Investigating the factors of professional development programs that effect change in the classroom

This paper reports on the implementation of two professional development programs designed to support ICT based pedagogies in Victorian (Australia) schools. In both programs the teachers participated in an intensive program of professional development designed to assist them in embedding ICT into their classroom practice. There was a large diversity of circumstances experienced by the schools, not only in terms of ICT availability and use, and teacher experience, but also in issues of cultures of curriculum planning and integration, size, communication, and pedagogical presumptions. Both projects were successful in implementing change; however there were teachers in both projects who failed to take advantage of the PD. Some of the limitations with both studies include the high expectations of time comittment by the teachers – who are already fully committed with full teaching loads, and the high expectations of the change that will occur in the teaching and
learning as a result of the PD, wthout consideration of the time needed to learn and adopt new pedagogical practice. In some cases, teachers and the school did not appreciate the necessary commitment to take full advantage of the opportunity being provided. This was compounded by the lack of support and recognition by school management.

Chronic disease self-management education programs: challenges ahead

♦ Chronic disease self-management education programs aim to empower patients through providing information and teaching skills and techniques to improve self-care and doctor–patient interaction, with the ultimate goal of improving quality of life.

♦ The recent 2006–07 federal budget allocated an unprecedented $515 million over 5 years for activation of patient self-management activities, commencing this financial year.

♦ Previous attempts in other countries to incorporate self-management education activities into the health care sector have faced setbacks because of inadequate integration into primary care.

♦ Engagement of health care professionals and their endorsement of self-management activities is critical to success.

Designing and delivering clinical risk management education for graduate nurses : an Australian study

In order to enhance their capabilities in clinical risk management (CRM) and to be integrated into safe and effective patient safety organisational processes and systems, neophyte graduate nurses need to be provided with pertinent information on CRM at the beginning of their employment. What and how such information should be given to new graduate nurses, however, remains open to question and curiously something that has not been the subject either of critique or systematic investigation in the nursing literature. This article reports the findings of the third and final cycle of a 12 month action research (AR) project that has sought to redress this oversight by developing, implementing and evaluating a CRM education program for neophyte graduate nurses. Conducted in the cultural context of regional Victoria, Australia, the design, implementation and evaluation of the package revealed that it was a useful resource, served the intended purpose of ensuring that neophyte graduate nurses were provided with pertinent information on CRM upon the commencement and during their graduate nurse year, and enabled graduate nurses to be facilitated to translate that information into their everyday practice.

Are youth mentoring programs good value-for-money? An evaluation of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Melbourne program

Background : The Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) program matches vulnerable young people with a trained, supervised adult volunteer as mentor. The young people are typically seriously disadvantaged, with multiple psychosocial problems.

Methods : Threshold analysis was undertaken to determine whether investment in the program was a worthwhile use of limited public funds. The potential cost savings were based on US estimates of life-time costs associated with high-risk youth who drop out-of-school and become adult criminals. The intervention was modelled for children aged 10–14 years residing in Melbourne in 2004.

Results : If the program serviced 2,208 of the most vulnerable young people, it would cost AUD 39.5 M. Assuming 50% were high-risk, the associated costs of their adult criminality would be AUD 3.3 billion. To break even, the program would need to avert high-risk behaviours in only 1.3% (14/1,104) of participants.

Conclusion : This indicative evaluation suggests that the BBBS program represents excellent 'value for money'.

Programs for men who perpetrate domestic violence : an examination of the issues underlying the effectiveness of intervention programs

This review paper seeks to explore some of the reasons why rehabilitation programs for male perpetrators of domestic violence appear to be less effective in reducing recidivism than programs for other offender groups. It is argued that while the model of systems response to domestic violence has predominated at the inter-agency level, further consideration might be given to way in which men’s intervention groups are both designed and delivered. It is concluded that the program logic of men’s domestic violence programs is rarely articulated leading to low levels of program integrity, and that one way to further improve program effectiveness is to incorporate some of the approaches evident in more general violence prevention programs and from what is know about good practice in general about offender rehabilitation.

