TOBY play-pad application to teach children with ASD – a pilot trial

 Purpose: To investigate use patterns and learning outcomes associated with the use of Therapy Outcomes By You (TOBY. Playpad, an early intervention iPad application. Methods: Participants were 33 families with a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 16 years or less, and with a diagnosis of autism or pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified, and no secondary diagnoses. Families were provided with TOBY and asked to use it for 4-6 weeks, without further prompting or coaching. Dependent variables included participant use patterns and initial indicators of child progress. Results: Twenty-three participants engaged extensively with TOBY, being exposed to at least 100 complete learn units and completing between 17% and 100% of the curriculum. Conclusions: TOBY may make a useful contribution to early intervention programming for children with ASD delivering high rates of appropriate learning opportunities. Further research evaluating the efficacy of TOBY in relation to independent indicators of functioning is warranted.

Practical activities : what science teaching can learn from primary classrooms

Although I have been teaching and researching in primary science for the past decade, I began my career in science teaching in secondary and tertiary institutions and my views on science teaching were formed in these environments. Because I have never been a classroom primary teacher it has only been slowly that I have come to recognise some of the unique characteristics of science teaching in primary schools and come to value them. This paper is an attempt to begin a discussion about what science teaching can learn from the culture of teaching in primary schools by examining some of the ways in which science is taught.

This paper is based on research conducted for my doctorate. It was done in two parts: first a pilot study, Current Primary Science Practice, to try and get a feel for the way science is taught in primary schools in Victoria, N.S.W. and the A.C.T., followed by an in study of a term-long unit of science teaching done by four teachers at four different schools in Victoria and N.S.W, The Role of Practical Activities in Science Teaching.

Issues arising from the implementation of a comprehensive assessment approach in a large, multi-modal Bachelor of Commerce Unit

Recent literature in higher education argues university assessment has been too narrow and hasn’t adequately reflected the quality, breadth and depth of students’ learning. Research shows students often prioritise and learn what they need to know for formal, graded assessment and disregard other academic content seen as less relevant to those requirements. The predominance of essays and examinations has therefore tended to constrain learning. The case for a more comprehensive approach has been clearly articulated. So what happens when staff take up the unique challenge of designing fair and uniform assessment for a large, core, multi-modal, multi-campus unit offered nationally and internationally?
When developing an undergraduate Bachelor of Commerce unit at Deakin University, staff considered the most appropriate ways to assess a range of conceptual understandings and communication skills. This resulted in the mapping and adoption of a comprehensive approach incorporating teacher, peer, and self-assessment aspects, individual and group work, oral and written presentations, and the use of portfolios and journals. Particular practices were adopted to control workloads, ensure fairness in marking, and overcome some problems generally associated with group work. When implementing the approach, practical issues arose that demanded adjustments. This paper details the approach taken, outlines research activities, and discusses the practical implications of issues that arose.

Issues arising from the implementation of a comprehensive assessment approach in a large, multi-modal Bachelor of Commerce unit

Recent literature in higher education argues university assessment has been too narrow and hasn’t adequately reflected the quality, breadth and depth of students’ learning. Research shows students often prioritise and learn what they need to know for formal, graded assessment and disregard other academic content seen as less relevant to those requirements. The predominance of essays and examinations has therefore tended to constrain learning. The case for a more comprehensive approach has been clearly articulated. So what happens when staff take up the unique challenge of designing fair and uniform assessment for a large, core, multi-modal, multi-campus unit offered nationally and internationally?

When developing an undergraduate Bachelor of Commerce unit at Deakin University, staff considered the most appropriate ways to assess a range of conceptual understandings and communication skills. This resulted in the mapping and adoption of a comprehensive approach incorporating teacher, peer, and self-assessment aspects, individual and group work, oral and written presentations, and the use of portfolios and journals. Particular practices were adopted to control workloads, ensure fairness in marking, and overcome some problems generally associated with group work. When implementing the approach, practical issues arose that demanded adjustments. This paper details the approach taken, outlines research activities, and discusses the practical implications of issues that arose.

