The role of ecological constraints on expertise development

The role of ecological constraints on the acquisition of sport expertise is gaining attention in sport science, although more research is needed. In this position paper we provide an ecological explanation for expertise acquisition, as alluding to qualitative data that support the idea that unconventional, even aversive, environmental constraints may play an important role in the development of world-class athletes. We exemplify this argument by profiling the role of unconventional practice environments using association football in Brazilian society as a task vehicle. Contrary to the traditional idea that only deliberate training and development programmes can lead to the evolution of expertise, we propose how expert performance might be gained through highly unstructured activities in Brazilian football, that represent a powerful and little understood implicit environmental constraint that can lead to expertise development in sport.

The development of fast bowling experts in Australian cricket

In this paper, we highlight key concepts from dynamical systems theory and complexity sciences to exemplify constraints on talent development in a sample of elite cricketers. Eleven international fast bowlers who cumulatively had taken more than 2,400 test wickets in over 600 international test matches were interviewed using an in-depth, open-ended, and semi-structured approach. Qualitative data were analysed to identify key components in fast bowling expertise development. Results revealed that, contrary to traditional perspectives, the athletes progressed through unique, nonlinear trajectories of development, which appears to be a commonality in the experts' developmental pathways. During development, individual experts encountered unique constraints on the acquisition of expertise in cricket fast bowling, resulting in unique performance adaptations. Specifically, data illustrated experts' ability to continually adapt behaviours under multifaceted ecological constraints.

New research literacies for contemporary research into literacy and new media?

The term literacy remains highly contested and debates continue about how literacy might best be researched and to what ends. For some, literacy is simply a matter of acquiring the technical competence which enables people to read and write. Literacy research conducted from this point of view does not usually concern itself with the new media but rather focuses on how people learn to code and decode print text. For others, however, literacy is more complex and involves learning a repertoire of practices for communicating and getting things done in particular social and cultural contexts. Literacy research conducted from this sociocultural point of view accepts that the new media are central to the field because in everyday cultural practice people are using the new media to make meaning, to express themselves and to communicate and work with others. Socio-cultural approaches to literacy research have already provided rich material which has assisted educators to understand literacy practices in everyday use (e.g. Barton & Hamilton, 1998; Barton, Hamilton and Ivanic, 2000) including children’s appropriation of the media in school-based writing (Dyson, 1997). However, the changing semiotic and cultural practices associated with new media and online participation have less frequently been the object of study...

Analysis of build-up of heavy metals and volatile organics on urban roads in Gold Coast, Australia

Urban water quality can be significantly impaired by the build-up of pollutants such as heavy metals and volatile organics on urban road surfaces due to vehicular traffic. Any control strategy for the mitigation of traffic related build-up of heavy metals and volatile organic pollutants should be based on the knowledge of their build-up processes. In the study discussed in this paper, the outcomes of a detailed experiment investigation into build-up processes of heavy metals and volatile organics are presented. It was found that traffic parameters such as average daily traffic, volume over capacity ratio and surface texture depth had similar strong correlations with the build-up of heavy metals and volatile organics. Multicriteria decision analyses revealed that the 1 - 74 um particulate fraction of total suspended solids (TSS) could be regarded as a surrogate indicator for particulate heavy metals in build-up and this same fraction of total organic carbon could be regarded as a surrogate indicator for particulate volatile organics build-up. In terms of pollutants affinity, TSS was found to be the predominant parameter for particulate heavy metals build-up and total dissolved solids was found to be the predominant parameter for he potential dissolved particulate fraction in heavy metals build-up. It was also found that land use did not play a significant role in the build-up of traffic generated heavy metals and volatile organics.

The probability archive : essence, uncertainty, and the ‘Olduvai imperative.’

Starting from a local problem with finding an archival clip on YouTube, this paper expands to consider the nature of archives in general. It considers the technological, communicative and philosophical characteristics of archives over three historical periods: 1) Modern ‘essence archives’ – museums and galleries organised around the concept of objectivity and realism; 2) Postmodern mediation archives – broadcast TV systems, which I argue were also ‘essence archives,’ albeit a transitional form; and 3) Network or ‘probability archives’ – YouTube and the internet, which are organised around the concept of probability. The paper goes on to argue the case for introducing quantum uncertainty and other aspects of probability theory into the humanities, in order to understand the way knowledge is collected, conserved, curated and communicated in the era of the internet. It is illustrated throughout by reference to the original technological 'affordance' – the Olduvai stone chopping tool.

