Achieving greater feedback and flexibility using online pre-laboratory exercises with non-major chemistry students

Compulsory online pre-laboratory exercises were required of non-major, first-year university chemistry students in response to poor student preparation for laboratory sessions. The online pre-laboratory exercises were designed to be straightforward, endeavoring to help students maximize the benefits of the introductory laboratory class. Diagrams and pictures were included in the exercises to improve descriptions. Students were allowed multiple attempts with immediate feedback provided to help them learn from their mistakes. The study is a descriptive account of students' perceptions of the impact of online pre-laboratory exercises on their learning. Students recognized the value of the exercises in improving their organization, their preparedness for the laboratory class, and their understanding of the chemistry concepts of the weekly experiments. The increased flexibility of doing pre-laboratory exercises online and the increased feedback to students were two important aspects of this project that nearly all students recognized as being beneficial to their learning.

Retirement planning and expectations of Australian babyboomers

The "babyboomer" generation, those who were born between 1946 and 1965, account for over 30% of the population in Australia, and it is no surprise that the government is concerned about the financial implications for future healthcare costs. While many babyboomers are more financially secure than previous generations have been on account of compulsory superannuation contributions made over the past 15 years, there are still some who are financially vulnerable and expect to rely on government pensions and welfare assistance. Changes to family structures and job security also mean that those who are less financially secure will need social support. Using an ecological framework model , we explored the retirement expectations and experiences of some Australian babyboomers through focus groups and individual interviews to identify key issues and their plans to address these issues. Four main themes are reported in this paper: retirement attitudes and expectations, finances, health, and food. The results suggested that for many persons retirement equated freedom. Little future planning was undertaken for retirement other than contributing to superannuation schemes, and expectations were reported in general terms, such as wanting to remain independent and healthy and to have time to socialize and travel.

Exploring the challenge of applied learning reform

Post compulsory education in Australia has changed significantly since the early 1990s. For many young people in their later years of schooling, learning now involves a blending of experiences derived from education and training institutions once historically separated and defined by distinctly different approaches to pedagogy and assessment. It is also increasingly common for students to include formalised workbased learning arrangements in their learning program, adding further to the students’ experiences of learning and exposure to different learning contexts. Added to this new mosaic of learning experiences, increased participation rates in schooling have contributed to greater diversity in post compulsory students’ learning temperaments. This paper draws on five case studies to explore the new pedagogical challenges presented by these students’ exposure to different systems of learning and examines the emergence of applied learning in Victoria as a pedagogical response to these challenges. It proposes that effective pedagogical change aiming to address these challenges must overcome the tendency to be marginalised in schools and labelled as an alternative approach to learning. The paper concludes by exploring the possible future of applied learning emerging from the current context of pedagogical change.

Fun or profit : primary students' perceptions of mathematics and science

As the number of students pursuing mathematics and science in higher education decline, it becomes imperative· that we look for the causes of the decline. As part of the Australian Improving Middle Years Mathematics and Science (IMYMS) project, students were asked to rate their perceptions of classroom practice in mathematics and science and their attitudes to these subjects. Results of this survey reveal little difference in perceptions of classroom practice, but significant differences in students' attitudes between mathematics and science. Differences were particularly evident for items relating to the usefulness of mathematics and science (mathematics was more useful) and enjoyment of the subjects (science is more fun). If teachers are aware of such perspectives, it may be possible to change students' attitudes.

Effective student engagement depends on students enjoying their studies in mathematics and science, being confident in their ability and recognising the relevance of these subjects to everyday life, now and in the future.
(Education Training Committee, 2006, p. xvii)

Science and technology are the widely acknowledged foundation of Australia's future development. Underpinning these are the key learning areas of mathematics and science. However, Australia is experiencing a decline in numbers of mathematics and science students in higher education. Moreover, studies over the last two decades have shown a general decline in Australian students' interest and enjoyment of science across the compulsory secondary school years, with a particularly sharp decline across the primary to secondary school transition (e.g. Adams, Doig, & Rosier 1991; Goodrum, Hackling, & Rennie, 200 I) and a decline in the numbers of students studying' advanced mathematical courses in upper secondary school (Thomas, 2000).

