Online learning environments : same place; different demographic space?

This paper presents a large scale, quantitative investigation of the impact of demographic differences on the student experience of using an online learning environment (OLE). Female respondents generally gave higher ratings than males, and gave significantly higher ratings in both importance and satisfaction to a group of OLE elements related to online interaction and community. Postgraduate respondents generally gave lower satisfaction ratings than undergraduate students, though significant differences were few. Results on the basis of mode of enrolment were mixed. The discovery of significant differences between demographic groups highlights the importance of up-to-date and on-going research-based surveys of student perceptions of the OLE. The finding that elements of the institutional OLE are not universally perceived the same way by all students groups also challenges the value of standard, one-size-fits-all institutional policies and templates relating to the use of the OLE.

Beyond mimesis : place, interpretation and response

My study examines the subjective nature of artistic interpretation through the notion of mimesis as process or transformation of material. Influential factors that mediate in the artistic process, such as memory, reflection and an awareness of cultural analogy and metaphor, are examined and related to a specific project in the studio, where the mediation process is further influenced by the materials used to produce the images. My studies of the concept of mimesis have revealed an intermediary realm that exists in the space between empirical reality and its interpretation. Throughout history the process of mimesis has been integral to all forms of the arts. In Plato's time the production of an image that simulated things as they appeared to the eye was considered a desired ideal. Aristotle later introduced developments which extended this concept to include a refiguring or reforming of material derived from the original source, making new connections between existing factors and in this transformation bringing new meanings to a symbolically constituted world. This discussion of the representation of reality, the influence of a dialogue between notions of imitation and the recreation of material continues throughout the exegesis. My study emphasises the interpretive stage of the mimetic process where a consideration of these themes is most relevant and some of the factors that can influence its outcome. It is my opinion that the production of images in response to the particularities of place can be defined in three stages. Firstly, the experience of the place; secondly, the beginning and maturation of the idea or concept; where mimesis takes place, and thirdly, the production of the art work in response. This process is illustrated in Part 2 of the exegesis, where the development of the studio work is documented and linked with the themes discussed in Part 1. The geographic site or place I selected to study is adjacent to Mt. Noorat, a volcanic site in the Western district of Victoria; the surrounding plains are littered with scoria that has been thrown out of the volcano thousands of years ago. Early British, Scottish and Irish settlers to this region used the stone to construct fences reminiscent of their homeland, through this activity they cleared the land and confined and protected their stock. My interests are in factors that include - the material of the stone, notions of enclosure and safety, of boundaries and circumscribed space, and of the cultural reflection that has taken place in this reconstruction of Eurocentric vision. These walls also represent the means by which land was enclosed and property defined, moving from a situation of public access to notions of ownership and the annexation of land for individual gain. Around each point of eruption, the craggy volcanic scoria has been used to create a constructed landscape which both symbolises and mirrors the Anglo - Celtic origins of the people. I have used the legend of Narcissus to illustrate the self-reflective and introspective processes that the settlers invoked in their attempts to come to terms with a strange land. I consider that the story of Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection, finds a parellel in the creation of the walls. The re-creation of artifacts from their own cultural environment provided the settlers with a familiar 'face' in an alien world; a reassurance of the familiar in an unfamiliar terrain. Part of this study is an investigation of this notion of landscape as cultural reflection. Geographers have long known that landscape is a cultural construct, an historically evolving ideal manifested in painting, prints and drawings as well as poetry, gardens and parks. One can view these constructions as illustrations or images of meaning which constitute representations of cultural ideals. The neo-classical influence reflected in the paintings of artists who accompanied the early expeditions to Australia demonstrates these themes. The medium of the mirror provides the opportunity to suggest aspects of a cultural reflection and an awareness of identity that has relevance to contemporary Australian culture, therefore, I have allowed it to play a major role throughout this study. Its role in mimesis, firstly, as a reflection in an imitative sense is established, then in its refigurative role, in which the similarities between the original and the reformed rely more on correlative factors than representation. I have used examples from the history of art to illustrate this potential. The formation and development of a narrative involving reflection threads throughout the thesis, both in the visual presentation and in the exegesis. The production of a body of paintings, drawings and sculpture reflect my interpretation and response to the particular site. The correspondences between these works and my theoretical concerns is articulated in the exegesis. The metaphor implied by the use of the walls as agents of enclosure also refers to the capacity of the individual to be confined by notional boundaries and restrictive practices where totalising systems of thought dominate theoretical debate and restrict its freedom. I have used images where gaps in the walls represent the potential implicit to the concept of liminal space, where the spectator moves from one physical space to another and from one stage of development to another. The threshold of this opening in the walls becomes the site where transformation can take place, a metaphor for the mimetic process where the initial experience is translated and transformed into the final product. The paintings, drawings and other works in this series fulfil the role of marks on the surface of the mirror, separating the initial experience from the processes of memory, reflection and speculation. The works draw attention to the materiality that they represent and yet provide the opportunity for new insights and experiences, allowing the subjective nature of artistic activity to combine symbolic elements relating to the site, resulting in the production of meaning.

