Description:
Community strengthening approaches which emphasise local solutions to local economic, social and environmental challenges now receive significant support through Federal and State Government policies and programmes. This paper examines the theoretical basis which underpins community building and place based development. The focus then shifts to examining how information and communications technology (ICT) can be used creatively in a community strengthening context. The potential role of regional universities supporting adoption, diffusion and effective use of ICT is then considered. The case of the Wendouree West Community Skills Survey then draws all the elements of the paper together. During 2002 the Centre for Electronic Commerce and Communications (CECC) was engaged by the Department of Human Services (DHS) to support the Wendouree West Community in conducting local skills surveys as part of its Neighbourhood Renewal project. The aim was not just to actively involve residents in the collection of information on the skills and learning aspirations of residents but also to make sure the results would be both useful and used. This paper explores the process involved and outcomes generated through the implementation and ongoing development of the Wendouree West Skills Survey. It is found that the creative use of ICT can generate broad community benefits which extend specific initiative outcomes.
Description:
Community strengthening approaches which emphasise local solutions to local economic, social and environmental challenges now receive significant support through Federal and State Government policies and programmes. This paper examines the theoretical basis which underpins community building and place based development. The focus then shifts to examining how information and communications technology (ICT) can be used creatively in a community strengthening context. The potential role of regional universities supporting adoption, diffusion and effective use of ICT is then considered. The case of the Wendouree West Community Skills Survey then draws all the elements of the paper together. During 2002 the Centre for Electronic Commerce and Communications (CECC) was engaged by the Department of Human Services (DHS) to support the Wendouree West Community in conducting local skills surveys as part of its Neighbourhood Renewal project. The aim was not just to actively involve residents in the collection of information on the skills and learning aspirations of residents but also to make sure the results would be both useful and used. This paper explores the process involved and outcomes generated through the implementation and ongoing development of the Wendouree West Skills Survey. It is found that the creative use of ICT can generate broad community benefits which extend specific initiative outcomes.
Description:
In this paper we investigate different variants for hybrid models using the Discrete Gradient method and an evolutionary strategy for determining the weights in a feed forward artificial neural network. The Discrete Gradient method has the advantage of being able to jump over many local minima and find very deep local minima. However, earlier research has shown that a good starting point for the discrete gradient method can improve the quality of the solution point. Evolutionary algorithms are best suited for global optimisation problems. Nevertheless they are cursed with longer training times and often unsuitable for real world application. For optimisation problems such as weight optimisation for ANNs in real world applications the dimensions are large and time complexity is critical. Hence the idea of a hybrid model can be a suitable option. In this paper we propose different fusion strategies for hybrid models combining the evolutionary strategy with the discrete gradient method to obtain an optimal solution much quicker. Three different fusion strategies are discussed: a linear hybrid model, an iterative hybrid model and a restricted local search hybrid model Comparative results on a range of standard datasets are provided for different fusion hybrid models.
Description:
The degree/diameter problem is to determine the largest graphs or digraphs of given maximum degree and given diameter. This paper deals with directed graphs. General upper bounds, called Moore bounds, exist for the largest possible order of such digraphs of maximum degree d and diameter k. It is known that simulated annealing and genetic algorithm are effective techniques to identify global optimization solutions. This paper describes our attempt to build a Hybrid Simulated Annealing and Genetic Algorithm (HSAGA) that can be used to construct larger digraphs, and displays our preliminary results obtained by HSAGA.
Description:
This paper presents a anecdote of Realestateview, which is an internet portal used by real estate agents to process and advertise properties for sale and lease. The functionality of the site and the benefits offered to the stakeholders is the reason for its success at gaining support from agents, buyers and sellers. The benefits offered to agents has resulted in ‘buy-in’ which has increased participation of sellers resultant of the agents cross branding the site. An aim of the paper is to inform academics and practitioners as to some of the factors that contribute to develop clusters around an ICT solution. While the case presented is a positive example and specific to the real estate industry some similarities and differences maybe found in other contexts.
Description:
This paper presents a anecdote of Realestateview, which is an internet portal used by real estate agents to process and advertise properties for sale and lease. The functionality of the site and the benefits offered to the stakeholders is the reason for its success at gaining support from agents, buyers and sellers. The benefits offered to agents has resulted in ‘buy-in’ which has increased participation of sellers resultant of the agents cross branding the site. An aim of the paper is to inform academics and practitioners as to some of the factors that contribute to develop clusters around an ICT solution. While the case presented is a positive example and specific to the real estate industry some similarities and differences maybe found in other contexts.
Description:
In Australia, the vast majority of sport is played at the community level rather than at an elite level. This paper will explore the congruence of participants’ beliefs about various aspects of sports injury at the community level and their injury prevention (IP) practices. The results of the study will help to direct our efforts as injury prevention researchers and practitioners in the field. The study used survey data of 165 basketball and hockey players to explore attitudes to injury prevention using the health belief model. The study explored the benefits and barriers to injury prevention strategies such as the use of mouthguards, shin pads, taping/bracing and warming-up and cooling-down. Hockey players felt that they were significantly more susceptible to injury than basketball players. The perception of benefits and barriers as factors in injury prevention use was significantly different between the groups. Hockey players demonstrated more positive attitudes to IP use and this is borne out in their behaviours. The significant predictor of IP usage in basketball games was the number of injuries sustained. The Health Belief Model does not appear to be useful in predicting IP use in basketball. It may be possible to influence the uptake of IP use in basketball by incorporating educational programs which relate the realistic potential for individuals to be injured. In hockey, perceived barriers were the most important predictors of IP gear use, with barriers to mouthguard use being significant. The more positively participants viewed mouthguards, the more IP strategies they employed overall.