Learning patterns in social skills training programs : an exploratory study

While Social Skills Training programs have been shown to improve the social skills of children with Disruptive Behaviour Disorders, the pattern of change in the participants’ learning during the training period remains unknown. Identifying this pattern could assist in determining whether more or less training hours are required to maximize the benefits of such programs within available resources. The current study aimed to replicate the social skills improvements found in previous research, and to explore the pattern of improvements in social knowledge and social performance that occurs during a Social Skills Training program. Two groups of eight males with behavioural problems attended 14 one-hour sessions of Social Skills Training. Multisources, multisettings and multimethods were used to measure social knowledge and social performance across five test phases. Multivariate analyses did not support previous findings showing overall improvements in social knowledge and social performance. Patterns of learning were not found to be consistent across different measures.

Barriers to learners' successful completion of VET flexible delivery programs

In the early 1990s, Australian policymakers began explicitly promoting increased use of flexible delivery in vocational education and training (VET). Some researchers argued that many students lack the learning skills required to deal with the unique demands of flexible delivery. Concerns were also raised about the VET sector's capacity to help students develop needed cognitive and metacognitive skills. A review of the literature revealed wide agreement that students' success in flexible delivery and open and distance education in Australia and elsewhere is generally determined by a complex interplay of factors, including the following: readiness for self-directed learning; ability to balance the time demands of study with other commitments such as family and work; level of literacy; ability to understand and deal with assessment requirements; level of motivation; and previous educational experiences. Two case studies based on the actual experiences of two of six students interviewed about their experiences in flexible VET delivery were reviewed. Both students decided to withdraw from their VET course because of several interconnected factors that built up over time. Both cases illustrated that some problems that can be addressed quickly in face-to-face learning environments are much more difficult to resolve when students are off campus.

Scanners, brokers and providers : partners in developing learning programs

This paper reports some of the findings from a project that aimed to identify effective processes for ensuring that the content of learning activities is relevant to the changing needs of clients, and evolves so as to always incorporate the best available knowledge and science. This paper focuses on findings relating to the drivers for the development of new or substantially revised learning programs. The project, ‘Providing client-focussed education and training’, was funded by the FarmBis section of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. The project also produced a self-assessment checklist for training providers to identify ways of improving the development and delivery of training. The key issues include continuous monitoring of client’s needs, and actively seeking opportunities to meet and work with industry organisations, other training providers and funding bodies.

There appear to be two drivers for the development of learning programs. One is problems or opportunities identified by people and organisations that could be termed ‘scanners’ and who tend not to be potential participants, the other is learning needs expressed by individuals or enterprises who want to participate in learning activities.

Scanners are typically industry organisations, government agencies and researchers, but may include providers and participants. Scanners identify learning needs that are not yet being expressed by potential participants, with the occasional exception of leading primary producers. Expressed participant needs drive the development of other programs. Providers become aware of the need for a new or substantially revised program, for example as a result of feedback from an existing program, because of legislative change or from delivering a similar program in other industries or contexts (for example computer training). Brokers (such as industry organisations who work to connect providers and participants) and ‘champions’ of training help participants identify and articulate their learning needs.

Developing effective learning programs : what extension can learn from the fields of adult education and learning communities

Learning is an investment in capacity building that has and will continue to reap rewards for primary producers and government in terms of increased sustainable production, profitability, exports, jobs and sustainable rural communities. Primary production operates in a context of continual change and requires up to date, complex and varied skills of primary producers and land managers.

A recent national research project funded by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Australia confirmed that application of best practice from the theory of adult education in designing and developing learning programs in primary industry results in learning activities that provide information that is relevant to farmers’ needs, delivered in an entertaining way, and that draws on examples directly relevant to the participants. As a result, the training often exceeds the expectations of the participants.

The project produced a self-assessment checklist to identify ways of improving the development and delivery of training for extension practitioners and training providers. The key issues include continuous monitoring of client’s needs, and actively seeking opportunities to meet and work with industry organisations, other training providers and funding bodies.

There appear to be two drivers for the development of learning programs. One is problems or opportunities identified by people and organisations that could be termed ‘scanners’ and who tend not to be potential participants, the other is learning needs expressed by individuals or enterprises who want to participate in learning activities (participants). Scanners are typically industry organisations, government agencies and researchers, but may include providers and participants. Extension practitioners are well-placed to act as scanners.

It is very important that farmers and farmer organisations contribute to the development of new learning programs. Without industry input and support, extension practitioners and training providers cannot be expected to ensure they meet client needs. In other words, to develop effective learning programs, there must an industry learning community of producers, industry organisations, extension practitioners and training providers and other stakeholders such as supply chain enterprises, government and researchers.