Thinking multimedia

Children in our society have access to many information resources and communication options. As we witness the convergence of art, literacy and publishing, individuals need to learn how to make sense of information presented in many different forms, and how to construct their own communications in multiple media.
Thinking Multimedia is a program that has developed out of many projects that I have run in several school and some tertiary institutions over the past 12 years. It is an attempt to integrate skills and knowledge from different academic disciplines and to encourage students to understand learning processes and their own learning preferences. The course, offered at this stage at Year 10 level at St Catherine’s School in Melbourne, aims to provide background and basic skills in how to construct and deconstruct information in multiple media and to provide students with the opportunity to explore a ‘real need’ project of their own in a project-based team environment. The course is supported by an online resource and discussion component.
In this presentation I will explain the background to the Thinking Multimedia program and explore some of the work by the students involved.

Geographical dislocation and adjustment in university students: the impact of attachment, autonomy and coping behaviour on stress and well-being

The relative contribution of geographical dislocation, attachment styles, coping behaviours, and autonomy, to successful student adjustment, was examined in relation to stress and well-being. A sample of 142 on campus first year university students, across four Victorian university campuses completed self-report questionnaires. Questionnaires included demographic, social network, intrapsychic (attachment and autonomy), and coping variables. Multiple regression analysis revealed that being female, not having made a friend to confide in personal matters, lower achieved autonomy, and use of emotion-focused coping predicted higher levels of student stress. A second multiple regression analysis revealed that living away from home, and preferring others to approach oneself to initiate conversation or friendships predicted lower well-being, whilst increased frequency of phone and email contact, and greater secure parent and peer attachment, predicted greater well-being. Pearson's correlations indicated that securely attached students used more problem focused coping and social support, whereas insecurely attached students used more emotion focused coping. Qualitative data indicated student concerns about being away from family and friends, finance, course direction and structure, social opportunities on campus, and generally adjusting to the university culture. It was concluded that first year on-campus students would benefit from program initiatives targeting enhancement of on-campus social opportunities, development of autonomy, problem focused coping behaviour, interpersonal and social assertiveness.

Gender and ethics

Men and women lawyers value ethics differently, according to a study into law students' values.  About 700 final year law students responded to a questionnaire on hypothetical ethical situations which gave a snapshot understanding of the values of Australian students in their last year of law school.

The graphic calculator as a thinking tool : perspectives from the classroom

For over a decade, the graphic calculator has been promoted not only as a computational tool, but also as a thinking tool - for example, as an aid to enhance conceptual understanding, as a problem-solving tool and as a means of enabling students to engage in meaningful investigations. However, research studies focusing on these aspects have shown mixed results and have mostly focused on graphs and functions.

This paper reports on one aspect of a case study in a year 10 mathematics classroom - the role of the graphic calculator as a thinking tool. Data from observations of nine statistics lessons and interviews with the teacher and five students, are analysed from three perspective's: the teacher's intentions with respect to the use of the graphic calculator as a tool to promote conceptual understanding as opposed to procedural competence; the opportunities afforded during the lessons for student investigation; and students' views of how the graphic calculator enhanced conceptual understanding.

The results provide insights into ways in which students perceive the graphic calculator as promoting conceptual understanding, as well as some of the difficulties encountered in practice in a classroom where the teacher clearly intends to use the graphic calculator as a thinking tool.

(E)Research, (e)learning, (e)teaching in (e)ntrapment

In this paper I reflect on three research projects emerging from my on online learning and teaching.

The data used in this paper is current and the media is low-tech and accessible. This paper is not about the hardware and software of technology. Rather, it is about a teacher educator's struggle to try to make sense of online pedagogy at a time when academics seem to be constantly exhorted to take their courses online. This paper draws on data from the following projects:

1. My involvement in the development and teaching of the 'Education Studies Major Online Project'. I have been teaching undergraduate students doing their first year education studies program with the option of:

•  Not attending university-based lectures or tutorials and doing all their work online;
•  Attending face-to-face lectures and tutorials, and
•  A mixture of face-to-face and online.

2. The Research in Computers in Education (RICE) group which started in 1995.

3. The Good Learning on the World Wide Web (GLOW) Project with a secondary college in which undergraduate teacher education students tutor year 9/10 students from the college.

4. Two Masters in Education units with particular reference to the compulsory online discussion component.

5. The Faculty Research Group project entitled 'The social and pedagogical implications of new learning technologies for learners and teachers'.