Description:
The study of linear functions is important as it provides students with their first experience of identifying and interpreting the relationship between two dependent variables. This paper, which builds on previous research, reports a study undertaken with 64, year 9 students from two Australian schools. Linear functions were introduced to these students through a graphics calculator supported, functional approach to modelling contextual problems. The teaching was generally successful. Scrutiny of pre- and post-tests highlights the triple influence of the teaching on their progress in each element of Algebraic Expectation relevant to this stage.
Description:
The study of linear functions is important as it provides students with their first experience of identifying and interpreting the relationship between two dependent variables. This paper, which builds on previous research, reports a study undertaken with 64, year 9 students from two Australian schools. Linear functions were introduced to these students through a graphics calculator supported, functional approach to modelling contextual problems. The teaching was generally successful. Scrutiny of pre- and post-tests highlights the triple influence of the teaching on their progress in each element of Algebraic Expectation relevant to this stage.
Description:
An important issue currently facing the mining industry in Australia is the management and cost to the industry and other stakeholders of entry into and exit from towns and their communities. These costs can be environmental, social, economic, political or reputational. The ability of companies to engage the trust of communities, governments and investors is critical, and corporate reputation plays a significant role in this. For the industry to secure a long-term and sustainable future, it must have the technical, business and reputation assets to proceed in a cost-effective, environmentally acceptable and socially supportive way. The paper introduces the concepts of sustainability both at the corporate level and the regional town and community level. For the companies, there are important impacts on costs and efficiencies, an organisations ‘license to operate’, shareholder value and the trade off between dealing with environmental and social issues through prevention or retrofit and corrective measures. However, for the mining industry, possibly the most important aspect of this study is the ability of companies to get access to new sites at competitive cost. For mining companies sustainability has moved from mineral and environmental resources, to a greater emphasis on economic sustainability and community capacity building.
Description:
An important issue currently facing the mining industry in Australia is the management and cost to the industry and other stakeholders of entry into and exit from towns and their communities. These costs can be environmental, social, economic, political or reputational. The ability of companies to engage the trust of communities, governments and investors is critical, and corporate reputation plays a significant role in this. For the industry to secure a long-term and sustainable future, it must have the technical, business and reputation assets to proceed in a cost-effective, environmentally acceptable and socially supportive way. The paper introduces the concepts of sustainability both at the corporate level and the regional town and community level. For the companies, there are important impacts on costs and efficiencies, an organisations ‘license to operate’, shareholder value and the trade off between dealing with environmental and social issues through prevention or retrofit and corrective measures. However, for the mining industry, possibly the most important aspect of this study is the ability of companies to get access to new sites at competitive cost. For mining companies sustainability has moved from mineral and environmental resources, to a greater emphasis on economic sustainability and community capacity building.
Description:
Since the 1970's, when Suinn (1972) proposed early systematic applications of imagery in posrt, including Visuo-Motor Behaviour Rehearsal (VMBR), imagery has been a central focus of research and practice in sport psychology.
Description:
Business relationships and activities will be mapped to establish the functional characteristics of the fine art industry cluster of which the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has long been the dominant figure. Many of the core activities of the NGV have been severely disrupted between 1999 and 2003 due to refurbishment. This circumstance has made it possible to examine and determine the effects of dislocation of the dominant member on the way a cluster functions. This research will provide information on how fine arts businesses, including some that are competitors, interrelate, and how and to what extent a previously dominant member can reinstate its position after a period of dislocation. This research project employs a longitudinal design so that cluster functioning and level of innovation can be compared before, during, and after disruption of the NGV’s core activities. This circumstance provides a unique opportunity to identify groups of firms with similar innovation patterns and consequent strategic types (personality), test conflicting expectations arising from alliance capitalism and market capitalism models and to examine the assumption that the strategic type (personality) of the cluster, to which a firm belongs, has a bearing on the innovative status of the cluster and its consequent adaptability to change in turbulent environments.
Description:
Business relationships and activities will be mapped to establish the functional characteristics of the fine art industry cluster of which the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) has long been the dominant figure. Many of the core activities of the NGV have been severely disrupted between 1999 and 2003 due to refurbishment. This circumstance has made it possible to examine and determine the effects of dislocation of the dominant member on the way a cluster functions. This research will provide information on how fine arts businesses, including some that are competitors, interrelate, and how and to what extent a previously dominant member can reinstate its position after a period of dislocation. This research project employs a longitudinal design so that cluster functioning and level of innovation can be compared before, during, and after disruption of the NGV’s core activities. This circumstance provides a unique opportunity to identify groups of firms with similar innovation patterns and consequent strategic types (personality), test conflicting expectations arising from alliance capitalism and market capitalism models and to examine the assumption that the strategic type (personality) of the cluster, to which a firm belongs, has a bearing on the innovative status of the cluster and its consequent adaptability to change in turbulent environments.