Key priorities for Australian infection control : summary of findings from the launch of the Centre for Research Excellence in Reducing Healthcare Associated Infections

The launch of the Centre of Research Excellence in Reducing Healthcare Associated Infection (CRE-RHAI) took place in Sydney on Friday 12 October 2012. The mission of the CRE-RHAI is to generate new knowledge about strategies to reduce healthcare associated infections and to provide data on the cost-effectiveness of infection control programs. As well as launching the CRE-RHAI, an important part of this event was a stakeholder Consultation Workshop, which brought together several experts in the Australian infection control community. The aims of this workshop were to establish the research and clinical priorities in Australian infection control, assess the importance of various multi-resistant organisms, and to gather information about decision making in infection control. We present here a summary and discussion of the responses we received.

Research needed on cultural capital, STEM endeavours and instructional innovations : a call for "collaborations between nations"

New Australian curriculum documents and government initiatives advocate the inclusion of Asian perspectives, which is highly relevant to the STEM fields. For Australia and other countries, STEM education is an opportunity to develop competencies towards employment in high-demand areas, yet the world’s knowledge of STEM is changing rapidly, requiring continuous analysis to meet market demands. This paper presents the need for “collaborations between nations” through research to advance each country’s STEM agenda towards further globalisation of education with the sharing of knowledge. Research is needed on views of what constitutes cultural capital for STEM, which also involves understanding past and current STEM endeavours occurring within various countries. Most importantly for STEM education is uncovering instructional innovations aligned with countries’ cultures and STEM endeavours. Research questions are provided in this paper to stimulate ideas for investigating in these fields. Economically, and as demonstrated recently by Greece and Spain, countries throughout the world can no longer operate independently for advancing standards of living. The world needs to recognise interdependence not only in trade and resources but also through the knowledge base that exists within countries. Learning together globally means transitioning from independence to interdependence in STEM education that will help each country meet global demands.

Instructional constraints on movement and performance of players in the penalty kick

The influence of different instructional constraints on movement organisation and performance outcomes of the penalty kick (PK) was investigated according to participant age. Sixty penalty takers and twelve goalkeepers from two age groups (under 15 and under 17) performed 300 PKs under five different task conditions, including: no explicit instructional constraints provided (Control); instructional constraints on immobility (IMMOBILE) and mobility (MOBILE) of goalkeepers; and, use of keeper-dependent (DEP) and independent (INDEP) strategies by penalty takers. Every trial was video recorded and digitised using motion analysis techniques. Dependent variables (DVs) were: movement speed of penalty takers and the angles between the goalkeeper's position and the goal line (i.e., diving angle), and between the penalty taker and a line crossing the penalty spot and the centre of the goal (i.e., run up angle). Instructions significantly influenced the way that goalkeepers (higher values in MOBILE relative to Control) and penalty takers (higher values in Control than in DEP) used movement speed during performance, as well as the goalkeepers' movements and diving angle (less pronounced dives in the MOBILE condition compared with INDEP). Results showed how different instructions constrained participant movements during performance, although players' performance efficacy remained constant, reflecting their adaptive variability.

Collaborative learning and critical thinking in technology-enhanced environments : an instructional design framework

