The arts and education for sustainability : shaping student teachers' identities towards sustainability

The Arts are acknowledged for their potential in providing learners with multiple 'languages' with which they might make their learning visible across all levels of education. This chapter explores how the integration of the Arts and education for sustainabilty can provide expanded opportunities for seeing, understanding and responding to the sustainability imperative. Such approaches encourage broad engagement and expression of ideas about sustainability that extend beyond more common approaches that have mostly responded to sustainability through the languages of the Sciences and geography. Traditionally, the Arts have been valued highly by the early childhood education field and typically lie at the heart of early childhood programs. Increasing engagement with the sustainability agenda in early childhood contexts suggests that teachers might find ways to integrate early education for sustainability with the Arts in meaningful ways. This chapter explores how an integrated Arts and Humanities subject in an early childhood teacher education course in Queensland, Australia provides a context for the integration of sustainability as a cross-curricular thread in teacher education, reflecting recent national curriculum innovation in Australia.

Tourism advertisement management and effective tools in tourism industry

The definition of tourism “is the travel for recreational, leisure, family or business purposes, usually of a limited duration. Tourism is commonly associated with trans-national travel, but may also refer to travel to another location within the same country”. Tourism as an industry, in today’s modern language is a means of global communication between nations and travelers of all countries, introducing them to the various cultures and societies abroad, as well there history, ancient, historical sites, and languages. Hence, advertising overall has become a tool of necessity in this ever-growing global industry. Given that, tourism is a part of the infrastructure of any country’s economy the growth and development of tourism is of great importance. Advertising plays a vital and is a crucial tool in developing the countries tourism by attractively presenting the nations points-of-interests, historical and cultural. Advertising has a central role in expanding this industry, generating economic growth in this area, as well as creating direct and indirect employment, but most importantly a creative innovating competition in the national and international travel industry. Importantly, to achieve a successful tourist industry, the Travel Agencies and governmental offices of the Ministry’s of Tourism and Business must work hand-in-hand to attain these goals. This article shows the impact of the various media and advertising methods used in tourism, which assisted in identifying the correct tool for expanding the country’s industry of tourism. The results of this study illustrated that the appropriate tools for promotional strategies to attract domestic and foreign traveler’s, found to be the most effective were, handbook, internet advertising, TV, brochures, newspapers

Enhanced preference for high-fat foods following a simulated night shift

Objectives Shift workers are prone to obesity and associated co-morbidities such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Sleep restriction associated with shift work results in dramatic endocrine and metabolic effects that predispose shift workers to these adverse health consequences. While sleep restriction has been associated with increased caloric intake, food preference may also play a key role in weight gain associated with shift work. This study examined the impact of an overnight simulated night shift on food preference. Methods Sixteen participants [mean 20.1, standard deviation (SD) 1.4 years; 8 women] underwent a simulated night shift and control condition in a counterbalanced order. On the following morning, participants were provided an opportunity for breakfast that included high- and low-fat food options (mean 64.8% and 6.4% fat, respectively). Results Participants ate significantly more high-fat breakfast items after the simulated night shift than after the control condition [167.3, standard error of the mean (SEM 28.7) g versus 211.4 (SEM 35.6) g; P=0.012]. The preference for high-fat food was apparent among the majority of individuals following the simulated night shift (81%), but not for the control condition (31%). Shift work and control conditions did not differ, however, in the total amount of food or calories consumed. Conclusions A simulated night shift leads to preference for high-fat food during a subsequent breakfast opportunity. These results suggest that food choice may contribute to weight-related chronic health problems commonly seen among night shift workers.

Towards a potential model to enhance language learner autonomy in the Vietnamese higher education context

This constructivist theory-led case study explored how the term language learner autonomy (LLA) is interpreted and the appropriate pedagogy to foster LLA in the Vietnamese higher education context. Evidence through the exploration of the government policies and the cases of three EFL classes confirms the interpretation that learner autonomy and language acquisition are mutually supported. The study has proposed project work as a potential model while demonstrating the role of the teacher and the use of target language as mediators to enhance LLA in the local context. Findings of the study contribute a theoretical and pedagogical justification for encouraging LLA in Vietnam and other similar contexts.

First Literacies: Art, Creativity, Play, Constructive Meaning-Making

In this chapter art and play are considered children’s ‘first languages’, and therefore are placed at the centre of a curriculum for young children. Through art and play, children represent thought and action, which underpins their later understanding of the ‘second languages’ of reading, writing and numbering. Key issues such as image-making, graphic action, imagination, narrative, empathetic engagement and internalised thought are analysed as evidence of children’s construction of knowledge through art and play. Symbol making is the essence of being human. In children’s art and play, their symbol use captures their sensory modes in emotional and embodied ways, as children know their worlds and their place. The chapter addresses how children’s creation, manipulation and meaning making through engaged interaction with art materials are precursors to learning to read and write and, as first languages, should not be discarded nor replaced. The notion of creativity is explored in relation to pedagogical approaches. In a climate of testing regimes that emphasise ‘academic’ achievements, teachers are encouraged to not lose sight of imagination, pretence, constructive meaning making, holistic teaching and being a co-player and co-artist.

