Creative entrepreneurship education for graduate employability in the creative arts

The higher education sector in Australia is under increasing pressure to prove quality and efficacy of education provision, including graduate outcomes. One of the central tasks of higher education has become to prepare nascent professionals as far as possible for initial employment and future working lives beyond this (Boden & Nedeva, 2010). Tertiary educators in the creative arts face significant and distinctive challenges in demonstrating graduate employability, and creative graduates consistently have the poorest outcomes of any subject grouping. In part, this is because the national graduate destinations survey (Graduate Careers Council of Australia, 2012) does not cater to the distinctive ‘portfolio’ nature of creative careers, or take account of the fact that creative careers can take concerted effort over several years to establish (e.g., McCowan & Wyganowska, 2010). However, it is worth asking whether we as tertiary arts educators are doing enough to prepare creative arts students for the world of work, particularly given that the majority of them will be self-employed to some degree (Bureau of Labour Statistics, 2011, Throsby & Zednik, 2010), and will be challenged to build their own careers without recourse to the support of HR departments or intra-firm promotion schemes. It has been demonstrated empirically that career management and creative enterprise skills are among the most important graduate capabilities in determining early creative career success (Bridgstock, 2011), although these skills do not appear in the Learning and Teaching Academic Standards for the Creative and Performing Arts (2010). This paper explores the nature and development of enterprise capabilities for creative arts students (as distinct from students of the business school), examines best practice in the field internationally, and proposes a theoretically-driven creative arts-specific enterprise curriculum model which commences in first year, for demonstrable impact on student enterprise behaviours (such as grant seeking, professional networking and intention to start an enterprise) and employability.

An assessment of MMP and TIMP gene expression in cell lines and stroma : tumour differences in microdissected breast cancer biopsies

To examine matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP) mRNA levels in archival breast cancer biopsies, we employed microdissection to separate tumour tissue from the surrounding breast tissue, or stroma and RT-PCR to determine gross qualitative and small quantitative differences in the patterns of expression. In this study, a significant correlation (p < 0.05, by Mann-Whitney U analysis) between TIMP-2 expression and lymph node involvement was identified, while MMP-11 and TIMP-1 expression patterning also significantly (p < 0.05) differed between those tumours showing calcification and those that did not. When compared by Spearmans’ ρ correlation analysis, a significant association (p < 0.05, ρ = 0.404) was identified in the pattern of MMP-2 and MMP-9 gene expression. In this study, the use of microdissection and a systematic strategy of RT-PCR analysis have allowed us to investigate localized MMP and MMP inhibitor expression within breast tumours. We have identified patterns of gene expression that may further reveal aspects of breast carcinogenesis, and a robust method for examining changes in clinically important genes using archival biopsies and across stroma-tumour boundaries.

Impact of a school-based food garden on attitudes and identification skills regarding vegetables and fruit : a 12-month intervention trial

Objective To determine changes in ability to identify specific vegetables and fruits, and attitudes towards vegetables and fruit, associated with the introduction of a school-based food garden. Design A 12-month intervention trial using a historical control (control n 132, intervention n 120), class-based, self-administered questionnaires requiring one-word answers and 3-point Likert scale responses. Setting A state primary school (grades 4 to 7) in a low socio-economic area of Brisbane, Australia. Intervention The introduction of a school-based food garden, including the funding of a teacher coordinator for 11 h/week to facilitate integration of garden activities into the curriculum. Main outcome measures Ability to identify a series of vegetables and fruits, attitudes towards vegetables and fruit. Analysis Frequency distributions for each item were generated and χ2 analyses were used to determine statistical significance. Exploratory factor analysis was employed to detect major trends in data. Results The intervention led to enhanced ability to identify individual vegetables and fruits, greater attention to origins of produce (garden-grown and fresh), changes to perceived consumption of vegetables and fruits, and enhanced confidence in preparing fruit and vegetable snacks, but decreased interest in trying new fruits. Conclusions The introduction of this school-based food garden was associated with skill and attitudinal changes conducive to enhancing vegetable and fruit consumption. The ways in which such changes might impact on dietary behaviours and intake require further analysis.