Analysis of a large-scale IT outsourcing "failure": what lessons can we learn?

Much of the research that has been carried out into outsourcing is based on relatively successful case studies. Yet drawing inferences from case studies when those with largely negative outcomes rarely see the light of day represents a significant problem. When negative cases are systematically unrepresented, there is less opportunity to subject theory to scrutiny. This chapter goes some way towards redressing this trend, by reporting on a large scale “selective” outsourcing arrangement that has been publicly described as a failure — the Australian Federal Government’s “whole of government” IT infrastructure outsourcing initiative. This initiative, originally promoted as likely to lead to a billion dollar saving, was abandoned early in 2001, after a damning public report by the Australian Auditor General. However, a detailed study of the initiative suggests that the “failure” occurred despite the project adhering to many of the recommended guidelines for successful outsourcing that had been derived from earlier case analysis. The findings have important implications for decision makers confronted with outsourcing choices. The study suggests that the risks of outsourcing are often downplayed, or ignored in the rush to reap the expected benefits. The study also suggests that expectations of savings from outsourcing IT are often substantially higher than those that have been empirically confirmed in the field. Decision makers are advised that key assumptions about costs, savings, managerial effort, and the effects of outsourcing on operational performance might be incorrect, and to plan for their outsourcing activity accordingly. They should pay particular attention to coordination and transaction costs, as these tend to be overlooked in the business case. These costs will be magnified if “best in breed” multiple-vendor outsourcing is chosen, and if contracts are kept short. Decision-makers are also warned of the difficulties they are likely to have at the end of an outsourcing contract if there is not a large and robust pool of alternative vendors willing to bid against the incumbent.

Motor-unit Coherence During Isometric Contractions Is Greater in a Hand Muscle of Older Adults

The purpose of this study was to quantify the strength of motor-unit coherence from the first dorsal interosseus muscle in young and old adults using data obtained in a previous study, where no differences in motor-unit synchronization between the two groups were observed.

Motor-unit coherence and its relation with synchrony are influenced by training

The purpose of the study was to quantify the strength of motor-unit coherence from the left and right first dorsal interosseous muscles in untrained, skill-trained (musicians), and strength-trained (weightlifters) individuals who had long-term specialized use of their hand muscles. The strength of motor-unit coherence was quantified from a total of 394 motor-unit pairs in 13 subjects using data from a previous study in which differences were found in the strength of motor-unit synchronization depending on training status. In the present study, we found that the strength of motor-unit coherence was significantly greater in the left compared with the right hand of untrained right-handed subjects with the largest differences observed between 21 and 24 Hz. The strength of motor-unit coherence was lower in both hands of skill-trained subjects (21–27 Hz) and the right (skilled) hand of untrained subjects (21–24 Hz), whereas the largest motor-unit coherence was observed in both hands of strength-trained subjects (3–9 and 21–27 Hz). A strong curvilinear association was observed between motor-unit synchronization and the integral of coherence at 10–30 Hz in all motor-unit pairs (r² = 0.77), and was most pronounced in strength-trained subjects (r² = 0.90). Furthermore, this association was accentuated when using synchronization data with broad peaks (>11 ms), suggesting that the 10- to 30-Hz coherence is due to oscillatory activity in indirect branched common inputs. The altered coherence with training may be due to an interaction between cortical inhibition and the number of direct common inputs to motor neurons in skill- or strength-trained hands.

Planning, delivery and evaluation of information literacy training for engineering and technology students

Information literacy has become an important skill for undergraduate students due to societal changes that have seen information become a valuable commodity, the need for graduates to become lifelong learners, and the recognition that information literacy is an underpinning generic skill for effective learning in higher education. This paper describes a sequence of activities and technologies designed to help students learn and practice information literacy skills. These activities have been purposefully designed and integrated into a first-year engineering and technology study unit as a core syllabus element. A formal evaluation of aspects of these activities was planned and undertaken in semester one 2003.

