Building personas of students accessing a peer-facilitated support for learning program

The modern student represents a change from the traditional learner. More than ever before, additional resources are available online and yet personalised learning and peer-assistance programs are becoming an essential part of tertiary education delivery. This paper presents the first stage in a user-centred design approach to the analysis of the completeness and efficacy of such a personalised, peer-based support for learning program. This approach used an iterative design methodology based on contextual interview, workshops and focus groups to develop personas representing students visiting the program. Initial uses of these developed personas have included training of new personnel as well as the evaluation of the program. Overall the use of this user-centred approach and iterative persona development methodology has yielded an invaluable resource for the design of support for learning programs across the higher education industry within Australia and beyond.

Interaction in the Multicultural Classroom : Towards Culturally Sensitive Home Economics Education

Continuous growth in the number of immigrant students has changed the Finnish school environment. The resulting multicultural school environment is new for both teachers and students. In order to develop multicultural learning environments, there is a need to understand immigrant students everyday lives in school. In this study, home economics is seen as a fruitful school subject area for understanding these immigrant students lives as they cope with school and home cultures that may be very different from each other. Home economics includes a great deal of knowledge and skills that immigrant students need during their everyday activities outside of school. -- The main aim of the study is to clarify the characteristics of multicultural home economics classroom practices and the multicultural contacts and interaction that take place between the students and the teacher. The study includes four parts. The first part, an ethnographical prestudy, aims to understand the challenges of multicultural schoolwork with the aid of ethnographical fieldwork done in one multicultural school. The second part outlines the theoretical frames of the study and focuses on the sociocultural approach. The third part of the study presents an analysis of videodata collected in a multicultural home economics classroom. The teacher s and students interaction in the home economics classroom is analyzed through the concepts of the sociocultural approach and the cultural-historical activity theory. Firstly, this is done by analyzing the focusedness of the teacher s and the students actions as well as the questions presented and apparent disturbances during classroom interaction. Secondly, the immigrant students everyday experiences and cultural background are examined as they appear during discussions in the home economics lessons. Thirdly, the teacher s tool-use and actions as a human mediator are clarified during interaction in the classroom. The fourth part presents the results, according to which a practice-based approach in the multicultural classroom situation is a prerequisite for the teacher s and the students shared object during classroom interaction. Also, the practice-based approach facilitates students understanding during teaching and learning situations. Practice in this study is understood as collaborative teaching and learning situations that include 1) guided activating learning, 2) establishing connections with students everyday lives and 3) multiple tool-use. Guided activating learning in the classroom is defined as situations that occur and assignments that are done with a knowledgeable adult or peer and include action. The teacher s demonstrations during the practical part of the lessons seemed to be fruitful in the teaching and learning situations in the multicultural classroom. Establishing connections with students everyday lives motivated students to follow the lesson and supported understanding of meaning. Furthermore, if multiple tools (both psychological and material) were used, the students managed better with new and sometimes difficult concepts and different working habits, and accomplished the practical work more smoothly . The teacher s tool-use and role as a mediator of meaning are also highlighted in the data analysis. Hopefully, this study can provide a seedbed for situations in which knowledge produced together, as well as horizontally oriented tool-use, can make school-learned knowledge more relevant to immigrant students everyday lives, and help students to better cope with both classroom work and outside activities. KEY WORDS: home economics education, multicultural education, sociocultural perspective, classroom interaction, videoanalysis

Can the direct measurement of the load applied on the residuum of individuals with transfemoral amputation fitted with bone-anchored prosthesis help to improve the rehabilitation program?

To strive to improve the rehabilitation program of individuals with transfemoral amputation fitted with bone-anchored prosthesis based on data from direct measurements of the load applied on the residuum we first of all need to understand the load applied on the fixation. Therefore the load applied on the residuum was first directly measured during standardized activities of daily living such as straight line level walking, ascending and descending stairs and a ramp and walking around a circle. From measuring the load in standardized activities of daily living the load was also measured during different phases of the rehabilitation program such as during walking with walking aids and during load bearing exercises.[1-15] The rehabilitation program for individuals with a transfemoral amputation fitted with an OPRA implant relies on a combination of dynamic and static load bearing exercises.[16-20] This presentation will focus on the study of a set of experimental static load bearing exercises. [1] A group of eleven individuals with unilateral transfemoral amputation fitted with an OPRA implant participated in this study. The load on the implant during the static load bearing exercises was measured using a portable system including a commercial transducer embedded in a short pylon, a laptop and a customized software package. This apparatus was previously shown effective in a proof-of-concept study published by Prof. Frossard. [1-9] The analysis of the static load bearing exercises included an analysis of the reliability as well as the loading compliance. The analysis of the loading reliability showed a high reliability between the loading sessions indicating a correct repetition of the LBE by the participants. [1, 5] The analysis of the loading compliance showed a significant lack of axial compliance leading to a systematic underloading of the long axis of the implant during the proposed experimental static LBE.