Women from refugee backgrounds and their experiences of attending a specialist antenatal clinic : narratives from an Australian setting

Problem: In response to an identified need, a specialist antenatal clinic for women from refugee backgrounds was introduced in 2008, with an evaluation planned and completed in 2010. Question: Can maternity care experiences for women from refugee backgrounds, attending a specialist antenatal clinic in a tertiary Australian public hospital, be improved? Methods: The evaluation employed mixed methods, generating qualitative and quantitative data from two hospital databases, a chart audit, surveys and interviews with service users, providers and stakeholders. Contributions were received from 202 participants. Findings: The clinic was highly regarded by all participants. Continuity of care throughout the antenatal period was particularly valued by newly arrived women as it afforded them security and support to negotiate an unfamiliar Western maternity system. Positive experiences decreased however; as women transitioned from the clinic to labour and postnatal wards where they reported that their traditional birthing and recuperative practices were often interrupted by the imposition of Western biomedical notions of appropriate care. The centrally located clinic was problematic, frequently requiring complex travel arrangements. Appointment schedules often impacted negatively on traditional spousal and family obligations. Conclusions: Providing comprehensive and culturally responsive maternity care for women from refugee backgrounds is achievable, however it is also resource intensive. The production of translated information which is high quality in terms of production and content, whilst also taking account of languages which are only rarely encountered, is problematic. Cultural competency programmes for staff, ideally online, require regular updating in light of new knowledge and changing political sensitivities.

Two-stage power network reconfiguration strategy considering node importance and restored generation capacity

Network reconfiguration after complete blackout of a power system is an essential step for power system restoration. A new node importance evaluation method is presented based on the concept of regret, and maximisation of the average importance of a path is employed as the objective of finding the optimal restoration path. Then, a two-stage method is presented to optimise the network reconfiguration strategy. Specifically, the restoration sequence of generating units is first optimised so as to maximise the restored generation capacity, then the optimal restoration path is selected to restore the generating nodes concerned and the issues of selecting a serial or parallel restoration mode and the reconnecting failure of a transmission line are next considered. Both the restoration path selection and skeleton-network determination are implemented together in the proposed method, which overcomes the shortcoming of separate decision-making in the existing methods. Finally, the New England 10-unit 39-bus power system and the Guangzhou power system in South China are employed to demonstrate the basic features of the proposed method.

Organisational change stressor and nursing job satisfaction : the mediating effect of coping strategies

Aim To examine the mediating effect of coping strategies on the consequences of nursing and non-nursing (administrative) stressors on the job satisfaction of nurses during change management. Background Organisational change can result in an increase in nursing and nonnursing- related stressors, which can have a negative impact on the job satisfaction of nurses employed in health-care organisations. Method Matched data were collected in 2009 via an online survey at two timepoints (six months apart). Results Partial least squares path analysis revealed a significant causal relationship between Time 1 administrative and role stressors and an increase in nursing-specific stressors in Time 2. A significant relationship was also identified between job-specific nursing stressors and the adoption of effective coping strategies to deal with increased levels of change-induced stress and strain and the likelihood of reporting higher levels of job satisfaction in Time 2. Conclusions The effectiveness of coping strategies is critical in helping nurses to deal with the negative consequences of organisational change. Implications for nursing management This study shows that there is a causal relationship between change, non-nursing stressors and job satisfaction. Senior management should implement strategies aimed at reducing nursing and nonnursing stress during change in order to enhance the job satisfaction of nurses. Keywords: Australia, change management, job satisfaction, nursing and non-nursing stressors, public and non-profit sector

Porous graphene and nanomeshes

This chapter briefly introduces the concepts and modeling of gas/isotope separation by two dimensional carbon frameworks, i.e. porous graphene and carbon nanomeshes, on the basis of reviewing recent literatures. The small size of evenly distributed pores on these carbon frameworks make them ideal not only for the separation of small gas molecules but also for isotope separation by utilizing the different zero point energies induced by confinement of the pores. The related simulations were treated by transition state theory, an affordable yet precise method that could be adopted in combination with different levels of theory. Such method could be employed to evaluate the performance, as well as to aid the design, of other 2D carbon frameworks toward the goal of gas/isotope separation in the future.

Why ADR must be a mandatory subject in the law degree - the academy

The profession of law is deeply steeped in tradition and conservatism. The content and pedagogy employed in law faculties across Australia is similarly steeped in tradition and conservatism. Indeed, the practice of law and our institutions of legal education are in a relationship of mutual influence; a dénouement which preserves the best aspects of our common law legal system, but also leaves the way we educate, practice, and think about the role of law, resistant to change. In this article, we lay down a challenge to legal education orthodoxy and a call to arms for legal academic progressivists. It is our simple argument that alternative dispute resolution should be a compulsory, stand alone subject in the law degree. There has been traditional pushback against the notion that alternative dispute resolution should have a place amongst black letter law subjects in the legal curriculum. This position cannot be maintained in the modern day legal climate. We put forward ten simple arguments as to why every law student should be exposed to a semester long course of ADR instruction. With respect to relationships of mutual influence, whether legal education should assimilate the practise of law, or shape the practise of law makes no difference here. Both views necessitate the inclusion of ADR as a compulsory subject in the law degree.

