Design minds : an online design education platform for non-designers to enact cultural change

Education in the 21st century demands a model for understanding a new culture of learning in the face of rapid change, open access data and geographical diversity. Teachers no longer need to provide the latest information because students themselves are taking an active role in peer collectives to help create it. This paper examines, through an Australian case study entitled ‘Design Minds’, the development of an online design education platform as a key initiative to enact a government priority for state-wide cultural change through design-based curriculum. Utilising digital technology to create a supportive community, ‘Design Minds’ recognises that interdisciplinary learning fostered through engagement will empower future citizens to think, innovate, and discover. This paper details the participatory design process undertaken with multiple stakeholders to create the platform. It also outlines a proposed research agenda for future measurement of its value in creating a new learning culture, supporting regional and remote communities, and revitalising frontline services. It is anticipated this research will inform ongoing development of the online platform, and future design education and research programs in K-12 schools in Australia.

Dynamic modeling for construction innovation

Previous research on construction innovation has commonly recognized the importance of the organizational climate and key individuals, often called “champions,” for the success of innovation. However, it rarely focuses on the role of participants at the project level and addresses the dynamics of construction innovation. This paper therefore presents a dynamic innovation model that has been developed using the concept of system dynamics. The model incorporates the influence of several individual and situational factors and highlights two critical elements that drive construction innovations: (1) normative pressure created by project managers through their championing behavior, and (2) instrumental motivation of team members facilitated by a supportive organizational climate. The model is qualified empirically, using the results of a survey of project managers and their project team members working for general contractors in Singapore, by assessing casual relationships for key model variables. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of the model structure for fostering construction innovations.

The role of representative design in talent development : a comment on “Talent identification and promotion programmes of Olympic athletes”

A recent comment in the Journal of Sports Sciences (MacNamara & Collins, 2011) highlighted some major concerns with the current structure of talent identification and development (TID) programmes of Olympic athletes (e.g. Gulbin, 2008; Vaeyens, Gullich, Warr, & Philippaerts, 2009). In a cogent commentary, MacNamara and Collins (2011) provided a short review of the extant literature, which was both timely and insightful. Specifically, they criticised the ubiquitous one-dimensional ‘physically-biased’ attempts to produce world class performers, emphasising the need to consider a number of key environmental variables in a more multi-disciplinary perspective. They also lamented the wastage of talent, and alluded to the operational and opportunistic nature of current talent transfer programmes. A particularly compelling aspect of the comment was their allusion to high profile athletes who had ‘failed’ performance evaluation tests and then proceeded to succeed in that sport. This issue identifies a problem with current protocols for evaluating performance and is a line of research that is sorely needed in the area of talent development. To understand the nature of talent wastage that might be occurring in high performance programmes in sport, future empirical work should seek to follow the career paths of ‘successful’ and ‘unsuccessful’ products of TID programmes, in comparative analyses. Pertinent to the insights of MacNamara and Collins (2011), it remains clear that a number of questions have not received enough attention from sport scientists interested in talent development, including: (i) why is there so much wastage of talent in such programmes? And (ii), why are there so few reported examples of successful talent transfer programmes? These questions highlight critical areas for future investigation. The aim of this short correspondence is to discuss these and other issues researchers and practitioners might consider, and to propose how an ecological dynamics underpinning to such investigations may help the development of existing protocols...

The need for ‘representative task design’ in evaluating efficacy of skills tests in sport : a comment on Russell, Benton and Kingsley (2010)

Russell, Benton and Kingsley (2010) recently suggested a new association football test comprising three different tasks for the evaluation of players' passing, dribbling and shooting skills. Their stated intention was to enhance ‘ecological validity’ of current association football skills tests allowing generalisation of results from the new protocols to performance constraints that were ‘representative’ of experiences during competitive game situations. However, in this comment we raise some concerns with their use of the term ‘ecological validity’ to allude to aspects of ‘representative task design’. We propose that in their paper the authors confused understanding of environmental properties, performance achievement and generalisability of the test and its outcomes. Here, we argue that the tests designed by Russell and colleagues did not include critical sources of environmental information, such as the active role of opponents, which players typically use to organise their actions during performance. Static tasks which are not representative of the competitive performance environment may lead to different emerging patterns of movement organisation and performance outcomes, failing to effectively evaluate skills performance in sport.

