Crossing Boundaries : Australian student teachers creating ‘The Global Teacher Exhibition’

This DVD describes a curriculum project embedded into the subject The Global Teacher (code: CLB049/LCB327, Faculty of Education, Queensland University of Technology). The Global Teacher is a subject within the undergraduate degree program for pre-service teachers and provides a global perspective on socio-political issues that shape education. The curriculum in The Global Teacher was designed around a collaborative partnership between Queensland University of Technology and State Library Queensland. Through this collaboration, State Library became not only a resource for information, but also helped to develop the pedagogical skills of the pre-service teaachers by guiding them in exhibiting and curating Global Teacher themes for a broader community-based audience. The collaboration became part of the assessment for The Global Teacher, requiring the pre-service teachers to visually translate their understandings of global educational issues into a public exhibition, which was held at State Library Queensland on 1st May, 2013. This DVD is a creative work explaining the stages of this collaborative project. It explores the learning outcomes achieved, using the voices of participants: the pre-service teachers, the QUT teacher educators and staff of State Library Queensland. A detailed description of this project is to be found at: http://libguides.library.qut.edu.au/content.php?pid=595206&sid=4908024&preview=1b455ed4f2c606d19702090f85d1f965

Translations of industry-based student learning and academic performances

We hypothesized that Industry based learning and teaching, especially through industry assigned student projects or training programs, is an integral part of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. In this paper we show that industry-based student training and experience increases students’ academic performances independent to the organizational parameters and contexts. The literature on industry-based student training focuses on employability and the industry dimension, and neglects in many ways the academic dimension. We observed that the association factors between academic attributes and contributions of industry-based student training are central and vital to the technological learning experiences. We explore international initiatives and statistics collected of student projects in two categories: Industry based learning performances and on campus performances. The data collected were correlated to five (5) universities in different industrialized countries, e.g., Australia N=545, Norway N=279, Germany N=74, France N=107 and Spain N=802 respectively. We analyzed industry-based student training along with company assigned student projects compared with in comparisons to campus performance. The data that suggests a strong correlation between industry-based student training per se and improved performance profiles or increasing motivation shows that industry-based student training increases student academic performance independent of organizational parameters and contexts. The programs we augmented were orthogonal to each other however, the trend of the students’ academic performances are identical. An isolated cohort for the reported countries that opposed our hypothesis warrants further investigation.

Contribution of industry-based student learning performance for the STEM education

We hypothesized that Industry based learning and teaching, especially through company assigned student projects or training programs, is an integral part of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. In this paper we show that industry-based student training and experience increases students’ academic performances independent to the organizational parameters and contexts. The literature on industry-based student training focuses on employability and the industry dimension, and neglects in many ways the academic dimension. We observed that the association factors between academic attributes and contributions of industry-based student training are central and vital to the technological learning experiences. We explore international initiatives and statistics collected of student projects in two categories: Industry based learning performances and on campus performances. The data collected were correlated to five (5) universities in different industrialized countries, e.g., Australia N=545 projects, Norway N=279, Germany N=74, France N=107 and Spain N=802. We analyzed industry-based student training along with company assigned student projects compared with in comparisons to campus performance. The data that suggests a strong correlation between industry-based student training per se and improved performance profiles or increasing motivation shows that industry-based student training increases student academic performance independent of organizational parameters and contexts. The programs we augmented were orthogonal to each other however, the trend of the students’ academic performances are identical. An isolated cohort for the reported countries that opposed our hypothesis warrants further investigation.

