Description:
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of an alternative form of assessment employing new technology, such as smartphones and Facebook which are two modern tools that are rapidly increasing in popularity and application in the business environment. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts an experimental approach to examine whether these technologies could not only provide students with relevant skills but also increase their learning experience. Research findings and implications – Eleven out of the 12 students reported that the use of smartphones and Facebook increased their motivation, independent learning and sense of responsibility.The implications from this paper are that integrating new technologies into assessment was beneficial to students who had experience with the new technology, however, not all students were capable of using the technology and this requires further work when implementing new technology.
Description:
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of an alternative form of assessment employing new technology, such as smartphones and Facebook which are two modern tools that are rapidly increasing in popularity and application in the business environment. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts an experimental approach to examine whether these technologies could not only provide students with relevant skills but also increase their learning experience. Research findings and implications – Eleven out of the 12 students reported that the use of smartphones and Facebook increased their motivation, independent learning and sense of responsibility.The implications from this paper are that integrating new technologies into assessment was beneficial to students who had experience with the new technology, however, not all students were capable of using the technology and this requires further work when implementing new technology.
Description:
To perform successfully in the workplace, employers demand that a new ICT graduate should be equipped with a strong set of technical skills, coupled with a flexible and creative approach to problem solving (Dawson, 2000; Hagan, 2004). To prepare students for their transition to industry, many tertiary institutions incorporate a team project into the final year of their IT and Computing courses (Clear, Young, Goldweber, Leidig, & Scott, 2001). Such projects include diverse technical areas including software development on specialised platforms, hardware design, networking problems and multimedia development. The importance of a software team project in final year computing degrees is without argument (Newman, Daniels, & Faulkner, 2003; Lynch, Goold, & Blain, 2004); however, there is academic debate about how to best achieve ‘industrial strength’ authenticity for students. Should the project problem be one constructed by academic staff? Or should the problem be that of a real client? In this paper we argue the latter case by describing our experiences drawn from supervising student ICT projects done for real clients in the local community across three different institutions. An assessment model for student projects that successfully promotes the development of good graduate attributes and the development of professional processes is detailed. The model includes explicit scaffolding and support structures to aid students engaged in real‐life (and loosely defined) software projects. We argue that assessment of project work is about valuing process as much as product; we also report upon lessons learned from implementing this model at different institutions.
Description:
To perform successfully in the workplace, employers demand that a new ICT graduate should be equipped with a strong set of technical skills, coupled with a flexible and creative approach to problem solving (Dawson, 2000; Hagan, 2004). To prepare students for their transition to industry, many tertiary institutions incorporate a team project into the final year of their IT and Computing courses (Clear, Young, Goldweber, Leidig, & Scott, 2001). Such projects include diverse technical areas including software development on specialised platforms, hardware design, networking problems and multimedia development. The importance of a software team project in final year computing degrees is without argument (Newman, Daniels, & Faulkner, 2003; Lynch, Goold, & Blain, 2004); however, there is academic debate about how to best achieve ‘industrial strength’ authenticity for students. Should the project problem be one constructed by academic staff? Or should the problem be that of a real client? In this paper we argue the latter case by describing our experiences drawn from supervising student ICT projects done for real clients in the local community across three different institutions. An assessment model for student projects that successfully promotes the development of good graduate attributes and the development of professional processes is detailed. The model includes explicit scaffolding and support structures to aid students engaged in real‐life (and loosely defined) software projects. We argue that assessment of project work is about valuing process as much as product; we also report upon lessons learned from implementing this model at different institutions.
Description:
The purpose of this research was to determine if 5 weeks of resistance training for the shoulder and hip flexor muscles produces improvements in vertical jumping (VJ) performance. Twenty-eight men were assessed on tests of shoulder power, leg extensor muscle function, and VJ performance using jumps performed from a standing position, a 3-stride run-up, and double- and single-leg takeoffs. A shoulder and hip flexor training group (n = 14) improved significantly more than a nontraining control group (n = 12) in shoulder power and 2 VJ performance tests, but not in the tests of leg extensor muscle function. It was concluded that the arm swing and free-leg drive significantly influence VJ performance and, therefore, VJ tests are not valid for assessment of leg extensor muscle function.