To stay or to go? 'At risk' young women speak about their influences and experiences in making decisions about post-compulsory schooling

Recent research indicates that young women who leave school early (ie at or before year 10) are the group most 'at risk' of becoming only marginally attached to the labour force or unemployed. Young women from low socio-economic backgrounds are more often those who 'choose' to leave schooling, often for complex reasons, some of which are only marginally connected to their schooling experiences. In order to better understand-and address-the needs of this cohort, it is necessary to examine the multi layered connections between students' lives in and out of school.

This paper reports on the initial stage of a three year ARC-funded study, 'Young women negotiating from the margins of education and work.' In interviews and focus groups, young women identified as 'at risk' of leaving school early speak about the factors that have influenced their decisions. We examine the data with specific reference to the question: what type of social capital do these young women deploy in making their choices? Recent research (Croninger & Lee, 2001) suggest that teachers' support and guidance are a form of social capital that can make a difference, particularly in regards to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. We discuss the young women's and teachers' interview data in light of recent debates about social capital and education.

Preparing accounting students for success in the professional environment : enhancing self-efficacy through a work-integrated programme

This study provides empirical evidence of the effect of a simulated work integrated learning (WIL) program on students’ self-efficacy within an accounting context. An Accounting WIL Program was designed as a two-staged module using information seminars, networking sessions and in-depth workshops that helped develop final year accounting students’ understanding of the accounting profession as well as some basic skills expected of a new recruit. Data from a questionnaire survey of 35 participant students indicates that the students perceived greater self-efficacy upon completion of the WIL program, and that male students appeared to show greater self-efficacy for selected items.

Pilot study of an innovative model for clinical education in dietetics

Aim: To pilot and evaluate a new model of clinical dietetics education to address the sustainability of dietetic placements in the clinical setting.

Methods: Final-year dietetics students (n = 14) completed all nine weeks of clinical placement in the pilot program at two large tertiary referral and teaching health services in metropolitan Melbourne. Staff and students completed surveys about their experience within a week of completing placement. Data collected included paid and unpaid staff working hours, hours in clinical and teaching activity, hours of student attendance and student clinical work hours. Data for the last month of the placement programs in the preceding three years were used for comparison with the pilot program.

Results: Combined data for the two providers showed that the model reduced the amount of supervision hours per student hour on placement by 16% while maintaining quality indicators during the pilot compared with previous years. Students in the pilot program were more positive about their experience compared with students in the existing program. The overall trend of responses in the staff surveys was positive for the pilot program, but the trend was not as marked as that of student responses.

Conclusion: The new model of clinical dietetics education was successfully piloted and demonstrated the potential to increase student training capacity without a negative impact on student achievement or major resource demands. Refinements to the model and opportunities to enhance integration into the dietetics degree program were identified during the project. The learning needs of non-English-speaking background students require further scrutiny.

Getting old and heading south: the academic success of Southerner learners in design cohorts

This paper investigates the relationship between learning style, as determined by Kolb's Learning Style Inventory, age and one measure of academic performance in design assignments for two cohorts of first- and third-year architecture students. The paper focuses on the results of a cross-curriculum learning style survey conducted as part of a project aimed at resolving the learning difficulties of students collaborating in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural team assignments. The research was conducted to determine how learning style differences in heterogeneous teams might be addressed through pedagogy. In light of evidence in student cohorts of learning style changes towards the learning styles of design teachers as students progress through their studies, this paper demonstrates how these changes reflect a statistically significant relationship between learning styles and academic performance in design assignments.

The influence of Sport Education on student motivation in physical education

Background: Physical educators are faced with trying to provide motivating and enjoyable experiences in physical education. Sport Education is an instructional model that aims to provide positive motivational sport experiences by simulating the features of authentic sport. Research support for Sport Education is positive, however, the effects on student motivation and the motivational climate are not well understood.

Purpose: To investigate the influence of the Sport Education model on student motivation (intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, goal orientations, and perceived motivational climate) in secondary physical education.

Setting: Six classes were selected according to teacher and class availability in the sports of soccer, hockey, and football codes in a co-educational government school.

Participants: Participants were 115 (male = 97, female = 18) Year-8 students (aged 13-14 years), in a Sport Education condition (n = 41) and a Traditional condition (n = 74).

Measures: At pre- and post-test, all participants completed three questionnaires: the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory, the Task and Ego Orientation in Sport Questionnaire, and the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire.

Intervention: Participants completed either a Sport Education condition or a Traditional condition for one double period (100 minutes) one day per week for 10 weeks (Sport Education condition) or for five weeks (Traditional condition). The Sport Education condition incorporated six distinctive features: seasons, affiliation, formal competition, record keeping, festivity, and a culminating event. The Traditional condition used whole-group instruction led by the teacher.

Research design: The study used a non-equivalent control group design with pre- and post-test procedures. The independent variable was teaching condition and the dependent variable was student motivation (assessed by intrinsic motivation, goal orientations, and motivational climate). The groups were already established and selected for convenience purposes.

Data collection and analysis: Participants completed pre-test measures and then participated in their pre-established classes. Post-test measures were completed in the last class in each condition. A reliability analysis on measures was conducted using Cronach's alphas. A pre-test manipulation check was performed to check for any initial differences in motivation. To compare the difference in changes between conditions on motivation, a series of 2 times 2 repeated measures analyses of variance were conducted. A comparison of the relationship between motivation measures was conducted using Pearson's product moment correlation coefficients.

Findings: There was a significant difference between the conditions on changes in perceived competence, task orientation, and mastery climate, with the Traditional condition decreasing significantly from pre- to post-test compared with the Sport Education condition. There were no significant differences on interest/enjoyment, effort/importance, pressure/tension, ego orientation, or performance climate. A mastery climate was positively related to task orientation and intrinsic motivation and a performance climate was related to ego orientation.

Conclusions: The Sport Education condition was more successful in maintaining high levels of intrinsic motivation, task orientation, and mastery climate than the Traditional condition. That is, the Traditional condition was associated with a decrease in adaptive aspects of motivation for students, whereas the Sport Education condition maintained existing levels of motivation.

Situational and dispositional indicators of performance : competing models in education

The attainment of high grades on the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is critical to the future study and employment prospects of many Australian adolescents. Thus it is important to understand the factors that contribute to performance in the VCE. The aims of this study were twofold: the main aim was to test competing models of academic performance, subsuming a range of situational and dispositional variables based on a) self-efficacy theory, b) target and purpose goals, c) cognitive skills and self-regulatory strategies, and d) positive psychology. These models were each tested in terms of English performance and mathematics performance as these units contribute proportionally the most to overall VCE scores. In order to study whether pressures peculiar to the VCE impact on performance, the competing models were tested in a sample of Victorian students prior to the VCE (year 10) and then during the VCE (year 11). A preliminary study was conducted in order to develop and test four scales required for use in the major study, using an independent sample of 302 year nine students. The results indicated that these new scales were psychometrically reliable and valid. Three-hundred and seven Australian students participated in the year 10 and 11 study. These students were successively asked to provide their final years 9, 10 and 11 English and mathematics grades at times one, three and five and to complete a series of questionnaires at times two and four. Results of the year 10 study indicated that models based on self-efficacy theory were the best predictors of both English and mathematics performance, with high past grades, high self-efficacy and low anxiety contributing most to performance. While the year 10 self-efficacy models, target goal models, positive psychology models, self-regulatory models and cognitive skill based models were each robust in the sample in year 11, a substantial increase in explained variance was observed from year 10 to year 11 in the purpose goal models. Results indicated that students’ mastery goals and their performance-approach goals became substantially more predictive in the VCE than they were prior to the VCE. This result can be taken to suggest that these students responded in very instrumental ways to the pressures, and importance, of their VCE. An integrated model based on a combination of the variables from the competing models was also tested in the VCE. Results showed that these models were comparable, both in English and mathematics, to the self-efficacy models, but explained less variance than the purpose goal models. Thus in terms of parsimony the integrated models were not preferred. The implications of these results in terms of teaching practices and school counseling practices are discussed. It is recommended that students be encouraged to maintain a positive outlook in relation to their schoolwork and that they be encouraged to set their VCE goals in terms of a combination of self-referenced (mastery) and other-referenced (performance-approach) goals.

Spatial thinking processes employed by primary school students engaged in mathematical problem solving

This thesis describes changes in the spatial thinking of Year 2 and Year 4 students who participated in a six-week long spatio-mathematical program. The main investigation, which contained quantitative and qualitative components, was designed to answer questions which were identified in a comprehensive review of pertinent literatures dealing with (a) young children's development of spatial concepts and skills, (b) how students solve problems and learn in different types of classrooms, and (c) the special roles of visual imagery, equipment, and classroom discourse in spatial problem solving. The quantitative investigation into the effects of a two-dimensional spatial program used a matched-group experimental design. Parallel forms of a specially developed spatio-mathematical group test were administered on three occasions—before, immediately after, and six to eight weeks after the spatial program. The test contained items requiring spatial thinking about two-dimensional space and other items requiring transfer to thinking about three-dimensional space. The results of the experimental group were compared with those of a ‘control’ group who were involved in number problem-solving activities. The investigation took into account gender and year at school. In addition, the effects of different classroom organisations on spatial thinking were investigated~one group worked mainly individually and the other group in small cooperative groups. The study found that improvements in scores on the delayed posttest of two-dimensional spatial thinking by students who were engaged in the spatial learning experiences were statistically significantly greater than those of the control group when pretest scores were used as covariates. Gender was the only variable to show an effect on the three-dimensional delayed posttest. The study also attempted to explain how improvements in, spatial thinking occurred. The qualitative component of the study involved students in different contexts. Students were video-taped as they worked, and much observational and interview data were obtained and analysed to develop categories which were described and inter-related in a model of children's responsiveness to spatial problem-solving experiences. The model and the details of children's thinking were related to literatures on visual imagery, selective attention, representation, and concept construction.

Using progression points for diagnostic (formative) assessment : chance

Find every Chance-related Progression Point, in Level-order, from Prep to Year 10. Translate each Progression Point into a pencil-and-paper task. This makes a developmentally or progressively graded worksheet-like ''diagnostic profile' for assessing knowledge of and skills with Chance. It is diagnostic because it starts with easy, early questions, and progressively gets harder and harder as the concepts and skills in the Chance curriculum develop. Presenting this diagnostic profile to students at the beginning of a unit of work on Chance gives invaluable formative assessment information to guide your teaching. Using the same profile, or a parrallel version at the end of the unit provides before-and-after summative assessment of the students' learning during the unit.

Social identities and law students' writing

This paper argues that social identities, discursively speaking, consist of ‘positions’ that are individuated by distinctive linguistic features. These include distinctive patterns of representation indicated by clause structure and type, a set of priorities for attending to what is important indicated by thematic structure, and an orientation to the represented world and to self as indicated by modality, propositional attitudes and tense. A social identity comprises an array of these often contradictory ‘positions’ associated with a social or professional role. A person’s identity is constituted dynamically by the way they ‘reconcile’ the various positions that make up the social identity, and also, as Archer and Ivanic argue, by the way they reconcile a social with a personal or autobiographical identity. It is argued that this process of reconciliation gives clues about identity formation in the traces it leaves in grammatical texture.

This paper uses a simulated letter of advice to a client written by a group of first year law students to explore the discursive construction of social or professional identity. This letter is poorly written and full of grammatical mistakes and infelicities. It is argued that the mistakes provide a linguistic trace of the students’ struggle to reconcile the conflicting roles and positions they occupy as authors of the letter. In particular the students’ problems result from a struggle to reconcile their multiple positions as: students writing for assessment by a tutor about a legal problem, as a simulated firm of solicitors advising to a client, and as potential litigators anticipating the future course of events in their simulated moot court appearance.

An 'emergent model' for rate of change

Does speed provide a ‘model for’ rate of change in other contexts? Does JavaMathWorlds (JMW), animated simulation software, assist in the development of the ‘model for’ rate of change? This project investigates the transference of understandings of rate gained in a motion context to a non-motion context. Students were 27 14–15 year old students at an Australian secondary school. The instructional sequence, utilising JMW, provided rich learning experiences of rate of change in the context of a moving elevator. This context connects to students’ prior knowledge. The data taken from pre- and post-tests and student interviews revealed a wide variation in students’ understanding of rate of change. The variation was mapped on a hypothetical learning trajectory and interpreted in the terms of the ‘emergent models’ theory (Gravemeijer, Math Think Learn 1(2):155–177, 1999) and illustrated by specific examples from the data. The results demonstrate that most students were able to use the ‘model of’ rate of change developed in a vertical motion context as a ‘model for’ rate of change in a horizontal motion context. A smaller majority of students were able to use their, often incomplete, ‘model of’ rate of change as a ‘model for’ reasoning about rate of change in a non-motion context.