Injury prevention during physical activity in the Australian Defence Force

Introduction:
Injuries sustained by Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel during non-combat military training and sports activity are associated with increasing costs due to work days lost, medical treatment, compensation, and early retirement. In 2001, the ADF commissioned a systematic review of the evidence-base for reducing injuries associated with physical activity, while at the same time improving physical activity participation rates to sustain a trained, fit and deployable workforce.

Method:
Literature from on-line library databases, relevant unclassified military reports, and material from previously published sport-specific injury countermeasure reviews were systematically and critically analysed to address the study aims.

Results:
Modification of intensity, frequency and duration of basic military training activities and improved equipment is likely to reduce injury occurrence. Sports injury countermeasures used for the civilian population have merit for the ADF physical activity program. Injury countermeasures should be designed to minimise any possible deterrent effect on the motivation to participate in regular physical activity. Increasing the participation of ADF personnel in physical activity in the presence of evidence-based injury prevention strategies has the potential to increase health, fitness and deployability with minimal impact on injury frequency.

Conclusion:
Recommendations arising from the review include injury intervention trials in basic military training and sports. These and other interventions should be supported by refinement to ADF injury surveillance systems. Research should focus on interventions with the greatest gain for fitness, deployability, and cost effectiveness.

Checks and cheques : implementing a population health and recall system to improve coverage of patients with diabetes in a rural general practice

Identification of all diabetic patients in the population is essential if diabetic care is to be effective in achieving the targets of the St Vincent Declaration.¹ The challenge therefore is to establish population based monitoring and control systems by means of state of the art technology in order to achieve quality assurance in the provision of care for patients with diabetes. ^2,3 Disease management receives extensive international support as the most appropriate approach to organising and delivering healthcare for chronic conditions like diabetes.⁴ This approach is achieved through a combination of guidelines for practice, patient education, consultations and follow up using a planned team approach and a strong focus on continuous quality improvement using information technology. ^5,6 The current software (Medical Director) could not easily meet these requirements which led us to adopt a trial of Ferret. In designing this project we used change management⁷ and the plan, do, study, act cycle⁸ illustrated in Diagram 1.

Vision for transnational curriculum inquiry

This essay presents the foundation Editor's vision for Transnational Curriculum Inquiry (TCI), the journal of the International Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies (IAACS). It explores some theoretical and practical possibilities for building new transnational and transcultural solidarities in postcolonial curriculum inquiry and argues that building such solidarities requires a rethinking of the ways in which we perform and represent curriculum inquiry, so that curriculum work within a global knowledge economy does not merely assimilate national (local) curriculum discourses-practices into an imperial (global) archive.

Primary school music

Primary teaching and music qualifications - a rare combination, not only in New Zealand today but in primary schools the world over for more than a decade. Helen Stowasser (1993) writes of 'insecure music teachers' and questions the adequacy of teacher education courses. The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum states: 'The arts develop the artistic and
aesthetic dimensions of human experience. They contribute to our intellectual ability and to our social, cultural and spiritual understandings. They are an essential element of daily living and of lifelong learning' [the italics are mine]. If our Ministry of Education truly believes this and wants
to ensure that the music discipline is adequately taught, then there are some issues to be addressed, such as recruitment of musically capable teachers; acceptable standards of professional expertise in music; content, length and timing of pre-service programmes; and making provision for teachers' ongoing development.

Flexible delivery and student attrition in the vocational education and training sector: case studies of students who dropped out

Government policy in Australia is increasingly encouraging training organisations in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector to adopt flexible delivery approaches. This policy shift is supported by key VET stakeholders including Industry Training Advisory Boards. A recurring theme in VET policy documents is an apparent confidence that flexible delivery can meet the diverse needs of individual learners while at the same time providing cost savings. Yet evidence is emerging that Australian VET learners are not typically ready for flexible delivery, and this lack of readiness is reflected in high attrition rates and low pass rates in many flexibly delivered courses. One research project found that over 70% of learners in the Australian VET sector do not have the learning capabilities required to be ready for flexible delivery. A recent review of the module outcomes achieved by VET students nationally found that students studying by external/correspondence and self-paced unscheduled modes had lower module completion rates than students studying by other delivery strategies.

