Frock paper scissors : a comparative case study

This paper discusses the ways in which synergies across design disciplines can be developed through student engagement on authentic design projects. The paper focuses on a comparative case study where students from the Fashion, and Communication Design discipline areas in the Creative Industries Faculty at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) work on the production of the Frock Paper Scissors magazine and web site. The Frock Paper Scissors magazine has been the focus of assessment in a Fashion and Style Journalism class for the last three years, and for the last two years, students from an Advanced Web Design class have been involved in the production of the accompanying web site, http://frockpapersissors.com/. In this paper we focus on how this authentic assessment task has been integrated into the two design (and communication) classes; discussing the different approaches taken by teaching staff, the challenges faced, and the ways in which student learning outcomes have been improved through interactions between design disciplines. The paper concludes by outlining a set of observations on how to successfully engage students from different design (and creative industries) fields on an authentic design project within their studies.

A bridging transition technique for the combination of meshfree method with finite element method in 2D solids and structures

For certain continuum problems, it is desirable and beneficial to combine two different methods together in order to exploit their advantages while evading their disadvantages. In this paper, a bridging transition algorithm is developed for the combination of the meshfree method (MM) with the finite element method (FEM). In this coupled method, the meshfree method is used in the sub-domain where the MM is required to obtain high accuracy, and the finite element method is employed in other sub-domains where FEM is required to improve the computational efficiency. The MM domain and the FEM domain are connected by a transition (bridging) region. A modified variational formulation and the Lagrange multiplier method are used to ensure the compatibility of displacements and their gradients. To improve the computational efficiency and reduce the meshing cost in the transition region, regularly distributed transition particles, which are independent of either the meshfree nodes or the FE nodes, can be inserted into the transition region. The newly developed coupled method is applied to the stress analysis of 2D solids and structures in order to investigate its’ performance and study parameters. Numerical results show that the present coupled method is convergent, accurate and stable. The coupled method has a promising potential for practical applications, because it can take advantages of both the meshfree method and FEM when overcome their shortcomings.

Predication and propagation : a method for analyzing evaluative meanings in technology policy

In this article I outline and demonstrate a synthesis of the methods developed by Lemke (1998) and Martin (2000) for analyzing evaluations in English. I demonstrate the synthesis using examples from a 1.3-million-word technology policy corpus drawn from institutions at the local, state, national, and supranational levels. Lemke's (1998) critical model is organized around the broad 'evaluative dimensions' that are deployed to evaluate propositions and proposals in English. Martin's (2000) model is organized with a more overtly systemic-functional orientation around the concept of 'encoded feeling'. In applying both these models at different times, whilst recognizing their individual usefulness and complementarity, I found specific limitations that led me to work towards a synthesis of the two approaches. I also argue for the need to consider genre, media, and institutional aspects more explicitly when claiming intertextual and heteroglossic relations as the basis for inferred evaluations. A basic assertion made in this article is that the perceived Desirability of a process, person, circumstance, or thing is identical to its 'value'. But the Desirability of anything is a socially and thus historically conditioned attribution that requires significant amounts of institutional inculcation of other 'types' of value-appropriateness, importance, beauty, power, and so on. I therefore propose a method informed by critical discourse analysis (CDA) that sees evaluation as happening on at least four interdependent levels of abstraction.

Electronic workplace surveillance and employee privacy : a comparative analysis of privacy protection in Australia and the United States

More than a century ago in their definitive work “The Right to Privacy” Samuel D. Warren and Louis D. Brandeis highlighted the challenges posed to individual privacy by advancing technology. Today’s workplace is characterised by its reliance on computer technology, particularly the use of email and the Internet to perform critical business functions. Increasingly these and other workplace activities are the focus of monitoring by employers. There is little formal regulation of electronic monitoring in Australian or United States workplaces. Without reasonable limits or controls, this has the potential to adversely affect employees’ privacy rights. Australia has a history of legislating to protect privacy rights, whereas the United States has relied on a combination of constitutional guarantees, federal and state statutes, and the common law. This thesis examines a number of existing and proposed statutory and other workplace privacy laws in Australia and the United States. The analysis demonstrates that existing measures fail to adequately regulate monitoring or provide employees with suitable remedies where unjustifiable intrusions occur. The thesis ultimately supports the view that enacting uniform legislation at the national level provides a more effective and comprehensive solution for both employers and employees. Chapter One provides a general introduction and briefly discusses issues relevant to electronic monitoring in the workplace. Chapter Two contains an overview of privacy law as it relates to electronic monitoring in Australian and United States workplaces. In Chapter Three there is an examination of the complaint process and remedies available to a hypothetical employee (Mary) who is concerned about protecting her privacy rights at work. Chapter Four provides an analysis of the major themes emerging from the research, and also discusses the draft national uniform legislation. Chapter Five details the proposed legislation in the form of the Workplace Surveillance and Monitoring Act, and Chapter Six contains the conclusion.