Improving teaching and learning in the middle years of schooling (Years 5 to 9) is receiving particular attention because of the coincidence of the disengagement of students with the significance of these years for the preparation of students for their future role in society. Thus the Improving Middle Years Mathematics and Science: The role of subject cultures in school and teacher change (IMYMS) project, which is the source of data for this paper, is investigating the role of mathematics and science' knowledge and subject cultures in mediating change processes in the middle years of schooling.

Mathematics and science are sometimes seen as "love-hate" subjects, rating highest for subjects disliked, but also rating relatively highly among preferred subjects (Hendley & Stables, 1996). Students, even primary aged students, can often shed light on what constitutes good practice (see, for example, 'van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, 2005). Students' attitudes towards mathematics and science and their perceptions of what they regard as positive aspects of classroom practice have been shown to decline from the primary years to junior secondary (Race, 2000). The decline in interest in science in the early years of secondary school is of particular concern, since it is in these years that attitudes to the pursuit of science subjects and careers are formed (Speering & Rennie, 1996). Students' negative attitude towards the relevance of science ,content for their lives was a strong theme in the report by Goodrum, Hackling, & Rennie (2001) on the status and quality of teaching and learning of science.

As part of the IMYMS project, the IMYMS Student Survey was administered to all students in 2004 and 2005. The survey included a 36 item section on students' perceptions of classroom practice and attitudes towards mathematics and science, and a 24 item section on students' learning preferences. Students completed separate, parallel surveys for mathematics and science.

This paper focuses on students' perceptions and attitudes. It explores the differences in 700 Year 5 and 6 students' perceptions of their learning environment and their attitudes to mathematics and science during 2005, the second (and final) year of schools , involvement in the IMYMS project.

Gender performativity and normalizing practices

In this chapter we examine the normalizing regimes of practice that impact on the various ways in which young people at school define desirable forms of masculinity and femininity. Attention is given to the particular role that compulsory heterosexuality and gender duality play in prescribing appropriate behavior for boys and girls. By drawing on interviews with adolescent boys, a 13-year-old self defined "tomgirl," and an adult transgender woman, and examining written responses by girls, we highlight the kinds of issues that impact on their lives at school. We also consider the invisibility of transgender
and intersexual perspectives in most educational debates on gender and sexuality.

Gay and Lesbian Life at Colby 1969-1974

The history of a gay and lesbian student community at Colby seems to point to the difficulty of visibility. For students who were able to find others like themselves, their group of lesbian and gay friends had to remain underground. For students who were grappling with their newly found, socially stigmatized sexuality, the experience was isolating if they did not know where to find others like themselves. This paper seeks to address the social forces that kept sexually variant students from expressing their sexual identities openly on campus. Part of this difficulty is attributable to the compulsory heterosexuality assumed by general American society at the time, manifested in the silence or outright hostility directed against homosexuals. Naturally, Colby students replicated this assumption. Some of the students we interviewed seemed to internalize compulsory heterosexuality, while it was forced upon others. Religion and psychology were two methods of enforcing heterosexuality that were relevant to the people we interviewed. Another significant obstacle to visibility was Colby's location and the nature of Colby's student body. Waterville, unlike more urban cities, did not have a history of gay life, and thus an established gay community or gay identity into which one could be socialized. Colby, as a small, homogeneous and isolated space, posed difficulties in establishing a gay community as the population to draw from was small and regulated.