Life-cycle energy analysis of building integrated photovoltaic systems (BiPVs) with heat recovery unit

Building integrated photovoltaic (BiPV) systems generate electricity, but also heat, which is typically wasted and also reduces the efficiency of generation. A heat recovery unit can be combined with a BiPV system to take advantage of this waste heat, thus providing cogeneration. Two different photovoltaic (PV) cell types were combined with a heat recovery unit and analysed in terms of their life-cycle energy consumption to determine the energy payback period. A net energy analysis of these PV systems has previously been performed, but recent improvements in the data used for this study allow for a more comprehensive assessment of the combined energy used throughout the entire life-cycle of these systems to be performed. Energy payback periods between 4 and 16.5 years were found, depending on the BiPV system. The energy embodied in PV systems is significant, emphasised here due to the innovative use of national average input–output (I–O) data to fill gaps in traditional life-cycle inventories, i.e. hybrid analysis. These findings provide an insight into the net energy savings that are possible with a well-designed and managed BiPV system.

Motor unit synchronization measured by cross-correlation is not influenced by short-term strength training of a hand muscle

The purpose of the study was to quantify the strength of motor unit synchronization and coherence from pairs of concurrently active motor units before and after short-term (4–8 weeks) strength training of the left first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle. Five subjects (age 24.8 ± 4.3 years) performed a training protocol three times/week that consisted of six sets of ten maximal isometric index finger abductions, whereas three subjects (age 27.3 ± 6.7 years) acted as controls. Motor unit activity was recorded from pairs of intramuscular electrodes in the FDI muscle with two separate motor unit recording sessions obtained before and after strength training (trained group) or after 4 weeks of normal daily activities that did not involve training (control group). The training intervention resulted in a 54% (45.2 ± 8.3 to 69.5 ± 13.8 N, P = 0.001) increase in maximal index finger abduction force, whereas there was no change in strength in the control group. A total of 163 motor unit pairs (198 single motor units) were examined in both subject groups, with 52 motor unit pairs obtained from 10 recording sessions before training and 51 motor unit pairs from 10 recording sessions after training. Using the cross-correlation procedure, there was no change in the strength of motor unit synchronization following strength training (common input strength index; 0.71 ± 0.41 to 0.67 ± 0.43 pulses/s). Furthermore, motor unit coherence z scores at low (0–10 Hz; 3.9 ± 0.3 before to 4.4 ± 0.4 after) or high (10–30 Hz; 1.7 ± 0.1 before to 1.9 ± 0.1 after) frequencies were not influenced by strength training. These motor unit data indicate that increases in strength following several weeks of training a hand muscle are not accompanied by changes in motor unit synchronization or coherence, suggesting that these features of correlated motor unit activity are not important in the expression of muscle strength.

What can we learn about social work assessment from the textbooks?

Summary: Although often criticized for inadequacies, textbooks are both highly influential and a readily available source of information about contemporary thinking in social work theory and practice. As part of a series of studies about facilitating learning and teaching about assessment in social work, the authors have been conducting a review of how this professional task is presented in textbooks which are currently known to be used in programmes of social work education in the UK. Relevant chapters of each of the selected textbooks were subjected to an in-depth analysis in order to determine how assessment was understood, assessment processes, relevance to the UK practice context and evidence bases.

Findings: What are considered the key issues in, and skills required for, social work assessment are contested, with considerable variety between textbooks as to the extent of detail and topics covered in relation to assessment. Some issues which are prominent in the policy context, such as the need to ensure the involvement of service user and carer perspectives, and multidisciplinary assessment, were hardly mentioned. Changes in emphasis over time and differences in emphasis between textbooks published in the UK and North America were found.

Applications: Given the many differences in emphasis and depth of content between textbooks ostensibly outlining the same aspects of practice, it is essential that educators have a clear rationale for recommending particular textbooks.