School libraries and teacher-librarians : evidence of their contribution to student literacy and learning

International research provides compelling evidence that school libraries and teacher-librarians make a significant contribution to student literacy and learning outcomes. After summarising previous research, this article presents recent research focused on Gold Coast schools. These new Australian findings present an evidenced based snapshot of school libraries and teacher-librarians, from the principals’ perspective. They indicate that school NAPLAN scores for reading and writing were generally higher when student-to-library staff ratios were lower (i.e. better) and when the school employed a teacher-librarian. In light of the National Plan for School Improvement, the findings are of potential interest to education authorities, policy makers, school leadership teams, teacher-librarians, teachers, parents and researchers. They offer evidence to inform policy development and strategic planning for school libraries and professional staffing.

To what extent is the Mayer and Salovey (1997) model of emotional intelligence a useful predictor of leadership style and perceived leadership outcomes in Australian educational institutions?

Researchers have found that transformational leadership is related to positive outcomes in educational institutions. Hence, it is important to explore constructs that may predict leadership style in order to identify potential transformational leaders in assessment and selection procedures. Several studies in non-educational settings have found that emotional intelligence is a useful predictor of transformational leadership, but these studies have generally lacked methodological rigor and contextual relevance. This project, set in Australian educational institutions, employed a more rigorous methodology to answer the question: to what extent is the Mayer and Salovey (1997) model of emotional intelligence a useful predictor of leadership style and perceived leadership outcomes? The project was designed to move research in the field forward by using valid and reliable instruments, controlling for other predictors, obtaining an adequately sized sample of current leaders and collecting multiple ratings of their leadership behaviours. The study (N = 144 leaders and 432 raters) results indicated that emotional intelligence was not a useful predictor of leadership style and perceived leadership outcomes. In contrast, several of the other predictors in the study were found to predict leadership style.

Evidence for allelic association of the dopamine β-hydroxylase gene (DBH) with susceptibility to typical migraine

Migraine is a debilitating neurological disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of severe headache. The disorder is highly prevalent, affecting approximately 12% of Caucasian populations. It is well known that migraine has a strong genetic component, although the type and number of genes involved is not yet clear. However, the calcium channel gene, CACNA1A, on chromosome 19 contains mutations responsible for familial hemiplegic migraine, a rare and severe subtype of migraine. There is also evidence to suggest that serotonin- and dopamine-related genes may be involved in the pathogenesis of migraine. This study employed a linkage and association approach to investigate neurotransmitter-related migraine candidate genes. Polymorphisms within the dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) gene, serotonin transporter gene (SERT), and dopamine receptor gene (DRD2) were tested in 177 unrelated Caucasian migraineurs and 182 control individuals. In addition, an independent sample of 82 families affected with migraine was examined. Unrelated case-control association analysis of a DBH intragenic dinucleotide polymorphism indicated altered allelic distribution between migraine and control groups (L2=16.53, P=0.019). Furthermore, the transmission/disequilibrium test, which was implemented on the family data, also indicated distortion of allele transmission for the same DBH marker (L2=4.44, P=0.035). Together, these results provide evidence for allelic association of the DBH gene with typical migraine susceptibility (Fisher's combined P value=0.006) and indicate that further research into the role of the DBH gene in the etiology of migraine is warranted.

Residential care workers and residents : the New Zealand story

Aims To describe the nature and size of long-term residential care homes in New Zealand; funding of facilities; and the ethnic and gender composition of residents and residential care workers nationwide. Methods A postal, fax, and email survey of all long-term residential care homes in New Zealand. Results Completed surveys were received from an eligible 845 facilities (response rate: 55%). The majority of these (54%) facilities housed less than 30 residents. Of the 438 (94%) facilities completing the questions about residents’ ethnicity, 432 (99%) housed residents from New Zealand European (Pakeha) descent, 156 (33%) housed at least 1 Maori resident, 71 (15%) at least 1 Pacific (Islands) resident, and 61 (13%) housed at least 1 Asian resident. Facilities employed a range of ethnically diverse staff, with 66% reporting Maori staff. Less than half of all facilities employed Pacific staff (43%) and Asian staff (33%). Registered nursing staff were mainly between 46 and 60 years (47%), and healthcare assistant staff were mostly between 25 and 45 years old (52%). Wide regional variation in the ethnic make up of staff was reported. About half of all staff were reported to have moved within the previous 2 years. Conclusions The age and turnover of the residential care workforce suggests the industry continues to be under threat from staffing shortages. While few ethnic minority residents live in long-term care facilities, staff come from diverse backgrounds, especially in certain regions.