Description:
This paper reports on part of a large-scale study aimed at examining students’ perceptions of assessment. This paper will report on a study utilising mixed methodology in 150 Australian middle school classrooms. The purpose of the study described in this paper was to use the Students’ Perceptions of Assessment Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (SPAQ) to identify and describe exemplary science teachers. With a sample of over 3000 science students, the reliability of the SPAQ scales ranged from 0.62 to 0.82. The exemplary teachers were identified as those whose students’ perceptions were more than one standard deviation above the mean on three of the five scales of Congruence with planned learning, Transparency, Authenticity, Student consultation, and Diversity. The construct validity of the SPAQ to identify these exemplary teachers was confirmed through interviews with students and these views are reported in the article.
Description:
Introduction The Regent Honeyeater Project commenced ecological restoration in the Lurg district in 1994, with an aim to restore habitats for the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater Anthochaera phrygia and a range of other threatened and declining species. Within this context, our study aimed to explore whether plant reproduction can be an effective measure of ecological restoration success. Methods Evaluation involved comparing attributes at unrestored, restored and remnant sites to establish whether sites displayed evidence of a clear restoration trajectory. Five age classes (unrestored, 4–6 years old, 8–10 years old, 12–14 years old and remnant areas) and two landforms (upper hills and lower hills) were considered. The diversity of woody plant species—which have easily recognisable reproductive material and which all recruit seedlings—provides easily measured parameters that have the potential to allow the determination of early establishment success and long-term ecological development of restored ecosystems. Results Restoration plantings developed in a hybrid state towards a benchmark in the lower hills; seedling species composition differed significantly among age classes, increasing in similarity with time since restoration, with some divergence from the target pathway. Composition of functional groups with reproductive outputs was also significantly different among age classes; however, a restoration trajectory was only evident in the upper hills where sites converged towards the target goal. Conclusions Divergence or deviation from the restoration trajectory was not deemed to be a restoration failure, as the variety of functional groups with fruits and diversity of seedlings recruiting indicated a potential increase in resilience in the future due to greater variability across the landscape. Plant recruitment was effective in detecting development trends towards a restoration target in this study and therefore may be a useful measure that contributes to determining ecological restoration success
Description:
Introduction The Regent Honeyeater Project commenced ecological restoration in the Lurg district in 1994, with an aim to restore habitats for the critically endangered Regent Honeyeater Anthochaera phrygia and a range of other threatened and declining species. Within this context, our study aimed to explore whether plant reproduction can be an effective measure of ecological restoration success. Methods Evaluation involved comparing attributes at unrestored, restored and remnant sites to establish whether sites displayed evidence of a clear restoration trajectory. Five age classes (unrestored, 4–6 years old, 8–10 years old, 12–14 years old and remnant areas) and two landforms (upper hills and lower hills) were considered. The diversity of woody plant species—which have easily recognisable reproductive material and which all recruit seedlings—provides easily measured parameters that have the potential to allow the determination of early establishment success and long-term ecological development of restored ecosystems. Results Restoration plantings developed in a hybrid state towards a benchmark in the lower hills; seedling species composition differed significantly among age classes, increasing in similarity with time since restoration, with some divergence from the target pathway. Composition of functional groups with reproductive outputs was also significantly different among age classes; however, a restoration trajectory was only evident in the upper hills where sites converged towards the target goal. Conclusions Divergence or deviation from the restoration trajectory was not deemed to be a restoration failure, as the variety of functional groups with fruits and diversity of seedlings recruiting indicated a potential increase in resilience in the future due to greater variability across the landscape. Plant recruitment was effective in detecting development trends towards a restoration target in this study and therefore may be a useful measure that contributes to determining ecological restoration success
Description:
The Four Domains Model of Spiritual Health and Well-Being was used as the theoretical base for the development of several spiritual well-being questionnaires, with progressive fine-tuning leading to the Spiritual Health And Life-Orientation Measure (SHALOM). SHALOM comprises 20 items with five items reflecting the quality of relationships of each person with themselves, other people, the environment and/or God, in the Personal, Communal, Environmental and Transcendental domains of spiritual well-being. SHALOM has undergone rigorous statistical testing in several languages. SHALOM has been used with school and university students, teachers, nurses, medical doctors, church-attenders, in industry and business settings, with abused women, troubled youth and alcoholics. SHALOM provides a unique way of assessing spiritual well-being as it compares each person’s ideals with their lived experiences, providing a measure of spiritual harmony or dissonance in each of the four domains.
