The 'gourmet' sausage factory: Keeping it human

Whilst tertiary institutions continue to invest heavily in the technological aspects of online Teaching & Learning (T&L), there does not appear to have been a commensurate investment in the “human” aspects of the use of the technology. Despite the broad recognition that teaching and learning materials need to be adapted for and to the onscreen medium, little attention appears to have been paid thus far to the actual people who are delivering it – who equally need to “adapt themselves” to that medium, in order to maximise the benefit of the technology by maximising the human communication skills of those using the online medium – as distinct from the technical skills required to drive and deliver the bits and bytes. The REdelivery Initiative was a direct response to that notion. This paper details – by way of a narrative of one of the workshop participants – that part of the process involving the professional development of academics specifically in and specifically for the digital, online, T&L context, in order to both illuminate and maximise the potential and opportunities afforded by the technology.

The Australian curriculum: The arts - intent and big ideas for implementation

For the first time all Australian students having an entitlement to be engaged in all five art forms in Primary school. The Australian Curriculum: The Arts is based on the principle that all young Australians are entitled to engage fully in all the major art forms and to be given a balanced and substantial foundation in the special knowledge and skills base of each. This will have enormous implication on the expectations of what can be achieved in secondary schools, in tertiary institutions and ultimately on the cultural life and heritage for Australia.

Design studio terrains: Mapping the learning landscapes of Australian architectural education

It has been nearly 25 years since the problems associated with passive learning in large undergraduate classes were first established by McDermott (1991). STEM education, for example North Carolina State University’s SCALE-UP project, has subsequently been influenced by some unique aspects of design studio education. While there are now many institutions applying SCALE-UP or similar approaches to enable lively interaction, enhanced learning, increased student engagement, and to teach many different content areas to classes of all sizes, nearly all of these have remained in the STEM fields (Beichner, 2008). Architectural education, although originally at the forefront of this field, has arguably been left behind. Architectural practice is undergoing significant change, globally. Access to new technology and the development of specialised architectural documentation software has scaffolded new building procurement methods and allowed consultant teams to work more collaboratively, efficiently and even across different time zones. Up until recently, the spatial arrangements, pedagogical approaches, and project work outcomes in the architectural design studio, have not been dissimilar to its inception. It is not possible to keep operating architectural design studios the same way that they have for the past two hundred years, with this new injection of high-end technology and personal mobile Wi-Fi enabled devices. Employing a grounded theory methodology, this study reviews the current provision of architectural design learning terrains across a range of tertiary institutions, in Australia. Some suggestions are provided for how these spaces could be modified to address the changing nature of the profession, and implications for how these changes may impact the design of future SCALE-UP type spaces outside of the discipline of architecture, are also explored.

Can active learning principles be applied to the bioscience assessments of nursing students? A review of the literature

- Objectives To explore if active learning principles be applied to nursing bioscience assessments and will this influence student perception of confidence in applying theory to practice? - Design and Data Sources A review of the literature utilising searches of various databases including CINAHL, PUBMED, Google Scholar and Mosby's Journal Index. - Methods The literature search identified research from twenty-six original articles, two electronic books, one published book and one conference proceedings paper. - Results Bioscience has been identified as an area that nurses struggle to learn in tertiary institutions and then apply to clinical practice. A number of problems have been identified and explored that may contribute to this poor understanding and retention. University academics need to be knowledgeable of innovative teaching and assessing modalities that focus on enhancing student learning and address the integration issues associated with the theory practice gap. Increased bioscience education is associated with improved patient outcomes therefore by addressing this “bioscience problem” and improving the integration of bioscience in clinical practice there will subsequently be an improvement in health care outcomes. - Conclusion From the literature several themes were identified. First there are many problems with teaching nursing students bioscience education. These include class sizes, motivation, concentration, delivery mode, lecturer perspectives, student's previous knowledge, anxiety, and a lack of confidence. Among these influences the type of assessment employed by the educator has not been explored or identified as a contributor to student learning specifically in nursing bioscience instruction. Second that educating could be achieved more effectively if active learning principles were applied and the needs and expectations of the student were met. Lastly, assessment influences student retention and the student experience and as such assessment should be congruent with the subject content, align with the learning objectives and be used as a stimulus tool for learning.

Outcome of patients with acute coronary syndrome in hospitals of different sizes. A report from the AMIS Plus Registry.