The activation, appropriation and practices of student-equity policy in Australian higher education

Current national reforms in Australian higher education have prioritised efforts to reduce educational disadvantage within a vernacular expression of neoliberal education policy. Student-equity policy in universities is enmeshed in a set of competitive student recruitment relations. This raises practice-based tensions as universities strive to meet specific institutional targets for low-socio-economic status (SES) and Indigenous student participation, whilst broadening participation more generally within the sector. This paper seeks empirically to trace the activation and appropriation of federal policy through two sites of higher education policy practices: a state government-sponsored equity practitioner body and two differently positioned universities, Dawson and McIllwraith, as they engage with low-SES schools. Working together Dorothy Smith’s insights into the textually mediated activation of local practices, Levinson and colleagues’ concept of the local appropriation of authorised policy, and Bourdieu’s notion of the contested field, we demonstrate that the generation of state level and institutionally specific policies for student-equity practices not only articulates to federal policy, but also appropriates the ruling relations of mandated policy. Further, the scope of these creative local appropriations is organised within a hierarchical academic field through which particular institutional imperatives, as well as the needs of low-SES students, are negotiated. The analysis demonstrates the vernacularisation of policy in the national rearticulation of global discourses, in appropriation at the level of the state body and in the practices of equity workers.

Asian international student attrition among Australian universities : are wellness programs the answer?

Education is one of Australia’s largest service-based exports. International students comprise approximately 24% of enrolments at Australian universities (Sawir, Marginson, Deumert, Nyland, & Ramia, 2008); and approximately 80% of these students are from the Asian region (Australian Federal Government, 2012). The financial cost of international student attrition for universities is significant. The Australian Federal Government Department of Education, Science and Training reports the attrition rates for first-year international undergraduate students ranged between 4% and 22.5% across all Australian Universities (2013). Academic, psychological, and sociocultural adjustments to a new environment can be challenging for international students. This process manifests from various stressors such as communication difficulties, adjustment to a new teaching style, new cultural norms and pressure on academic performance. These stressors result in an often overwhelming attempt to integrate and function effectively, and can consequently affect a student’s ability to meet academic requirements. The relationship between a student’s ability to successfully complete a higher education program is consistently related to a range of academic and non-academic factors. The role of specific Australian higher education institutions is vital in facilitating the continued education of Asian International students. Initiatives targeting an enhancement of modifiable lifestyle factors may have the potential to enhance a student’s ability to effectively and successfully transition into a lifestyle that facilitates their ability to adjust to the requirements of Australian universities. One possibility is the prospect of providing wellness programming, coaching and education targeting lifestyle behaviours for acculturation.

School libraries, teacher-librarians and student outcomes : presenting and using the evidence

Evidence is required to ensure the future viability of school libraries and teacher-librarians. Education policy makers and school principals need detailed, reliable evidence to support informed decision-making about school library resourcing and staffing. Teacher-librarians need evidence to guide their professional practice and demonstrate their contribution to student learning outcomes. This review, which arises from recent Australian research (Hughes, 2013), collates international and Australian research about the impacts of school libraries and teacher librarians. It strengthens the evidence base, and recommends how this evidence can be best used to advance school libraries and teacher-librarians and enhance student learning.

The role of radiotherapy patients in provision of student interpersonal skills feedback

Background At Queensland University of Technology, student radiation therapists receive regular feedback from clinical staff relating to clinical interpersonal skills. Although this is of great value, there is anecdotal evidence that students communicate differently with patients when under observation. Purpose The aim of this pilot was to counter this perceived observer effect by allowing patients to provide students with additional feedback. Materials and methods Radiotherapy patients from two departments were provided with anonymous feedback forms relating to aspects of student interpersonal skills. Clinical assessors, mentors and students were also provided with feedback forms, including questions about the role of patient feedback. Patient perceptions of student performance were correlated with staff feedback and assessment scores. Results Results indicated that the feedback was valued by both students and patients. Students reported that the additional dimension focused them on communication, set goals for development and increased motivation. These changes derived from both feedback and study participation, suggesting that the questionnaires could be a useful teaching tool. Patients scored more generously than mentors, although there was agreement in relative grading. Conclusions The anonymous questionnaire is a convenient and valuable method of gathering patient feedback on students. Future iterations will determine the optimum timing for this method of feedback.