Enlightenment out of chaos : power, politics and The Chaser’s War on Everything

This paper focuses on the satirical Australian television show The Chaser’s War on Everything, and uses it to critically explore the potential ramifications of what McNair (2006) has called ‘cultural chaos’. Through an analysis of several examples from this particular program, alongside interviews with its production team and qualitative audience research, this paper argues that this TV show’s engagement with political issues in a creative, entertaining way that departs from the conventions of traditional journalism, allows it to present a perhaps more authentic image of political agents than is often cultivated in the mainstream news media. This paper therefore provides clear evidence that the shift from homogeneity to heterogeneity in the news media presents a significant challenge to those who wish to heavily control public opinion. It also provides further support for an optimistic re-appraisal of entertainment which emphasises its central (not merely periphery) role in political discourse.

After the testing : talking and reading and writing the world

This critical essay discusses the challenges and prospects for the reform of school-based literacy programs. It begins with an overview of the effects of a decade of test-driven accountability policy on research and teachers’ work, noting the continuing challenges of new demographics, cultures and technologies for literacy education. The case is made that whole school literacy programs can make a difference in improving the overall education of students and youth from low socioeconomic and cultural minority backgrounds. But this requires a strong emphasis on engagement with substantive readings of cultural, social and scientific worlds through talk, reading and writing. The key questions facing teachers, then, are not simply around basic skills instruction and acquisition, but about sustained, intellectually demanding and scaffolded talk around texts, print and multimodal.

Impact of roof surface runoff on urban water quality

The pollutant impacts of urban stormwater runoff on receiving waters are well documented in research literature. However, it is road surfaces that are commonly identified as the significant pollutant source. This paper presents the outcomes of an extensive program of research into the role of roof surfaces in urban water quality with particular focus on solids, nutrients and organic carbon. The outcomes confirmed that roof surfaces play an important role in influencing the pollutant characteristics of urban stormwater runoff. Pollutant build-up and wash-off characteristics for roads and roof surfaces were found to be appreciably different. The pollutant wash-off characteristics exhibited by roof surfaces show that it influences the first flush phenomenon more significantly than road surfaces. In most urban catchments, as roof surfaces constitutes a higher fraction of impervious area compared to road surfaces, it is important that the pollutant generation role of roof surfaces is specifically taken into consideration in stormwater quality mitigation strategies.

Influence of organic matter in road deposited particulates in heavy metal accumulation and transport

The research study discussed in the paper investigated the influence of organic matter on heavy metal adsorption for different particle size ranges of build-up solids. Samples collected from road surfaces were assessed for organic matter content, mineral composition, particle size distribution and effective cation exchange capacity. It was found that the organic matter plays a key role in >75µm particles in the adsorption of Zinc, Lead, Nickel and Copper, which are generated by traffic activities. Clay forming minerals and metal oxides of Iron, Aluminium and Manganese was found to be important for heavy metal adsorption to <75µm particles. It was also found that heavy metals adsorbed to organic matter are strongly bound to particles and these metal ions will not be bio-available if the chemical quality of the media remains stable.

Reading research methodology and the reading research quarterly : a question of gender

The paper discusses an aspect of reading research methodology as represented by papers published by the Reading Research Quarterly from the beginning of 1989(volume 24, Number 1) to the end of 1993 (volume 28, Number 4). The discussion suggests some points of departure between this research community and an Australian community broadly defined as poststructural. A focus for this investigation is the function of “gender” within the methodological approaches of the two communities. Suggestions are made regarding some potentially productive points of intersection between the work of American and Australian reading researchers.

