Adult learning in a workplace context

In light of the changing nature of contemporary workplaces, this chapter attempts to identify employer expectations and the associated skills required to workers to function effectively in such workplaces. Workers are required to participate in informed discussion about their specific jobs and to contribute to the overall development of organisations. This requires deep understanding of domain-specific knowledge, which at times can be very complex. Workers are also required to take responsibility for their actions and are expected to be flexible so that they can be deployed to other related jobs depending on demand. Finally, workers are expected to be pro-active, be able to anticipate situations and continuously update their knowledge to address new situations. This chapter discusses the nature of knowledge and skills that will facilitate the above qualities.

Assurance of learning : the role of work integrated learning and industry partners

In the partnering with students and industry it is important for universities to recognize and value the nature of knowledge and learning that emanates from work integrated learning experiences is different to formal university based learning. Learning is not a by-product of work rather learning is fundamental to engaging in work practice. Work integrated learning experiences provide unique opportunities for students to integrate theory and practice through the solving of real world problems. This paper reports findings to date of a project that sought to identify key issues and practices faced by academics, industry partners and students engaged in the provision and experience of work integrated learning within an undergraduate creative industries program at a major metropolitan university. In this paper, those findings are focused on some of the particular qualities and issues related to the assessment of learning at and through the work integrated experience. The findings suggest that the assessment strategies needed to better value the knowledges and practices of the Creative Industries. The paper also makes recommendations about how industry partners might best contribute to the assessment of students’ developing capabilities and to continuous reflection on courses and the assurance of learning agenda.

Work integrated learning : an industry partners’ perspective

In recent years the Australian tertiary education sector may be said to be undergoing a vocational transformation. Vocationalism, that is, an emphasis on learning directed at work related outcomes is increasingly shaping the nature of tertiary education. This paper reports some findings to date of a project that seeks to identify the key issues faced by students, industry and university partners engaged in the provision of WIL within an undergraduate program offered by the Creative Industries faculty of a major metropolitan university. Here, those findings are focussed on some of the motivations and concerns of the industry partners who make their workplaces available for student internships. Businesses are not universities and do not perceive of themselves as primarily learning institutions. However, their perspectives of work integrated learning and their contributions to it need to understand more fully at practical and conceptual levels of learning provision. This paper and the findings presented here suggest that the diversity of industry partner motivations and concerns contributing to WIL provision requires that universities understand and appreciate those partners as contributors with them to a culture of learning provision and support. These industry partner contribution need to be understood as valuing work as learning, not work as something that needs to be integrated with learning to make that learning more authentic and thereby more vocational.

The mediating effects of the time structure on the relationships between time management behaviour, job satisfaction and psychological wellbeing

This article examined the relationship between time structure and Macan's process model of time management. This study proposed that time structure—‘appraisal of effective time usage’—would be a more parsimonious mediator than perceived control over time in the relationship between time management behaviours and outcome variables, such as job satisfaction and psychological well-being. Alternative structure models were compared using a sample of 111 university students. Model 1 tested Macan's process model of time management with perceived control over time as the mediator. Model 2 replaced perceived control over time by the construct of time structure. Model 3 examined the possibility of perceived control over time and time structure as being parallel mediators of the relationships between time management and outcomes. Results of this study showed that Model 1 and Model 2 fitted the data equally well. On the other hand, the mediated effects were small and partial in both models. This pattern of results calls for reassessment of the process model.

Investigating the process of teaching and learning principles through practice : a case study on collegiate action by media practitioners and teachers, designing a skills-based learning program

This paper in the journalism education field reports on the construction of a new subject as part of a postgraduate coursework degree. The subject, or unit1 will offer both Journalism students and other students an introductory experience of creating media, using common ‘new media’ tools, with exercises that will model the learning of communication principles through practice. It has been named ‘Fundamental Media Skills for the Workplace’. The conceptualisation and teaching of it will be characteristic of the Journalism academic discipline that uses the ‘inside perspective’—understanding mass media by observing from within. Proposers for the unit within the Journalism discipline have sought to extend the common teaching approach, based on training to produce start-ready recruits for media jobs, backed by a study of contexts, e.g. journalistic ethics, or media audiences. In this proposal, students would then examine the process to elicit additional knowledge about their learning. The paper draws on literature of journalism and its pedagogy, and on communication generally. It also documents a ‘community of practice’ exercise conducted among practitioners as teachers for the subject, developing exercises and models of media work. A preliminary conclusion from that exercise is that it has taken a step towards enhancing skills-based learning for media work, as a portal to more generalised knowledge.

