Globalisation and the reshaping of teacher professional culture : Do we train competent technicians or informed players in the policy process?
- Authors: Angus, Lawrence
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at International yearbook on Teach Education 2003, Melbourne : 20th July, 2003
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000452
Passions in the field : Initial student responses to a field placement initiative
- Authors: Brandenburg, Robyn , Whitefield, Ross , Ryan, Janette
- Date: 2002
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Field Based Learning 2001 Conference, Canberra : 26th October, 2003
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000070
Collaborative learning : An exploration of actionable knowledge creation
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 4th Teaching, Learning, and Research Conference (IERA), Ballarat, Australia : 22th - 24th November, 2004
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- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000810
Becoming enquirers into professional practice
- Authors: Brown, Maryann , McGraw, Amanda
- Date: 2002
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 30th Australian Teacher Education Association Conference, Brisbane, July, 2002, Brisbane : 1st July, 2002
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000184
Extending assessment beyond skill competency. Professional induction as a mechanism to improve undergraduate teacher retention
- Authors: Cooley, Dean , Pedersen, Scott
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: NAFEA 2016, Beyond the Borders (National Association of Field Experience Administrators Conference), Deakin University Melbourne, July 14th 2016
- Full Text: false
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- Description: In Australia, the teaching profession is faced with the prospect that teacher education is no longer a popular choice among young people. This is problematic as the teaching workforce is at an average age of 43.4 years, with the proportion of teachers aged 50 or above at 39 per cent. Thus for the profession, retention of teacher candidates in ITE programs is critical to ensuring sustainability. At present retention rates in ITE programmes from year 1 to 2 ranges from 67 to 83 per cent. More alarming are graduate attrition rates of 30-40 per cent within the first five years. The literature draws attention to notion that retention to a profession has to extend beyond assessment of candidates’ competency against a range of set standards. In particular, data from other professions indicate that quality of a professional induction received by newcomer professions is predictive of retention and perceptions of success. This presentation will report on the development of a theme based WIL placement designed to provide a professional induction for teacher candidates as a means of increasing their perceptions of satisfaction with their WIL experiences and decreasing their intention to quit.
OK, please just tell us what to do : The challenge of freedom in teacher education
- Authors: Davis, Robert , Johnston, Robbie
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 2007 National Biennial Conference of the Australian Curriculum Studies Association: Curriculum Centre Stage: Inclusivity, Creativity and Diversity, Melbourne : 7th-10th July 2007
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- Description: At the University of Ballarat, pre-service teachers (PSTs) in their second year of the Bachelor of Education (P-10) are required to plan community-based teaching and learning in conjunction with school students, their teachers and schools along with community organisations. These requirements are in synergy with curriculum developments in schools and appear to be valued by them. While the transformative potential of community-based teaching and learning for teacher educators is acknowledged, there is a clear need for more research into the factors which underlie the success or otherwise of such approaches. In this paper, the implementation of community-based teaching and learning programs developed by pre-service teachers is examined for educational and organisational issues that shaped the outcomes for students. The paper highlights a number of consistent themes that throw light on factors that appear to affect the success of such pre-service courses. These insights contribute to the understanding of community-based pre-service teacher education curricula and pedagogies as an important and emerging area of interest.
- Description: 2003005036
New dimension, new paradigm : Engaging engineering students in sustainability through practical actions
- Authors: Hall, Stephen , Hall, Nina
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Engineering Leadership 2004 a New Paradigm, Sydney : 23rd September, 2004
- Full Text: false
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- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000821
Flexibility and community engagement in the delivery of engineering education for regional Australia
- Authors: Hall, Stephen
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 4th International Forum on Engineering Education: Integration of Teaching & Research with Community Service, Sharajah, United Arab Emirates : 25th-27th April 2006
- Full Text: false
- Description: Skill shortage in many areas has been identified as a significant factor limiting sustainable development in regional Australia. In engineering, this is impacting mining projects, transport and water infrastructure, and even manufacturing in regional centers. It is proving increasingly difficult to attract urban-bred and educated graduates into regional engineering careers. Many students entering University from regional Australia are from lower socio-economic groupings; meaning that the normal four-year Bachelor of Engineering program is a durational and financial barrier that many fail. The University of Ballarat has over the past five years moved in consultation with industry and the professional body (Engineers Australia) to a linked three-year Bachelor of Engineering Science and follow-on coursework Masters of Engineering Technology (similar to the European Bologna process). These programs are accredited at Engineering Technologist and Professional Engineer levels respectively. This structure allows the three-year graduates to enter the work place with a recognized award if they wish, and/or to continue their engineering education. Community engagement is an increasingly important element of the curriculum process, both in training the engineers of the future in this area together with leadership skills. Collaborative agreements with industry are also being entered into to formalize staff development through higher education programs on-site, on-campus and via distance delivery. This paper will discuss the structures of the academic programs, the modes of delivery, industry uptake of graduates, the use of single units for continuing education purposes and the potential for student exchange.
