Renewing the Sustainable Energy Curriculum : Curriculum Frameworks and Guidance for Course Delivery

This guide is to support institutions in developing and teaching tertiary level programmes for sustainable energy professionals. Ongoing curriculum renewal is more difficult but vital for multidisciplinary courses preparing graduates to work in a specialised rapidly changing field. After more than 15 years of offering tertiary level “sustainable energy” qualifications in Australian Universities there was a clear need to assess how these courses are taught and develop curriculum frameworks to guide Universities designing/redesigning programs and courses to provide graduates with the relevant skills, knowledge and attributes (capabilities) seen by graduates and employers as required to work in this rapidly changing field. This guide presents the sustainable energy curriculum frameworks developed by the “Renewing the sustainable energy curriculum – providing internationally relevant skills for a carbon constrained economy” project, which was conducted over a two-and-a-quarter year period.

The elaboration likelihood model : review, critique and research agenda

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review, critique and develop a research agenda for the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM). The model was introduced by Petty and Cacioppo over three decades ago and has been modified, revised and extended. Given modern communication contexts, it is appropriate to question the model’s validity and relevance. Design/methodology/approach: The authors develop a conceptual approach, based on a fully comprehensive and extensive review and critique of ELM and its development since its inception. Findings: This paper focuses on major issues concerning the ELM. These include model assumptions and its descriptive nature; continuum questions, multi-channel processing and mediating variables before turning to the need to replicate the ELM and to offer recommendations for its future development. Research limitations/implications: This paper offers a series of questions in terms of research implications. These include whether ELM could or should be replicated, its extension, a greater conceptualization of argument quality, an explanation of movement along the continuum and between central and peripheral routes to persuasion, or to use new methodologies and technologies to help better understanding consume thinking and behaviour? All these relate to the current need to explore the relevance of ELM in a more modern context. Practical implications: It is time to question the validity and relevance of the ELM. The diversity of on- and off-line media options and the variants of consumer choice raise significant issues. Originality/value: While the ELM model continues to be widely cited and taught as one of the major cornerstones of persuasion, questions are raised concerning its relevance and validity in 21st century communication contexts.

Assembly and disassembly of temporary public spaces : establishing the theoretical needs

Contemporary cities no longer offer the same types of permanent environments that we planned for in the latter part of the twentieth century. Our public spaces are increasingly temporary, transient, and ephemeral. The theories, principles and tactics with which we designed these spaces in the past are no longer appropriate. We need a new theory for understanding the creation, use, and reuse of temporary public space. Moe than a theory, we need new architectural tactics or strategies that can be reliably employed to create successful temporary public spaces. This paper will present ongoing research that starts that process through critical review and technical analysis of existing and historic temporary public spaces. Through the analysis of a number of public spaces, that were either designed for temporary use or became temporary through changing social conditions, this research identifies the tactics and heuristics used in such projects. These tactics and heuristics are then analysed to extract some broader principles for the design of temporary public space. The theories of time related building layers, a model of environmental sustainability, and the recycling of social meaning, are all explored. The paper will go on to identify a number of key questions that need to be explored and addressed by a theory for such developments: How can we retain social meaning in the fabric of the city and its public spaces while we disassemble it and recycle it into new purposes? What role will preservation have in the rapidly changing future; will exemplary temporary spaces be preserved and thereby become no longer temporary? Does the environmental advantage of recycling materials, components and spaces outweigh the removal or social loss of temporary public space? This research starts to identify the knowledge gaps and proposes a number of strategies for making public space in the age of temporary, recyclable, and repurposing of our urban infrastructure; a way of creating lighter, cheaper, quicker, and temporary interventions.

Influence of practice setting on contact lens prescribing in the United Kingdom

We sought to determine the impact of optometric practice setting on contact lens prescribing by analysing annual survey data of lens fits collected between 2009 and 2013 from independent and national group practices throughout the United Kingdom. Compared to national group practices, independent practices fit contact lenses to older patients and more females. Independent practices also undertake a lower proportion of soft lens fits overall (and thus a higher proportion of rigid lens fits), soft toric lens fits and daily disposable lens fits. There is a higher proportion of soft extended wear and multifocal lens fits in independent practices. We conclude that contact lens fitting behaviour is influenced by optometric practice setting.

Conformational Spread in the Flagellar Motor Switch: A Model Study

The reliable response to weak biological signals requires that they be amplified with fidelity. In E. coli, the flagellar motors that control swimming can switch direction in response to very small changes in the concentration of the signaling protein CheY-P, but how this works is not well understood. A recently proposed allosteric model based on cooperative conformational spread in a ring of identical protomers seems promising as it is able to qualitatively reproduce switching, locked state behavior and Hill coefficient values measured for the rotary motor. In this paper we undertook a comprehensive simulation study to analyze the behavior of this model in detail and made predictions on three experimentally observable quantities: switch time distribution, locked state interval distribution, Hill coefficient of the switch response. We parameterized the model using experimental measurements, finding excellent agreement with published data on motor behavior. Analysis of the simulated switching dynamics revealed a mechanism for chemotactic ultrasensitivity, in which cooperativity is indispensable for realizing both coherent switching and effective amplification. These results showed how cells can combine elements of analog and digital control to produce switches that are simultaneously sensitive and reliable. © 2012 Ma et al.