In situ preparation and protein delivery of silicate/alginate composite microspheres with core-shell structure

It is predicted that with increased life expectancy in the developed world, there will be a greater demand for synthetic materials to repair or regenerate lost, injured or diseased bone (Hench & Thompson 2010). There are still few synthetic materials having true bone inductivity, which limits their application for bone regeneration, especially in large-size bone defects. To solve this problem, growth factors, such as bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), have been incorporated into synthetic materials in order to stimulate de novo bone formation in the center of large-size bone defects. The greatest obstacle with this approach is that the rapid diffusion of the protein from the carrier material, leading to a precipitous loss of bioactivity; the result is often insufficient local induction or failure of bone regeneration (Wei et al. 2007). It is critical that the protein is loaded in the carrier material in conditions which maintains its bioactivity (van de Manakker et al. 2009). For this reason, the efficient loading and controlled release of a protein from a synthetic material has remained a significant challenge. The use of microspheres as protein/drug carriers has received considerable attention in recent years (Lee et al. 2010; Pareta & Edirisinghe 2006; Wu & Zreiqat 2010). Compared to macroporous block scaffolds, the chief advantage of microspheres is their superior protein-delivery properties and ability to fill bone defects with irregular and complex shapes and sizes. Upon implantation, the microspheres are easily conformed to the irregular implant site, and the interstices between the particles provide space for both tissue and vascular ingrowth, which are important for effective and functional bone regeneration (Hsu et al. 1999). Alginates are natural polysaccharides and their production does not have the implicit risk of contamination with allo or xeno-proteins or viruses (Xie et al. 2010). Because alginate is generally cytocompatible, it has been used extensively in medicine, including cell therapy and tissue engineering applications (Tampieri et al. 2005; Xie et al. 2010; Xu et al. 2007). Calcium cross-linked alginate hydrogel is considered a promising material as a delivery matrix for drugs and proteins, since its gel microspheres form readily in aqueous solutions at room temperature, eliminating the need for harsh organic solvents, thereby maintaining the bioactivity of proteins in the process of loading into the microspheres (Jay & Saltzman 2009; Kikuchi et al. 1999). In addition, calcium cross-linked alginate hydrogel is degradable under physiological conditions (Kibat PG et al. 1990; Park K et al. 1993), which makes alginate stand out as an attractive candidate material for the protein carrier and bone regeneration (Hosoya et al. 2004; Matsuno et al. 2008; Turco et al. 2009). However, the major disadvantages of alginate microspheres is their low loading efficiency and also rapid release of proteins due to the mesh-like networks of the gel (Halder et al. 2005). Previous studies have shown that a core-shell structure in drug/protein carriers can overcome the issues of limited loading efficiencies and rapid release of drug or protein (Chang et al. 2010; Molvinger et al. 2004; Soppimath et al. 2007). We therefore hypothesized that introducing a core-shell structure into the alginate microspheres could solve the shortcomings of the pure alginate. Calcium silicate (CS) has been tested as a biodegradable biomaterial for bone tissue regeneration. CS is capable of inducing bone-like apatite formation in simulated body fluid (SBF) and its apatite-formation rate in SBF is faster than that of Bioglass® and A-W glass-ceramics (De Aza et al. 2000; Siriphannon et al. 2002). Titanium alloys plasma-spray coated with CS have excellent in vivo bioactivity (Xue et al. 2005) and porous CS scaffolds have enhanced in vivo bone formation ability compared to porous β-tricalcium phosphate ceramics (Xu et al. 2008). In light of the many advantages of this material, we decided to prepare CS/alginate composite microspheres by combining a CS shell with an alginate core to improve their protein delivery and mineralization for potential protein delivery and bone repair applications

An investigation of the effect of individual cognitive preferences on learning through computer-based instruction

This paper reports a study investigating the effect of individual cognitive styles on learning through computer-based instruction. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design involving four groups which were presented with instructional material that either matched or mismatched with their preferred cognitive styles. Cognitive styles were measured by cognitive style assessment software (Riding, 1991). The instructional material was designed to cater for the four cognitive styles identified by Riding. Students' learning outcomes were measured by the time taken to perform test tasks and the number of marks scored. The results indicate no significant difference between the matched and mismatched groups on both time taken and scores on test tasks. However, there was significant difference between the four cognitive styles on test score. The Wholist/Verbaliser group performed better then all other groups. There was no significant difference between the other groups. An analysis of the performance on test task by each cognitive style showed significant difference between the groups on recall, labelling and explanation. Difference between the cognitive style groups did not reach significance level for problem-solving tasks. The findings of the study indicate a potential for cognitive style to influence learning outcomes measured by performance on test tasks.

Cognitive load and assembly tasks : effect of instructional formats on learning assembly procedures

The study investigated the effect on learning of four different instructional formats used to teach assembly procedures. Cognitive load and spatial information processing theories were used to generate the instructional material. The first group received a physical model to study, the second an isometric drawing, the third an isometric drawing plus a model and the fourth an orthographic drawing. Forty secondary school students were presented with the four different instructional formats and subsequently tested on an assembly task. The findings indicated that there may be evidence to argue that the model format which only required encoding of an already constructed three dimensional representation, caused less extraneous cognitive load compared to the isometric and the orthographic formats. No significant difference was found between the model and the isometric-plus-model formats on all measures because 80% of the students in the isometric-plus-model format chose to use the model format only. The model format also did not differ significantly from other groups in total time taken to complete the assembly, in number of correctly assembled pieces and in time spent on studying the tasks. However, the model group had significantly more correctly completed models and required fewer extra looks than the other groups.