Promoting law student well-being through the curriculum

The Australian tertiary sector is becoming increasingly concerned about the psychological well-being of its students.Empirical research in Australia indicates that more than one-third of law students suffer from psychological distress, and the competitive, isolated, adversarial learning environment at law school has been suggested as partly responsible (Brain and Mind Research Institute, 2009). This fellowship program has mobilised strategic change to improve the psychological health of law students. It has lead and stimulated advancement in the legal curriculum, its pedagogy, and assessment practice to better engage, motivate and support student learning of law, focussing on the potential of non-adversarial legal practice. A new conceptual framework for legal education has been developed, demonstrating the pursuit of excellence in the teaching of law, and raising the profile of learning and teaching in Australian law schools. In addition the fellowship has created a national community of practice around this issue through the Wellness Network for Law, and made significant contributions to research and scholarship in the field.

Student interactivity and teacher participation: An application of legitimate peripheral participation in higher education online learning environments

Lave and Wenger’s legitimate peripheral participation is an important aspect of online learning environments. It is common for teachers to scaffold varying levels of online participation in Web 2.0 contexts, such as online discussion forums and blogs. This study argues that legitimate peripheral participation needs to be redefined in response to students’ decentralised multiple interactions and non-linear engagement in hyperlinked learning environments. The study examines students’ levels of participation in online learning through theories of interactivity, distinguishing between five levels of student participation in the context of a first-year university course delivered via a learning management system. The data collection was implemented through two instruments: i) a questionnaire about students’ interactivity perception in the online reflective learning (n = 238) and then ii) an open discussion on the reason for the diverse perceptions of interactivity (n = 34). The study findings indicate that student participants, other than those who were active, need high levels of teacher or moderator intervention, which better enables legitimate peripheral participation to occur in online learning contexts.

Blended delivery and online assessment : scaffolding student reflections in work-integrated learning

This paper documents a teaching innovation addressing the challenges of embedding and assessing reflective practice in work-integrated learning, specifically marketing internships. We identify four issues relating to this problem: lack of knowledge or skill for reflection, limitations of physical journals, facilitation of different forms of reflection, and suitable models for teaching and assessing reflection. The paper outlines a blended approach combining face-to-face workshops and online resources, and using online reflective journals and digital stories as assessment. The approach and assessment tasks can be implemented in a variety of marketing and business units.

Synthesizing form and data : developing practices for student engagement and learning

We explore the relationship between form and data as a design agenda and learning strategy for novice visual information designers. Our students are university seniors in digital, visual design but novices to information design, manipulation and interpretation. We describe design strategies developed to scaffold sophisticated aesthetic and conceptual engagement despite limited understanding of the domain of designing with information. These revolve around an open-ended design project where students created a physical design from data of their choosing and research. The accompanying learning strategies concern this relationship between data and form to investigate it materially, formally and through ideation. Exemplifying student works that cross media and design domains are described.

The urgent need for career preview: Student expectations and graduate realities in music and dance

Unlike the work available in many creative disciplines, musicians and dancers have the possibility of full-time, company-based employment; however, participants far outweigh the number of available positions. As a result, many graduates become ‘enforced entrepreneurs’ as they shape their work to meet personal and professional needs. This paper first explores the career projections of 58 music and dance students who were surveyed in their first week of post-secondary study. It then contrasts these findings with the reality of graduate careers as reported by five of that cohort four years later. In contrast with the students’ overwhelming focus on performance roles, the graduate cohort reported a prevalence of portfolio careers incorporating both creative and non-creative roles. The paper characterises the notion of a performing arts ‘career’ as a messy concept fraught with misunderstanding. Implications include the need to heighten students’ career awareness and position intrinsic satisfaction as a valued career concept.