Description:
The Four Domains Model of Spiritual Health and Well-Being was used as the theoretical base for the development of several spiritual well-being questionnaires, with progressive fine-tuning leading to the Spiritual Health And Life-Orientation Measure (SHALOM). SHALOM comprises 20 items with five items reflecting the quality of relationships of each person with themselves, other people, the environment and/or God, in the Personal, Communal, Environmental and Transcendental domains of spiritual well-being. SHALOM has undergone rigorous statistical testing in several languages. SHALOM has been used with school and university students, teachers, nurses, medical doctors, church-attenders, in industry and business settings, with abused women, troubled youth and alcoholics. SHALOM provides a unique way of assessing spiritual well-being as it compares each person’s ideals with their lived experiences, providing a measure of spiritual harmony or dissonance in each of the four domains.
Description:
There is increased recognition of the importance of children learning how to regulate emotions in a functional and adaptive manner for healthy psychological development. However, there is a paucity of tools for assessing emotion regulation during the middle childhood and adolescent years. This study reports on the psychometric evaluation of the 16-item self-report Emotion Regulation Index for Children and Adolescents (ERICA) involving a sample of 1,389 (768 girls, 621 boys) Australian children and adolescents aged 9 to 16 years. Convergent validity for the ERICA is reported with measures of self-conscious emotions (shame, guilt), empathy, childhood depressive symptomatology, and the perceived parenting dimensions of Care and Overprotection. Construct validity assessment using Principal Components Analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis yielded three factors: (1) Emotional Control, (2) Emotional Self-Awareness, and (3) Situational Responsiveness. The ERICA was also found to have good internal consistency and to be relatively stable over a four week test-retest period and to be sensitive to age and sex differences. It is concluded that the ERICA is a psychometrically sound measure for the assessment of the identified key aspects of emotion regulation in children and adolescents.
Description:
Research aimed at developing and validating an instrument to assess middle school students’ perceptions of assessment was conducted. Following a review of literature, a tentative 6-scale instrument of 48 items was trialled with a sample of 320 students in 7 Australian schools. Based on internal consistency reliability data and exploratory factor analysis, refinement decisions resulted in a 5-scale instrument called the Student Perceptions of Assessment Questionnaire (SPAQ). The scales of the SPAQ are Congruence with Planned Learning, Authenticity, Student Consultation, Transparency, and Diversity. A sample of 3,098 students in 150 classrooms was used to validate the final SPAQ.
