Towards a Formalisation of Electronic Contracting Environments

The IST-CONTRACT project is in the process of creating an electronic contracting language. One of the goals of this language is that it has formal underpinnings, and formalizations at a number of levels have been created. One of the lowest levels, upon which the other levels are built is the normative level. At this level, we identify how contract clauses (modeled as norms) may evolve over time. In this paper, we describe this formalization, and show how we may associate various states with a norm throughout its lifecycle. We also show how more complex evaluations may be carried out over a norm, and conclude with an example showing the application of the framework over a contract and its associated norms.

Educational partnerships on-line: global collaborative learning through an on-line student exchange programme

Deakin University and the University of Calgary have used the internet to provide workplace-based learners with the possibility of a student exchange programme which does not disrupt their careers, lives or families.  The programmes involved in this on-line exchange were both developed in response to the needs of workplace learners and are representative of the role of universities in the field of life-long learning.  This paper describes the first phase of the exchange and discusses the shared pedagogical philosophies and shared implementation of on-line groupware which provided a rationale for the exchange.  The paper will explore the cross-cultural implications of the educational experience and the possibilities such an exchange opens up for life-long learners.

Collaborative online projects in a global community

What is evident in recent literature reviews of the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in Education is the lack of accessible documentation on the development of, and participation in, collaborative online projects by educationalists. (Blackmore et. al. 2002, Downes et. al. 2001). The major source of information comes in the form of anecdotal evidence from teachers, project facilitators and organisations (Gragert 2000, Carr 2001, Tate 1998, Robertson 1999). Other literature reviews and research that focus on the use of ICT in education have significant gaps in this area and yet it is increasingly promoted in educational policy and supported and promoted by education systems.

This paper identifies and explores the extent and impact of educational technology in the context of collaborative online projects in a global educational community. A general identification of a wide range of local and international collaborative online projects and the groups/communities in which they operate, is followed by a closer look at a selection of case study projects. The case study projects have been selected for their potential to provide new perspectives on the role of technology in education and its potential impact on teaching and learning in a global context.

This paper provides definitions and examples of collaborative online projects, their history and their diversity. It explores the level of participation afforded by the projects and presents a detailed section that focuses on a sample of projects. The collaborative online projects in the case study section are The Environmental Mystery Competition, The First People's Project, Lewin - an Anthology of Children's' Writing and The Teddy Bear Project. The case study projects will be looked at from the perspective of the project facilitators and project participants. In many of the projects items such as books and calendars are products of the projects. Examples of these items will be shown in the presentation.

Awareness support in a component-based collaborative environment

The awareness support for activities in collaborative environments is important for effective collaboration and coordination. It helps people know who else is doing what in a shared workspace. The amount of awareness needed varies due to specific roles users undertake during collaboration. While emphasizing the importance of roles, we introduced related research on awareness and a component-based collaboration metamodel. Based on that metamodel, several awareness elements were discussed and implemented in a collaborative environment LiveNet4. Model view controller pattern used to construct the Web-based interface of LiveNet4 was also introduced at the end of this paper.

Supporting awareness in asynchronous collaborative environments

One of the major challenges in asynchronous collaborative environment is to provide a sense of awareness of other users actions. The amount of awareness needed varies due to specific roles users undertaking during collaboration. While emphasizing the importance of roles, this paper discusses awareness-role relationship and proposes a role-based approach to specifying the awareness characteristics in asynchronous collaborative environment. An example of implementation of role-based awareness supporting system LiveNet4 is also illustrated at the end of this paper.

Managing collaborative business process in knowledge-intensive environment

Business processes especially those in knowledge intensive environments often emerge rather than following predefined steps. Supporting emergent processes is one of the key issues for collaborative knowledge sharing. This paper first introduces a component-based workspace metamodel used to support emergent processes. A loose-coupled collaborative process management model WorkPath is proposed based on the workspace structure to support flexible process evolution management and coordination among processes. Key elements that construct workspace and WorkPath, such as role, action, artifact, workspace and reference relation, are described in detail. An implementation prototype and future work is also discussed at the end of the paper.

Introduction of new technology into hydroponic tomato growing at the farm level - a case study in collaborative research

In 2000 Deakin University and Elmac Hydroponics, with funding from the Australian Research Council began a collaborative PhD project researching the management and economics for commercial tomato production using the innovative Autopot® hydroponics system. The collaboration between Deakin University, the Elmac farmers and the wider hydroponics industry was central to this research project. A significant outcome was the education of both the researchers and the farmers. Deakin University researchers benefited from the chance to learn about conducting research within the commercial constraints of the industry. Elmac and the wider industry had the opportunity to learn about the methodology, application and limitations of scientific research. However, there are conflicts between the desired educational outcomes for the stakeholders in a collaborative project of this type. In most cases, the award of the PhD degree to the candidate depends entirely on the thesis. A thesis however, would be of little value to most hydroponics farmers. The desired educational outcome for industry is in the application of the results to their situation for improved management of production and increased profit. This paper highlights the benefits and constraints of collaborative research into the introduction of innovative technology to the hydroponics industry.