The nature and characteristics of how learners learn today are changing. As technology use in learning and teaching continues to grow, its integration to facilitate deep learning and critical thinking becomes a primary consideration. The implications for learner use, implementation strategies, design of integration frameworks and evaluation of their effectiveness in learning environments cannot be overlooked. This study specifically looked at the impact that technology-enhanced learning environments have on different learners’ critical thinking in relation to eductive ability, technological self-efficacy, and approaches to learning and motivation in collaborative groups. These were explored within an instructional design framework called CoLeCTTE (collaborative learning and critical thinking in technology-enhanced environments) which was proposed, revised and used across three cases. The field of investigation was restricted to three key questions: 1) Do learner skill bases (learning approach and eductive ability) influence critical thinking within the proposed CoLeCTTE framework? If so, how?; 2) Do learning technologies influence the facilitation of deep learning and critical thinking within the proposed CoLeCTTE framework? If so, how?; and 3) How might learning be designed to facilitate the acquisition of deep learning and critical thinking within a technology-enabled collaborative environment? The rationale, assumptions and method of research for using a mixed method and naturalistic case study approach are discussed; and three cases are explored and analysed. The study was conducted at the tertiary level (undergraduate and postgraduate) where participants were engaged in critical technical discourse within their own disciplines. Group behaviour was observed and coded, attributes or skill bases were measured, and participants interviewed to acquire deeper insights into their experiences. A progressive case study approach was used, allowing case investigation to be implemented in a "ladder-like" manner. Cases 1 and 2 used the proposed CoLeCTTE framework with more in-depth analysis conducted for Case 2 resulting in a revision of the CoLeCTTE framework. Case 3 used the revised CoLeCTTE framework and in-depth analysis was conducted. The findings led to the final version of the framework. In Cases 1, 2 and 3, content analysis of group work was conducted to determine critical thinking performance. Thus, the researcher used three small groups where learner skill bases of eductive ability, technological self-efficacy, and approaches to learning and motivation were measured. Cases 2 and 3 participants were interviewed and observations provided more in-depth analysis. The main outcome of this study is analysis of the nature of critical thinking within collaborative groups and technology-enhanced environments positioned in a theoretical instructional design framework called CoLeCTTE. The findings of the study revealed the importance of the Achieving Motive dimension of a student’s learning approach and how direct intervention and strategies can positively influence critical thinking performance. The findings also identified factors that can adversely affect critical thinking performance and include poor learning skills, frustration, stress and poor self-confidence, prioritisations over learning; and inadequate appropriation of group role and tasks. These findings are set out as instructional design guidelines for the judicious integration of learning technologies into learning and teaching practice for higher education that will support deep learning and critical thinking in collaborative groups. These guidelines are presented in two key areas: technology and tools; and activity design, monitoring, control and feedback.

Development of an integrated GIS and land use planning course : impacts of hybrid instructional methods

This study reports an action research undertaken at Queensland University of Technology. It evaluates the effectiveness of the integration of GIS within the substantive domains of an existing land use planning course in 2011. Using student performance, learning experience survey, and questionnaire survey data, it also evaluates the impacts of incorporating hybrid instructional methods (e.g., in-class and online instructional videos) in 2012 and 2013. Results show that: students (re)iterated the importance of GIS in the course justifying the integration; the hybrid methods significantly increased student performance; and unlike replacement, the videos are more suitable as a complement to in-class activity.

The next publication revolution : open access and the post-2014 Research Excellence Framework

The world is increasingly moving towards more open models of publishing and communication. The UK government has demonstrated a firm commitment to ensuring that academic research outputs are made available to all who might benefit from access to them, and its open access policy attempts to make academic publications freely available to readers, rather than being locked behind pay walls or only available to researchers with access to well-funded university libraries. Open access policies have an important role to play in fostering an open innovation ecosystem and ensuring that maximum value is derived from investments in university-based research. But are we ready to embrace this change?

An investigation of the impacts of Excellence in Research for Australia : a case study on accounting for research

This is the first study to explore the way Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA), a research assessment exercise introduced in the Australian higher education sector in 2010, fostered the development of strategically oriented Management Accounting technologies in the form of Performance Management Systems (PMS) to achieve research excellence within an Australian university. It identifies ERA's intended and unintended consequences. While ERA enabled the creation of tighter controls in the PMS of faculties, departments and individual academics within the university, enhancing its reported research performance, the impact on academics was low job satisfaction, increased workload and a higher focus on research than teaching.

The Service Portfolio of a BPM Center of Excellence

A key concept for the centralized provision of Business Process Management (BPM) is the Center of Excellence (CoE). Organizations establish a CoE (aka BPM Support Office) as their BPM maturity increases in order to ensure a consistent and cost-effective way of offering BPM services. The definition of the offerings of such a center and the allocation of roles and responsibilities play an important role within BPM Governance. In order to plan the role of such a BPM CoE, this chapter proposes the productization of BPM leading to a set of fifteen distinct BPM services. A portfolio management approach is suggested to position these services. The approach allows identifying specific normative strategies for each BPM service, such as further training or BPM communication and marketing. A public sector case study provides further insights into how this approach has been used in practice. Empirical evidence from a survey with 15 organizations confirms the coverage of this set of BPM services and shows typical profiles for such BPM Centers of Excellence.