Capital Works Procurement: The Selection of a Building Procurement Method

The determination of the most appropriate procurement method for capital works projects is a challenging task for the Department of Housing and Works (DHW) and other Western Australian State Government Agencies because of the array of assessment criteria that are considered and the procurement methods that are available. A number of different procurement systems can be used to deliver capital works projects such a traditional, design and construct and management. Sub-classifications of these systems have proliferated and continue to emerge in response to market demands. The selection of an inappropriate procurement method may lead to undesirable project outcomes. To facilitate DHW in selecting an appropriate procurement method for its capital works projects, a six step procurement method selection process is presented. The characteristics of the most common forms of procurement method used in Australia are presented. Case studies where procurement methods have been used for specific types of capital works in Western Australia are offered to provide a reference point and learning opportunity for procurement method selection.

Multi-outcome construction policies : comparative analysis of western australian and queensland policies

This document provides an overview of the differences and similarities in the objectives and implementation frameworks of the training and employment policies applying to public construction projects in Western Australia and Queensland. The material in the document clearly demonstrates the extent to which approaches to the pursuit of training objectives in particular have been informed by the experiences of other jurisdictions. The two State governments now have very similar approaches to the promotion of training with the WA government basing a good part of its policy approach on the “Queensland model”. As the two States share many similar economic and other characteristics, and have very similar social and economic goals, this similarity is to be expected. The capacity to benefit from the experiences of other jurisdictions is to be welcomed. The similarity in policy approach also suggests a potential for ongoing collaborations between the State governments on research aimed at further improving training and employment outcomes via public construction projects.

A comparative study – regulatory requirements on subdivisions for increasing passive cooling

This is the third in a series of reports planned for this project. The aim of this research is to conduct a comparative study of current legislation or guidelines at the federal, state and local government levels to confirm if any natural ventilation criteria are required at the subdivision development stage of planning. It also seeks to discover if there are any other incentives, statutory planning or development principles that encourage developers to orient subdivision lots to maximize natural ventilation for the dwellings. Findings from the research in this report are intended to contribute to the discussion on the development of an enhanced lot rating methodology for sustainable subdivisions as documented in other reports in this series.

Comparative study : health research on traffic noise pollution vs. Technical research on traffic noise mitigation

Community awareness and the perception on the traffic noise related health impacts have increased significantly over the last decade resulting in a large volume of public inquiries flowing to Road Authorities for planning advice. Traffic noise management in the urban environment is therefore becoming a “social obligation”, essentially due to noise related health concerns. Although various aspects of urban noise pollution and mitigation have been researched independently, an integrated approach by stakeholders has not been attempted. Although the current treatment and mitigation strategies are predominantly handled by the Road Agencies, a concerted effort by all stakeholders is becoming mandatory for effective and tangible outcomes in the future. A research project is underway a RMIT University, Australia, led by the second author to consider the use of “hedonic pricing” for alternative noise amelioration treatments within the road reserve and outside the road reserve. The project aims to foster a full range noise abatement strategy encompassing source, path and noise receiver. The benefit of such a study would be to mitigate the problem where it is most effective and would defuse traditional “authority” boundaries to produce the optimum outcome. The project is conducted in collaboration with the Department of Main Roads Queensland, Australia and funded by the CRC for Construction Innovation. As part of this study, a comprehensive literature search is currently underway to investigate the advancements in community health research, related to environmental noise pollution, and the advancements in technical and engineering research in mitigating the issue. This paper presents the outcomes of this work outlining state of the art, national and international good practices and gap analysis to identify major anomalies and developments.

Comparative study of guidelines and practices for building infrastructure asset management

This paper presents a comparative study of primarily Australian (and limited international) practices and guidelines on Buildings Asset Management (BAM). The objective of this study was to identify potential gaps in current practices and potential areas of research for further improvement. The paper starts with an overview of BAM. Later sections cover current BAM practices and guidelines across different states of Australia; give a limited overview of international practices and concludes with the authors’ observations.

Selection method for sustainable building

For a sustainable building industry, not only should the environmental and economic indicators be evaluated but also the societal indicators for building. Current indicators can be in conflict with each other, thus decision making is difficult to clearly quantify and assess sustainability. For the sustainable building, the objectives of decreasing both adverse environmental impact and cost are in conflict. In addition, even though both objectives may be satisfied, building management systems may present other problems such as convenience of occupants, flexibility of building, or technical maintenance, which are difficult to quantify as exact assessment data. These conflicting problems confronting building managers or planners render building management more difficult. This paper presents a methodology to evaluate a sustainable building considering socio-economic and environmental characteristics of buildings, and is intended to assist the decision making for building planners or practitioners. The suggested methodology employs three main concepts: linguistic variables, fuzzy numbers, and an analytic hierarchy process. The linguistic variables are used to represent the degree of appropriateness of qualitative indicators, which are vague or uncertain. These linguistic variables are then translated into fuzzy numbers to reflect their uncertainties and aggregated into the final fuzzy decision value using a hierarchical structure. Through a case study, the suggested methodology is applied to the evaluation of a building. The result demonstrates that the suggested approach can be a useful tool for evaluating a building for sustainability.