Representing places never visited: Landscape and the diasporic imagination

While landscape photography’s complicity with the colonial possession of new territory has been substantially discussed and well understood, this paper considers the role of the European landscape as the focus of diasporic desire. The interdisciplinary project, S2Q/Good Blood began as a social history map of Scandinavian and Nordic migration to Queensland in the nineteenth century, incorporating archival material from local collections with visual field trip data gathered in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland. In 2011, some of this material found its way into the installation work, 'my mother is water, my father is wood'. What emerged from this experiment was an imaginary landscape, melding its loci through original photography and video footage in tandem with stock imagery and historical material. This juxtaposition reinforced the represented landscape as a narrative landscape and evidence of the performativity of belonging. This practitioner reflection utilizes Lynette Russell’s research into landscape archaeology to consider the significance of relationships with landscapes that are “not always empirically demonstrable.”

Encouraging Empathy through Picture Books about Migration

Australia has become one of the most highly multilingual and multicultural societies in the world today with people descending from 270 ancestries, who speak more than 260 languages (Commonwealth of Australia, 2011). Immigration is something that children encounter in their daily lives either through personal experience or through witnessing the lives of migrants at school, in the community, or through popular media, including children’s literature. Schools are frequently the initial interface for individuals who resettle in Australia and they ‘play a significant role in establishing meaningful connections to Australian society and a sense of belonging in Australia’ (Uptin, Wright, & Harwood, 2013, p. 1). Children's literature about cultural and ethnic diversity explores the impacts of migration and related issues creating ‘imaginary realms’ (Dudek & Ommundsen, 2007). These fictional interpretations of the migrant experience or the experience of migration are supported by distinctive “real life” cultural experiences. Picture books furnish teachers and students with an accessible means to investigate these complex issues through sensitive discussions. This chapter investigates how picture books about migration help deepen children’s perceptive understanding of migrants’ plights, and thereby nurture tolerance and empathy.

Perubahan bahasa dalam perspektif Pre neogrammarian dan Neogrammarian dan Pengajaran bahasa dalam konteks EFL (Pre-Neogrammarian and Neogrammarians’ language change and English language pedagogy in EFL contexts)

This article describes different perspectives in response to language change, and aligns the perspectives of language change to English language pedagogy in non-English speaking contexts. The Pre-Neogrammarian and Neo-grammarian linguists that believe the change leads to respectively language decay or language existence will be outlined. This article suggests that the theories derived from both perspectives can be applied to any language. Once there is cultural contact between languages, the dominant language tends to suppress the non-dominant language. Hence, besides focusing on changes that happen in English and the effects of the changes into this language, this article also considers that other language—in this case EFL teachers’ “local language”—experiences an adverse change as the result of the speakers’ interaction with English. Then, this article also describes how the changes might lead to EFL teachers’ adaptation in their practice and cause teachers’ dilemmas.

Art museums and the global tourist: Experience centres in experience-scapes

In the experience economy, the role of art museums has evolved so as to cater to global cultural tourists. These institutions were traditionally dedicated to didactic functions, and served cognoscenti with elite cultural tastes that were aligned with the avant-garde’s autonomous stance towards mass culture. In a post-avant-garde era however museums have focused on appealing to a broad clientele that often has little or no knowledge of historical or contemporary art. Many of these tourists want art to provide entertaining and novel experiences, rather than receiving pedagogical ‘training’. In response, art museums are turning into ‘experience venues’ and are being informed by ideas associated with new museology, as well as business approaches like Customer Experience Management. This has led to the provision of populist entertainment modes, such as blockbuster exhibitions, participatory art events, jazz nights, and wine tasting, and reveals that such museums recognize that today’s cultural tourist is part of an increasingly diverse and populous demographic, which shares many languages and value systems. As art museums have shifted attention to global tourists, they have come to play a greater role in gentrification projects and cultural precincts. The art museum now seems ideally suited to tourist-centric environments that offer a variety of immersive sensory experiences and combine museums (often designed by star-architects), international hotels, restaurants, high-end shopping zones, and other leisure forums. These include sites such as Port Maravilha urban waterfront development in Rio de Janiero, the Museum of Old and New Art in Hobart, and the Chateau La Coste winery and hotel complex in Provence. It can be argued that in a global experience economy, art museums have become experience centres in experience-scapes. This paper will examine the nature of the tourist experience in relation to the new art museum, and the latter’s increasingly important role in attracting tourists to urban and regional cultural precincts.