Directional persistence and the optimality of run-and-tumble chemotaxis

E. coli does chemotaxis by performing a biased random walk composed of alternating periods of swimming (runs) and reorientations (tumbles). Tumbles are typically modelled as complete directional randomisations but it is known that in wild type E. coli, successive run directions are actually weakly correlated, with a mean directional difference of ∼63°. We recently presented a model of the evolution of chemotactic swimming strategies in bacteria which is able to quantitatively reproduce the emergence of this correlation. The agreement between model and experiments suggests that directional persistence may serve some function, a hypothesis supported by the results of an earlier model. Here we investigate the effect of persistence on chemotactic efficiency, using a spatial Monte Carlo model of bacterial swimming in a gradient, combined with simulations of natural selection based on chemotactic efficiency. A direct search of the parameter space reveals two attractant gradient regimes, (a) a low-gradient regime, in which efficiency is unaffected by directional persistence and (b) a high-gradient regime, in which persistence can improve chemotactic efficiency. The value of the persistence parameter that maximises this effect corresponds very closely with the value observed experimentally. This result is matched by independent simulations of the evolution of directional memory in a population of model bacteria, which also predict the emergence of persistence in high-gradient conditions. The relationship between optimality and persistence in different environments may reflect a universal property of random-walk foraging algorithms, which must strike a compromise between two competing aims: exploration and exploitation. We also present a new graphical way to generally illustrate the evolution of a particular trait in a population, in terms of variations in an evolvable parameter.

Balancing the books : an assessment of financial stress associated with social work and human service student placements

This report presents the findings from a study of the financial impact of work-integrated learning commonly referred to as 'placement' among social work and human services students. Based on a survey of 214 respondants, 14 in-depth interviews and two focus groups, the findings indicate that two thirds of the surveyed group felt tired and anxious about their experience of balancing paid work and placement, with 2 in 5 reporting their learning experience was compromised as a result. The significant implications and potential solutions are also discussed.

A New Start? : Implications of Work for the Dole on Mental Health of Unemployed Young Australians

This paper summarises literature on unemployment, mental health and Work for the Dole programs. Australian and international evidence suggests that unemployed young people are more likely to experience mental health problems than employed people (e.g. greater anxiety and depression, higher suicide rates). Drawing on research undertaken in Australia and overseas we identify a link between mental health and unemployment. However, there is a lack of firm evidence with respect to the impact of Work for the Dole programs on the mental health of unemployed young Australians. There is the possibility that with the Australian Government's proposed expansion of the program any benefits of Work for the Dole on mental health of young unemployed people could be diminished or lost. There is a clear need for more research in this area.

Live from the Sydney Opera House: Remote musical interactions for teacher professional development

A significant challenge for the implementation of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts is the professional development of primary school teachers in all parts of the country. During 2012, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) conducted a remote music professional development workshop as part of the Sydney Opera House’s Digital Education Program for teachers in New South Wales using the Department of Education’s Connected Classroom system which allows live synchronous interaction between facilitators and participants in multiple sites. In this article, we analyse observational and videotape data collected during this live professional development event to consider the opportunities and challenges presented by this type of professional learning experience in the arts. In particular, consideration is given to the impact of a remote musical interaction on embodied learning and aesthetic experience. We draw on actor-network theory to consider the ways in which a remote professional development experience differs to one in which all participants are present in the same space. Finally, we conclude that although there are significant differences in the type of learning that occurs in a remote music interaction, the online space provides a legitimate and potentially transforming experience for primary school teachers.

Past, present and the evolving future of public health and health promotion: Reflections on dismantling in Queensland Australia

Objective For more than ten years the public health and health promotion workforce in the Australian state of Queensland grew dramatically. This growth was most pronounced in the disciplines of Health Promotion and in Public Health Nutrition, both regionally and corporately. In 2012 political change led to an abrupt dismantling of its public and preventive health services across the state. Individual responsibility was declared. Method This presentation provides a qualitative narrative description of past achievements and activities, the current situation and provides a perspective towards the future. Findings Government reports over several years described the growing burden of chronic disease arising from conditions such as obesity, physical inactivity, and poor nutrition in Queensland. By 2008, obesity had overtaken smoking as the single greatest risk factor to the health of Queenslanders. In 2010, the Chief Health Officer called for an increased focus on prevention to address the continuing need for more beds in hospitals. However, with political change in 2012 resulted in the dismantling and dismissal of preventive health services across the state. The following year, despite outcry, sexual health services were also axed. At present, outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases such as measles are occurring. The epidemics of chronic disease, obesity and physical inactivity continue to grow. Conclusion The evolution of public health is not necessarily progressive, but cyclic. Challenges include political change, health practice and the interplay of health policy. A lack of an embedded emphasis on systematic review translation is one potential contributor. Perhaps the warning of Lang & Rayner should be heeded: “public health proponents have allowed themselves to be corralled into the narrow language of individualism and choice”.

