Doing business : knowledges in the internationalised business lecture

This paper investigates the oracy (listening/speaking) genres enacted in an undergraduate entry point unit in the internationalised university of the 21st century, and the kind of knowledges these genres elicit and perform. This paper focuses on a series of lectures in the business studies unit and how anecdotal knowledge from both the lecturer’s and the students’ lived experiences was elicited as grist for the curriculum. The analysis of lecture talk suggests that the lecture today is no longer a monologic display of expert disciplinary knowledge bestowed upon the learner. Rather, it is increasingly a multimedia performance with an underlying ethic of engagement and interactivity. Of particular interest is the way international students’ knowledges were elicited to resource the internationalised curriculum with authenticity and insight. The knowledges thus assembled are analysed through Bernstein’s conceptual distinction between vertical and horizontal knowledge structures. The paper offers suggestions on how to maximise the potential and minimize the risks of this more interactive genre of lecture, with particular regard to enabling the participation of the international student.

Knowledge based urban development in classrooms : planning Taipei's knowledge based development

Rapid urbanisation of the global population over the last two centuries has inevitably brought with it a number of challenges and opportunities for economic, environmental and social sustainability of regions. This is arguably a result of rapid globalisation and subsequent growth in knowledge and service based economic markets. This paper reviews the introduction of a specialised teaching structure where the concepts of Knowledge Based Urban Development and Knowledge Cities were taught to various students of the discipline of Urban and Regional Planning at the Queensland University of Technology, through their study tour to the city of Taipei, Taiwan. The concepts were conveyed under the name ‘Taipei Metropolis Knowledge Based Regional Planning Studio’ and its methodology reviewed a series of tasks that was considered to provide a stronger level of understanding of how Knowledge Cities and Knowledge Based Urban Development had been formed in some areas of Taiwan. Findings from this international collaborative planning studio indicate that students have gained a greater level of understanding and insight into planning systems and processes in a trans-cultural context. The students have also been exposed to ideas and knowledge that have challenged conventional perspectives and encouraged global awareness.

Drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction for overseas service consumers : a critical incident technique approach

This is one of the few studies in the academic literature that directly addresses inward exporting of customer services, which is a topic that has gained less attention from an international services marketing point of view. The objective of this study is to explore the drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction for overseas service customers of higher education in Australia. Critical incident technique (CIT) method was used to collect and analyse the data and a total of 107 critical incidents were collected. Findings from this study show that service satisfaction and dissatisfaction for international students derive from: elements of the core service (educational service performance), personal sources (international student performance), and the external environment (socialization and host environment performance). Additionally, results show that the drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction for international students are not necessarily the same. Limitations relating to the specific sector of higher education and the cross sectional natures of the data are addressed.

Exceptional teachers for disadvantaged schools

A major issue facing Australia is addressing an education system that OECD’s data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show is of high quality, but low equity. In other words, while Australian schools score relatively high in terms of international benchmarks related to quality, the same cannot be said in relation to indicators of social background or socioeconomic status (SES). The federal and state responses to this dilemma can be found in a coordinated national agenda targeting social inclusion. Two key policy areas within this agenda relate directly to the Exceptional Teachers for Disadvantaged Schools Project (ETDS). These are the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) and the National Partnership Agreements on Low Socio-economic Status School Communities and Improving Teacher Quality.

Multicultural melting pot : painting for the planet

This brief paper gives an outline of a series of painting workshops held over a two year period (2010 and 2011) with the principal aim of raising the awareness of University students to human impact on the planet and on its biodiversity. The workshops were part of a Post-graduate research students' network engagement programme instigated and supported by a number of staff in Counselling Services and International Student Services. Two of the United Nations International years were celebrated and student engagement in practical painting workshops had many benefits that are discussed in the body of the paper.

Learning communities learning series

In 2008 the introduction of the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), combined with the publication of the international comparative analyses of student achievement data (such as the Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA)) highlighted a significant priority for Australian education by identifying low levels of equity.

Consumer guarantees and the supply of educational services by higher education providers

The higher education sector is undergoing a number of significant changes, the implications of which have yet to emerge. One such change is the increasing reliance by higher education providers on the revenue generated by full fee paying international students to fund their operating expenses. The report by the Victorian Ombudsman, Investigation into how Universities Deal with International Students ('Victorian Ombudsman's Report') tabled in the Victorian Parliament on 27 October 2011, provides evidence that Australian higher education providers may be failing to meet their legal obligations to international students. The Victorian Ombudsman's Report is the result of an investigation into four Victorian universities teaching international students with a focus on accounting and nursing schools. The report contains evidence that the universities were admitting students with scores below, or at the lower end of, the International English Language Testing System ('IELTS') score considered acceptable. Alternatively, they were relying upon their own language testing admission standards and not on an independent test like the IELTS test. While the universities provided English language support services for their international students after they had been admitted, the Ombudsman was concerned that the universities 'have not dedicated sufficient resources to meet the level of need amongst international students'.