Keeping our nursing and midwifery workforce : factors that support non-practising clinicians to return to practice

BACKGROUND: Within Australia and internationally (Health Workforce Australia, 2012) an increasing and on-going nursing workforce shortage is documented. Recent international estimates indicate that there will be ongoing and significant gaps in the supply of a nursing workforce; the United Kingdom is predicted to have a reduction of 12.12% nurses over the coming eight years if a current 'steady state' is maintained (Buchan and Seacombe, 2011); Canada is predicted to have a shortage of 60,000 nurses by 2022 (Tomblin et al., 2012) with Australia's anticipated nursing shortage reported as over 90,000 by the year 2025 (Health Workforce Australia, 2012). Queensland Health in response to their tracked emerging nursing and midwifery workforce shortages developed a nursing and midwifery refresher programme to return registered staff back to the workforce. A study was undertaken between 2008 and 2010 to provide an understanding of how non-practising nurses and midwives maybe supported back into the workforce. METHODS: Programme applicants (444) were invited to respond to an on-line survey designed to understand what aspects of the programme supported their learning and ability to return to the workforce. This number represents those who applied but not all completed or commenced the programme. Descriptive statistics (Polit and Beck, 2008) were used to collate quantifiable survey responses and free text and unsolicited responses were themed. RESULTS: The survey received a 35.5% response rate (n=158) with a return of 20% of unsolicited comments in the form of e-mail responses which were included in the themed results. Key themes supporting participants' learning and ability to return to the workforce were: Respondents were 94% female and 6% male, with 37.7% >51 years of age. Child rearing was the foremost reason for female staff relinquishing workforce roles (36.6%). The primary reason for returning to the workforce was maintenance of registration (40.5%). Both theory and clinical placement components were seen by participants as contributing to their confidence to return to the health workforce. CONCLUSION: The Queensland Nursing and Midwifery Refresher Programs provided a structured programme for registered, non-practising nurses and midwives to return to the Queensland Health workforce. Responses indicated that clinical supervision and contract learning should be central to a return to workforce induction programme for registered but non-practising nurses and midwives. The majority of nurses and midwives returning to the workforce were approaching retirement age in 10-15 years.

Case Study 4: Education Doctoral Student - "An Exploratory Study of Online Social Networking within a Doctorate of Education Program"

Introduction The professional doctorate is specifically designed for professionals investigating real-world problems and relevant issues for a profession, industry, and/or the community. The focus is scholarly research into professional practices. The research programme bridges academia and the professions, and offers doctoral candidates the opportunity to investigate issues relevant to their own practices and to apply these understandings to their professional contexts. The study on which this article is based sought to track the scholarly skill development of a cohort of professional doctoral students who commenced the course in January 2008 at an Australian university. Because they hold positions of responsibility and are time-poor, many doctoral students have difficulty transitioning from professional practitioner to researcher and scholar. The struggle many experience is in the development of a theoretical or conceptual standpoint for argumentation (Lesham, 2007; Weese et al., 1999). It was thought that the use of a scaffolded learning environment that drew upon a blended learning approach incorporating face to face intensive blocks and collaborative knowledge-building tools such as wikis would provide a data source for understanding the development of scholarly skills. Wikis, weblogs and similar social networking software have the potential to support communities to share, learn, create and collaborate. The development of a wiki page by each candidate in the 2008 cohort was encouraged to provide the participants and the teaching team members with textual indicators of progress. Learning tasks were scaffolded with the expectation that the candidates would complete these tasks via the wikis. The expectation was that cohort members would comment on each other’s work, together with the supervisor and/or teaching team member who was allocated to each candidate. The supervisor is responsible for supervising the candidate’s work through to submission of the thesis for examination and the teaching team member provides support to both the supervisor and the candidate through to confirmation. This paper reports on the learning journey of a cohort of doctoral students during the first seven months of their professional doctoral programme to determine if there had been any qualitative shifts in understandings, expectations and perceptions regarding their developing knowledge and skills. The paper is grounded in the literature pertaining to doctoral studies and examines the structure of the professional doctoral programme. Following this is a discussion of the qualitative study that helped to unearth key themes regarding the participants’ learning journey.