To assess the impact of admission to different hospital types on early and 1-year outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Between 1997 and 2009, 31 010 ACS patients from 76 Swiss hospitals were enrolled in the AMIS Plus registry. Large tertiary institutions with continuous (24 hour/7 day) cardiac catheterisation facilities were classified as type A hospitals, and all others as type B. For 1-year outcomes, a subgroup of patients admitted after 2005 were studied. Eleven type A hospitals admitted 15987 (52%) patients and 65 type B hospitals 15023 (48%) patients. Patients admitted into B hospitals were older, more frequently female, diabetic, hypertensive, had more severe comorbidities and more frequent non-ST segment elevation (NSTE)-ACS/unstable angina (UA). STE-ACS patients admitted into B hospitals received more thrombolysis, but less percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Crude in-hospital mortality and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) were higher in patients from B hospitals. Crude 1-year mortality of 3747 ACS patients followed up was higher in patients admitted into B hospitals, but no differences were found for MACE. After adjustment for age, risk factors, type of ACS and comorbidities, hospital type was not an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality, in-hospital MACE, 1-year MACE or mortality. Admission indicated a crude outcome in favour of hospitalisation during duty-hours while 1-year outcome could not document a significant effect. ACS patients admitted to smaller regional Swiss hospitals were older, had more severe comorbidities, more NSTE-ACS and received less intensive treatment compared with the patients initially admitted to large tertiary institutions. However, hospital type was not an independent predictor of early and mid-term outcomes in these patients. Furthermore, our data suggest that Swiss hospitals have been functioning as an efficient network for the past 12 years.

Are negative perceptions of the accounting profession perpetuated by the introductory accounting course? An Australian study

This study investigates perceptions of the work of accountant:! held by first-year accounting students as part of a national survey of accounting students. First-year commerce students from five tertiary institutions were surveyed about their perceptions of the accounting profession as well as their intention to complete a major study of accounting at tertiary level. lnfluences on the formation of their perceptions formed an important part of the study. The results reported in this paper serve to illustrate that the majority of students surveyed had negative perceptions of accounting. The source of influences on perceptions indicated that perceptions were mainly derived from tertiary education experiences. As perceptions influence choice of major and career choice, the findings have important implications for accounting educators and professional accounting bodies

Cultural issues in online learning - is blended learning a possible solution?

The emergence of cross-cultural classrooms has been steadily increasing in Australian tertiary institutions, due to the growing population of international students enrolling to complete their degrees. This increase in international students has signified a change in the student demographics, thus recognizing the differences in students’ learning styles, and indicating that a more flexible approach is needed for learner content delivery. Research has suggested that students from different cultures have varying compatibility with different learning environments. With tertiary institutions now expanding towards the online forum for delivery of units, these compatibilities of students are even more evident. Hence, in order to ensure that all students are able to participate in this domain, preparations are needed to accommodate all cultural types. Therefore with the emphasis on creating flexible learning environments for all students the blended learning approach has been suggested as a solution.

Students` perceptions of workshop based introductory macro-economics tutorials: a survey

The declining popularity of Economics courses, evident in the last decade, has fuelled a debate on the nature of Economics units and the way in which they are taught in tertiary institutions. The effectiveness of traditional teaching methods has been questioned as lecturers search for alternative ways of presenting material and engaging students. In recent times, workshop-based/cooperative tutorials have become more popular in promoting deeper learning. This paper assesses the application of such an approach at a large tertiary institution. It evaluates student perceptions of this tutorial method in an Introductory Macroeconomics first-year unit. An anonymous questionnaire was used. Whilst the sample size is small (n = 56), the results are important in that this is the first such study in Macroeconomics. Students found workshop-based tutorials useful, preferred them over lecture style tutorials, and found that they fostered inclusivity. The importance of tutorials per se, is reiterated. Students state that tutorials are an important adjunct to lectures. This study also looks at students' study habits: finding that on average they spend less than one hour per week studying Economics and most prepare only occasionally for tutorials. The sample studied indicates that there are notable differences in the perceptions of tutorials and teaching methods between the genders and between local and international students. This may impact on the way in which tutorials are conducted effectively.

Different rhythms to similar tunes: African beats in action across two continents

In this article I present some theoretical perspectives on reflective practice and African music. As reflection is a voyage of on-going self-discovery and change, and most challenging, I consider the teaching of African music across two continents and institutions. After a recent visit to South Africa (August-October 2006), I describe and discuss some similarities that I as a music educator at Deakin University, share with a music educator from the University of the North West, South Africa regarding the teaching and learning of African music. Through observation and interview data with my colleague, I offer some thoughts on what is African music and why we teach different rhythms to similar tunes across two continents at our tertiary institutions. I see this as a way forward to transmit and promote togetherness in a multicultural society where we respect diversity and the notion of 'other'.