Renewing the Sustainable Energy Curriculum – Providing Internationally Relevant Skills for a Carbon Constrained Economy : Final Report 2014

The aims of the project were to scope and develop sustainable energy curriculum frameworks for Australian higher education Institutions that meet the needs of Australian and international student graduates and employers, both now and into the near future. The focus was on student centred learning and outcomes and to support graduates with the knowledge, skills and generic attributes required to work in the rapidly expanding sustainable energy industry in Australia and globally. The outputs of the project are designed to be relevant to specialist Sustainable Engineering and Energy Studies programs, as well as conventional engineering, science and humanities and social science programs that have a sustainable energy focus or major.

Teacher education for high-poverty schools : keeping the bar high

For some time now, there has been a focus, both in Australia and internationally, on quality teaching as a fundamental component that affects the educational outcomes of all students. The question of how teacher education programs in Australia prepare effective teachers to work across all school settings-including low-SES schools-has been elevated to national prominence by data from the 20 12 Programme for International Student Assessment (PIS A), which revealed a fall in Australian students' world ranking across Mathematics, Reading and Science. Education is commonly acknowledged as a "foundation capability" that improves a person's life chances, including employment prospects, and it is widely understood to be a "route out of disadvantage" (McLachlan, Gilfillan, and Gordon 20 13). The Australian Bureau of Statistics 201 1- 12 data suggest that around 2.6 million (11.8%) Australians currently live under the poverty line (Phillips et a!. 2012, 8). According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), despite the significant effects teachers have on student performance, disadvantaged schools are not always staffed with the highest quality teachers (see Darling-Hammond, 2006).

Should I stay or should I go?: Rural and remote students in first year university stem courses

Research on the achievement of rural and remote students in science and mathematics is located within a context of falling levels of participation in physical science and mathematics courses in Australian schools, and underrepresentation of rural students in higher education. International studies such as the Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA), have reported lower levels of mathematical and scientific literacy in Australian students from rural and remote schools (Thomson et al, 2011). The SiMERR national survey of science, mathematics and ICT education in rural and regional Australia (Lyons et al, 2006) identified factors affecting student achievement in rural and remote schools. Many of the issues faced by rural and remote students in their schools are likely to have implications on their university enrolments in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses. For example, rural and remote students are less likely to attend university in general than their city counterparts and higher university attrition rates have been reported for remote students nationally. This paper examines the responses of a sample of rural/remote Australian first year STEM students at Australian universities to two questions. These related to their intentions to complete the course; and whether -and if so, why- they had ever considered withdrawing from their course. Results indicated that rural students who were still in their course by the end of first year were no more or less likely to consider withdrawing than were their peers from more populous centres. However, almost 20% of the rural cohort had considered withdrawing at some stage in their course, and their explanations provide insights into the reasoning of those who may not persist with their courses at university. These results, in the context of the greater attrition rate of remote students from university, point to the need to identify factors that positively impact on rural and remote students’ interest and achievement in science and mathematics. It also highlights a need for future research into the particular issues remote students may face in deciding whether or not to do science at the two key transition points of senior school and university/TAFE studies, and whether or not to persist in their tertiary studies. This paper is positioned at the intersection of two problems in Australian education. The first is a context of falling levels of participation in physical science and mathematics courses in Australian universities. The second is persistent inequitable access to, and retention in, tertiary education for students from rural and remote areas. Despite considerable research attention to both of these areas over recent years these problems have thus far proved to be intractable. This paper therefore aims to briefly review the relevant Australian literature pertaining to these issues; that is, declining STEM enrolments, and the underrepresentation and retention of rural/remote students in higher education. Given the related problems in these two overlapping domains, we then explore the views of first year rural students enrolled in courses, in relation to their intentions of withdrawing (or not) and the associated reasons for their views.

Naomi Block Manners Stern collection of Eleanor Roosevelt correspondence undated, 1941-1962, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1984, 2003

This collection is mainly composed of correspondence between Ms. Stern and Mrs. Roosevelt, spanning the years from their first acquaintance in 1941 to Mrs. Roosevelt's decease in 1962. Letters that hold particular interest concern Ms. Stern's experience at the Summer Student Leadership Institute, and the White House. Additional material in the collection encompasses articles, newsclippings, programs, press releases, and photographs. The articles and newsclippings folder contains information pertaining to Ms. Stern's college career, the first Summer Student Leadership Institute, Mrs. Roosevelt's talk at Community Day, National Youth Association, and a donation of an ambulance to the war effort by Hunter college students. Naomi Block Manners Stern personal folder contains an article Naomi Block wrote in her college magazine, "Echo," describing her perceptions of President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill during her first visit at the White House. Also included is her graduation program, listing Mrs. Roosevelt as the main speaker, a commemoration of President Roosevelt in 1972 in which Ms. Stern took part, an article and press release describing Ms. Stern's career at Revlon, and a 2003 written summary of Ms. Stern's relationship with Mrs. Roosevelt. Photographs were taken by Naomi Block and others at the Summer Leadership Institute in 1941 portray identified fellow students, Mrs. Roosevelt, James Roosevelt, the Roosevelt home in Campobello, and Felix Frankfurter.