Attaching unit costs to Australia`s national survey of mental health and wellbeing

Background: In mental health, policy-makers and planners are increasingly being asked to set priorities. This means that health economists, health services researchers and clinical investigators are being called upon to work together to define and measure costs. Typically, these researchers take available service utilisation data and convert them to costs, using a range of assumptions. There are inefficiencies, as individual groups of researchers frequently repeat essentially similar exercises in achieving this end. There are clearly areas where shared or common investment in the development of statistical software syntax, analytical frameworks and other resources could maximise the use of data.

Aims of the Study: This paper reports on an Australian project in which we calculated unit costs for mental health admissions and community encounters. In reporting on these calculations, our purpose is to make the data and the resources associated with them publicly available to researchers interested in conducting economic analyses, and allow them to copy, distribute and modify them, providing that all copies and modifications are available under the same terms and conditions (i.e., in accordance with the `Copyleft' principle). Within this context, the objectives of the paper are to: (i) introduce the `Copyleft' principle; (ii) provide an overview of the methodology we employed to derive the unit costs; (iii) present the unit costs themselves; and (iv) examine the total and mean costs for a range of single and comorbid conditions, as an example of the kind of question that the unit cost data can be used to address.

Method: We took relevant data from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (NSMHWB), and developed a set of unit costs for inpatient and community encounters. We then examined total and mean costs for a range of single and comorbid conditions.

Results: We present the unit costs for mental health admissions and mental health community contacts. Our example, which explored the association between comorbidity and total and mean costs, suggested that comorbidly occurring conditions cost more than conditions which occur on their own.

Discussion: Our unit costs, and the materials associated with them, have been published in a freely available form governed by a provision termed `Copyleft'. They provide a valuable resource for researchers wanting to explore economic questions in mental health.

Implications for Health Policies: Our unit costs provide an important resource to inform economic debate in mental health in Australia, particularly in the area of priority-setting. In the past, such debate has largely been based on opinion. Our unit costs provide the underpinning to strengthen the evidence-base of this debate.

Implications for Further Research: We would encourage other Australian researchers to make use of our unit costs in order to foster comparability across studies. We would also encourage Australian and international researchers to adopt the `Copyleft' principle in equivalent circumstances. Furthermore, we suggest that the provision of `Copyleft'-contingent funding to support the development of enabling resources for researchers should be considered in the planning of future large-scale collaborative survey work, both in Australia and overseas.

What can we learn from McLuhan? Electronic communication technologies and the future of schooling

In the 1960's, Marshall McLuhan predicted that schooling, among other things, would be transformed as society embraced electronic communication technologies. McLuhan and other medium theorists provided an evocative but controversial discussion of the effects of technological development on society and its institutions. McLuhan's ideas were widely criticised by his contemporaries, particularly educationalists; however, his ideas are not so radical today and visions similar to those formulated by McLuhan can now be found in mainstream educational literature. Predictions made by medium theorists about the future of schooling are consistent with both the reforms advocated by current-day educationalists and the speculations of technologists.

In this paper, I revisit McLuhan's predictions for the future of education. I then draw parallels between McLuhan's vision and those espoused by contemporary educationalists. I argue that, although McLuhan's predictions have re-emerged, his analysis of the interaction between new technologies and old ways of doing have not re-emerged to the same extent, with many commentators neglecting to take account of the resilience of the institutionalised practices, structures and roles of traditional schooling.

Information literacy for a sustainable career in engineering and technology

Information literacy has become an important skill for undergraduate students due to societal changes that have seen information become a valuable commodity, the need for graduates to become lifelong learners to remain effective across their working lives, and the recognition by many stakeholders that information literacy is an underpinning generic skill for effective learning in higher education. Important elements in the design and delivery of information literacy training include the collaborative process between library and academic staff, the need to link generic information literacy skills into the specific discipline context of the students, and catering for a wide diversity in the student body including off-campus students. This paper describes a sequence of activities designed to help students learn and practice information literacy skills that have been purposefully designed and integrated into a first-year engineering and technology study unit as a core element of the unit syllabus.