Evaluation of the Red Light Camera Program and the Owner Onus Legislation

Red light cameras were introduced in Victoria in August 1983, with the intention of reducing the number of accidents that result from motorists disobeying red traffic signals at signalised intersections. Accident data from 46 treated and 46 control sites from 1981 to 1986 were analysed. The analysis indicated that red light camera use resulted in a reduction in the incidence of right angle accidents, and in the number of accident casualties. Legislation was introduced in March 1986 to place the onus for red light camera offences onto the vehicle owner. This legislation was intended to improve Police efficiency and therefore increase the number of red light cameras in operation. Data supplied by the Police indicated that these aims have beneficial road safety effects.

Report on Red Light Camera Program: Operation from July 1988 to December 1989

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (excerpts) The red light camera (RLC) program commenced in July 1988, with five cameras operating at 15 sites in metropolitan Adelaide. This report deals with the first eighteen months of operation, to December 1989. A number of recommendations have been made… PROGRAM EVALUATION … In 1989 dollars, the program was estimated to have achieved an accident reduction benefit of $1.4m in the first 12 months of operation, which is almost twice the benefit expected using the assumptions made when selecting the sites. (There are 8 recommendations, mostly specific to the particular program characteristics)

Enabling people to ‘see what they can be’… The Community Aspirations Program (CAP-ED)

The Community Aspirations Program in Education (CAP-ED) was delivered by CQUniversity’s Office of Indigenous Engagement to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student participation in higher education. CAP-ED was developed through scoping studies of six individual communities within the CQuniversity footprint, including a designated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and rural and regional communities. The scoping process included developing community profiles and extensive consultation with Traditional Owners, Elders, community members and key stakeholders. This process proved to be an essential component of CAP-ED’s success, resulting in Indigenous participation in the program’s networking lunches, through to the delivery of information and workshop sessions. Moreover, it witnessed engagement with people in communities as partners in the program’s delivery and co-presenters in workshops and other events. The CAP-ED workshops focus on identity, culture, aspirations and assist participants to see that they have the potential to participate in higher education. The other essential components of the program’s success have included enabling people to ‘see what they can be’, offering opportunities for people to ask questions, voice honest concerns, and build confidence. The flexibility of delivery was paramount in accommodating the varying needs of each community and the differences in cultural protocols and community approaches, while the face to face engagement between knowledgeable and skilled staff and community members proved to be vital. Over the life of the project, CAP-ED has developed into a broad based strategy that has successfully matched community needs and university based responses through the process of community engagement.

Development and feasibility testing of an education program to improve knowledge and self-care among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients with heart failure

Background/Aim There is a 70% higher age-adjusted incidence of heart failure (HF) amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, three times more hospitalisations and twice as many deaths than non-Aboriginal people. There is a need to develop holistic yet individualised approaches in accord with the values of Aboriginal community healthcare to support patient education and self-care. The aim of this study was to re-design an existing HF educational resource (Fluid Watchers-Pacific Rim©) to be culturally safe for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, working in collaboration with the local community, and to conduct feasibility testing. Methods This study was conducted in two phases and utilised a mixed methods approach (qualitative and quantitative). Phase 1 of this study used action research methods to develop a culturally safe electronic resource to be provided to Aboriginal HF patients via a tablet computer. A HF expert panel adapted the existing resource to ensure it was evidence-based and contained appropriate language and images that reflects Aboriginal culture. A stakeholder group (which included Aboriginal workers and HF patients, as well as researchers and clinicians) then reviewed the resources and changes were made accordingly. In Phase 2, the new resource was tested on a sample of Aboriginal HF patients to assess feasibility and acceptability. Patient knowledge, satisfaction and self-care behaviours were measured using a before and after design with validated questionnaires. As this was a pilot test to determine feasibility, no statistical comparisons were made. Results - Phase 1: Throughout the process of resource development, two main themes emerged from the stakeholder consultation. These were the importance of identity, meaning that it was important to ensure that the resource accurately reflected the local community, with the appropriate clothing, skin tone and voice. The resource was adapted to reflect this and of the local community voiced the recordings for the resource. The other theme was comprehension; images were important and all text was converted to the first person and used plain language. - Phase 2: Five Aboriginal participants, mean age 61.6 ± 10.0 years, with NYHA Class III and IV heart failure were enrolled. Participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the resource (83.0%). HF knowledge (percentage of correct responses) increased from 48.0 ± 6.7% to 58.0 ± 9.7%, a 20.8% increase and results of the self-care index indicated that the biggest change was in patient confidence for self-care with a 95% increase in confidence score (46.7 ± 16.0 to 91.1 ± 11.5). Changes in management and maintenance scores varied between9275 patients. Conclusion By working in collaboration with HF experts, Aboriginal researchers and patients, a culturally safe HF resource has been developed for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. Engaging Aboriginal researchers, capacity-building, and being responsive to local systems and structures enabled this pilot study to be successfully completed with the Aboriginal community and positive participant feedback demonstrated that the methodology used in this study was appropriate and acceptable; participants were able to engage with willingness and confidence.