Design approaches for promoting beneficial indoor environments in healthcare facilities : a review

As a result of growing evidence regarding the effects of environmental characteristics on the health and wellbeing of people in healthcare facilities (HCFs), more emphasis is being placed on, and more attention being paid to, the consequences of design choices in HCFs. Therefore, we have critically reviewed the implications of key indoor physical design parameters, in relation to their potential impact on human health and wellbeing. In addition, we discussed these findings within the context of the relevant guidelines and standards for the design of HCFs. A total of 810 abstracts, which met the inclusion criteria, were identified through a Pubmed search, and these covered journal articles, guidelines, books, reports and monographs in the studied area. Of these, 231 full publications were selected for this review. According to the literature, the most beneficial design elements were: single-bed patient rooms, safe and easily cleaned surface materials, sound-absorbing ceiling tiles, adequate and sufficient ventilation, thermal comfort, natural daylight, control over temperature and lighting, views, exposure and access to nature, and appropriate equipment, tools and furniture. The effects of some design elements, such as lighting (e.g. artificial lighting levels) and layout (e.g. decentralized versus centralized nurses’ stations), on staff and patients vary, and “the best design practice” for each HCF should always be formulated in co-operation with different user groups and a multi-professional design team. The relevant guidelines and standards should also be considered in future design, construction and renovations, in order to produce more favourable physical indoor environments in HCFs.

Rock, paper, scissors : reflective practice for design process in the novice landscape architect

We describe a pedagogical approach that addresses challenges in design education for novices. These include an inability to frame new problems and limited-to-no design capability or domain knowledge. Such challenges can reduce student engagement with design practice, cause derivative design solutions as well as the inappropriate simplification of design assignments and assessment criteria by educators. We argue that a curriculum that develops the student’s design process will enable them to deal with the uncertain and dynamic situations that characterise design. We describe how this may be achieved and explain our pedagogical approach in terms of methods from Reflective Practice and theories of abstraction and creativity. We present a landscape architecture unit, recently taught, as an example. It constitutes design exercises that require little domain or design expertise to support the development of conceptual thinking and a design rationale. We show how this approach (a) leveraged the novice’s existing spatial and thinking skills while (b) retaining contextually-rich design situations. Examples of the design exercises taught are described along with samples of student work. The assessment rationale is also presented and explained. Finally, we conclude by reflecting on how this approach relates to innovation, sustainability and other disciplines.

Community engagement : creating sustainable futures by design

QUT Alumni and Development Office, Engagement and Partnerships Seminar 'Managing Partnerships' As part of a week of engagement/partnership activities, this seminar outlined the engagement practices of 'Sustainable Futures by Design' and the BAC partnership. Presenters of two QUT Engagement Innovation projects discussed how emphasis on how the project benefited their work and the university generally, especially through the partnership, including through enhanced teaching and research. They outlined the principles and practices of good partnership management. Presenters: Shannon Satherley & Les Dawes: Community Engagement: Creating Sustainable Futures by Design Ashantha Goonetilleke & Bernard Murchison: QUT - BAC Partnership Satherley & Dawes: 'Developing and Maintaining the Partnerships: giving and receiving; expecting the unexpected; administration; enjoying the rewards.'C

Changing relationships : Re-activating student and staff engagement in the design studio learning environment

QUT Teaching and Learning Support Services 'Revisiting University Teaching’program for mid-career academics. 'Innovations in Teaching at QUT' presentations. Presentations were part of a 2 day program that provides opportunities for experienced academic staff with responsibilities for teaching to review their current teaching practices and explore innovations in teaching that will assist them to enhance student learning and develop their own scholarship of teaching. The presenter responded to the following: 1.What is the innovation you have incorporated into your teaching? - give a brief overview/ description/ demonstration of the innovation 2.What challenges/issues prompted you to make changes in your approach? Were they discipline specific? Operational? Opportunistic? 3.What factors did you need to consider in implementing these changes? Which factors enabled success or hindered? 4.What has this innovation achieved so far? How have learners responded? How have the broader teaching team and academic staff from other units in your course responded? 5.How could this innovation be used by other academics in their teaching? What do you see as the possibilities for further expansion of this innovation? (NB. This question could be answered as part of a final sharing of group discussion). Presenter: Shannon Satherley

The implications of cross-regional differences for the design of In-vehicle Information Systems : a comparison of Australian and Chinese drivers

The increasing global distribution of automobiles necessitates that the design of In-vehicle Information Systems (IVIS) is appropriate for the regions to which they are being exported. Differences between regions such as culture, environment and traffic context can influence the needs, usability and acceptance of IVIS. This paper describes two studies aimed at identifying regional differences in IVIS design needs and preferences across drivers from Australia and China to determine the impact of any differences on IVIS design. Using a questionnaire and interaction clinics, the influence of cultural values and driving patterns on drivers' preferences for, and comprehension of, surface- and interaction-level aspects of IVIS interfaces was explored. Similarities and differences were found between the two regional groups in terms of preferences for IVIS input control types and labels and in the comprehension of IVIS functions. Specifically, Chinese drivers preferred symbols and Chinese characters over English words and were less successful (compared to Australians) at comprehending English abbreviations, particularly for complex IVIS functions. Implications in terms of the current trend to introduce Western-styled interfaces into other regions with little or no adaptation are discussed.

