Investigation into the interactive multimedia production processes of novice multimedia designer /producers in a constructivist environment

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the instructional interactive multimedia (IMI) production processes of adult novice multimedia production course. The study aimed at discovering whether a constructivistic teacher-learning environment facilitated these multimedia novice designer / producers to further develop metacognitivestates of higher-order thinking like schema formation, problem-solving and cognitive construction when producing their interactive multimedia project. To achieve this study examined the facilitative and limiting activities in planning, design and development that have assisted or hindered the NMDPs during their multimedia production work This research utilises a qualitative paradigm and makes extensive use of multiple data sources such as the participants’ proposals, planning aids, logs and final projects for single as well as cross-case analyses and discussion. Three cases were selected for in-depth analysis in the study because they provided interviews and more complete documentation and "thick descriptions" of their multimedia production activities. Findings about the NMDPs multimedia production endeavours showed that they learnt best about multimedia technology for teacing and learning by producing an interactive multimedia project themselves. Factors that enabled some of the NMDPs to flourish in a constructivistic environment included their ability to utilise their new and extended schemata to problem solve, their self regulation and a creative and positive attitude to demanding multimedia work NMDPs who utilised facilitative planning aids and design strategies produced impressive work. The study further indicates that the NMDPs’ holistic multimedia production experience made them aware of the levels of complexity involved and boosted their confidence about multimedia production for educational purposes. Suggestions for further research include examining the production styles of adult multimedia novices and young novices and investigating the implications of designing multimedia for large audience presentation rather than for single or small group learner usage.

Development and evaluation of a glass-box interpreter for teaching novice programmers

This study evaluates the efficacy of a low-level program visualisation tool as a learning aid for novice programmers and develops and evaluates features which might further enhance the benefit of a low-level program visualisation tool (called Bradman). Bradman is an interpreter which makes visible aspects of the programming process which are normally hidden from the user.

Mobile devices supported learning for novice programmers

Mobile learning is considered to be an advanced stage of E-learning. Mobile devices supported learning provides teaching materials anytime, anywhere, and eliminates space and time constraints for learners. Mobile devices-supported learning includes all portable devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, tablet PCs, and e-books. This paper aims to investigate the issue from a different perspective. Firstly, we consider how many novice programmers have personal mobile devices and what type of mobile devices they are using (PDA, tablet PC, e-book). Secondly, we consider whether the Buraimi University College (Oman) Information Technology infrastructure supports mobile learning. Thirdly we consider students' behavior and attitude towards mobile devices supported teaching materials. For this purpose, the survey method will be used as a research tool to collect responses from 1st year students enrolled in introductory programming courses at the Information Technology department of Buraimi University College. This paper also describes a set of findings which helps instructors to take steps to promote mobile learning for novice programmers.

Role of ADRI model in teaching and assessing novice programmers

In this research, an ADRI approach was introduced in the teaching and learning process of an introductory programming course. The result shows that the ADRI approach impacted positively on the students learning outcomes. The ADRI approach not only reduced the failure rate but also improved student’s retention in the course.

Role of knowledge and ability in student nurses` clinical decision-making

Little is known about the acquisition of decision-making skills in nursing students as a function of experience and academic ability. Knowing how experience and academic skills interact may help inform clinical education programs and formulate ways of assessing students' progress. The aims of the present study were to develop a problem-solving task capable of measuring clinical decision-making skills in novice nurses at different levels of domain-specific knowledge; and to establish the relative impact on decision-making of domain-specific knowledge and general ability as determinants of the acquisition of decision-making skills. Three types of clinical problems of increasing complexity were developed. Sixty second-year and third-year student nurses with high and low academic scores were studied in terms of their ability to generate hypotheses for a hypothetical case, recognize disconfirming information and the need to access additional information, and diagnostic accuracy. The results showed that general academic ability and knowledge function partly independently in the acquisition of expertise in nursing. Academic ability affects decision-making in low complexity tasks, but as case complexity increases, domain-specific knowledge and experience determines decision-making skills. There are important differences in the way novices with different levels of knowledge and ability make clinical decisions and these can be studied by systematically increasing the complexity of the decision task. These results have implications for the way in which clinical education is structured and evaluated.

Driven to abstraction: doctoral supervision and writing pedagogies

The writing of academic abstracts is more than a tiresome necessity of scholarly life. It is a practice that goes beyond genre and technique to questions of writing and identity. In this article we deconstruct a series of abstracts from a variety of refereed journals to 'read' for the representation of data, argument, methodology and significance. We describe one strategy for writing abstracts, developed as part of a long-term project on postgraduate writing pedagogies. We propose that the art of writing abstracts is neglected in the academy, is given scant attention by journal editors, and has produced a motley and often bland array of conventions and genres. We suggest that abstract art should be an important aspect of supervision if graduate students and novice researchers are to stake a claim in the academy.