Research on student progress in flexible delivery within the Australian VET sector has largely been quantitative. That research provides useful statistical data on completion and attrition rates for various modes of delivery, but does not explore the reasons underlying the high attrition rates found in flexible delivery. The qualitative research that is available tends to focus on students who successfully complete their courses, not on those who withdraw. As a result, the Australian literature on flexible delivery in the VET sector is lacking in-depth qualitative information about students who enrol in courses but do not complete. In comparison, the broader literature on distance education and flexible delivery in other educational sectors offers some useful insights into student attrition, and can be can be used to inform research into attrition within the Australian VET sector.

This paper reports on aspects of a research project that followed up six adult learners who enrolled in VET courses but who either failed assessment or withdrew. The research project presented the students’ stories in the form of narrative case studies, focussing on the detailed examination of the barriers that each student experienced, and analysing these barriers in relation to issues raised in the literature. This paper reports on two particular themes that emerged from that research project. The literature on distance education and flexible delivery argues that:


· student dropout is often not determined by a single factor, but by the interaction of a number of factors that build up over time;

· students who experience difficulties when studying by flexible delivery can often be reluctant to access the support that is available to them.

This paper uses these themes as a point of reference in presenting the stories of some of the students who participated in the research project.
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Challenges in teaching capstone courses

Many of us run capstone project courses and do so in different ways. The members of this panel come from different countries, belong to different types of institutions, teach in different computing disciplines and the capstone projects they run also vary considerably. Yet, there is a strong sense of consensus about what a capstone project is and how valuable it is as a learning experience for students.The panel discussion will serve as an inspiration to develop new, and change old capstone project courses. The main aim is to discuss why, or why not, different approaches work in a capstone project. What are the learning objectives behind the approach? What are the problems? What are the benefits? How is assessment managed? What resources, tools and techniques are used to administer and manage the projects?Concrete examples of how capstone projects are run at the six institutions represented by the panellists will be given, and issues such as framework, methodologies, project examples and technologies used in the process of producing projects will be addressed.

Transnational curriculum inquiry : building postcolonialist constituencies and solidarities

In this paper I explore some theoretical and practical possibilities for building new transnational and transcultural solidarities in postcolonial curriculum inquiry. I argue that building such solidarities requires a rethinking of the ways in which we perform and represent curriculum inquiry, so that curriculum work within a global knowledge economy does not merely assimilate national (local) curriculum discourses-practices into an imperial (global) archive. I draw on the initial stages of research on internationalisation, inclusivity, and innovative knowledge work conducted with colleagues at Deakin University, and elsewhere, which focuses on the possibilities of producing knowledge in transnational virtual spaces. This includes studies of the formation of new (and we hope more inclusive) transnational scholarly communities and constituencies, and of strategies to improve modes of intercultural communication that facilitate transnational knowledge work. I situate part of my discussion of these arguments and issues in the practicalities of establishing Transnational Curriculum Inquiry (TCI), an electronic open-access journal that is both a site for transnational scholarly conversations and a site for inquiry into the ways that electronic publishing procedures facilitate and/or constrain inclusive knowledge work and postcolonialist curriculum inquiry.

Interpreting risk allocation mechanism in public-private partnership projects : an empirical study in a transaction cost economics perspective

Risk allocation in public-private partnership (PPP) projects is currently claimed as capability driven. While lacking theoretical support, the claim is often 'violated' by current industrial practice. There is thus a need for formal mechanisms to interpret why a particular risk is retained by government in one project while transferred to private partners in another. From the viewpoint of transaction cost economics (TCE), integrated with the resource-based view (RBV) of organizational capabilities, this paper proposed a theoretical framework for understanding risk allocation practice in PPP projects. The theories underlying the major constructs and their links were articulated. Data gathered from an industry-wide survey were used to test the framework. The results of multiple linear regression (MLR) generally support the proposed framework. It has been found that partners' risk management routine, mechanism, commitment, cooperation history, and uncertainties associated with project risk management could serve to determine the risk allocation strategies adopted in a PPP project. This theoretical framework thus provides both government and private agencies with a logical and complete understanding of the process of selecting the allocation strategy for a particular risk in PPP projects. Moreover, it could be utilized to steer the risk allocation strategy by controlling certain critical determinants identified in the study. Study limitations and future research directions have also been set out.