Simulation architecture for the design of cooperative collision warning systems

Simulation has been widely used to estimate the benefits of Cooperative Systems (CS) based on Inter-Vehicular Communications (IVC). This paper presents a new architecture built with the SiVIC simulator and the RTMaps™ multisensors prototyping platform. We introduce several improvements from a previous similar architecture, regarding IVC modelisation and vehicles’ control. It has been tuned with on-road measurements to improve fidelity. We discuss the results of a freeway emergency braking scenario (EEBL) implemented to validate our architecture’s capabilities.

Multi-objective design optimisation of GFRP sandwich beams

A novel Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) sandwich panel was developed by an Australian manufacturer for civil engineering applications. This research is motivated by the new applications of GFRP sandwich structures in civil engineering such as slab, beam, girder and sleeper. An optimisation methodology is developed in this work to enhance the design of GFRP sandwich beams. The design of single and glue laminated GFRP sandwich beam were conducted by using numerical optimisation. The numerical multi-objective optimisation considered a design two objectives simultaneously. These objectives are cost and mass. The numerical optimisation uses the Adaptive Range Multi-objective Genetic Algorithm (ARMOGA) and Finite Element (FE) method. Trade-offs between objectives was found during the optimisation process. Multi-objective optimisation shows a core to skin mass ratio equal to 3.68 for the single sandwich beam cross section optimisation and it showed that the optimum core to skin thickness ratio is 11.0.

A nurse-led model of oncogeriatric assessment

Background There is growing consensus that a multidisciplinary, comprehensive and standardised process for assessing the fitness of older patients for chemotherapy should be undertaken to determine appropriate cancer treatment. Aim This study tested a model of cancer care for the older patient incorporating Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA), which aimed to ensure that 'fit' individuals amenable to active treatment were accurately identified; 'vulnerable' patients more suitable for modified or supportive regimens were determined; and 'frail 'individuals who would benefit most from palliative regimens were also identified and offered the appropriate level of care. Methods A consecutive-series n=178 sample of patients >65 years was recruited from a major Australian cancer centre. The following instruments were administered by an oncogeriatric nurse prior to treatment: Vulnerable Elders Survey-13; Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (Geriatric); Malnutrition Screening Tool; Mini-mental State Examination; Geriatric Depression Scale; Barthel Index; and Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale. Scores from these instruments were aggregated to predict patient fitness, vulnerability or frailty for chemotherapy. Physicians provided a concurrent (blinded) prediction of patient fitness, vulnerability or frailty based on their clinical assessment. Data were also collected on actual patient outcomes (eg treatment completed as predicted, treatment reduced) during monthly audits of patient trajectories. Data analysis Data analysis is underway. A sample of 178 is adequate to detect, with 90% power, kappa coefficients of agreement between CGA and physician assessments of K>0.90 ("almost perfect agreement"). Primary endpoints comprise a) whether the nurse-led CGA determination of fit, vulnerable or frail agrees with the oncologist's assessments of fit, vulnerable or frail and b) whether the CGA and physician assessments accurately predict actual patient outcomes. Conclusion An oncogeriatric nurse-led model of care is currently being developed from the results. We conclude with a discussion of the pivotal role of nurses in CGA-based models of care.

Establishing design thinking : accident, program frameworks and personal practices

Distribution through electronic media provides an avenue for promotion, recognition and an outlet of display for graphic designers. The emergence of available media technologies have enabled graphic designers to extend these boundaries of their practice. In this context the designer is constantly striving for aesthetic success and is strongly influenced by the fashion and trends of contemporary design work. The designer is always in a state of inquiry, finding pathways of discovery that lead to innovation and originality that are highly valued criteria for self-evaluation. This research is based on an analysis of the designer perspective and the processes used within an active graphic design practice specializing entirely within a digital collage domain. Contemporary design methodologies were critically examined, compared and refined to reflect the self-practice of the researcher. The refined methodology may assist designers in maintaining systematic work practices, as well as promote the importance of exploration and experimentation processes. Research findings indicate some differences in the identified methodologies and the design practice of the researcher in the sense that many contemporary designers are not confined to a client-base but are self-generating design images influenced by contemporary practitioners. As well as confirming some aspects of more conventional design processes, the researcher found that accidental discoveries and the designer’s interaction with technology plays a significant part in the design process.