Sistemas de avaliação da educação básica no Brasil

Avalia a educação básica brasileira quanto à qualidade do ensino. São usados para avaliar um ou mais níveis da educação básica brasileira: o SAEB (Sistema Nacional de Avaliação da Educação Básica), o IDEB (Índice de Desenvolvimento da Educação Básica), o ENEM (Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio, logo, restrito ao ensino médio), o ENCCEJA (Exame Nacional de Certificacao de Competências de Jovens e Adultos), a Prova ABC (Prova Brasileira do Final do Ciclo de Alfabetização) e o PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment - Programa Internacional de Avaliação de Estudantes), que é um exame internacional.

Schadstoffüberwachung in Meeresfischen

For assessing the status of the marine environment of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, international monitoring programmes are performed in the framework of the international conventions for the protection of the marine environment of the North Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. The German contribution to these programmes is covered by the national Joint Marine Monitoring Programme, which is carried out by several institutes of the coastal Federal States and the Federal Government of Germany. The Institute for Fishery Ecology of the Federal Fisheries Research Centre is responsible for the investigations of harmful substances in fish samples from the open sea areas. This article gives a short description of how this task is performed and, as an example, how concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls and mercury in plaice from the German Bight have developed over a period of thirteen and eight years, respectively.

A formação científica brasileira e o PISA 2006

Este trabalho investigou a formação científica brasileira a partir dos dados do PISA 2006. O PISA - Programa Internacional de Avaliação dos Estudantes - é um programa internacional de avaliação comparada, aplicado a uma amostra de estudantes de 15 anos de idade. O ensino adequado de ciências estimula o raciocínio lógico e a curiosidade, ajuda a formar cidadãos mais aptos a enfrentar os desafios da sociedade contemporânea e fortalece a democracia, dando à população, em geral, melhores condições para participar dos debates cada vez mais comuns sobre temas científicos que afetam nosso cotidiano. Partindo da importância e pertinência de se discutir a formação científica brasileira e fazendo uso dos dados do PISA 2006, buscou-se responder a três questões: (a) qual a percepção dos alunos brasileiros que participaram do PISA 2006 sobre Ciências? (b) como o Brasil se situa no contexto internacional no que se refere às competências científicas priorizadas por esta avaliação? (c) que características dos estudantes estão associadas aos seus resultados no teste de Ciências aplicado pelo PISA 2006? Para a realização do estudo, conduzimos nossas análises baseando-nos em duas lógicas principais: descrição (estatística univariada e bivariada) e explicação (teste de modelos de regressão linear). Os resultados indicam que os alunos brasileiros tem relativo interesse pela Ciência, no entanto apresentam uma visão bastante estereotipada e demonstram não associá-la a si. Aparentemente, a ciência tem relação com fenômenos que estão muito além da compreensão e configura-se em algo abstrato que não está diretamente ligado aos alunos brasileiros. Estes apontam a escola como principal fonte de aprendizagem de tópicos relacionados a Ciência, porém, a escola parece não converter o potencial interesse dos alunos por Ciências em letramento científico. O Brasil ocupa a 52 posição entre os 57 países participantes e está alocado no nível mais baixo de desempenho do PISA 2006. Entre os principais aspectos que impactam significativamente os resultados dos alunos brasileiros no programa estão a Rede de Ensino, o Atraso Escolar, o Nível Socioeconômico e o Nível de Escolaridade dos Pais.

The establishment of a commercial fishery for Haplochromis in the Uganda waters of Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria, straddling the Equator, is the second largest lake in the world, with a surface area of approximately 26,000 square miles (41,500 square kilometers) and a maximum depth of about 300 feet. Uganda possesses most of the north end of the lake which consists of a long, indented coastline and a chain of offshore islands on the edge of a 'continental shelf' separating relatively shallow sheltered inshore waters from the deeper open waters of the lake. At the present time the lake is harvested mainly by a native gill net fishery confined almost entirely to the shallow sheltered inshore waters. The annual production of all species from Uganda waters is in the region of 24,000 tons per annum, and Tilapia(Cichlidae)is commercially the most important genus. Haplochromis, a close relative of Tilapia, but generally much smaller, contributes only a small amount to this annual production; see Table 1, although they are probably the most abundant group of fish present in the lake. Through international aid programmes Uganda has been offered a canning plant and it is thought that Haplochromis is the most suitable type of fish to be utilized by such a plant. The Uganda Fisheries Department are conducting research into processing techniques and marketing and the East African Freshwater Fisheries Research Organization was asked to conduct a survey of the Haplochromis stocks of the lake with a view to estimating the ability or otherwise of these stocks to support a commercial canning industry.