Sustainable design education: teaching, learning and assessment in collaborative group design projects

Changes in the funding of tertiary education resulting in less one-to-one staff/student contact time mean that we cannot continue to teach as we have historically been taught. If design schools are unable to implement strategies that successfully overcome resource intensive studio teaching programs, then current architectural education may for many higher education providers be based on an unsustainable course structure. Rather than spreading their time thinly over a large number of individual projects, an increasing number of lecturers are setting group projects. This allows them to co-ordinate longer and more in-depth review sessions on a smaller number of assignments. However, while the group model may reflect the realities of the design process in practice, the approach is not without short comings as a teaching archetype for the assessment of individual skill competencies. Hence, what is clear is the need for a readily adoptable andragogy for the teaching and assessment of group design projects.
The following describes the background, methodology and early results of a Strategic Teaching and Learning Grant currently running at the School of Architecture and Building at Deakin University. The project is evaluating two design programs at Deakin and it is envisaged that the results of the
investigation may inform other project-based teaching disciplines experiencing a similar need for new knowledge and skill-based delivery due to increasing staff-student ratios.

The need for a culturally inclusive andragogy for collaborative design learning

In recognition of the apparent paradox between the cultural-systems of Asia and the West and the teaching and learning styles they promote, this platform paper aims to propose how research might investigate differences between achievement and diverse learning preferences at various stages of the design process in the multi-cultural studios of Deakin University. The paper presents a Strategic Teaching and Learning Grant project currently running at Deakin as a reflexive research program aimed at resolving the learning difficulties of international students collaborating in three undergraduate design studios. The primary aim of this program is to inform a new culturally inclusive andragogy for problem-based design teaching through experiential
learning theory.

Nurse practitioner competency standards: findings from collaborative Australian and New Zealand research

Background: The title, Nurse Practitioner, is protected in most jurisdictions in Australia and New Zealand and the number of nurse practitioners is increasing in health services in both countries. Despite this expansion of the role, there is scant national or international research to inform development of nurse practitioner competency standards.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to research nurse practitioner practice to inform development of generic standards that could be applied for the education, authorisation and practice of nurse practitioners in both countries.

Design: The research used a multi-methods approach to capture a range of data sources including research of policies and curricula, and interviews with clinicians. Data were collected from relevant sources in Australia and New Zealand.

Settings: The research was conducted in New Zealand and the five states and territories in Australia where, at the time of the research, the title of nurse practitioner was legally protected.

Participants: The research was conducted with a purposeful sample of nurse practitioners from diverse clinical settings in both countries. Interviews and material data were collected from a range of sources and data were analysed within and across these data modalities.

Results: Findings included identification of three generic standards for nurse practitioner practice: namely, Dynamic Practice, Professional Efficacy and Clinical Leadership. Each of these standards has a number of practice competencies, each of these competencies with its own performance indicators.

Conclusions: Generic standards for nurse practitioner practice will support a standardised approach and mutual recognition of nurse practitioner authorisation across the two countries. Additionally, these research outcomes can more generally inform education providers, authorising bodies and clinicians on the standards of practice for the nurse practitioner whilst also contributing to the current international debate on nurse practitioner standards and scope of practice.

Jurisdictional differences in contracting out GBE audits : the impact on audit pricing

This paper examines audit costs for government business enterprises in various Australian jurisdictions, focusing on whether contracting private-sector suppliers induces competitive pricing and hence lower-priced audits. One jurisdiction (New South Wales) is shown to have low levels of contracting-out. It is argued that this lowers price competition and therefore, we predict, audit costs in NSW will be higher than elsewhere in Australia. An empirical comparison shows that, controlling for other factors, NSW is statistically significantly more expensive than other Australian jurisdictions. Alternative explanations relating to variation in audit quality, jurisdiction differences and relative cost are also discussed.

Shared learning: reflecting on practice using a collaborative approach

Independent learning and critical thought are developed when students are encouraged to express and review their own understandings and the ideas of others as part of their learning journey. This paper focuses on an innovation to engage and support pre-service teachers (students) in a collaborative approach to learning following a teaching practicum. Through the creation of a learning community, information and practice is shared and further challenged in a supportive environment. The opportunity for students to review their own work in relation to responses of peers enables them to become involved in the process of critiquing their own beliefs and practices as well as their peers, within a set framework. Favourable outcomes for both students and university staff augur well for the future development of the process.