Categorisation of knowledge management processes in the development of sustainable enterprises

Sustainable development is a growing area of interest in organisations. Particularly those that have large energy demands for processing, use dwindling raw materials or produce a great deal of waste through production. Knowing those processes that can contribute to making an organisation more sustainable provides a great advantage both in terms of project implementation success and in measurable Triple Bottom Line returns.

In previous research we identified that many of the Information Technology processes used to assist organisations in developing sustainable practices were more clearly suited as Knowledge Management processes (Van Der Meer and Sinnappan, 2008), however less empirical study has been done to categorise them meaningfully.

In this study we have taken these Knowledge Management processes and categorised them according to the sustainable development practice where we identify they can be of service based on Waage et al (2003). Through this we are hoping to develop a framework for organisations to determine what Knowledge Management processes are needed to achieve the particular sustainable development. We may also be able to judge what steps an organisation needs to take to develop further sustainable practices in other areas.

Development of a framework for knowledge management tools in sustainable development would assist industries in determining the best processes for these sustainable projects. This framework also contributes to the body of knowledge on sustainable development and Information Technology.

Instrumentalism and the 'helping' discourse : Australian indigenous performing arts and policy

Indigenous arts are significant to the way Australia is represented to the world. Since the early 19705 Indigenous cultural policies, at both federal and state levels, have helped to shape the development of Indigenous performing arts in Australia. Over this period, cultural policies, in confluence with the aims of Indigenous artists and civil rights activists, have produced and reproduced instrumentalist rationales for the support of Indigenous arts. In particular, the sector has deployed <helping' rationales for cultural policies which focus on social and economic outcomes. This article addresses current debates around the instrumentalist purposes of cultural policy and the participation of Indigenous practitioners in reproducing the 'helping' discourse. The article, however, finds evidence of a recent break in the consensus which sees some Indigenous artists resisting the historical imperative for their arts practice to be exclusively focused on instrumentalist outcomes.

Examining communication and team performance during clinical handover in a complex environment : the private sector post-anaesthetic care unit

* Threats to patient safety during clinical handover have been identified as an ongoing problem in health care delivery.

* In complex handover situations, organisational, cultural, behavioural and environmental factors associated with team performance can affect patient safety by undermining the stability of team functioning and the effectiveness of interprofessional communication.

* We present a practical framework for promoting systematic, comprehensive measurement of the factors involved in clinical handover.

* The framework can be used to develop viable solutions to the problems of clinical handover.

* The framework was devised and used in a recent project examining interprofessional communication and team performance during clinical handover in post-anaesthetic care units.

* The framework combines five key concepts: clinical governance, clinician engagement, ecological validity, safety culture and team climate, and sustainability.

* We believe that use of this framework will help overcome the limitations of previous research that has not taken into account the complex and multifaceted influences on clinical handover and interprofessional communication.

Taking environmental water requirements and climate change into account in the designation and management of protected areas for floodplain ecosystems

In 2005, the Victorian government asked the Victorian Environmental Assessment Council (VEAC) to 1) identify and evaluate the extent, condition, values, management, resources and uses of riverine red gum forests and associated fauna, wetlands, floodplain ecosystems and vegetation communities in northern Victoria; and 2) make recommendations relating to the conservation, protection and ecological sustainable use of public land. The design of a comprehensive, adequate and representative (CAR) reserve system was a key part of the recommendations made by VEAC. In order to assist in the decision-making for environmental water allocation for protected areas and other public land, a process for identifying flood-dependent natural values on the Victorian floodplains of the River Murray and its tributaries was developed.