Indigenous epistemology : creating an international Indigenous higher education space in the wake of the western “university of excellence”

Interest in the participation of Indigenous peoples in higher education has, in recent times, gained momentum with an increasing number of advocates challenging the global history of culturally inept policies and practices imposed within the western higher education system. To address the challenges being presented by Indigenous communities and other groups (often relegated under the banner of disadvantaged or equity) Western Universities are promoting a shift toward inclusive policies and practices. Frustrated with the offerings of the Western Higher Education system, a global movement of Indigenous academics, Elders and knowledge holders are developing strategies to meet the educational needs of their own communities, in order to find a way forward. The mobilization of Elders and Indigenous academics has resulted in the development of a global higher education network which is proving to be a significant force in changing the position of Indigenous participation in higher education. The World Indigenous Network Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC) has presented a significant challenge to those barriers within the western higher education system that has historically demonstrated an inability to develop culturally inclusive practices within their institutions. This paper examines the development of a world Indigenous higher education movement and its contribution to the history of the “university” within the context of western higher education institutions. Outlined in this examination will be a synopsis of the development of the “University of Excellence” and the creation of an international Indigenous space within higher education.

On the topic of competency and excellence of our graduate engineers

Problem solving is an essential element of civil engineering education. It has been I observed that students are best able to understand civil engineering theory when there is a ' practical application of it. Teaching theory alone has led to lower levels of comprehension and motivation and a correspondingly higher rate of failure and "drop-out". This paper analyses the effectiveness of introducing practical design projects at an early stage within a civil engineering undergraduate program at Queensland University of Technology. In two of the essential basic subjects, Engineering Mechanics and Steel Structures, model projects which simulate realistic engineering exercises were introduced. Students were required to work in small groups to analyse, design and build the lightest I most efficient model bridges made of specific materials such as spaghetti, drinking straw, paddle pop sticks and balsa wood and steel columns for a given design loading/target capacity. The paper traces the success of the teaching strategy at each stage from its introduction through to the final student and staff evaluation.

Do instructional attributes pose multicollinearity problems? An empirical exploration

It is commonly perceived that variables ‘measuring’ different dimensions of teaching (construed as instructional attributes) used in student evaluation of teaching (SET) questionnaires are so highly correlated that they pose a serious multicollinearity problem for quantitative analysis including regression analysis. Using nearly 12000 individual student responses to SET questionnaires and ten key dimensions of teaching and 25 courses at various undergraduate and postgraduate levels for multiple years at a large Australian university, this paper investigates whether this is indeed the case and if so under what circumstances. This paper tests this proposition first by examining variance inflation factors (VIFs), across courses, levels and over time using individual responses; and secondly by using class averages. In the first instance, the paper finds no sustainable evidence of multicollinearity. While, there were one or two isolated cases of VIFs marginally exceeding the conservative threshold of 5, in no cases did the VIFs for any of the instructional attributes come anywhere close to the high threshold value of 10. In the second instance, however, the paper finds that the attributes are highly correlated as all the VIFs exceed 10. These findings have two implications: (a) given the ordinal nature of the data ordered probit analysis using individual student responses can be employed to quantify the impact of instructional attributes on TEVAL score; (b) Data based on class averages cannot be used for probit analysis. An illustrative exercise using level 2 undergraduate courses data suggests higher TEVAL scores depend first and foremost on improving explanation, presentation, and organization of lecture materials.

Instructional objectives to core-gameplay : a serious game design technique

This paper explores a gap within the serious game design research. That gap is the ambiguity surrounding the process of aligning the instructional objectives of serious games with their core-gameplay i.e. the moment-to-moment activity that is the core of player interaction. A core-gameplay focused design framework is proposed that can work alongside existing, more broadly focused serious games design frameworks. The framework utilises an inquiry-based approach that allows the serious game designer to use key questions as a means to clearly outline instructional objectives with the core-gameplay. The use of this design framework is considered in the context of a small section of gameplay from an educational game currently in development. This demonstration of the framework brings shows how instructional objectives can be embedded into a serious games core-gameplay.

Understanding classroom trouble through regulative gravity and instructional elasticity

This paper aims to develop a more nuanced analytic vocabulary to typify how and where classroom trouble can manifest in pedagogic discourse. It draws on classroom ethnographies conducted in non-academic secondary school pathways and alternative programs in Australian communities with high youth unemployment, where the policy of ‘earning or learning’ till age 17 has effectively extended compulsory schooling. Three concepts are developed and exemplified: ‘regulative flares’, being moments when teachers resort to explicitly reasserting the lesson’s social order; ‘moral gravity’ to describe the degree to which the moral order underpinning the regulative discourse is tied to the immediate context or beyond; and ‘instructional elasticity’ to account for trouble originating in the instructional register.