Multimodal theatre experiences : Africa and 2 dimensional life of her

Australia’s theatre for young audiences (TYA) has concentrated on young people’s interest in techno-savvy narrative complexities since the early 1990s, and has done so with positive outcomes. Building from a reflective inquiry, which is based on a TYA practitioner’s viewpoint, I explore two Australian contemporary theatre productions for mixed audiences: My Darling Patricia’s Africa (2011) and Fleur Elise Noble’s 2 Dimensional Life of Her (2011), which utilize old and new technologies for differing purposes. I present the following article in two parts: The first section briefly contextualizes TYA plays in Australia using digital technologies, along with a review of the literature that introduces an ongoing dialogue about digital media in theatre. The second part showcases the creative development process and the synopsis of Africa and 2 Dimensional Life of Her before I discuss the use of old technology in Africa in the form of a techno-tele-character, and the impact of new technologies in 2 Dimensional Life of Her as a transmediated theatrical occurrence. Recommendations are made for ways that TYA practitioners might consider mixing old and new technologies with the live to compete in the cultural marketplace.

Realizing the dream of R.A. Kartini : her sisters' letters from colonial Java

1. List of Illustrations -- 2. Notes on Text -- 3. Introduction -- 4. ONE Letters from Rockmini -- 5. TWO Letters from Kardinah -- 6. THREE Letters from Kardinah --7. FOUR Letters from Soematri -- 8. Appendix Documents Relating to the Establishment of the Wismo Pranowo School

‘I can’t do any serious exercise’ : barriers to physical activity amongst people of Pakistani and Indian origin with Type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is at least 4 times more common among British South Asians than in the general population. South Asians also have a higher risk of diabetic complications, a situation which has been linked to low levels of physical activity observed amongst this group. Little is known about the factors and considerations which prohibit and/or facilitate physical activity amongst South Asians. This qualitative study explored Pakistani (n = 23) and Indian (n = 9) patients' perceptions and experiences of undertaking physical activity as part of their diabetes care. Although respondents reported an awareness of the need to undertake physical activity, few had put this lifestyle advice into practice. For many, practical considerations, such as lack of time, were interwoven with cultural norms and social expectations. Whilst respondents reported health problems which could make physical activity difficult, these were reinforced by their perceptions and understandings of their diabetes, and its impact upon their future health. Education may play a role in physical activity promotion; however, health promoters may need to work with, rather than against, cultural norms and individual perceptions. We recommend a realistic and culturally sensitive approach, which identifies and capitalizes on the kinds of activities patients already do in their everyday lives.

Redesigning learning through social media, Web 2.0 and F2F teaching : an action research study

The focus of this research was to explore how social and participatory media could be used to enhance the face-to-face teaching and learning process. Action research was used to design learning that valued the students’ own experiences and to encourage students to create, connect and form a partnership in the learning process: hence supporting students' strengths and abilities. To monitor and participate in the use of social media required an increase in the teacher's work time. As a partial counter-balance, it was found that the teacher/researcher successfully reduced her time spent on correction by implementing peer and self-assessment and by making more effective use of classroom observations. This led to a valuable triangulation of assessment data. Reviewing many of the screen clips collected in this study, one can see the diversity of roles and activities in which the students were engaged, and their development over time through the action research cycle. Combining Web 2.0, face-to-face teaching and social media, where students made online friends and used pseudonyms, provided students with more choices and flexibility when working, communicating and learning. This research may help curriculum developers interweave new technologies, new literacies and multimodal learning methods into day-to-day learning programs. The developed methods of learning and designs should also be transferable to other educational learning environments.