Although some areas such as the Barmah forest are very well known, there have been few comprehensive inventories of important natural values along the Murray floodplains. For this project, VEAC sought out and compiled data on flood requirements (natural flood frequency, critical interval between floods, minimum duration of floods) for all flood-dependent ecological vegetation classes (EVCs) and threatened species along the Goulburn, Ovens, King and Murray Rivers in Victoria. The project did not include the Kerang Lakes and floodplains of the Avoca, Loddon and Campaspe Rivers. 186 threatened species and 110 EVCs (covering 224,247 ha) were identified as flood-dependent and therefore at risk from insufficient flooding.

Past environmental water allocations have targeted a variety of different natural assets (e.g. stressed red gum trees, colonial nesting waterbirds, various fish species), but consideration of the water requirements of the full suite of floodplain ecosystems and significant species has been limited. By considering the water requirements of the full range of natural assets, the effectiveness of water delivery for biodiversity can be maximised. This approach highlights the species and ecosystems most in need of water and builds on the icon sites approach to view the Murray floodplains as an interconnected system. This project also identified for the first time the flood-frequency and duration requirements for the full suite of floodplain ecosystems and significant species.

This project is the most comprehensive identification of water requirements for natural values on the floodplain to date, and is able to be used immediately to guide prioritisation of environmental watering. As more information on floodplain EVCs and species becomes available, the water requirements and distribution of values can be refined by ecologists and land and water managers. That is, the project is intended as the start of an adaptive process allowing for the incorporation of monitoring and feedback over time. The project makes it possible to transparently and easily communicate the extent to which manipulated or natural flows benefit various natural values. Quantitative and visual outputs such as maps will enable environmental managers and the public to easily see which values do and do not receive water (see http://www.veac.vic.gov.au/riverredgumfinal.htm for further details).

Biopharmaceutical innovation and industrial developments in South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan

South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan are well known as export-oriented developmental states which for decades employed industrial policy to target particular industries for government support. In the past fifteen years, these three countries all identified the biopharmaceutical industry as a strategic sector. This article explores, through economic analysis, the rationale for this decision and the strategies chosen for linking into the global bio-economy with the objective of catching up in biopharmaceuticals. The paper identifies three comparative advantages enjoyed by these countries in the biopharma sector: (1) public investments in basic research; (2) private investments in phase 1 clinical trials; and (3) a potentially significant contract research industry managing latter-stage clinical trials. Governments employ a range of industrial policies, consistent with these comparative advantages, to promote the biopharmaceutical industry, including public investment in biomedical hubs, research funding and research and development (R&D) tax credits. We argue that the most important feature of the biopharmaceutical industry in these countries is the dominant role of the public sector. That these countries have made progress in innovative capabilities is illustrated by input measures such as R&D expenditure as share of gross domestic product, number of patents granted and clinical trials, and volume of foreign direct investment. In contrast, output indicators such as approval of new chemical entities suggest that the process of catching up has only just commenced. Pharmaceutical innovation is at the stage of mainly generating inputs to integrated processes controlled by the globally incumbent firms.

Indigenous performing arts and the problem of judging 'excellence': A discussion paper

In this paper we look at the persistent debate over notions of access and excellence and intrinsic and instrumentalist rationales for arts practice within cultural policy discussion. Recent research into the Indigenous performing arts in Australia underlines the particular difficulties faced by the sector in balancing the demands of community participation, social inclusion and high-quality aesthetic outcomes. The balancing act has proven unsustainable for some Indigenous performing arts companies and their viability is now in doubt. This suggests that a re-consideration of the question of the purpose and value of the Indigenous performing arts is timely.

Model for fostering trust and building relationships in China's construction industry

Trust is an underlying psychological condition that can cause cooperation or risk-taking. Trust is considered as a predominant feature and a central mechanism in business transactions, especially among Chinese. Trust-based relationships create advantages in conducting business such as lowering cost, shortening duration, and improving performance. Indispensable conditions for trust to arise are relationships and risks. Different risks surface as a result of different levels of relationships. Sustained trust is therefore fostered by various means to counterbalance those risks. In order to assess the links between distinct trust-related features, a model is constructed and tested through a questionnaire survey in China. The findings generally support the model in terms of explaining the dominant relationships, inherent risks, and trust-fostering tools. It is recommended that firms adopt the refined model and utilize successful practices verified in this paper to foster trust and relationships and in turn secure project success.