Case studies on vibration based damage identification : multi-criteria approach

Vibration based damage identification methods examine the changes in primary modal parameters or quantities derived from modal parameters. As one method may have advantages over the other under some circumstances, a multi-criteria approach is proposed. Case studies are conducted separately on beam, plate and plate-on-beam structures. Using the numerically simulated modal data obtained through finite element analysis software, algorithms based on flexibility and strain energy changes before and after damage are obtained and used as the indices for the assessment of the state of structural health. Results show that the proposed multi-criteria method is effective in damage identification in these structures.

Designers' experience and collaborative design : two case studies

Experience underlies all kinds of human knowledge and determines how people interact with products and environments. It also influences designers’ knowledge and their design process. An issue not fully addressed in current literature is about the way in which designers’ individual experience influences design tasks. This paper presents two qualitative design case studies that involve experiments employing collaborative design approaches. Case study one focuses on product usability and case study two, sustainable design. Both studies applied an empirical approach; data collected consisted of sketches and audio- and video-recordings. The studies share a common research approach that opens the discussion about designers’ interactions; the way those interactions reveal knowledge and experience, the influence of these interactions upon the design process and approach to design tasks. This paper will present the correlations and discrepancies between these two case studies and the collaborative design approach used in each study, outlining future research endeavors.

Five case studies applying soft systems methodology to knowledge management

Construction projects are faced with a challenge that must not be underestimated. These projects are increasingly becoming highly competitive, more complex, and difficult to manage. They become problems that are difficult to solve using traditional approaches. Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is a systems approach that is used for analysis and problem solving in such complex and messy situations. SSM uses “systems thinking” in a cycle of action research, learning and reflection to help understand the various perceptions that exist in the minds of the different people involved in the situation. This paper examines the benefits of applying SSM to problems of knowledge management in construction project management, especially those situations that are challenging to understand and difficult to act upon. It includes five case studies of its use in dealing with the confusing situations that incorporate human, organizational and technical aspects.

Discourse practice gaps in work life balance : comparative case studies in the Australian construction industry

Perspectives on work-life balance (WLB) reflected in political, media and organisational discourse, would maintain that WLB is on the agenda because of broad social, economic and political factors (Fleetwood 2007). In contrast, critical scholarship which examines work-life balance (WLB) and its associated practices maintains that workplace flexibility is more than a quasi-functionalist response to contemporary problems faced by individuals, families or organisations. For example, the literature identifies where flexible work arrangements have not lived up to expectations of a panacea for work-home conflicts, being characterised as much by employer-driven working conditions that disadvantage workers and constrain balance, as they are by employee friendly practices that enable it (Charlesworth 1997). Further, even where generous organisational work-life balance policies exist, under-utilisation is an issue (Schaefer et al, 2007). Compounding these issues is that many employees perceive their paid work as becoming more intense, pressured and demanding (Townsend et al 2003).

Benefits of e-learning benchmarks : Australian case studies

In 2004, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework developed a suite of quantitative and qualitative indicators on the uptake, use and impact of e-learning in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. These indicators were used to design items for a survey to gather quantitative data for benchmarking. A series of four surveys gathered data from VET providers, teachers, students and their employers. The data formed baseline indicators that were used to establish organisational goals and benchmarks for e-learning. These indicators were the first know set for benchmarking e-learning in Australia. The case studies in this paper illustrate ways in which VET providers have approached e-learning benchmarking, the benefits achieved and the lessons that they learned. The cases exemplify how VET providers have adapted the baseline indicators, how the indicators informed organisational plans and e-learning outcomes. The benefits of benchmarking are categorised under three purposes: reporting, performance management, and service improvement. A set of practical strategies is derived from the cases for consideration by other organisations interested in benchmarking e-learning services.

Democracy, participation and convergent media : case studies in contemporary online news journalism in Australia

The shift from 20th century mass communications media towards convergent media and Web 2.0 has raised the possibility of a renaissance of the public sphere, based around citizen journalism and participatory media culture. This paper will evaluate such claims both conceptually and empirically. At a conceptual level, it is noted that the question of whether media democratization is occurring depends in part upon how democracy is understood, with some critical differences in understandings of democracy, the public sphere and media citizenship. The empirical work in this paper draws upon various case studies of new developments in Australian media, including online- only newspapers, developments in public service media, and the rise of commercially based online alternative media. It is argued that participatory media culture is being expanded if understood in terms of media pluralism, but that implications for the public sphere depend in part upon how media democratization is defined.

Psychotherapy in Australia : clinical psychology and its approach to depression

In Australia, clinical psychology training is dominated by cognitive and behavioral treatments (CBTs), although there is exposure to other theoretical orientations. Since 2001, over 20% of general medical practitioners (GPs) have received training in CBT, and psychiatry training increasingly incorporates CBT elements. Psychotherapy by medical practitioners is financially supported by universal health care funding with supplementation by patients and their private health insurance. Federally funded health benefits for up to 12 psychology consultations per year are provided on referral from GPs and psychiatrists, and initial take up has been very strong. Mrs. A would be a typical patient for such a referral. However, she would not fulfil criteria for priority access from state-funded mental health services. Mrs. A would probably consult a GP and receive antidepressants, although she may also access a range of other community support programs. Access to and acceptance of psychotherapy would be greater in urban areas, and if she were of Anglo-Saxon and non- indigenous origin.