Participation and e-democracy how to utilize web 2.0 for policy decision-making

This paper investigates in how to utilize ICT and Web 2.0 technologies and e-democracy software for policy decision-making. It introduces a cutting edge decision-making system that integrates the practice of e-petitions, e-consultation, e-rulemaking, e-voting, and proxy voting. The paper demonstrates how under precondition of direct democracy through the use this system the collective intelligence (CI) of a population would be gathered and used throughout the policy process.

How to tell the difference between a positive image and a stereotype: reading Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

This paper intervenes in critical discussions about the representation of homosexuality. Rejecting the ‘manifest content’ of films, it turns to cultural history to map those public discourses which close down the ways in which films can be discussed. With relation to The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, it examines discussions of the film in Australian newspapers (both queer and mainstream) and finds that while there is disagreement about the interpretation to be made of the film, the terms within which those interpretations can be made are quite rigid. A matrix based on similarity, difference and value provides a series of positions and a vocabulary (transgression, assimilation, positive images and stereotypes) through which to make sense of this film. The article suggests that this matrix, and the idea that similarity and difference provide a suitable axis for making sense of homosexual identity, are problematic in discussing homosexual representation.

Connecting online with external students : do we really know how to?

Students are often time poor and find it difficult to manage their time in relation to study and other external factors including work. Online study is no exception to this and in many cases where the student is studying in an online only environment, they are also working in full time employment. Higher Education institutions are now offering an abundance of courses online to attract more under-graduate and post-graduate students. It is in this sense that there is an ever-increasing need to understand the student of today and find ways to connect with them and support them in their studies. This paper will report on a small-scale case study of an undergraduate online-only group of first year education students and their associated online experiences in developing a sense of community whilst interacting with a learning management system and its associated tools. Further the paper will explore the mis-conceptions that are widely held by course designers and lecturers involved with online courses.

How to pick a fight : Visualisation and sharing in catastrophic times

In a post September 11 era “the fight”, as a cultural construct, could hardly be more pertinent. We are seemingly forever poised on the edge of controversial U.S. led attacks on wayward Middle Eastern states and unexamined oppositions between the concepts of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ are evoked as valid justifications for battle. Our leaders muster us into wars of vigilance and national cohesion against unseen, unknown and uncomprehended terrorists hiding where communists once lurked under our beds. The articles in this issue examine fights in terms of media strategies and cultural divides in a range of contexts.

Teachers' conceptions of how to engage students through inquiry learning : foundations for STEM

The advocacy for inquiry-based learning in contemporary curricula assumes the principle that students learn in their own way by drawing on direct experience fostered by the teacher. That students should be able to discover answers themselves through active engagement with new experiences was central to the thinking of eminent educators such as Pestalozzi, Dewey and Montessori. However, even after many years of research and practice, inquiry learning as a referent for teaching still struggles to find expression in the average teachers' pedagogy. This study drew on interview data from 20 primary teachers. A phenomenographic analysis revealed three conceptions of teaching that support inquiry learning in science in the primary years of schooling: (a) The Experience-centred conception where teachers focused on providing interesting sensory experiences to students; (b) The Problem-centred conception where teachers focused on challenging students with engaging problems; and (c) The Question-centred conception where teachers focused on helping students to ask and answer their own questions. Understanding teachers' conceptions of teaching has implications for both the enactment of inquiry teaching in the classroom as well as the uptake of new teaching behaviours during professional development, with enhanced outcomes for engaging students in STEM.

Instructing foreign language learners how to listen through metacognitive strategies : an empirical study

This study uses a mixed method approach to investigate the impact of metacognitive strategies instruction on listening comprehension. An experimental group (N = 30) of university students are guided through a process-approach pedagogy over one semester (10 weeks) in Iran. IELTS listening tests are used to track development of listening comprehension in participants who are then asked to complete a Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire (MALQ). The questionnaire examines students’ employment of metacognitive strategies in listening comprehension. Finally, interviews are used to explore students’ use of strategies in listening. Results indicate that participants develop listening comprehension, but no metacognitive awareness in listening. Students reported in the interviews that they use multiple strategies (cognitive and metacognitive) to approach listening comprehension.

How to work the crowd : a snapshot of barriers and motivations to crowdfunding

Introduction This study is a snapshot of Australian donor motivations and donor barriers to crowdfunding, and provides some indicative recommendations on ways the uptake of crowdfunding in the creative industries might increase. It is based upon a literature review and semi-structured interviews with 17 stakeholders who have used crowdfunding in Australia, including: creative producers seeking funds; financial crowdfunding donors; Artsupport Australia mentors of artists who are using crowdfunding; and crowdfunding site stakeholders. About the report Artsupport Australia commissioned the Queensland University of Technology Creative Industries team to produce a report on trends related to crowdfunding, particularly identifying barriers and motivations that might be associated with it. Artsupport Australia suggested a list of interview candidates, based on those individuals’ knowledge or experience with crowdfunding, to provide a better understanding of perceptions of this emerging practice, and to inform discussions on whether it is a useful revenue generating mechanism for the cultural sector.

Learning how to be responsive to public policy issues affecting SSSI members

Human survival depends on human ingenuity in using resources at hand to sustain human life. The historical record – in wrings and archaeological artefacts – provides evidence of the growth and collapse of political organisations and societies. In the institutions of Western civilisation, some traditions have endured over millennia where the roles of monarchs and public officials have been organised in perpetual succession. These roles were developed as conventions in the British Parliament after 1295 and provided the models of corporate governance in both public and private enterprise that have been continuously refined to the present day. In 2011, the Queensland Parliament legislated to introduce a new and more open system of scrutiny of legislation through a system of portfolio-based parliamentary committees. The committees began to function more actively in July 2012 and have inviting submissions from stakeholders and experts in a structured way to consider the government’s priorities in its legislative programme. The questions now are whether the Surveying and Spatial Sciences can respond expertly to address the terms of reference and meet the timetables of the various parliamentary committees. This paper discusses some of the more important and urgent issues that deserve debate that the profession needs to address in becoming more responsive to matters of public policy.

How to Get a Research Degree

How to Get a Research Degree offers insight, instruction, and inspiration, and it does so without minimizing the rigors of postgraduate study. It honours and normalises the many trials of the research process, and in this provides a great service to students. The text includes: getting started; choosing a supervisor; managing your relationship with your supervisor; keeping your life balanced; managing your time effectively, the research thesis roller coaster; thesis design and construction; intellectual property;presenting papers and seminars; assessment and examination of the thesis; and, careering into the future.