- Description: 2003001623
Virtual world technology for developing social work counselling skills in mental health
- Authors: Martin, Jennifer
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 2017 International Conference on Computer-Human Interaction Research and Applications, CHIRA 2017 p. 95-102
- Full Text: false
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- Description: When virtual worlds were introduced into post-secondary education in the early twenty-first century this was seen to be a technological innovation that would see widespread uptake in post-secondary human services education. However, the uptake of this technology has been slower than originally predicted. There are a number of examples of virtual worlds used to enhance the student learning experience in nursing, medicine and social work. In this paper a case study is presented of a virtual health centre that was developed for skill development in communication, assessment and intervention for students enrolled in health and human services disciplines. The case study presents evaluation data from the social work students who used this clinic for counselling skill development in mental health settings. The study found that the students were not convinced that virtual world technology was the preferred means for learning in a face-to-face environment as the activity could be easily replicated in the classroom. The discussion and conclusion give rise to a number of considerations for the successful application of virtual reality technology in social work and human services education into the future. Copyright © by SCITEPRESS - Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
Achieving success in industrial training
- Authors: Martin, Peter
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 7th International Conference on Teaching Statistics, ICOTS-7, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil : 2nd-7th July 2006
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- Description: The teaching of statistical techniques to people in industry, as part of quality control or process improvement programs, can be a rewarding but somewhat daunting process for academics. Whilst the spin-offs for undergraduate teaching are numerous, and will be explored in a future paper, the biggest gains include the co-operation between the specific industry and the academic institution concerned. This paper explores some of the requirements and conditions that go towards enhancing successful industrial consultancies involving statistically based training programs provided by academics.
- Description: 2003001820
Student perceptions of podcasting to enhance learning and teaching in an information systems course
- Authors: Miller, Charlynn , Newnham, Leon
- Date: 2007
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at 14th International Conference ALT-C 2007: Beyond Control. Learning Technology for the social network generation, Nottingham University EMCC, Nottingham, England, UK : 4th-6th September 2007 p. 104-115
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- Description: Universities are challenged to seek methods to improve student learning. Leading edge technologies, such as podcasts, that put the focus on learner-chosen activities may be one way to accomplish this. This study explored student perceptions of podcasting as a learning and teaching tool in a first semester information systems course within an Australian university. Students were provided with a short podcast to supplement face-to-face lectures. Students were then surveyed to determine their perceptions of the impact of this podcast on their learning. A high number of respondents agreed that they used the podcast, that it increased their understanding of the lecture material and that it assisted their learning in the unit overall. The findings in this preliminary study lend support to the concept that podcasting can enhance learning when used as a supplement to traditional teaching methods.
- Description: 2003002687
Linear functions and a triple influence of teaching on the development of students' algebraic expectation
- Authors: Pierce, Robyn
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 29th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, PME29, Melbourne : 10th - 15th July, 2005
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- 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: E1
- Description: 2003001444
Learning to use CAS: Voices from a classroom
- Authors: Pierce, Robyn , Stacey, Kaye
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 28th conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Matematics Education, PME 28, Bergen, Norway : 14th July, 2004
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- Description: This paper reports on the experiences of students who were learning mathematics with CAS for a second consecutive school year. Evidence presented shows that nearly all students managed the challenging task of mastering the technical aspects of using CAS well. It also shows that the level of technical difficulty and the degree to which it presents an obstacle to mathematical learning is not predictable from conventional mathematical ability. There is a complex interaction between cognitive and affective factors. Planning appropriate teaching for developing the effective use of CAS will require awareness and understanding of these individual differences.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000920
Interactive animation provides a vehicle for exploring students' understanding of derivatives
- Authors: Pierce, Robyn , Atkinson, Lyn
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at MERGA 26 MERINO -Mathematics Education Research: Innovation, Networking, Opportunity, Geelong, Victoria : 6th July 2003
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000364
Excellence through diversity : Internationalisation of curriculum and pedagogy
- Authors: Ryan, Janette , Hellmundt, Susan
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 17th IDP Australian International Education Conference, Woolongong, New South Wales : 5th December, 2003
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- Reviewed:
- Description: Recent times have seen a large increase in the numbers of international students attending Australian universities. At some universities, international students comprise up to twenty percent of the whole student cohort. Yet university teachers report that they feel ill-equipped and untrained to teach such students. International students themselves report that they feel undervalued and that their teaching and learning needs are often not well met. This paper reports on research on the experiences of both university lecturers and international students of teaching and learning at Australian universities. This research found strong evidence of a ‘gap’ in perceptions between staff and students about how well the learning needs of international students are being met and a general lack of awareness amongst university lecturers of teaching and learning issues in relation to international students. The paper will detail the impacts of these issues in terms of curriculum, pedagogy and assessment, and the broader factors influencing the learning of international students. It will suggest some strategies for better internationalising not only curriculum content, but also teaching methods and assessment practices. Such strategies will be of benefit not only to international students but also all learners in a diverse learning environment.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000470
Enhanced temporal difference learning using compiled eligibility traces
- Authors: Vamplew, Peter , Ollington, Robert , Hepburn, Mark
- Date: 2006
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at Artificial Intelligence, AI 2006: Advances in Artificial Intelligence conference, Hobart, Australia : 4th December, 2006
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Eligibility traces have been shown to substantially improve the convergence speed of temporal difference learning algorithms, by maintaining a record of recently experienced states. This paper presents an extension of conventional eligibility traces (compiled traces) which retain additional information about the agent’s experience within the environment. Empirical results show that compiled traces outperform conventional traces when applied to policy evaluation tasks using a tabular representation of the state values.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003001529