Caught in the headlights: Designing for creative learning and teaching in higher education

This study was an exploration of the different ways that educators conceptualise and approach creative learning and teaching. The research revealed theoretical and practice-based insights, demonstrating that exemplary teachers adopt an ecological approach to designing for student creativity; this approach acknowledges and works with the complexity of the higher education environment and the dynamic relationships between students, peers and teachers. The inquiry confirmed the value of using learning design patterns to uncover hidden creative processes.

The invisibility cloak of creativity

There is often a gap between teaching beliefs and actual practice, between ‘what is valued and what is taught’ (Jones, 2009, p. 175). This may be particularly true when it comes to teaching creatively and teaching for creativity in higher education. This lack of congruence is not necessarily due to a lack of awareness about what is possible, or the desire to enact change in this domain. It may, however, be due to a mix of less easily manipulated contextual factors (environmental, socio-cultural, political and economic), and a lack of discourse (Jackson, 2006) around the problem...

What is the impact of research funding on research productivity?

A research protocol for our prospective study of research funding. How much research funding improves research productivity is a question that has relevance for all funding agencies and governments around the world. Previous studies have used observational data that compares productivity between winners of different amounts of funding, but researchers who win lots of funding are usually very different from those who win little or no funding. This difference creates potentially serious confounding which biases any estimate of the effect of funding based on observational data that simply compares research output for those who did and did not win funding. This means we do not currently know the return on investment for our research dollars, of which billions are invested around the world every year. By using a study design that incorporates randomisation this will be the world’s first unbiased study of the impact of researcher funding.

Cross-cultural adaptation, reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the spine functional index

Background The Spine Functional Index (SFI) is a patient reported outcome measure with sound clinimetric properties and clinical viability for the determination of whole-spine impairment. To date, no validated Turkish version is available. The purpose of this study is to cross-culturally adapted the SFI for Turkish-speaking patients (SFI-Tk) and determine the psychometric properties of reliability, validity and factor structure in a Turkish population with spine musculoskeletal disorders. Methods The SFI English version was culturally adapted and translated into Turkish using a double forward and backward method according to established guidelines. Patients (n = 285, cervical = l29, lumbar = 151, cervical and lumbar region = 5, 73% female, age 45 ± 1) with spine musculoskeletal disorders completed the SFI-Tk at baseline and after a seven day period for test-retest reliability. For criterion validity the Turkish version of the Functional Rating Index (FRI) was used plus the Neck Disability Index (NDI) for cervical patients and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for back patients. Additional psychometric properties were determined for internal consistency (Chronbach’s α), criterion validity and factor structure. Results There was a high degree of internal consistency (α = 0.85, item range 0.80-0.88) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.93, item range = 0.75-0.95). The factor analysis demonstrated a one-factor solution explaining 24.2% of total variance. Criterion validity with the ODI was high (r = 0.71, p < 0.001) while the FRI and NDI were fair (r = 0.52 and r = 0.58, respectively). The SFI-Tk showed no missing responses with the ‘half-mark’ option used in 11.75% of total responses by 77.9% of participants. Measurement error from SEM and MDC90 were respectively 2.96% and 7.12%. Conclusions The SFI-Tk demonstrated a one-factor solution and is a reliable and valid instrument. The SFI-Tk consists of simple and easily understood wording and may be used to assess spine region musculoskeletal disorders in Turkish speaking patients.

A blended learning approach to the teaching of professional practice in architecture

This paper reports on a number of blended learning activities conducted in two subjects of a Master of Architecture degree at a major Australian university. The subjects were related to “professional practice” and as such represent a little researched area of architectural curriculum. The research provides some insight into the student perceptions of learning opportunity and engagement associated with on-line delivery modes. Students from these two subjects were surveyed for their perceptions about the opportunity for learning afforded by the on-line components, and also for their perceived level of engagement. Responses to these perceptions of traditional and on-line modes of delivery are compared and analysed for significant differences. While students were generally positive in response to the learning experiences, analysis of the results shows that students found the traditional modes to assist in their learning significantly more than on-line modes. Students were neutral regarding the opportunity for engagement that on-line modes provided. Analysis of the students’ gender, age and hours of paid work was also conducted to ascertain any relationship with attitudes to the flexibility of on-line delivery; no significant relationship was detected. This study has shown that students were generally resistant to on-line engagement opportunities and their ability to support learning.