Meaning of home : a comparison of the meaning of home as identified by samples of Victorians with, and without, an intellectual disability

This phenomenological study of the meaning of home from the perspectives of people with and without an intellectual disability sought to identify, (a) any common ‘essence’ of meaning held by and, (b) the nature of any differences of perception between, the groups. Purposive samples of 18 people with an intellectual disability and 21 non-disabled people were surveyed using a semi-structured interview to ascertain their experiences of home and 'non-homes'. Inductive analysis of the data revealed a shared understanding of the meaning of home at a fundamental level. This shared meaning of home was found to comprise: the ability to exert control over an area; having a personalised space; feeling content with the living situation; a sense of familiarity with the setting; a set of behaviours and routines usually only enacted when at home; common names and uses for rooms; socialising at home with others; the importance of a positive social atmosphere in the home; and, recognition of places as non-homes because they lacked one or more of these attributes. Further analysis revealed the essence of home is its experience as the place where stress is most reduced or minimised for the individual. The study demonstrates that the concept of stress is superordinate to previously identified concepts considered fundamental to home such as privacy, control and non-homes. Major differences between the two samples were largely differences of degree with people who have an intellectual disability reporting the same fundamental attributes of home as people who do not have an intellectual disability, but in a less elaborated form. Principal among these differences of degree was the notion of control over the home and its derivative elements which encompassed the whole dwelling including its setting for people without an intellectual disability but was very restricted for people with an intellectual disability being largely confined to the person's bedroom. Socialising in or from the home was also very limited for people with an intellectual disability in comparison with that experienced by non-disabled informants with the former group conveying an impression of leading significantly socially isolated lives at home. The major implications of this study are related to the meaning of home per se, to residential service provision to people with an intellectual disability, and to future research.

Marketing across cultures : an investigation into place specific dimensions of service quality in sport

Abstract The purpose of this study was to identify place-specific dimensions of service quality in spectator sport settings and determine if the importance of these dimensions differed across cultures. The study was limited to the soccer industry and involved the collection of responses from identified soccer spectators to a range of items presented in a survey instrument. The survey was distributed to respondents face-to-face on a match day of the club they supported, or mailed to their home address. Responses were obtained from spectators from two clubs from Australia (n=277), one club from the USA (n=199), one club from the Netherlands (n=245) and one federation from Malaysia (n= 100). Based on the findings of a number of authors, six categories of potential place-specific dimensions of service quality in spectator sport settings were created and the research instrument contained a number of items that could be categorised under one of these headings. These categories were Home, Religion, Social facilitation, Sensory, Uncertainty of outcome, and Personal attention. In this thesis it was assumed that place-specific service quality issues are similar for sport spectators of different cultures, although differences in degree of importance of these dimensions (etic approach) were likely to emerge. In other words, although it was expected dimensions per country to be similar, differences in degree of importance of these dimensions were expected. Given the lack of confirmatory statistical evidence pertaining to the specific country samples, it was concluded that differences per country are likely to be more than just differences in degree. Both the overall structure and structures per country could not be confirmed, and hence the conclusion was drawn that differences in nature between the countries were present. In other words, what is a dimension of place-specific service quality in one country is not necessarily a dimension in another country. The results of a content analysis of ‘core component’ structures per country compared with a (full sample) core component structure delivered six components (referred to as place-specific dimensions of service quality) that were defined as Home, Hedonist, Religious follower, Safe atmosphere, Hospitality and Personal Attention. It was found that in most cases the cultural orientation of soccer spectators reflects the cultural orientation of the country as a whole as proposed by Hofstede (1991). However, in line with Huntington (1997), it was also argued that grouping people based on their country of origin as a proxy for their cultural orientation, will increasingly lead to flawed and incomplete research findings. As noted by Yoo etal. (1999), the identification of a person's cultural orientation is likely to deliver more direct results when measured at the individual level In that regard it is concluded that it may seem prudent to view Hofstede's dimensions of culture with increased conceptual scrutiny. Although having been replicated in multiple studies, it becomes increasingly unlikely that Hofstede's dimensions cover the complete spectrum of an individual person's cultural orientation. In conclusion, this study identified that soccer spectators (from a number of clubs) from Australia, the USA, the Netherlands and to a lesser extent Malaysia, perceive a range of place-specific service quality dimensions in spectator spoil settings to be important when visiting a soccer match. Before research into satisfaction with and value of place-specific dimensions of the spectator sport service product is initiated, it is pertinent the identified dimensions are further explored and confirmed in different country (culture) settings. The confusion that still exists about the place of the value concept (in relation to quality and satisfaction), where Holbrook (1994) defines quality as a type of value and Chelladurai and Chang (2000) argue that value is a type of quality, further underpins this necessity. It needs to be clear what are the targets of service quality before this information is integrated in larger holistic research frameworks. In the final section of the thesis a conceptual model for international services marketing research in the sport industry was presented as a first attempt to integrate the findings of this research and other researchers.

