Teaching like an artist : the pedagogic identities and practices of artists in schools

This article reports findings from an ethnographic study of the arts curriculum and pedagogy in a British primary school. The policy context for the study is the school's involvement in promoting creative partnerships between teachers and artists. The pedagogies of three different artist-led projects are analysed, using a Bernsteinian framework, and are characterised in relation to notions of 'competence' and 'performance' pedagogies. These characterisations are then used to consider the impact of the artists' pedagogies on teachers in the school, and the extent to which the different pedagogies promote inclusion. Broad conclusions are drawn about the relative difficulty of adopting competence pedagogies in the current educational culture of British schools; more specific conclusions are drawn about the importance of time, text, discourse and interpretation in arts pedagogies.

`I feel enlightened now, but...`: the limits to the pedagogic translation of critical social discourses in physical education

The emancipatory goal that underpins critical theories of teaching and learning is built on a theory of rational self-determination. In the context of physical education, critical educators believe that through a process of enlightenment teachers can recognize and transform elements of injustice and inequality that exist, albeit unwittingly, in their practice. However, despite the broad appeal of this orientation there are relatively few empirical accounts of how theories of enlightenment manifest themselves in the practice of emancipation. Propelled by the lacuna that clearly exists between critical theory and critical practice, this paper reports on the introduction of critical social discourses to a preservice PE program. It uses a case study methodology to report on two student-teachers' engagement with a range of critical social discourses during a year-long PE unit. The paper discusses some of the ways these students engaged with the theory and practice of a critical orientation for teaching and learning in physical education. Aspects of their experiences are then interpreted through Fay's (1987) critical but postmodern "limits to change" thesis. The paper concludes with tempered optimism about the potential for critical social discourses to guide preservice teachers in practical ways.

Teaching and learning in collaborative group design projects

The 200 years of apprentice/master tradition that underpins the atelier studio system is still at the core of much present-day architectural design education. Yet this tradition poses uncertainties for a large number of lecturers faced with changes in the funding of tertiary education. With reductions in one-to-one staff/student contact time, many educators are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain an atelier teaching model. If these deficiencies remain unchecked and design-based schools are unable to implement strategies to reduce the resource intensity of one-to-one studio teaching programmes, then, for many higher-education providers, current architectural education may be based on an untenable course structure. Rather than spreading their time thinly over a large number of individual projects, an increasing number of lecturers are setting group projects. This allows them to coordinate longer and more in-depth review sessions on a smaller number of assignment submissions. However, while the group model may reflect the realities of the design process in professional practice, the approach is not without shortcomings as a teaching and learning archetype for the assessment of individual student skill competencies. Hence, what is clear is the need for a readily adoptable andragogy for the teaching and assessment of group design projects. The following is a position paper that describes – with a focus on effective group structures and assemblage and fair assessment models – the background, methodology and early results of a Strategic Teaching and Learning Grant currently running at the School of Architecture and Building at Deakin University in Australia.

Factors influencing awareness of community-based shorebird conservation projects in Australia

We examine the awareness of potential volunteers (n = 360) living near nine community-based shorebird conservation projects. About half of the people sampled (54%) were unaware of the nearest project. Awareness of interviewees varied substantially among projects (28-78%). Apart from gaining awareness of projects through membership of natural history groups (43%), many respondents heard of projects through friends and relatives (20%), rather than through media such as newspapers (14%) and television (2.3%). We demonstrate that community-based projects can be quantitatively and critically assessed for awareness. The use of rapid, cost-effective assessments of awareness levels has application in many conservation projects.

Exploratory economic analyses of two primary care mental health projects : implications for sustainability

We evaluated an Internet-based psychological intervention supported by either general practitioners or psychologists (Panic Online), and a Primary-care Evidence-based Psychological-interventions (PEP) strategy which involves training GPs to deliver specific psychological interventions.

Economic modelling suggests that Panic Online is cost-effective when supported by either GPs or psychologists.

Threshold analysis of the psychological training of GPs suggests that a modest effect size for clinical benefit would be sufficient to provide an acceptable cost-effectiveness ratio.

The sustainability of these approaches depends on a range of factors, including funding, workforce availability, and acceptability to consumers and health care providers.

Foundation software engineering practices for capstone projects and beyond

This paper outlines an introductory course in software engineering undertaken by computing students at Deakin University. The course focuses on areas of that are often not emphasized in introductory software engineering. These areas include formal problem solving, management of software development, communication, and working in groups. The approach includes the application of concepts in a collaborative group setting. Enhancements to the course have been made over a number of semesters and evidence suggests that our overall approach is working. The skills acquired by students taking this course can be applied to later courses in software engineering, particularly the capstone project course, and to professional life

Collaborative online projects in a global community

What is evident in recent literature reviews of the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Education is the lack of accessible documentation on the development of, and participation in, collaborative online projects by educationalists. (Blackmore et. al. 2002, Downes et. al. 2001). The major source of information comes in the form of anecdotal evidence from teachers, project facilitators and organisations (Gragert 2000, Carr 2001, Tate 1998, Robertson 1999). Other literature reviews and research that focus on the use of ICT in education have significant gaps in this area and yet it is increasingly promoted in educational policy and supported and promoted by education systems.

This paper identifies and explores the extent and impact of educational technology in the context of collaborative online projects in a global educational community. A general identification of a wide range of local and international collaborative online projects and the groups/communities in which they operate, is followed by a closer look at a selection of case study projects. The case study projects have been selected for their potential to provide new perspectives on the role of technology in education and its potential impact on teaching and learning in a global context.

This paper provides definitions and examples of collaborative online projects, their history and their diversity. It explores the level of participation afforded by the projects and presents a detailed section that focuses on a sample of projects. The collaborative online projects in the case study section are The Environmental Mystery Competition, The First People's Project, Lewin - an Anthology of Children's' Writing and The Teddy Bear Project. The case study projects will be looked at from the perspective of the project facilitators and project participants. In many of the projects items such as books and calendars are products of the projects. Examples of these items will be shown in the presentation.

Providing process for projects in capstone courses

Our capstone course has undergone a number of evolutionary changes over the past few years. It was restructured to provide more realistic experiential learning with the introduction of larger software development projects involving 'real clients (sponsors)' and larger student teams with a mix of students across disciplines. We have introduced a project management focus into the course that allows for a more structured process of product development. This restructure was possible because the curriculum prior to the project course emphasized teamwork and project management.

This paper provides some background about our capstone course and the significance of the contribution made by two other courses taken earlier in the programme.

Applying domain analysis to the investigation of web-enabled human resource projects

Designing a successful web project requires understanding not only of its owner's business and technological needs, as well as having the substantial management and development experience, but it also depends on a thorough knowledge of the system's application domain and of other existing systems in the domain. In order to gather such domain knowledge, it is necessary to identify the nature of the proposed web services venture with regards to other similar services offered in the domain, the business setting of enterprises that initiate such ventures, the various types of customers involved, and how these factors translate into requirements. In this paper, we present an approach to studying the domain of web-enabled Human Resource and payroll services with the aim of attaining design knowledge that would ensure customer satisfaction and could eventually pave the way to the successful implementation of web-enabled services.

Web enabled just-in-time salvaged material management for demolition projects

The demolition activities of buildings produce numerous environmental pressures as a large proportion of demolition waste materials are sent to landfill directly in many projects. Web-based waste exchange systems could provide right solutions for releasing these pressures. Because the approaches adopted in current waste exchange systems are inefficient, these systems cannot generate waste exchange, not achieving their final goal, environmental protection. The Just-in-time (JIT) philosophy has been applied in the manufacture industry for decades and it is proven to be effective to eliminate or minimise inventory during production. This research aims to adopt the JIT philosophy into a demolition project management informapon system so that the system is more efficient in handling waste exchange. The system structure, key components and Just-in-time adoption are proposed and identified. Finally, a proto typed system is demonstrated.

Waste production simulation for building deconstruction projects

The recently erected concept of building deconstruction has significantly promoted building components and materials reuse and recycling where building is carefully dismantled into reusable parts. Current research and practices of building deconstruction mainly focus on issues of process before and during the deconstruction such as hazardous material detection, deconstruction design and deconstruction technology. The issues after the deconstruction project are rarely considered. Waste reuse and recycling are enabled through deconstruction yet not practically achieved, and especially the demands of waste building components and materials are hard to appear and match the actual waste production in a building deconstruction project. To deal with this awkward situation, the waste production needs to be conducted in a demand-oriented way. It needs to be thoughtfully planned and scheduled prior to the physical deconstruction as an essential portion of deconstruction project planning and scheduling. Furthermore, the relationship between waste production and structural characteristics of the building creates a serious consideration affecting a deconstruction plan. As a result, a waste production simulation will facilitate waste reuse and recycling in a deconstruction project. It serves as a crucial section of deconstruction planning and design. This research aims to describe the concept of waste production simulation and investigate various management and technical aspects of waste production simulation for building deconstruction projects.

Establishing best-practice principles for the teaching of group design projects

As student-to-staff ratios escalate, increasing numbers of undergraduate architects are finding the reduction of ‘one-to-one’ studio supervision an impediment to learning. Group design projects are becoming a widespread solution to this problem. However, little analysis has been undertaken as to their effectiveness both in terms of student assessment and as a design teaching methodology.
The two hundred years of apprentice/master tradition that underpins the atelier studio system is still at the core of much present day architectural design education. Yet this tradition today poses uncertainties for a large number of co-ordinating lecturers faced with current changes in the nature of tertiary education and its funding structure. In particular, with reductions in staff/student contact time, in sessional funding sources and in the relative weighting of design-based subjects with respect to other subject areas, many design teachers are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain an atelier system that has shaped both their learning and, more pointedly, their teaching. If these deficiencies remain unchecked and design-based schools are unable to implement strategies that successfully overcome the resource intensive one-to-one teaching program, then architecture may prove to be an untenable course structure for many institutions.
Rather then spreading their time thinly, many co-ordinating lecturers are setting group projects in order to review less assignments but at greater depth. However, while this learning model better reflects design teams in practice, this approach may pose other pedagogical and assessment questions. What is clear is the urgent need for structured research into the teaching and assessment problems experienced by design teachers, and for a readily adoptable pedagogy for group design projects. At Deakin University, research is underway aimed at establishing best-practice principles for group design projects by analysing students’ performance and recording and implementing their feedback to adjustments made to the pedagogical fundamentals of assessment, group configuration, and program structure. There are after two years of preliminary studies already clear indications of what changes can be made to these to encourage more effective team learning. This paper will present the findings of these studies.