Efectividad clínica de la intervención terapéutica sobre la mano con realidad virtual en sujetos hemipléjicos: revisión sistemática

Objetivo Revisar de forma sistemática y realizar una evaluación critica de las diferentes publicaciones existentes sobre el uso de la realidad virtual como elemento rehabilitador en la mano. Estrategias de búsqueda Se ha realizado una búsqueda en la base de datos Medline completada con búsquedas en Google Schoolar. Se ha limitado la búsqueda a 10 años de extensión, idiomas: inglés y español. Selección de estudios: se ha centrado sobre aquellos artículos relacionados con la realidad virtual y la rehabilitación funcional de la mano en el accidente cerebrovascular. Síntesis de resultados Debido a la falta de homogeneidad, no ha sido posible evaluar metodológicamente mediante instrumento Caspe. Se detectaron 200 artículos de los cuales 12 cumplen los criterios de selección de los mismos. Dichos artículos han sido agrupados en relación con diferentes criterios como son: tipo de estudio, sistema de evaluación utilizado, periféricos usados o resultados obtenidos entre otros. Conclusiones No se ha obtenido una homogeneidad conjunta sobre los artículos, por ello se debe continuar realizando avances en este ámbito. A pesar de ello, los entornos de realidad virtual pueden ser un instrumento válido para la recuperación funcional de la mano en los accidentes cerebrovasculares, no siendo aptos como elemento único rehabilitador. Abstract in English Objective To make a systematic review and critical assessment of the different existing publications on the use of virtual reality as an element in rehabilitation of the hand. Search Method A search was made in the Medline database completed with searches in Google Schoolar. The search was limited to a period of ten years, and English and Spanish languages. Study selection The study was focused on those articles related to virtual reality and the functional rehabilitation of the hand in stroke. Synthesis of results It was not possible to perform a methodological evaluation using the Caspe instrument due to lack of homogeneity. Two hundred 200 articles were found. Of these, 12 met the criteria for their selection. These articles were grouped in relation to different criteria such as: type of study, assessment system used, hardware used or outcomes results obtained, among others. Conclusions Joint homogeneity was not obtained for the articles. Therefore, progress must still be made in this area. In spite of this, virtual reality environments can be a valid tool for functional recovery of the hand in strokes but they are not adequate for use as a single rehabilitative treatment element.

Orthographic effects on picture naming in Chinese: A 4T erfMRI study

The presence of a phonological relationship between a context word (cap) and the name of a target picture (cat) facilitates picture naming in the picture–word interference task in alphabetic languages such as English and Dutch. Neuroimaging studies of picture naming in English suggest distinct regions of brain activity are involved in phonological priming relative to a baseline control.

Introduction to the Proceedings of the Workshop on User-Focused Service Engineering, Consumption and Aggregation (USECA) 2011

The first User-Focused Service Engineering, Consumption and Aggregation workshop (USECA) in 2011 was held in conjunction with the WISE 2011 conference in Sydney, Australia. Web services and related technology are a widely accepted standard architectural paradigm for application development. The idea of reusing existing software components to build new applications has been well documented and supported for the world of enterprise computing and professional developers. However, this powerful idea has not been transferred to end-users who have limited or no computing knowledge. The current methodologies, models, languages and tools developed for Web service composition are suited to IT professionals and people with years of training in computing technologies. It is still hard to imagine any of these technologies being used by business professionals, as opposed to computing professionals. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.

Robust Web content extraction

We present an empirical evaluation and comparison of two content extraction methods in HTML: absolute XPath expressions and relative XPath expressions. We argue that the relative XPath expressions, although not widely used, should be used in preference to absolute XPath expressions in extracting content from human-created Web documents. Evaluation of robustness covers four thousand queries executed on several hundred webpages. We show that in referencing parts of real world dynamic HTML documents, relative XPath expressions are on average significantly more robust than absolute XPath ones.

Long-lasting semantic interference effects in object naming are not necessarily conceptually mediated

Long-lasting interference effects in picture naming are induced when objects are presented in categorically related contexts in both continuous and blocked cyclic paradigms. Less consistent context effects have been reported when the task is changed to semantic classification. Experiment 1 confirmed the recent finding of cumulative facilitation in the continuous paradigm with living/non-living superordinate categorization. To avoid a potential confound involving participants responding with the identical superordinate category in related contexts in the blocked cyclic paradigm, we devised a novel set of categorically related objects that also varied in terms of relative age – a core semantic type associated with the adjective word class across languages. Experiment 2 demonstrated the typical interference effect with these stimuli in basic level naming. In Experiment 3, using the identical blocked cyclic paradigm, we failed to observe semantic context effects when the same pictures were classified as younger–older. Overall, the results indicate the semantic context effects in the two paradigms do not share a common origin, with the effect in the continuous paradigm arising at the level of conceptual representations or in conceptual-to-lexical connections while the effect in the blocked cyclic paradigm most likely originates at a lexical level of representation. The implications of these findings for current accounts of long-lasting interference effects in spoken word production are discussed.

The influences of Bislama on lexical choices in children's written English: A case study in Vanuatu

In Vanuatu, there have been concerns that Bislama (the national language of Vanuatu and a creole with an adapted English vocabulary) hinders English language learning. Consequently, previous language policy restricted the use of Bislama in schools. The findings from this study offer significant insights and implications that may assist teachers with using Bislama in their classrooms in a way that furthers English language and literacy development. This research is timely because the Vanuatu Government have recently implemented a new language policy that allows the vernacular island languages and Bislama to be used as a linguistic resource in schools.