Lateral impact response and parametric studies of axially loaded square concrete filled steel tube columns

This paper presents a numerical study on the response of axially loaded slender square concrete filled steel tube (CFST) columns under low velocity lateral impact loading. A finite element analysis (FEA) model was developed using the explicit dynamic nonlinear finite element code LS -DYNA in which the strain rate effects of both steel and concrete, contact between steel tube and concrete and confinement effect provided by the steel tube for the concrete were considered. The model also benefited from a relatively recent feature of LS-DYNA for applying a pre-loading in the explicit solver. The developed numerical model was verified for its accuracy and adequacy by comparing the results with experimental results available in the literature. The verified model was then employed to conduct a parametric study to investigate the influence of axial load level, impact location, support conditions, and slenderness ratio on the response of the CFST columns. A good agreement between the numerical and experimental results was achieved. The model could reasonably predict the impact load-deflection history and deformed shape of the column at the end of the impact event. The results of the parametric study showed that whilst impact location, axial load level and slenderness ratio can have a significant effect on the peak impact force, residual lateral deflection and maximum lateral deflection, the influence of support fixity is minimal. With an increase of axial load to up to a certain level, the peak force increases; however, a further increase in the axial load causes a decrease in the peak force. Both residual lateral deflection and maximum lateral deflection increase as axial load level increases. Shifting the impact location towards the supports increases the peak force and reduces both residual and maximum lateral deflections. A rise in slenderness ratio decreases the peak force and increases the residual and maximum lateral deflections.

Early career teacher attrition: A case study of independent Catholic girls' schools in Queensland

This research study sought to understand why so many early career teachers in an Australian Religious Institute education sector were leaving teaching. Previous studies on early career teacher attrition across all sectors were based on supply and demand theory, as well as contemporary career theory, and identified various factors such as remuneration, student behaviour and school resourcing as influencing factors. These Australian Religious Institute education sector schools take pride in their good standing. The schools in this sector have worked at addressing many of the factors associated with early career teacher attrition yet despite their efforts they are also experiencing attrition of their early career teachers. A case study of the Queensland independent Catholic girls' school sector explored firstly, the construct of being a teacher in these schools, and secondly, the sociocultural discourses giving rise to unique situations contributing to early career teachers making the decision to leave teaching. Eight early career teachers who had left the profession for which they had recently trained, and eight long standing teachers who were still employed in the sector were interviewed to yield a rich data set. The interviews were conducted within a theoretical framework of what it means to be a teacher by Graham and Phelps (2003) and pedagogic identity and pedagogic practice as noted by Bernstein (2000). The distributive rules and the evaluative rules (Bernstein, 2000) provided the analytical framework to confirm that particular discourses, together with the ways in which the early career teachers realised being a teacher, were important factors in the decision not to remain in teaching. It emerged that being a teacher in the Queensland independent Catholic girls' school sector was complex and demanding. Being a teacher required long hours of personal time to realise the demands of teaching, a situation which did not fare well with the early career teachers who struggled to balance the requirements of teaching with their own personal time. Furthermore, evidence was found that the schools had multifaceted sociocultural discourses that the early career teacher research participants struggled to understand. In contrast, long standing teachers had, through time, experience and observation, developed skills that allowed them to navigate these complex discourses and thus remain long term in the sector. Another finding revealed the considerable dichotomy in how the charism of the schools (the unique way Catholic institutions transmit the beliefs and teachings of the Catholic Church) unfolded for students and staff. While these schools transmit their charism effectively to the students, it is ineffectively transmitted to early career teachers. In contemporary times when a majority of teachers in Australia are moving into their 50s and large numbers are retiring or resigning, (Australian Government, 2011; Australian Government Department of Education, 2007b) it is important for the long term viability of the independent Catholic school sector to retain a stable staff. This study demonstrates that if Catholic schools want to retain their unique identity in the education community and sustain their unique charisms, then they must adopt positive practices to support early career teachers.

Constructing the shitting citizen : the promise of scatological art as environmental and social activism

Art activism uses visual and performance art to promote social and environmental agendas. In this paper, I explore attempts to raise awareness of sanitation issues at the global, local and personal level using scatological art. I focus on the successes of the open-air public art exhibition set up in the Brisbane (Queensland, Australia) central business district to celebrate World Toilet Day in 2008. The art in this exhibition featured included one hundred toilets decorated to raise awareness of global sanitation issues and the distribution of promotional materials featuring scatological images including postcards and stickers. Given the subject matter and intent, the toilet art and promotional materials presented at the One Hundred Toilet exhibition can be seen as an example of scatological art employed for the purposes of social and environmental activism. Through the One Hundred Toilet exhibition, I consider the political aims and activist potential of using scatological art to progress social and environmental agendas and consider how this kind of ‘shit on show’ approach can contribute to the construction of the shitting citizen; one who is simultaneously responsible for and responsive to managing the waste that they produce and recognising and responding to broader sanitation issues.