An investigation of migration and possible stock structuring by the stout whiting, Sillago robusta, in southern Queensland waters, and its impact on managing the fishery. Final Report on the Pilot Program

A highly polymorphic genetic locus of Stout Whiting was examined for evidence of geographical subdivision amongst samples collected from three locales in southern Queensland waters. Statistical indicators of subdivision were not significantly different from zero, suggesting that it is unlikely that the Stout Whiting resource in southern Queensland is genetically subdivided into separate stocks. It is recommended that the full-scale genetic program not proceed and that the resource be managed as a single stock.

Gear selectivity of large-mesh nets and drumlines used to catch sharks in the Queensland Shark Control Program.

Catches of sharks and bycatch in large-mesh nets and baited drumlines used by the Queensland Shark Control Program were examined to determine the efficacy of both gear types and assess fishing strategies that minimise their impacts. There were few significant differences in the size of both sharks and bycatch in the two gear types, apart from significantly smaller (p < 0.05) tiger sharks Galeocerdo cuvier being taken on drumlines and smaller green turtles Chelonia mydas in nets. Catch per unit effort showed orders of magnitude differences among species, even within the same family. Hammerhead sharks and rays were particularly vulnerable to net capture, whereas higher catch rates of tiger sharks were observed for drumlines. Nets caught more marine mammals, teleost fish and rays, whereas drumlines exhibited higher catch rates of the threatened loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta. Survival of most taxa (particularly obligate ram ventilators) was lower in nets than drumlines. Bycatch species (turtles and marine mammals) were able to swim to the surface to breathe when they were hooked on drumlines, enhancing their survival potential. Fishing strategies that recognise the different selectivity patterns of the gear can be developed to suit local biotic and abiotic conditions, although it is recognised that quantification of both ecological risk and risk to bathers is not a simple task.

DEEDI Paddock Modelling Program

The project objective is to undertake paddock modelling across the Great Barrier Reef catchments to determine magnitude of sediment and particulate nutrient reductions from agricultural lands to GBR lagoon achieved over 5 years. Discussions, development and design of a plan (including a monitoring, evaluation, reporting and improvement plan) for GRASP paddock modelling will be undertaken to determine changes in water quality as a result of land management practices adopted by pastoralists. Biophysical outputs will be derived from range of land types, starting conditions and grazing management strategies. GRASP derived outputs will then be incorporated into water models to determine sediment and nutrient estimates for the catchments.

Development of a Gulf community based natural resource monitoring program.

Development of a Gulf community based natural resource monitoring program, with sawfish as an initial focus.

Improved domestic profitability and export competitiveness of selected fruit value chains in the southern Philippines and Australia program

The goal of the Program is to contribute to economic growth in the Philippines through increased income and improved livelihoods of tropical fruit growers in southern Philippines. The purpose of the Program is to improve the smallholder and industry profitability and export competitiveness of selected tropical fruits industries in the southern Philippines. Fruit crops to be targeted are mango, papaya, durian and jackfruit. The primary audience for the outcomes of this Program are medium to large scale commercial fruit growers and farmers predominantly in the regions of Leyte (VIII), northern Mindanao/Cagayan de Oro (X) and southern Mindanao/Davao (XI).

CSIRO lead National Citrus Scion Breeding Program

National Citrus Scion Breeding Program.

National Strawberry Varietal Improvement Program - Subtropical Regions

Industry development by providing competitive wonderful strawberry cutivars to subtropical industry and purchasers .

The health professional behind the syringe: Benefits of a pharmacist vaccination program

Background: The Queensland Pharmacist Immunisation Pilot (QPIP) which ran in 2014 was Australia’s first to allow pharmacists to administer vaccinations. An aim of QPIP was to investigate the benefits of trained pharmacists administering vaccinations in a community pharmacy setting. Methods: Participant demographics and previous influenza vaccination experiences were recorded using GuildCare software. Participants also completed a ‘post-vaccination satisfaction survey’ following their influenza vaccination. Results: A total of 10,889 participant records and 8,737 satisfaction surveys were analysed. Overall, 1.9% of the participants reported living with a chronic illness, and 22.5% were taking concomitant medications. As part of the consultation before receiving the vaccine, participants acknowledged the opportunity to discuss other aspects of their health with the pharmacist, including concerns about their general health, allergies, and other medications they were taking. It was worth noting that 17.5% of people would not have received an influenza vaccination if the QPIP service was unavailable. Additionally, approximately 10% of all participants were eligible to receive a free vaccination from the National Immunisation Program, but still opted to receive their vaccine from a pharmacist. Conclusion: The findings from this pilot demonstrate the benefit of a pharmacist vaccination program in increasing vaccination rates, and have helped pave the way for expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists.