Affiliation, autonomy and assessment for learning

Assessment for Learning (AfL) is an international assessment area of interest, yet, during 20 years of AfL research, the desired outcome of increased learner autonomy remains elusive. This article analyses AfL practices in classrooms as students negotiated identities as autonomous learners within a classroom community of practice. A sociocultural theoretical framework in formed the analysis of three case studies conducted in Queensland middle school classrooms. Key findings include the importance of the teacher–student relationship, viewing AfL as patterns of participation that develop expertise, and learner autonomy as a negotiated learner identity within each classroom context.

Developing the Pattern and Structure Assessment (PASA) interview to inform early mathematics learning

The Pattern and Structure Mathematical Awareness Program(PASMAP) stems from a 2-year longitudinal study on students’ early mathematical development. The paper outlines the interview assessment the Pattern and Structure Assessment(PASA) designed to describe students’ awareness of mathematical pattern and structure across a range of concepts. An overview of students’ performance across items and descriptions of their structural development are described.

Capstones : transitions and professional identity

The literature identifies transition as a key objective for capstone experiences. Capstones should take account of the particular needs of final year students by assisting them to transition from their student to their professional identity. The authors are currently completing an Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) funded project, “Curriculum Renewal in Legal Education: articulating final year curriculum design principles and a final year program”, which seeks to achieve curriculum renewal for legal education in the Australian context through the articulation of a set of curriculum design principles for the final year and the design of a transferable model for an effective final year program. The project has investigated the contemporary role of capstones in assisting transition out by reviewing the relevant literature and considering feedback from a project reference group, a final year student focus group and a recent graduate’s focus group. Analysis of this extensive research- and evidence-base suggests that capstone experiences should support transition through: • Assisting students to develop a sense of professional identity; • Consolidating students’ lifelong learning skills; • Providing opportunities for consolidation of career development and planning processes; • Enabling students to enhance professional skills and competencies; and • Preparing students as ethical citizens and leaders. This paper will examine the role of capstones in assisting students to transition to their professional identity and will propose learning and teaching approaches and assessment of learning methods that support transition out.

Post-operative CT assessment of interbody fusion two years after thoracoscopic scoliosis surgery

The relationship between radiologic union and clinical outcome in thoracoscopic scoliosis surgery is not clear, as apparent non-union of a spinal fusion does not always correspond to a poor clinical result. The aim of this study was to evaluate CT fusion rates 2yrs after thoracoscopic surgery, and to explore the relationship between fusion scores and rod diameter, graft type, fusion level, implant failure, and lateral position in the disc space. This study suggests that moderate fusion scores secure successful clinical outcomes in thoracoscopic scoliosis surgery.

Closing the loop 21st century style : providing feedback on written assessment via MP3 recordings

Feedback on student performance, whether in the classroom or on written assignments, enables them to reflect on their understandings and restructure their thinking in order to develop more powerful ideas and capabilities. Research has identified a number of broad principles of good feedback practice. These include the provision of feedback that facilitates the development of reflection in learning; helps clarify what good performance is in terms of goals, criteria and expected standards; provides opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance; delivers high quality information to students about their learning; and encourages positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem. However, high staff–student ratios and time pressures often result in a gulf between this ideal and reality. Whilst greater use of criteria referenced assessment has enabled an improvement in the extent of feedback being provided to students, this measure alone does not go far enough to satisfy the requirements of good feedback practice. Technology offers an effective and efficient means by which personalised feedback may be provided to students. This paper presents the findings of a trial of the use of the freely available Audacity program to provide individual feedback via MP3 recordings to final year Media Law students at the Queensland University of Technology on their written assignments. The trial has yielded wide acclaim by students as an effective means of explaining the exact reasons why they received the marks they were awarded, the things they did well and the areas needing improvement. It also showed that good feedback practice can be achieved without the burden of an increase in staff workload.

Cellulosic ethanol from sugarcane bagasse in Australia : exploring industry feasibility through systems analysis, techno-economic assessment and pilot plant development

Overcoming many of the constraints to early stage investment in biofuels production from sugarcane bagasse in Australia requires an understanding of the complex technical, economic and systemic challenges associated with the transition of established sugar industry structures from single product agri-businesses to new diversified multi-product biorefineries. While positive investment decisions in new infrastructure requires technically feasible solutions and the attainment of project economic investment thresholds, many other systemic factors will influence the investment decision. These factors include the interrelationships between feedstock availability and energy use, competing product alternatives, technology acceptance and perceptions of project uncertainty and risk. This thesis explores the feasibility of a new cellulosic ethanol industry in Australia based on the large sugarcane fibre (bagasse) resource available. The research explores industry feasibility from multiple angles including the challenges of integrating ethanol production into an established sugarcane processing system, scoping the economic drivers and key variables relating to bioethanol projects and considering the impact of emerging technologies in improving industry feasibility. The opportunities available from pilot scale technology demonstration are also addressed. Systems analysis techniques are used to explore the interrelationships between the existing sugarcane industry and the developing cellulosic biofuels industry. This analysis has resulted in the development of a conceptual framework for a bagassebased cellulosic ethanol industry in Australia and uses this framework to assess the uncertainty in key project factors and investment risk. The analysis showed that the fundamental issue affecting investment in a cellulosic ethanol industry from sugarcane in Australia is the uncertainty in the future price of ethanol and government support that reduces the risks associated with early stage investment is likely to be necessary to promote commercialisation of this novel technology. Comprehensive techno-economic models have been developed and used to assess the potential quantum of ethanol production from sugarcane in Australia, to assess the feasibility of a soda-based biorefinery at the Racecourse Sugar Mill in Mackay, Queensland and to assess the feasibility of reducing the cost of production of fermentable sugars from the in-planta expression of cellulases in sugarcane in Australia. These assessments show that ethanol from sugarcane in Australia has the potential to make a significant contribution to reducing Australia’s transportation fuel requirements from fossil fuels and that economically viable projects exist depending upon assumptions relating to product price, ethanol taxation arrangements and greenhouse gas emission reduction incentives. The conceptual design and development of a novel pilot scale cellulosic ethanol research and development facility is also reported in this thesis. The establishment of this facility enables the technical and economic feasibility of new technologies to be assessed in a multi-partner, collaborative environment. As a key outcome of this work, this study has delivered a facility that will enable novel cellulosic ethanol technologies to be assessed in a low investment risk environment, reducing the potential risks associated with early stage investment in commercial projects and hence promoting more rapid technology uptake. While the study has focussed on an exploration of the feasibility of a commercial cellulosic ethanol industry from sugarcane in Australia, many of the same key issues will be of relevance to other sugarcane industries throughout the world seeking diversification of revenue through the implementation of novel cellulosic ethanol technologies.

A descriptive approach for power system stability and security assessment

Power system dynamic analysis and security assessment are becoming more significant today due to increases in size and complexity from restructuring, emerging new uncertainties, integration of renewable energy sources, distributed generation, and micro grids. Precise modelling of all contributed elements/devices, understanding interactions in detail, and observing hidden dynamics using existing analysis tools/theorems are difficult, and even impossible. In this chapter, the power system is considered as a continuum and the propagated electomechanical waves initiated by faults and other random events are studied to provide a new scheme for stability investigation of a large dimensional system. For this purpose, the measured electrical indices (such as rotor angle and bus voltage) following a fault in different points among the network are used, and the behaviour of the propagated waves through the lines, nodes, and buses is analyzed. The impact of weak transmission links on a progressive electromechanical wave using energy function concept is addressed. It is also emphasized that determining severity of a disturbance/contingency accurately, without considering the related electromechanical waves, hidden dynamics, and their properties is not secure enough. Considering these phenomena takes heavy and time consuming calculation, which is not suitable for online stability assessment problems. However, using a continuum model for a power system reduces the burden of complex calculations

Interim bills and costs assessment : was the application in or out of time?

This article examines the decision in Turner v Mitchells Solicitors [2011] QDC 61 and the issue whether an application for assessment of costs under an interim bill at the time of a final bill is subject to the usual 12-month restriction.