Thinking multimedia

Children in our society have access to many information resources and communication options. As we witness the convergence of art, literacy and publishing, individuals need to learn how to make sense of information presented in many different forms, and how to construct their own communications in multiple media.
Thinking Multimedia is a program that has developed out of many projects that I have run in several school and some tertiary institutions over the past 12 years. It is an attempt to integrate skills and knowledge from different academic disciplines and to encourage students to understand learning processes and their own learning preferences. The course, offered at this stage at Year 10 level at St Catherine’s School in Melbourne, aims to provide background and basic skills in how to construct and deconstruct information in multiple media and to provide students with the opportunity to explore a ‘real need’ project of their own in a project-based team environment. The course is supported by an online resource and discussion component.
In this presentation I will explain the background to the Thinking Multimedia program and explore some of the work by the students involved.

Blended learning for cross-cultural e-learning

The emergence of cross-cultural classrooms has been steadily increasing in Australian tertiary institutions, thus signifying a change in the student demographics. This change has acknowledged that a more flexible approach is needed in the way that the unit content is conveyed to the learner. Studies have indicated that students from different cultures responded variably in different learning environments, the two most clearly identifiable learning environments being instructor-centered and student centered. Students from various cultures have shown their levels of compatibility to these learning environments through their interaction and participation. However tertiary institutions are now expanding towards the online forum for delivery of units. Therefore to ensure that all students are able to participate in this new learning domain, preparations have to be made to accommodate all cultural types. Therefore with the importance on creating flexible learning environments for all students the blended learning approach has been selected for application.

A proposal for change to teacher education in and for rural and regional Australia

In recent years, much attention has been given to the preparation of teachers for rural and regional schools (for example, Marks et al, 2000, Marks et al, 2001, Jones, 2002). Rural and regional teacher education brings with it exciting opportunities for individuals and communities. However, it is also coupled with specific demands on governments, teaching staff and tertiary institutions. However, as yet little attention has been given to how to reform teacher education to address the identified issues (Green & Reid, 2004). At present, the teacher education course offered on the Warrnambool campus of Deakin University is identical to that offered on the metropolitan (Burwood) and regional (Geelong) campuses. The course is a traditional four-year course.

At the Warrnambool campus we are embarking on a project which aims to reconceptualise teacher education for rural and regional contexts. It seeks to: better understand the issues and challenges rural and regional stake holders face within the profession, including both pre-service and service dimensions; identify the context specific knowledge, skills and strategies rural and regional schools are looking for in graduate teachers; and develop and implement a revised Bachelor of Education program that reflects the needs of rural and regional education.

In this paper, we outline how we intend determining the demand for a community-based teacher education program in western Victoria and determining/negotiating community support for such an initiative.

An analysis of computer-mediated marketing education : the relationship between access to WEBCT, tutorial attendance and student grades

One of the problems faced by Australian academics in the 21 st century is to facilitate learning with a changing profile of students, in bigger and bigger classes. As educators at tertiary institutions, our environment is undergoing major changes as increasingly marketing programs are offering courses either partially (Web enabled) or totally (Web exclusive) online. This study has developed a significant model allowing the prediction of students' overall results and indicates that a student's final grade is dependant, in part, on accessing the study materials and study tools available to them via WebCT and attending face-to-face tutorials.

Wholly online learning in environmental science

In recent years there has been a significant shift in the way courses and subjects are delivered to students in tertiary institutions. Advances in technology have resulted in a change to the traditional face-to-face lecture and tutorial teaching format, with many subjects in tertiary education now available online. Although research has explored the advantages and disadvantages of online learning, there has been little attention paid to this teaching format in the field of environmental science. In particular, there is little evidence in the literature to suggest that this method of teaching is appropriate for studies in environmental science or for environmental science students. This study examined the outcomes from a wholly online subject in environmental science at Deakin University, Australia. More specifically, the study aimed to investigate student views about online learning in environmental science as well as online group work. Questionnaires were distributed to all students who completed the core second year subject Society and Environment in semester 1, 2005. Although many of the responding students (n = 48) recognised the benefits of wholly online learning, the findings suggest that most prefer to learn in a face-to-face environment. This paper examines the implications of these findings for future online teaching methods in this discipline.

A role for workforce competencies in evidence-based health promotion education

Education programs should be based on research about the knowledge and skills required for practice, rather than on intuition or tradition, but there is limited published curriculum research on health promotion education. This paper describes a case study of how workforce competencies have been used to assist evidence-based health promotion education in the areas of curriculum design, selection of assessment tasks and continuous quality assurance processes in an undergraduate program at an Australian university. A curriculum-competency mapping process successfully identified gaps and areas of overlap in an existing program. Previously published health promotion workforce competencies were effectively used in the process of selecting assessment items, providing clear guidelines for curriculum revision and a useful method to objectively assess competency content in an evidence informed framework. These health promotion workforce competencies constituted an additional tool to assess course quality. We recommend other tertiary institutions consider curriculum-competency mapping and curriculum based assessment selection as quality and evidence based curriculum review strategies.