Indigenous sustainable land management practices: perspectives from Wadawurrung/Wathaurong Country

This paper discusses the role and potential of ethnobotany in Australian Aboriginal plant knowledge in supporting and enabling sustainable land management practices for land use developments. In particular, it draws upon the Wadawurrung / Wathaurong Country knowledge for the greater Geelong region of Australia, summarises recent investigations and research, offers a deeper insight into the risks of indigenous vegetation deterioration and opportunities relating to plant usage, and highlights the importance of this plant knowledge in sustainable land management practice. The focus of this investigation is upon the Wathaurong Country around the City of Greater Geelong, host city for the ISDRS conference, of which there is little published material and oral distillation.
The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how the Wadawurrung / Wathaurong people survived for over 60,000 years through sustainable land management techniques, caring & healing themselves by holding deep knowledge of the plants available in this region. Ethnoecology is the governing theoretical framework, with ethnobotany being a subset of this and the primary focus of this paper.
Conclusions arising from this research include: there is limited knowledge as a modern colonised nation; what little knowledge there is left is ageing and will disappear; and, there is an urgent need to better understand what still grows in the region prior to further urban applications and this is also compounded by the driving forces of climate change. Accordingly this paper demonstrates the need to urgently undertake this research. The implications for ‘Tipping Points’ is that we are increasingly at the point of no return is when we forget about the indigenous knowledge base and watch the death of the knowledge holders, and their wisdom and its benefits have not been transposed into contemporary society.

Intercultural engagement through pedagogical practices

Previously, in Victoria, Intercultural Understanding was embedded in the context area of ‘Languages Other than English' and taught by LOTE specialist teachers. Positioned in the new National Curriculum as a ‘General Capability' it will become the shared responsibility of all Australian teachers and so directly impact on them and their pedagogical practices. This prioritizing of Intercultural Understanding acknowledges the role of pedagogical practice in developing national and international social cohesion as well as meeting national economic imperatives (MCEETYA 2008, Banks 2011). The diverse social context of schooling is one in which many students experience negative intercultural experiences (Mansouri et al 2010) and yet it is also a site rich with potential for positive intercultural experiences and development of cosmopolitan dispositions (Noble, 2013 Rizvi 2009; Lo Bianco 2006); particularly ‘vernacular' cosmopolitanism (Robbins, 1998; Turner 2010). Drawing on case studies from two primary schools participating in an ARC-funded national research project, this presentation considers the impact on teachers' attitudes and pedagogies as they reflect on and enact teaching to promote intercultural understanding. With a focus on critical engagement with texts (including student, teacher and community multimodal texts) the teachers design pedagogies to support the three key areas recognising culture and developing respect; Interacting and empathising with others; and reflecting on intercultural experiences and taking responsibility (ACARA, 2012). Vicarious, virtual and face-to-face opportunities for enhancement of self-awareness and cultural acknowledgment; experiencing and exploring cultural difference; and for critical reflection on cultural encounters (Bredella, 2003) will be explored. Of interest is teacher and student agency (Fielding, 2001; 2004) in the selection of resources, development of knowledge, critical reflection and approaches to dealing with sensitive issues.

Analysis of reverse logistics implementation practices by South Australian construction organisations

Purpose – A large number of benefits have been reported when reverse logistics (RL) is fully implemented in the construction industry. However, RL is yet to become common place in the construction sector, particularly in Australia. The particular sub-sector in which RL operates is small and weak and the remainder of the sector must embrace and accommodate it comfortably. Research is lacking on how to promoting RL in the construction industry. Very little has been done to identify the current practices that have the potential to promote RL industry-wide. The purpose of this paper is to identify the practices that work well in the sector, a strategy could be mapped out to promote RL to all stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – In order to fill the above gap, the present study used a mixed method approach to gather and evaluate current practices and their potential to promote RL in South Australia’s construction industry. Practices that were identified using a comprehensive literature review were evaluated with a questionnaire survey and series of interviews involving construction professionals. Findings – The findings are that practices facilitating deconstruction is the most important, followed by practices facilitating the use of salvaged materials in new construction to promote RL in South Australia. Awareness of deconstruction benefits, challenges and procedures at the organisation level and facilities and services at industry level were associated with RL implementation. Availability of salvaged materials in the market was found to influence its use in new construction and as a consequence its demand. Designing for reverse logistics is another practice that could facilitate deconstruction and the onus of its promotion lies mainly with the designers. Research limitations/implications – This research was confined to one state in Australia. As such the generalisation to other states and other countries should be treated cautiously. Practical implications – The findings of this study can help inform the industry and its stakeholders on areas that they need to concentrate more on to make the South Australian construction industry a fully RL integrated one. To that end the authors propose some recommendations arising from the findings reported here. Originality/value – This study makes a contribution to the body of knowledge on reserve logistics within a previously unexplored South Australian context. In addition, the study provides valuable insights into the contribution of RL practices to the construction industry.

Renewing assessment practices: literacy teaching and learning in digital environments

Interpretations of “literacy” and approaches to literacy pedagogy and assessment are under renewal as meaning-making and learning are increasingly situated in digitized environments. While the implications of these shifts are in part technological, they are also relational, as students are increasingly positioned as interactive with participatory roles in self-knowledge and increased responsibility for their learning. However, while shifts are occurring in understandings of literacy and approaches to literacy pedagogy, the same cannot be said for the way in which assessments of digital literacies are undertaken. There is a lack of valid, reliable, and practical assessments of new literacies to inform and help students to become better prepared for study, work, and citizenship in digital environments. This article maps five characteristics of effective formative assessment in print-based classrooms with seven affordancesin digital learning and assessment to suggest an analytical framework for examining teacher and student assessment in digital environments. Drawing on data from a research project in which a team of teachers introduced a one-to-one computing program and worked to renew their literacy assessment practices, this article discusses how each of the seven affordances are enacted in the assessment practices in a years five and six primary school classroom. The findings from this research project show that educational technologies have the potential to enable new approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment that better align with the needs of twenty-first century literacy learners. The findings alsosupport approaches to formative assessment that value print and multimodality and engage students in more flexible and differentiated ways. They can enable teachers and students to be re-positioned as designers, knowledge producers, and collaborative learners. The seven affordances provide a framework that holds rich possibilities for teacher learning and planning as prompts to support reflection on formative assessment practices, critique habitual practices, and considernew opportunities.

A public health intervention to change knowledge, attitudes and behaviour regarding alcohol consumption in pregnancy

Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness of a public health intervention aimed at changing knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. Methods. A non-blinded parallel group randomised controlled trial of pregnant women over 18 years of age. Women were recruited in the second trimester and assigned to one of two treatment groups. Both groups completed an initial questionnaire assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices relating to alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The intervention group then received a mocktail recipe booklet and participants were asked to share the information with their partner. The control group received standard antenatal care. A follow-up questionnaire was conducted four weeks post birth. Primary outcome measures were a knowledge score of the health risks associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy and an attitude score toward drinking during pregnancy. Secondary outcome measures included whether or not the woman and her partner abstained from drinking. Ethical approval was granted by the Women’s and Children’s Health Network and the University of South Australia. Results. A total of 161 participants were recruited at baseline (intervention = 82, control = 79) and 96 participants completed the trial (intervention = 49, control = 47). The findings suggest that the mocktail booklet was effective at improving knowledge (p<0.001; effect size 0.80) and improving attitudes towards drinking during pregnancy (p=0.017; effect size 0.43) in the intervention group compared to the control group. Although women in the intervention group were 30% more likely to abstain from drinking than in the control group (RR=1.3, 95% CI 0.97 – 1.75), this result was not statistically significant (p=0.077). Conclusions. Knowledge regarding the effects of alcohol consumption as well as attitudes towards drinking significantly improved as a result of a mocktail recipe booklet. Improving knowledge and changing attitudes has the potential to change health behaviour. Therefore, this intervention may reduce the percentage of women who continue to drink alcohol while they are pregnant and improve outcomes for infants and children.

Enhancing the effectiveness of risk management practices in Sri Lankan road construction projects: a Delphi approach

The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) Identifying the risks that are critical for risk management of road construction projects in Sri Lanka on a life cycle basis and (2) defining the shares of the parties involved in projects in terms of handling the identified risks. A Delphi study was conducted among 33 Sri Lankan experts (consultants, project managers, contractors) in three rounds. The findings showed that the construction and design phases are prone to many major risks. Moreover, ‘delays in payment by the client’ was the most critical risk factor in the construction stage. Furthermore, it was established that some major risks could occur in more than one phase of the project life cycle, stressing the necessity of handling these risk factors as a prerequisite for project success. The discussions presented in this study would enhance the effectiveness of implementing risk management practices in Sri Lankan road construction projects. From a broader vantage point, it will also serve the risk management body of knowledge in the construction industry.

Food skills confidence and household gatekeepers' dietary practices

INTRODUCTION: Household food gatekeepers have the potential to influence the food attitudes and behaviours of family members, as they are mainly responsible for food-related tasks in the home. The aim of this study was to determine the role of gatekeepers' confidence in food-related skills and nutrition knowledge on food practices in the home.

METHODS: An online survey was completed by 1059 Australian dietary gatekeepers selected from the Global Market Insite (GMI) research database. Participants responded to questions about food acquisition and preparation behaviours, the home eating environment, perceptions and attitudes towards food, and demographics. Two-step cluster analysis was used to identify groups based on confidence regarding food skills and nutrition knowledge. Chi-square tests and one-way ANOVAs were used to compare the groups on the dependent variables.

RESULTS: Three groups were identified: low confidence, moderate confidence and high confidence. Gatekeepers in the highest confidence group were significantly more likely to report lower body mass index (BMI), and indicate higher importance of fresh food products, vegetable prominence in meals, product information use, meal planning, perceived behavioural control and overall diet satisfaction. Gatekeepers in the lowest confidence group were significantly more likely to indicate more perceived barriers to healthy eating, report more time constraints and more impulse purchasing practices, and higher convenience ingredient use. Other smaller associations were also found.

CONCLUSION: Household food gatekeepers with high food skills confidence were more likely to engage in several healthy food practices, while those with low food skills confidence were more likely to engage in unhealthy food practices. Food education strategies aimed at building food-skills and nutrition knowledge will enable current and future gatekeepers to make healthier food decisions for themselves and for their families.