade 12 in the province of Ontario. Its mandate was to ensure that all teachers had free access to the Internet and to each other and to encourage the development of skills in the area of information and communication technology with the ultimate goal of using those skills to improve classroom practice. The study investigated whether information technology had the potential to connect teachers to each other in order to build the capacity to create networks where professional learning could take place in a cost-efficient and flexible time and/or place. It was found that participants were early adopters who enjoyed innovation, that online networkswere supportive for learning but hard to maintain over time, and though they supported the integration of technology in the classroom, other barriers within schools could challenge this effect.

Tipping points in online-mediated learning environments

Teacher/Student engagement enriches learning experiences beyond the specifics of communicated information by encouraging connectivity and the fostering of learning communities. This paper is an analysis of student engagement in a postgraduate online-mediated learning environment, and considers how engagement may be an important factor in building communities of learning in conjunction with improved learning outcomes. This paper is informed by the conceptual framework for effective e-learning outlined by Garrison and Anderson (2003) as necessary for higher order knowledge building by students as part of skills development for participation in knowledge economies. Data collected through a pilot study infers that a correlation exists between the development of small groups of significantly contributing students within wider online student cohorts and the learning outcomes of all students within the cohort. The findings indicate that a number of small events have increased student engagement and motivation, and resulted in improved learning outcomes.