Description:
Increased access to university by students with different backgrounds and capabilities from those in the past has posed, and continues to pose, dilemmas for lecturers who seek effective ways of addressing the challenge of undergraduate literacy and learning. To this end, we have been engaged on a Committee for University Teaching and Staff Development (CUTSD) funded program that we call TULIP (Tertiary Undergraduate Literacy Integration Program) which focuses on the integration of tertiary literacy within content teaching as a means of enhancing student literacy. The broad aim of the TULIP Project was to build on collaborative and reflective teaching and learning partnerships between lecturers and students, between lecturers across two universities, and between lecturers in disparate disciplines. The project developed, trialed and evaluated a suite of learner-centred literacy strategies that comprise the TULIP Resource Kit which foregrounds the embeddedness of tertiary literacy within content teaching.
Description:
This paper presents the preliminary results of a qualitative study examining the agenda for change being pursued by key influential women in Australia to address male-centred rural general practitioner (GP) workforce policies. Many current recruitment and retention programs do not reflect the needs of female GPs as they are based on the traditional notions of a country GP — that is a full-time, on call doctor with a supporting spouse. As women become the majority in medicine, key women influentials in the rural general practice field are advocating for the restructuring of medicine so that women GPs can be part of the solution to rural health care issues. Previous empirical research and theoretical analyses have suggested that medicine and rural communities are patriarchal. To date data collection for this explorative study consists of 5 in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of key women activists across the spectrum of organised medicine. Preliminary results show how women are pressuring for change but also the sources of resistance they encounter from the dominant medical culture. Key women players use particular collective and individual strategies to advocate for female GP issues. These results reflect some research findings on women leaders and female rural GPs. In conclusion, it is important that women are given equal access to decision-making positions to enable their input into the structure and culture of rural general practice. The recommendation put forward is to build inclusive recruitment and retention rural workforce strategies for female rural GPs.
Description:
This paper presents the preliminary results of a qualitative study examining the agenda for change being pursued by key influential women in Australia to address male-centred rural general practitioner (GP) workforce policies. Many current recruitment and retention programs do not reflect the needs of female GPs as they are based on the traditional notions of a country GP — that is a full-time, on call doctor with a supporting spouse. As women become the majority in medicine, key women influentials in the rural general practice field are advocating for the restructuring of medicine so that women GPs can be part of the solution to rural health care issues. Previous empirical research and theoretical analyses have suggested that medicine and rural communities are patriarchal. To date data collection for this explorative study consists of 5 in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of key women activists across the spectrum of organised medicine. Preliminary results show how women are pressuring for change but also the sources of resistance they encounter from the dominant medical culture. Key women players use particular collective and individual strategies to advocate for female GP issues. These results reflect some research findings on women leaders and female rural GPs. In conclusion, it is important that women are given equal access to decision-making positions to enable their input into the structure and culture of rural general practice. The recommendation put forward is to build inclusive recruitment and retention rural workforce strategies for female rural GPs.
Description:
Global optimization problems continue to be a challenge in computational mathematics. The field is progressing in two streams: deterministic and heuristic approaches. In this paper, we present a hybrid method that uses the discrete gradient method, which is a derivative free local search method, and evolutionary strategies. We show that the hybridization of the two methods is better than each of them in isolation.
Description:
Global optimization problems continue to be a challenge in computational mathematics. The field is progressing in two streams: deterministic and heuristic approaches. In this paper, we present a hybrid method that uses the discrete gradient method, which is a derivative free local search method, and evolutionary strategies. We show that the hybridization of the two methods is better than each of them in isolation.
Description:
Introduction: This study examined the effect of yoga on the state anxiety and mood states of athletes. Yoga has long been practised by athletes but its influence on the mood state of athletes has not been empirically examined. Method: Participants were 15 female netball players, aged between 18 and 27 years (M = 20.97, SD = 3.09) who completed the Abbreviated Profile of Mood States (APOMS) and the state anxiety inventory (A-State) before and after each of six yoga or strength and conditioning sessions completed one night per week. Participants acted as their own controls with all participants completing both treatments. The main hypothesis was that yoga participants would report significantly greater changes in mood state and state anxiety than strength and conditioning participants. Results: A One-Way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) indicated that yoga sessions had significantly greater pre to post test change on overall mood state and state anxiety compared to strength and conditioning sessions. In addition, on the subscales of the APOMS, yoga produced significantly greater pre to post test decreases on confusion and tension than strength and conditioning. Conclusion: Results support the use of yoga to positively enhance mood state and decrease state anxiety in athlete populations.Implications for coaches and athletes are discussed including the potential use of alternative and holistic training methods for the management of mood and anxiety. Future research directions are also discussed including investigating alternative approaches to the management of mood and anxiety in athletes and further investigation into the components of yoga.
Description:
Fruit production typically involves a period of investment and developmental expenditure which continues until the orchard is fully productive. During this period cash flows are negative. Once the orchard bears fruit, positive cash flows can result. In time, as the orchard trees age and yields decline or new varieties replace the existing varieties, negative cash flows reappear. The duration of this cycle can vary and periods of time ranging from ten to fifty or sixty years would not be uncommon. This study focuses on the Moutere Hill apple and pear fruit in the Nelson Province in the South Island of New Zealand during a recent period when the region as a whole experienced a severe decline in orchard incomes as a result of the failure of orchardists to adjust to changing economic and technological conditions which in turn resulted in orchards consisting of a large number of old trees with a high percentage of less preferred varieties.