Team-based strategy at Varian Australia : a case study

This article discusses the use of work teams at Varian Australia, a manufacturing organisation based in Melbourne, Australia. The company manufactures high-technology instruments that are largely exported to the USA and Europe. The paper describes the experiences of the company with continuous improvement process teams (CIP) and corrective action team (CATs) over a decade, from 1990 to 2000. The article discusses the reasons for the slow down of the process improvement program and the appropriate changes that were made to relaunch the continuous improvement strategy at Varian Australia. Based on the qualitative analysis in this article, a number of interesting lessons can be learned. The main lesson is that voluntary, cross-functional teams are more effective than compulsory membership, as team members are motivated to work towards their goals and better understand the processes. Team members found that by working together the result of their combined effort was much greater than the combined results of their individual efforts. This approach reduced the product development cycle on Varian projects by up to 50%.

A guide to interviewing children : essential skills for counsellors, police, lawyers and social workers

This book has been written by two people who really understand children. [They show how to] create opportunities to reduce the trauma of the interview and significantly improve the quality of the information obtained. Chief Constable A.J. Butler Gloucestershire Constabulary A few years ago, a Chief Justice said that it was unnecessary to educate lawyers and judges in the techniques of interviewing children because it was 'just common sense'. The authors show that successful interviewing requires much more than 'common sense'. Freda Briggs, Professor of Child Development, University of South Australia...an excellent book for students and professionals in forensic psychology, policing and social work.Helen Westcott, PhD, The Open UniversityIt is critical that children are interviewed properly in cases of suspected abuse or where the children may be witnesses to or victims of a crime. Poor questioning can upset the child further and contaminate evidence that may be needed in court. Interviewing Children is a practical guide to interviewing techniques for a range of professionals including welfare workers, psychologists, schoolteachers and counsellors, police officers and lawyers. Step by step, it outlines the key stages of an interview, and how to respond to the child's needs during an interview. It explains how to deal with children of different ages and from different backgrounds, and also how to work with their parents. Particular attention is paid to the sensitive issue of sexual abuse, and the problems created by multiple interviews.Clare Wilson lectures in the Department of Psychology at the University of Sydney. Martine Powell lectures in the School of Psychology at Deakin University. Both have trained police officers, social workers and legal professionals in interviewing techniques in Australia and the UK.------------------Full quotes to go on half-title page:This book has been written by two people who really understand children. In passing on their knowledge to professionals who engage with children in the interview room, they create opportunities to reduce the trauma of the interview and significantly improve the quality of the information obtained. Writing in a clear and fresh style, the authors have produced a book which is valuable as a point of reference, a day to day tool and as a training aid to develop skills.Chief Constable A.J. Butler Gloucestershire ConstabularyThis book should be read by all professionals who work with children and could findthemselves receiving disclosures of abuse. It is practical, easy to read and full of examples and hints. It should be a compulsory text for social work studen

Mandatory folate fortification - will benefits outweigh risks?

The article considers the concerns raised about the implementation of mandatory food fortification in Australia. Mandatory food fortification, the compulsory addition of nutrients to food products, is a powerful policy approach for public health nutrition. The danger in exposing every Australians to increased amounts of nutrients is discussed. Mandate folate fortification is being assessed by Food Standards Australia New Zealand due to the increased cases of neural tube defects in Australia.

Beyond crisis: re-imagining science education

Science education is in crisis, which is evidenced by the increasing negative attitudes to Science by secondary school students and decreasing participation in post compulsory Science subjects. There is a need for re-imagining science by adopting contextual learning.

Book review : Rethinking public relations : pr propaganda and democracy

This outstanding book should be compulsory reading for anybody concerned with the research, teaching, study, or practice of public relations. It is also an essential reference for anyone who critiques public relations and wants to be taken seriously. The book is a milestone event in public relations scholarship. It places Moloney on the same level of authority with other leading public relations theorists.

(E)Research, (e)learning, (e)teaching in (e)ntrapment

In this paper I reflect on three research projects emerging from my on online learning and teaching.