Cognitive load and mental rotation : structuring orthographic projection for learning and problem solving

Cognitive load theory was used to generate a series of three experiments to investigate the effects of various worked example formats on learning orthographic projection. Experiments 1 and 2 investigated the benefits of presenting problems, conventional worked examples incorporating the final 2-D and 3-D representations only, and modified worked examples with several intermediate stages of rotation between the 2-D and 3-D representations. Modified worked examples proved superior to conventional worked examples without intermediate stages while conventional worked examples were, in turn, superior to problems. Experiment 3 investigated the consequences of varying the number and location of intermediate stages in the rotation trajectory and found three stages to be superior to one. A single intermediate stage was superior when nearer the 2-D than the 3-D end of the trajectory. It was concluded that (a) orthographic projection is learned best using worked examples with several intermediate stages and that (b) a linear relation between angle of rotation and problem difficulty did not hold for orthographic projection material. Cognitive load theory could be used to suggest the ideal location of the intermediate stages.

Computer assisted instruction and individual cognitive style preferences in learning : does it matter?

This paper reports the findings of a pilot study aimed at improving learning outcomes from Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI). The study involved second year nursing students at the Queensland University of Technology. Students were assessed for their preferred cognitive style and presented with either matched or mismatched instructional material. The instructional material was developed in accordance with four cognitive styles (Riding & Cheema, 1991). The findings indicate groups that received instructional material which matched their preferred cognitive style, possibly, performed better than groups that received mismatched instructional material. The matched group was particularly better in the explanation and problem solving tasks.

Restructuring instructional material in vocational education to enhance learning

This paper reviews research findings regarding the design of instructional material and its effectiveness in facilitating learning. Firstly, a discussion of memory processes engaged in when learning from different types of instructional material is presented. Secondly, referring to empirical research, the implications of the above discussion for vocational education instruction, and in particular, for engineering graphics, CNC programming and learning to use equipment from manuals are presented.

Acknowledging social justice and equity through good practice for monitoring student learning engagement in FYE

As higher education institutions respond to government targets to widen participation, their student populations will become increasingly diverse, and the issues around student success and retention will be more closely scrutinised. The concept of student engagement is a key factor in student achievement and retention and Australasian institutions have a range of initiatives aimed at monitoring and intervening with students who are at risk of disengaging. Within the widening participation agenda, it is absolutely critical that these initiatives are designed to enable success for all students, particularly those for whom social and cultural disadvantage have been a barrier. Consequently, for the sector, initiatives of this type must be consistent with the concept of social justice and a set of principles would provide this foundation. This session will provide an opportunity for participants to examine a draft set of principles and to discuss their potential value for the participants’ institutional contexts.

Scaffolding large units for small group collaborative learning : a case study.

Undergraduates working in teams can be a problematic endeavour, sometimes exacerbated for the student by poor prior experiences, a predisposition to an individual orientation of assessment, and simply the busyness that now typifies the life of a student. But effort in pedagogical design is worthwhile where team work is often a prerequisite in terms of graduate capabilities, robust learning, increased motivation, and indeed in terms of equipping individuals for emergent knowledge-age work practice, often epitomised by collaborative effort in both blended and virtual contexts. Through an iterative approach, based extensively on the established literature, we have developed a successful scaffold which is workable with a large cohort group (n >800), such that it affords students the lived experience of being a part of a learning network. Individuals within teams work together, to develop individual components that are subsequently aggregated and reified to an overall team knowledge artefact. We describe our case and propose a pedagogical model of scaffolding based on three perspectives: conceptual, rule-based and community-driven. This model provides designers with guidelines for producing and refining assessment tasks for team-based learning.

The role of digressive learning and uniqueness on performance : longitudinal evidence from young firms

The ability to differentiate from competitors through the selection of unique offerings is an important cornerstone of competitive performance. Developing unique products and services to offer in the marketplace is not only important for established firms, but also an important strategic choice for young firms (Baum and Haveman, 1997). Unlike large and established firms, young firms tend to have less access to adequate resources, well-developed sources of information, contact networks, and considerable experience and management know-how. That is, these firms differ significantly in their attributes and performance from larger and well-established firms (c.f. Miller and Chen, 1994). Although young firms are disadvantaged by the paucity of resources in putting together its unique product offering(s), they develop different pathways in advancing their assortment of capabilities that enables them to stay ahead of competitors.

Variable structure control for power systems stabilization

The application of variable structure control (VSC) for power systems stabilization is studied in this paper. It is the application, aspects and constraints of VSC which are of particular interest. A variable structure control methodology has been proposed for power systems stabilization. The method is implemented using thyristor controlled series compensators. A three machine power system is stabilized using a switching line control for large disturbances which becomes a sliding control as the disturbance becomes smaller. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the methodology proposed as an useful tool to suppress the oscillations in power systems.