Description:
The aim of this paper is to outline a conceptual model and research design for measuring trust in inter-organisational networks which has the potential to be a ‘blueprint’ for a large-scale, multilevel study of trust in networks. Inter-organisational networks are increasingly recognised as a means to achieve economic and social exchange yet, how these networks operate is less widely understood. Trust is widely identified as being essential to the functioning of networks forms of organisation. In order to analyse trust in networks the Social Relations Model (Kenny 1994) of interpersonal perception is applied here. Insights from this model are used to specify relevant components of trust; and extended by incorporating measures of trust at the level of the work group.
Description:
The aim of this paper is to outline a conceptual model and research design for measuring trust in inter-organisational networks which has the potential to be a ‘blueprint’ for a large-scale, multilevel study of trust in networks. Inter-organisational networks are increasingly recognised as a means to achieve economic and social exchange yet, how these networks operate is less widely understood. Trust is widely identified as being essential to the functioning of networks forms of organisation. In order to analyse trust in networks the Social Relations Model (Kenny 1994) of interpersonal perception is applied here. Insights from this model are used to specify relevant components of trust; and extended by incorporating measures of trust at the level of the work group.
Description:
The High Level Architecture (HLA) offers a dramatic extension of reuse for distributed simulation components. At the same time the HLA represents a significant training and education challenge if adoption of the architecture is to proceed at an adequate pace. In this context it is appropriate to consider tools and techniques that support effective pedagogy for HLA. This paper describes two innovations that have proved useful in short courses for HLA developers. The first supports scripting of basic HLA interactions so that a significant first encounter with HLA can proceed without the cognitive overhead of program development. The second supports an extended HLA software development training exercise in which groups of students work independently on components of a complete HLA simulation. An exercise of this scope becomes problematic when incomplete and possibly incorrect components are tested against each other. The tool described offers an adaptable test harness of correct components, in various states of completion, against which students can initially test their work.
Description:
The High Level Architecture (HLA) offers a dramatic extension of reuse for distributed simulation components. At the same time the HLA represents a significant training and education challenge if adoption of the architecture is to proceed at an adequate pace. In this context it is appropriate to consider tools and techniques that support effective pedagogy for HLA. This paper describes two innovations that have proved useful in short courses for HLA developers. The first supports scripting of basic HLA interactions so that a significant first encounter with HLA can proceed without the cognitive overhead of program development. The second supports an extended HLA software development training exercise in which groups of students work independently on components of a complete HLA simulation. An exercise of this scope becomes problematic when incomplete and possibly incorrect components are tested against each other. The tool described offers an adaptable test harness of correct components, in various states of completion, against which students can initially test their work.
Description:
In today’s globalised economy, Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are facing ever increasing competitive pressures. They need to gain new market information and knowledge to remain competitive. A common strategy is to develop clusters of networks with other SMEs. Clustering enables the development of informal social networks through which knowledge can flow and be used. This paper aims to investigate the mechanisms of informal social networks that promote knowledge transfer. Finally, some issues relating to the measurement of the intellectual value created are explored.
Description:
In today’s globalised economy, Small-to-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are facing ever increasing competitive pressures. They need to gain new market information and knowledge to remain competitive. A common strategy is to develop clusters of networks with other SMEs. Clustering enables the development of informal social networks through which knowledge can flow and be used. This paper aims to investigate the mechanisms of informal social networks that promote knowledge transfer. Finally, some issues relating to the measurement of the intellectual value created are explored.
Description:
Knowledge discovery from databases (KDD) exercises in law have typically attempted to derive knowledge about decision making processes in the legal domain automatically from datasets. This is made difficult in that real data that represents aspects of a decision process in law is commonly stored as text and rarely stored in structured databases. The central claim advanced here is that KDD processes can be usefully applied to existing datasets of client and demographic data in order to provide feedback for the effective operation of organizations within the legal system. However, the cost of data mining suites and the scarcity of specialized personnel for these tools mitigates against their use. In this study data mining with Association Rules (AR) has been performed on a data-set of over 380,000 records from a legal aid agency. Methods to visualise patterns in order to suggest and test plausible hypotheses from the data have been developed. The tool, called WebAssociate is entirely web based. Domain experts using the tool report favorable responses.
Description:
Health service system developments in recent decades have, both nationally and internationally, been increasingly focused on quality service delivery and the attainment of improved health outcomes. Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been promoted as a central mechanism through which to achieve improved quality and safety in health service delivery (World Health Organisation, 1999; Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council,1996).
Description:
Health service system developments in recent decades have, both nationally and internationally, been increasingly focused on quality service delivery and the attainment of improved health outcomes. Evidence-based practice (EBP) has been promoted as a central mechanism through which to achieve improved quality and safety in health service delivery (World Health Organisation, 1999; Australian Health Ministers Advisory Council,1996).