The data used in this paper is current and the media is low-tech and accessible. This paper is not about the hardware and software of technology. Rather, it is about a teacher educator's struggle to try to make sense of online pedagogy at a time when academics seem to be constantly exhorted to take their courses online. This paper draws on data from the following projects:

1. My involvement in the development and teaching of the 'Education Studies Major Online Project'. I have been teaching undergraduate students doing their first year education studies program with the option of:

•  Not attending university-based lectures or tutorials and doing all their work online;
•  Attending face-to-face lectures and tutorials, and
•  A mixture of face-to-face and online.

2. The Research in Computers in Education (RICE) group which started in 1995.

3. The Good Learning on the World Wide Web (GLOW) Project with a secondary college in which undergraduate teacher education students tutor year 9/10 students from the college.

4. Two Masters in Education units with particular reference to the compulsory online discussion component.

5. The Faculty Research Group project entitled 'The social and pedagogical implications of new learning technologies for learners and teachers'.

Pathway planning and 'becoming somebody' : Exploring the tensions between wellbeing and credentialism with students at (educational) risk

This paper maps the policy shifts around the education and training of youth that frame how schools respond to issues of youth' at risk'. These shifts have occurred with the move from the self managing schools marked by market discourses of competition, autonomy and image management that supplanted earlier discourses of welfare and community, through to recent policies in Victoria arising from the Kirby Review of Post compulsory Education and Public Education, the Next Generation undertaken by the Labor government. These reports, and the policies emerging out of them, are producing new discourses about youth and schooling focusing on wellbeing, learning networks and more systemic support for schools at the same time as there is increased accountability and expectations of schools. Drawing on the school exclusion literature from the U.K, and using Bourdieu's notion of habitus, we examine the findings from a recent study undertaken on the Geelong Pathways Planning project, funded through a Victorian government strategy, to discuss how schools respond to such initiatives. The project explored the ways in which students in the Geelong region understood and worked with the job planning pathways program, and how service providers (schools, community education facilities, job networks etc) coordinated to meet the needs of individual youth. There was a disjuncture in the participating schools between the discourses of care and welfare for students at risk, and the actual practices and policies that ignored or excluded such students. This paper concludes with a discussion of what might be required systemically, in schools and in their relations to other education providers, to build the capacity to respond more effectively to all students.

New learning networks and their invisible students : policy as simulation or the avoidance game?

Within a climate of policy hysteria, it is often claimed that a 'preoccupation with performance' develops, focussing on individual success stories, resulting in 'fad-like waves of adoption and abandonment'. Within this increasing pace and intensity of reform, new networks are formed and new relationships developed, with key players taking on new forms of identity to morph into the constantly changing policy climate. Despite continued evidence of young people's pathways from school being more like mosaic than linear, new policy still seeks to define and limit the possible lines of flight and trajectories, closely managing the education and training of young people at risk. In Victoria, the major policy initiative has involved the establishment of LLENs, the local all purpose solution to young people who might not be sticking to the linear policy pathway. So are we involved in 'an avoidance game', filling up the post compulsory policy space with more and more policies, which in fact seek to continue to regulate and constrain young people, rather than supporting them? This paper interrogates the policies and practices which have created the learning networks, of the SGR LLEN through policy analysis and case studies.

Training doctors in how to work with interpreters

The medical interpreter's performance can be enhanced if the physician is trained to work effectively with the interpreter. This paper reports on the training of first year medical interns at Southernhealth, a regional network of hospitals in Victoria, Australia. This Commonwealth funded programme was compulsory for all first year doctors. Workshops occurred in the simulator training unit using accident and emergency scenarios. Core teaching material comprised the video and book, Medical Interpreting. Participants were medical interns, qualified telephone medical interpreters, the chief hospital interpreter and the main instructor. Each intern engaged in a simulated role play; observational notes and feedback were recorded. The teaching methodology has demonstrated it to be a programme that skills the physician to work effectively with the medical interpreter. The material and the methodology can be used by interpreters and medical communication specialists to train medical practitioners.