Enhancing Sustainability Deliverables for Infrastructure Project Delivery

Despite an increasing highlight on the sustainability agenda by the construction industry, sustainable development is often treated with different philosophy, interpretation, and responsibility at various stages of project development by various stakeholders involved. The actual sustainability deliverables from the industry is not substantially tangible, especially at project levels. For infrastructure projects which typically span over long periods of time, achieving consistent sustainability outcomes during various stages of development remains as a formidable task. The absence of common understanding among stakeholders and the lack of appropriate sustainability reporting mechanism are possible causes. Many policies dealing with these issues tend to be too generic and broad-based for practical adaptation. While there had been a plenty of research initiatives on sustainability assessment, there is often a gap between sustainability deliverables during project implementation and the grandeur of promises during project conception. This paper reviews the historical context of sustainable development and its principles, and past studies on sustainable construction, focusing on infrastructure projects. It goes on to introduce a QUT research project aimed at identifying and integrating the different perceptions and priority needs of the stakeholders, along with identifying issues that impact on the gap between sustainability foci and its actual realization at project end level, in order to generate a framework of enhancing sustainable deliverables. It is expected that the research will help promote more integrated approaches to decision-making on the implementation of sustainability strategies and foci during the construction project delivery processes.

Peer state assessment of TxDOT maintenance program and practices, part II : test section survey findings and recommendations

This paper presents a road survey as part of a workshop conducted by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to evaluate and improve the maintenance practices of the Texas highway system. Directors of maintenance from six peer states (California, Kansas, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, and Washington) were invited to this 3-day workshop. One of the important parts of this workshop was a Maintenance Test Section Survey (MTSS) to evaluate a number of pre-selected one-mile roadway sections. The workshop schedule allowed half a day to conduct the field survey and 34 sections were evaluated. Each of the evaluators was given a booklet and asked to rate the selected road sections. The goals of the MTSS were to: 1. Assess the threshold level at which maintenance activities are required as perceived by the evaluators from the peer states; 2. Assess the threshold level at which maintenance activities are required as perceived by evaluators from other TxDOT districts; and 3. Perform a pilot evaluation of the MTSS concept. This paper summarizes the information obtained from survey and discusses the major findings based on a statistical analysis of the data and comments from the survey participants.

Peer state assessment of TxDOT maintenance program and practices, part I : workshop findings and recommendations

To assess and improve their practices, and thus ensure the future excellence of the Texas highway system, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) sought a forum in which experts from other State Departments of Transportation could evaluate the TxDOT maintenance program and practices based on their expertise. To meet this need, a Peer State Review of TxDOT Maintenance Practices project was organized and conducted by the Center for Transportation Research (CTR) at The University of Texas at Austin. CTR researchers, along with TxDOT staff, conducted a workshop to present TxDOT’s maintenance practices to the visiting peer reviewers and invite their feedback. Directors of maintenance from six different states—California, Kansas, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina, and Washington—participated in the workshop. CTR and TxDOT worked together to design a questionnaire with 15 key questions to capture the peers’ opinions on maintenance program and practices. This paper compiles and summarizes this information. The examination results suggested that TxDOT should use a more state-wide approach to funding and planning, in addition to funding and planning for each district separately. Additionally, the peers recommended that criteria such as condition and level of service of the roadways be given greater weight in the funding allocation than lane miles or vehicle miles traveled (VMT). The Peer Reviewers also determined that TxDOT maintenance employee experience and communications were strong assets. Additional strengths included the willingness of TxDOT to invite peer reviews of their practices and a willingness to consider opportunities for improvement.

Enhancing Chinese TEFL academics' research performance : necessity and urgency

China’s increasing participation in world affairs and the growing popularity of English as a lingua franca have made significant impact on Chinese society, culture and education. As such, considerable research topics in relation to English require TEFL researchers’ attentions. Additionally, higher education reform in China has created higher demand on academics by stressing research as an important element in academics’ assessment. Recurrent rhetoric in the field of TEFL also calls on practitioners to theorise their practice. All these practical needs and theoretical arguments point to the necessity and significance of TEFL academics’ engagement in research. To find out whether Chinese TEFL academics’ research meet the new demand on them, a survey of TEFL academics at three Chinese higher institutions was conducted. One hundred eighty two of them provided valid responses which were analysed using SPSS. It was found that TEFL academics’ research productivity in each category of research products was quite low. Large percentages of them did not produce any item in the investigated categories of research. They were least productive in conference papers and research products at the national level. However for these least productive categories, there were highly-productive TEFL academics. The categories of research where the TEFL academics were found relatively productive were non-core journal articles and provincial projects. The findings suggest that it is necessary and urgent for Chinese TEFL academics to enhance their research productivity to be able to meet the demand that new era has rendered.