Description:
In light of increased emphasis on universities being called to facilitate spiritual growth among students, the Spiritual Health And Life-Orientation Measure was used to assess four domains of spiritual well-being among 122 Divinity and 137 Religious Education students in Turkey. Students provided three responses to 20 items reflecting spiritual well-being, indicating their ideals for spiritual well-being, lived experience and how much university helped in each area. Another 16 potential factors were explored to help students develop their spiritual well-being, ranging from self-improvement to scripture. High scores on ideals for spiritual well-being, reported by both groups of students, underpin the lived experiences of Religious Education and Divinity students in each of four domains of spiritual well-being. Relating with God significantly influenced aspects of spiritual well-being but it appears that the highly religious students overstate the influence of religious activities, such as prayer and scripture, on their spiritual well-being. Universities provide small yet significant support in developing the four domains of spiritual well-being for these students. Overall, this study has shown many similarities, yet some significant variations in spiritual well-being between these Divinity and Religious Education students in Turkey. This project provides a sound base from which future studies can be launched to review, enhance and monitor university students' spiritual well-being and to determine the influence of these students' spiritual well-being on the clients they will serve after graduating and gaining employment.
Description:
In light of increased emphasis on universities being called to facilitate spiritual growth among students, the Spiritual Health And Life-Orientation Measure was used to assess four domains of spiritual well-being among 122 Divinity and 137 Religious Education students in Turkey. Students provided three responses to 20 items reflecting spiritual well-being, indicating their ideals for spiritual well-being, lived experience and how much university helped in each area. Another 16 potential factors were explored to help students develop their spiritual well-being, ranging from self-improvement to scripture. High scores on ideals for spiritual well-being, reported by both groups of students, underpin the lived experiences of Religious Education and Divinity students in each of four domains of spiritual well-being. Relating with God significantly influenced aspects of spiritual well-being but it appears that the highly religious students overstate the influence of religious activities, such as prayer and scripture, on their spiritual well-being. Universities provide small yet significant support in developing the four domains of spiritual well-being for these students. Overall, this study has shown many similarities, yet some significant variations in spiritual well-being between these Divinity and Religious Education students in Turkey. This project provides a sound base from which future studies can be launched to review, enhance and monitor university students' spiritual well-being and to determine the influence of these students' spiritual well-being on the clients they will serve after graduating and gaining employment.
Description:
Motivation to inquire into the nature of spirituality and its relatonship to health, especially in education, came from the 1994 Australian curriculum statements at national and state level. The emergent model of spiritual health and well-being posits four domains in which the quality of relationships reflects the underlying spiritual health and well-being of an individual. These relationships are with oneself, with others, with the environment and/or with God. On presentation of this research, people do not question relationships with self, others and nature as having a genuine place in studies of spiritual health and well-being. It is always the God-factor which provokes discussion. .."From abstract".
Description:
"There is a dearth of information about the current use and management of hazardous substances in workplaces. This project aimed to contribute knowledge in this area by drawing on the practical experience of worker-elected health and safety representatives. This was undertaken by surveying a random sample of 7178 representatives registered with former South Australian Occupational and Safety Commission's Health and Safety Representatives Database. The survey results indicated widespread use of hazard substances although there were differences between industries and work force sectors in the range of chemical types used, the nature and degree of contact that workers have with them. Use of some chemical types was also widespread in a number of industries. Container labelling and access to material safety data sheets were found to be established in many workplaces and some form of assessment to decide how to protect workers was also often undertaken. Baseline information was obtained against which the impact of proposed regulatory reforms to control workplace hazardous substances (consistent with Workplace Australia's National Model Regulations for the Contol of Workplace Hazardous Substances) can be evaluated. This information can also be used in the planning and targeting of educative and other preventive strategies to minimise risks to health and safety arising from work with hazardous substances." Taken form Abstract
Description:
"There is a dearth of information about the current use and management of hazardous substances in workplaces. This project aimed to contribute knowledge in this area by drawing on the practical experience of worker-elected health and safety representatives. This was undertaken by surveying a random sample of 7178 representatives registered with former South Australian Occupational and Safety Commission's Health and Safety Representatives Database. The survey results indicated widespread use of hazard substances although there were differences between industries and work force sectors in the range of chemical types used, the nature and degree of contact that workers have with them. Use of some chemical types was also widespread in a number of industries. Container labelling and access to material safety data sheets were found to be established in many workplaces and some form of assessment to decide how to protect workers was also often undertaken. Baseline information was obtained against which the impact of proposed regulatory reforms to control workplace hazardous substances (consistent with Workplace Australia's National Model Regulations for the Contol of Workplace Hazardous Substances) can be evaluated. This information can also be used in the planning and targeting of educative and other preventive strategies to minimise risks to health and safety arising from work with hazardous substances." Taken form Abstract
Description:
Objectives: To evaluate the current evidence regarding the quantification of cricket fast-bowling skill. Methods: Studies that assessed fast-bowling skill (bowling speed and accuracy) were identified from searches in SPORTDiscus (EBSCO) in June 2017. The reference lists of identified papers were also examined for relevant investigations. Results: A total of 16 papers matched the inclusion criteria, and discrepancies in assessment procedures were evident. Differences in test environment, pitch, and cricket ball characteristics; the warm-up prior to test; test familiarization procedures; permitted run-up lengths; bowling spell length; delivery sequence; test instructions; collection of bowling speed data; and collection and reportage of bowling accuracy data were apparent throughout the literature. The reliability and sensitivity of fast-bowling skill measures have rarely been reported across the literature. Only 1 study has attempted to assess the construct validity of its skill measures. Conclusions: There are several discrepancies in how fast-bowling skill has been assessed and subsequently quantified in the literature to date. This is a problem, because comparisons between studies are often difficult. Therefore, a strong rationale exists for the creation of match-specific standardized fast-bowling assessments that offer greater ecological validity while maintaining acceptable reliability and sensitivity of the skill measures. If prospective research can act on the proposed recommendations from this review, then coaches will be able to make more informed decisions surrounding player selection, talent identification, return to skill following injury, and the efficacy of short- and long-term training interventions for fast bowlers.
Description:
Objective Symptoms and disorders of anxiety are highly prevalent among older adults; however, late-life anxiety disorders remain underdiagnosed. The objective of this study was to (1) estimate the prevalence of late-life threshold and subthreshold generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), (2) examine sociodemographic and health correlates associated with membership in these groups, (3) assess 3-year conversion rates of these groups, and (4) explore characteristics associated with 3-year conversion to GAD. Methods Using Waves 1 and 2 of the National Epidemiological Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions, 13,420 participants aged 55-98 years were included in this study. Results Subthreshold GAD was more highly prevalent than threshold GAD and was interposed between asymptomatic and GAD groups in terms of severity of health characteristics. Although most participants with subthreshold and threshold GAD were asymptomatic by Wave 2, differences in disability persisted. Subthreshold GAD at baseline was not a predictor of threshold GAD at follow-up. Conclusion These findings suggest that late-life GAD should be conceptualized as a dimensional rather than categorical construct. The temporal stability of anxiety-associated disability further suggests that subthreshold GAD bears clinical significance. However, the suitability and efficacy of interventions for minimizing negative sequelae in this group remain to be determined.
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Over the last three decades, qualitative studies of children's spirituality have variously mentioned God. During this time, nearly 300 quantitative measures of spirituality and well-being have been developed and employed with youth and adults. However, very little similar work has been done with children. An article in this journal reported development of a purported spiritual sensitivity scale. That paper is critiqued here on the basis of its statistical methods as well as its failure to mention God in a study with Australian Catholic school students. In this paper, spiritual well-being (SWB) is taken as being reflected in the quality of relationships that people have with themselves, with others, with the environment and/or with God. Empirical evidence derived from extensive studies with primary school children in State, Catholic, Christian community and other independent schools in Australia reveals that an instrument called Feeling Good, Living Life is a statistically sound spirituality measure for children. Of the four sets of relationships reflecting SWB, relationship with God explains greatest variance in SWB overall. In this respect, relationship with God is most important for SWB among primary school students, just as other studies have shown it to be among youth and adults.