Adsorption of heavy metals by road deposited solids

The research study discussed in the paper investigated the adsorption/desorption behaviour of heavy metals commonly deposited on urban road surfaces, namely, Zn, Cu, Cr and Pb for different particle size ranges of solids. The study outcomes, based on field studies and batch experiments confirmed that road deposited solids particles contain a significantly high amount of vacant charge sites with the potential to adsorb additional heavy metals. Kinetic study and adsorption experiments indicated that Cr is the most preferred metal element to associate with solids due to the relatively high electro negativity and high charge density of trivalent cation (Cr3+). However, the relatively low availability of Cr in the urban road environment could influence this behaviour. Comparing total adsorbed metals present in solids particles, it was found that Zn has the highest capacity for adsorption to solids. Desorption experiments confirmed that a low concentration of Cu, Cr and Pb in solids was present in water-soluble and exchangeable form, whilst a significant fraction of adsorbed Zn has a high likelihood of being released back into solution. Among heavy metals, Zn is considered to be the most commonly available metal among road surface pollutants.

Performance characterisation of a constructed wetland

Performance of a constructed wetland is commonly reported as variable due to the site specific nature of influential factors. This paper discusses outcomes from an in-depth study which characterised treatment performance of a wetland based on the variation in runoff regime. The study included a comprehensive field monitoring of a well established constructed wetland in Gold Coast, Australia. Samples collected at the inlet and outlet was tested for Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Nitrogen (TN) and Total Phosphorus (TP). Pollutant concentrations in the outflow were found to be consistent irrespective of the variation in inflow water quality. The analysis revealed two different treatment characteristics for events with different rainfall depths. TSS and TN load reduction is strongly influenced by hydraulic retention time where performance is higher for rainfall events below the design event. For small events, treatment performance is higher at the beginning of the event and gradually decreased during the course of the event. For large events, the treatment performance is comparatively poor at the beginning and improved during the course of the event. The analysis also confirmed the variable treatment trends for different pollutant types.

Transnational higher education programs for facilitating inter-university knowledge transfer : University of Indonesia’s experience

This paper explores the impacts and extent of knowledge transfer (KT) in an undergraduate engineering transnational program with an Australian university partner at the University of Indonesia (UI) using an inter-university KT conceptual framework (Sutrisno, Lisana, & Pillay 2012). For the purpose of this paper, the opportunity for KT in curriculum design is examined. Given the explicit nature of curriculum knowledge, assessing each partner’s curriculum was pivotal in allowing UI to enrich its own curriculum. The KT mechanism of face-to-face contact between Indonesian and Australian academics led to not only transfer of knowledge related to the curriculum of the undergraduate program but also to other cooperation beyond the transnational program in the form of joint research and joint supervision of post-graduate theses. Positive inter-university dynamics, such as trust and willingness to work together between the partners were underpinned by the presence of key actors from both sides at the earlier stages of the partnership. Retrospectively exploring the KT process in the UI’s transnational programs with its Australian partner suggests that there have been both structured and unstructured mechanisms, highlighting the ubiquitous and unbounded nature of KT between universities. While initially successful in facilitating KT, due to rapid succession of persons in charge of the program and the increasing focus on revenue generation, the useful lessons and practices unfortunately are being lost. Although the intention to use the transnational program for KT was always implied, it gradually was overlooked by newer staff members. Based on UI’s experience as the first provider of transnational program in Indonesia and other similar cases in China, seemingly transnational programs driven by short-term immediate financial return are unsuccessful in facilitating KT due to sensitivities to unfavourable economic situation. Those that remain operational and contribute to knowledge exchange between the partners apparently have genuine long-term engagement objective.

Indian students at QUT : expectations and experiences

India currently ranks among the top source countries for the Australian education industry and therefore, a better understanding of the concerns and challenges confronted by Indian students is essential. This study was undertaken to assess the needs and expectations of Indian students enrolled at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) that would inform the formulation of strategies to provide superior service to the current and future cohorts of students coming from India. Data collection was undertaken through surveys and focus group meetings. The findings reveal the acute need for more effective dissemination of information prior to the students commencing their programs on both academic and non-academic aspects of university life as well as the resources and support available at QUT. Usage of English in an academic setting, career related services, accommodation, and networking opportunities were identified as some of the key areas of concern by the participants.