Technical rationality and professional artistry in RD practice

This paper outlines the limitations of a technical rationalist approach to HRD practice without seeking to negate it. It then offers a complementary view based on Schon's notion of the reflective practitioner which exhorts HRD practitioners to embrace complexity and reflection. We outline, first, a number of dimensions of diversity which confer complexity upon HRD practice, and, second, a series of suggested questions that may aid the framing of practical problems in a more effective way than might be the case with a purely technical rationalist approach. We urge novice (and expert) HRD practitioners to adopt a mind set that is contemplative of the diversities that they may encounter in practice and which is conjectural with regard to how these diversities may impact upon problems and their solutions.

Mapping pedagogy to technology - a simple model

As academics we are often encouraged to “go online” by our institution, by either moving or supplementing our teaching in an online environment. We have several options. We could simply attempt to replicate our face-to-face teaching, in effect changing nothing; we can enhance our face-to-face teaching with the available technology; or we can transform our face-to-face teaching by the available technology. The approach we choose will be determined by several factors, one of which will be our existing knowledge of the technological environment we are using. In this paper I propose a simple framework which provides novice eTeachers in particular with a simple mapping from classroom activity to technological functionality, reducing the need to have extensive technological literacy of the learning environment when designing online activities initially.

Cecil street studio: improvised community and sustainable practices

It is a little after 7.00pm on a Sunday evening and people are still arriving, slightly hurried as they kick off their shoes before entering the studio. They pay $7.00 and find a seat facing the bare studio floor; white floor against the pink walls. The room seems crowded, although the numbers are not large, and people talk comfortably sitting on the few benches and chairs or on the floor. One of the performers emerges from her conversation amongst the audience to front the group and the babble drops away. “How many of you are new to Conundrum?’ she asks. A few people raise their hands, but many do not. The question is a litmus test for the state of the audience and as a way to bring the novice into the game. “Everything performed here tonight will be completely improvised” she continues. “And tonight on Conundrum we have…” and she rattles off a list of the names of the groups or solo performers who will be performing that evening. Some of the names or groups are different from the last Conundrum one month previously. But two of the groups, State of Flux and 5 Square Metres, have been performing at Conundrum, on the last Sunday of every month, for the last eight years.

Does interpersonal psychotherapy improve clinical care for adolescents with depression attending a rural child and adolescent mental health service? Study protocol for a cluster randomised feasibility trial

Background: Depression amongst adolescents is a costly societal problem. Little research documents the effectiveness of public mental health services in mapping this problem. Further, it is not clear whether usual care in such services can be improved via clinician training in a relevant evidence based intervention. One such intervention, found to be effective and easily learned amongst novice clinicians, is Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT). The study described in the current paper has two main objectives. First, it aims to investigate the impact on clinical care of implementing Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Adolescents for the treatment of adolescent depression within a rural mental health service compared with Treatment as Usual (TAU). The second objective is to record the process and challenges (i.e. feasibility, acceptability, sustainability) associated with implementing and evaluating an evidence-based intervention within a community service. This paper outlines the study rationale and design for this community based research trial.

Methods/design: The study involves a cluster randomisation trial to be conducted within a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service in rural Australia. All clinicians in the service will be invited to participate.  Participating clinicians will be randomised via block design at each of four sites to (a) training and delivery of IPT, or (b) TAU. The primary measure of impact on care will be a clinically significant change in depressive  symptomatology, with secondary outcomes involving treatment satisfaction and changes in other symptomatology. Participating adolescents with significant depressive symptomatology, aged 12 to 18 years, will complete assessment measures at Weeks 0, 12 and 24 of treatment. They will also complete a depression inventory once a month during that period. This study aims to recruit 60 adolescent participants and their parent/guardian/s. A power analysis is not indicated as an intra-class correlation coefficient will be calculated and used to inform sample size calculations for subsequent large-scale trials. Qualitative data regarding process implementation will be collected quarterly from focus groups with participating clinicians over 18 months, plus phone interviews with participating adolescents and parent/guardians at 12 weeks and 24 weeks of treatment. The focus group qualitative data will be analysed using a Fourth Generation Evaluation methodology that includes a constant comparative cyclic analysis method.

Discussion: This study protocol will be informative for researchers and clinicians interested in considering, designing and/or conducting cluster randomised trials within community practice such as mental health services.

Capturing best practices in web development

This paper describes capturing design experiences by applying grounded theory to pattern mining. The presented approach aims at inducing expert development knowledge and its subsequent packaging into domain-specific design patterns, which could later be used by both experienced and novice developers in the field. The method was evaluated empirically in a domain of Web development.