The Social Phobia Inventory (SoPhI): Validity and reliability in an adolescent population [Social Phobia Inventory (SoPhI): Validez y fiabilidad en una poblacin adolescente
Description:
Although there are numerous self-report measures to assess social anxiety in adults, and an increasing number in adolescents, only one scale designed during the last decade, the Social Phobia Inventory (SoPhI; Moore & Gee, 2003) has included an item to tap DSM-IV criterion F of social anxiety disorder (i.e. social anxiety must be present for at least six months). However, questions remain regarding the validity of the SoPhI in other languages and cultures. To address this problem the SoPhI was administered in two studies: firstly, to 457 adolescents from a community sample in order to test the internal consistency and factor analysis of the scale; and secondly, to a clinical sample comprising 114 participants with a principal diagnosis of social anxiety disorder, and a control group consisting of 78 adolescents with no diagnosis of social anxiety disorder. The scale showed good psychometric properties, including test-retest reliability, convergent validity, internal consistency, and a single-factor structure similar to the original study. Together these findings support the use of the SoPhI in a language other than English and for this range of ages.
Description:
Although there are numerous self-report measures to assess social anxiety in adults, and an increasing number in adolescents, only one scale designed during the last decade, the Social Phobia Inventory (SoPhI; Moore & Gee, 2003) has included an item to tap DSM-IV criterion F of social anxiety disorder (i.e. social anxiety must be present for at least six months). However, questions remain regarding the validity of the SoPhI in other languages and cultures. To address this problem the SoPhI was administered in two studies: firstly, to 457 adolescents from a community sample in order to test the internal consistency and factor analysis of the scale; and secondly, to a clinical sample comprising 114 participants with a principal diagnosis of social anxiety disorder, and a control group consisting of 78 adolescents with no diagnosis of social anxiety disorder. The scale showed good psychometric properties, including test-retest reliability, convergent validity, internal consistency, and a single-factor structure similar to the original study. Together these findings support the use of the SoPhI in a language other than English and for this range of ages.
Description:
Students describe the Library as being central to their learning, offering focus and inspiration, enabling access to information and technologies, and collaboration with peers. Deakin University Library’s building redevelopment program has been integral to the Library’s re-imagined value proposition for students learning in the digital age. The introduction of new generation library and learning spaces strengthens the University’s offer to students for a brilliant education where you are and where you want to go through premium cloud and located learning experiences that are personal, engaging and relevant. The Library’s building projects are distinctive in terms of location and the built environment, as well as the characteristics of the university campus communities. Each progressive project has brought new aspirations and challenges. Through joint research with Deakin University’s School of Architecture and Built Environment, the Library has developed a quality framework for planning and assessing library and learning spaces. This paper will discuss the research findings to date on the quality framework and the need to continually review and assess indicators of quality in a highly dynamic digital environment. The Library’s experiences in introducing high-end multimedia provide some insights into planning for and delivering enduring value. The next steps in exploring the question of how library spaces assist students in achieving their learning goals are introduced.
Description:
Students describe the Library as being central to their learning, offering focus and inspiration, enabling access to information and technologies, and collaboration with peers. Deakin University Library’s building redevelopment program has been integral to the Library’s re-imagined value proposition for students learning in the digital age. The introduction of new generation library and learning spaces strengthens the University’s offer to students for a brilliant education where you are and where you want to go through premium cloud and located learning experiences that are personal, engaging and relevant. The Library’s building projects are distinctive in terms of location and the built environment, as well as the characteristics of the university campus communities. Each progressive project has brought new aspirations and challenges. Through joint research with Deakin University’s School of Architecture and Built Environment, the Library has developed a quality framework for planning and assessing library and learning spaces. This paper will discuss the research findings to date on the quality framework and the need to continually review and assess indicators of quality in a highly dynamic digital environment. The Library’s experiences in introducing high-end multimedia provide some insights into planning for and delivering enduring value. The next steps in exploring the question of how library spaces assist students in achieving their learning goals are introduced.