The role of schools in the enhancement of social tolerance and cohesion: a case study research project in the Pacific region

It is generally assumed that education will be good for a country and its inhabitants. But if the educational experience does not support those aspects of a culture the inhabitants believe to be most important, it does not contribute to social cohesion. Societies adjusting to 'modern' forces, question the 'benefits' of education, when they have poorly-funded, centralised education systems, uneven access to schooling, and where student progress is determined by academic exams and post-school employment options are few. In such circumstances, citizens are uncertain how to use education to cohere their culture and society.

This World Bank funded consultancy project sought the views of citizens of the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu on the role of schools in maintaining culture and in promoting social tolerance and harmony. Researchers also developed an educational framework for promoting social cohesion and democratic participation in schools in the Pacific region.

This presentation will consider :

* The context of the study in the Pacific region
* Research and the World bank
* Issues associated with case study research
* Case study findings
* The educational framework developed.

Digitisation and copyright compliance for course materials and library reserve materials at Deakin University

A digitisation effort employed by Deakin University Library has proven to be of great benefit to its distance and lifelong learners. This paper discusses issues involved with digitisation and copyright compliance issues associated with producing electronic information resources made available to distance and lifelong learners at Deakin University. The authors discus the balance between print and e-reserves, the differences in course-pack content and electronic reserves and the copyright compliance issues that regulate fair access. Budgetary concerns, in terms of staff time, computer equipment were weighed to determine efficiency. The project was carried out in several phases, beginning with the digitisation of class notes, exams, class presentations, and finally with the materials covered within copyright regulations. A respective project would complete the project. It was found that there was a significant financial savings in the digitisation of electronic reserves, yet the main goal was to better serve the remote user with enhanced access. Relevant screenshots and bibliography are included. M. Thomas.

Five ways to hack and cheat with bring-your-own-device electronic examinations

Bring-your-own-device electronic examinations (BYOD e-exams) are a relatively new type of assessment where students sit an in-person exam under invigilated conditions with their own laptop. Special software restricts student access to prohibited computer functions and files, and provides access to any resources or software the examiner approves. In this study, the decades-old computer security principle that ‘software security depends on hardware security’ is applied to a range of BYOD e-exam tools. Five potential hacks are examined, four of which are confirmed to work against at least one BYOD e-exam tool. The consequences of these hacks are significant, ranging from removal of the exam paper from the venue through to receiving live assistance from an outside expert. Potential mitigation strategies are proposed; however, these are unlikely to completely protect the integrity of BYOD e-exams. Educational institutions are urged to balance the additional affordances of BYOD e-exams for examiners against the potential affordances for cheaters.

Engineering Distance Education at Deakin University Australia

Increasing numbers of engineering departments are interested in offering their programs by distanceeducation. These schools grabble with several difficulties and issues associated with distance education:course structure, communication with students, delivery of course material, delivery of exams,accreditation, equity between on-campus and off-campus students, and especially the delivery ofpractical training.In the early 1990’s, Deakin University faced these same problems when it commenced teachingundergraduate engineering by distance education. It now offers a full Bachelor of Engineering degreein both on-campus and off-campus mode, with majors that include civil, mechanical,electrical/electronics, and mechatronics. Student cohorts are approximately 72% on-campus, 28% offcampus.Accredited by Engineers Australia and part of the Washington Accord, Deakin has adapted toadvances in communications technology and changes in education design. The future direction of theSchool includes an emphasis on design-oriented, project-based learning and “flipping the classroom”.As a result, differences between the more traditional off-campus and on-campus cohorts are becomingincreasingly blurred.

Big data sensing and service: a tutorial

As the advance of the Internet of Things (IoT), more M2M sensors and devices are connected to the Internet. These sensors and devices generate sensor-based big data and bring new business opportunities and demands for creating and developing sensor-oriented big data infrastructures, platforms and analytics service applications. Big data sensing is becoming a new concept and next technology trend based on a connected sensor world because of IoT. It brings a strong impact on many sensor-oriented applications, including smart city, disaster control and monitor, healthcare services, and environment protection and climate change study. This paper is written as a tutorial paper by providing the informative concepts and taxonomy on big data sensing and services. The paper not only discusses the motivation, research scope, and features of big data sensing and services, but also exams the required services in big data sensing based on the state-of-the-art research work. Moreover, the paper discusses big data sensing challenges, issues, and needs.

Engineering education anywhere, anytime: from distance education to blended learning at Deakin University Australia

In 2005 the Sloan Consortium called for engineering education to be available "anywhere, anytime."* Increasing numbers of engineering departments are interesting in offering their programs by means of online learning. These schools grapple with several difficulties and issues associated with wholly online learning: course structure, communication with students, delivery of course material, delivery of exams, accreditation, equity between on-campus and off-campusstudents, and especially the delivery of practical training. Deakin University faced these same challenges when it commenced teaching undergraduate engineering via distance education in the early 1990's. It now offers a fully accredited Bachelor of Engineering degree in both on-campus and off-campus modes, with majors that include civil,mechanical, electrical/electronics, and mechatronics/robotics.This presentation describes Deakin's unique off-campus delivery, students, curricula, approaches to practical work, and solutions to the problems mentioned above. Attendees will experience how Deakin Engineering delivers course materials, communicates with off-campus students, runs off-campus classes, and even delivers lab experience to students living thousands of miles away from the home campus. On display will be experimental lab kits, video presentations, student projects, and online broadcasts of freshman lab experiments. Participants will have the opportunity to see some of these resources hands-on. I will also discuss recent innovations in off-campus delivery ofcourses, including how flipping the classroom has led to blended learning with the on-campus students.Many universities have placed engineering distance education into the too-hard basket. Deakin Engineering demonstrates that it is possible to deliver a full undergraduate degree by means of distance education and online learning, and modern technology makes the job easier than everbefore. The benefits to the professor are many, not the least of which is helping a student living in a remote area or with a full-time job become fully trained and qualified in engineering.