Alternative naming strategies : family versus individual brand names

Increased competition in the consumer goods marketplace has resulted in too many brands chasing too few consumers. In an attempt to ease pressure on margins, and both brand and product range profitability, marketers would be well advised to reinspect their policies towards brand naming and the attendant costs associated with those policies. Is it really necessary for each new product to be individually named? If it is, then what are the strategic and financial implications of this decision? Why is it that the practice in some companies is to resort to a string of unrelated brand names whereas the practice elsewhere is to use an umbrella family name, with or without, a brand name as a suffix? The answers to such questions are by no means obvious and closer inspection of the issues relating to naming policy fails to yield any consensus let alone a definitive approach. This article seeks to depict the alternative naming strategies engaged by marketers and to focus on those considerations that would favour a family name in preference to an individualised brand name. The article concludes with recommendations that are drawn from current literature and the experience of marketers with a view to determining those circumstances that may influence the formulation of a more appropriate naming policy.

Miners, diggers, ferals and show-men : school–community projects that affirm and unsettle identities and place?

Many contemporary sociologists suggest that a feature of modern life is that the practices and identities associated with 'place' are eroded. The local no longer matters in everyday life as it once did. Some national governments are persuaded of the possibility of an urban dystopia of Orwellian dimensions, and have found a response in theories and rhetorics of social capital, citizenship and communitarianism. They have instituted strategies to address an imaginary of harmonious local communities. In this paper I examine one such government intervention and show how four schools in Tasmania, Australia, took up the invitation to strengthen ties with their local communities. The projects reveal that the local still exists and matters, but they also hint at other possibilities. I argue that by working with a 'place-based' curriculum to assist young people in building local networks and engaging productively with their local neighbourhoods, schools might provide important resources for identity-building and learning.

The lived experience of place for marginalised young people

This study explored the relationship between place and health for homeless, rural young people. Places that supported young people's health had the following attributes: feelings of physical safety and security, psychological fulfilment, sense of control, and identity. Places that appeared harmful to their health were described as alienating and threatening.

Race, place and self

This thesis examines, interrelates and contextualizes concepts of race, place and self by employing an amalgam of autobiography, interviews, literature, political analysis, infant research and psychoanalytic theory. Although the examples and narratives are South African based, principles that emerge have universal implications. Scars of apartheid mark oppressed, bystanders and beneficiaries.

Cultural and place identity : a study in Melbourne's western suburbs

This research explored the effect of cultural identity on the character of neighbourhoods in Melbourne's western suburbs. The study revealed that migrant cultural identity is expressed in neighbourhoods with diverse cultural groups although it was found to be shaped by the dominant perception of suburban character.

Space : the final frontier : festivals, community and place in Darwin Northern Territory, Australia

The ethnographies of two festive public events are used to analyse some aspects of community and place in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Place entails layers of physical and imaginal geographies and involves local and extra-local factors. Discourses about place among those who lived in Darwin are interwoven with discourses about community. A framework of border spaces and intersections are used to look at tensions and accommodations in presenting sometimes conflicting versions/visions of Darwin.

Developing a relationship with place : art in the context of bioregional theory and practice

Investigates a proposed solution to Western culture's essentially separatist and destructive relationship with the earth from the perspective of the artist. Examines the author's bioregional philosophical model which is based on a belief in the importance of place in physical and spiritual well-being and argues that it is an appropriate one to apply in the context of contemporary Australian art practice.

Poetry, politics and place : black and white perceptions of landscape in modern Australian poetry 1965-1990

Argues that the most influential landscape poetry deals with landscape as an aesthetic concept, and also with the politics of land ownership. Several "landscape poets". Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, have given voice to some of the most compelling social currents in society, and their work has an important place in contemporary political debate.

Stadium architecture and a sense of 'place'

Stadiums are unique places, a building form that in modern times is perhaps unrivalled in reflecting an intense identification of 'place' for people and for cities. This research investigates the role that architecture plays in the development of such a sense of 'place', as compared to the influence of cultural factors such as history and a tradition of events.