Description:
Courts are complex institutions which must constantly adjust to ensure that they are fulfilling their responsibilities to defendants, victims, witnesses, society and others who enter court spaces either virtually or physically. Courts must also manage their relationships with other agencies (whether justice or community) on whom they rely. Courts face an array of challenges in contemporary Australia, including the COVID-19 pandemic which has necessitated courts to pivot from inherently complex systems which are primarily public facing to virtual spaces which must continue to maintain the rule of law and to be open, transparent and subject to scrutiny. This chapter considers other challenges, too, which various courts and those who work in, with or appear before are facing. It assesses a suite of potential micro and macro reforms, advocating for ongoing systemic and structural change.
Description:
Since the mid 1990s access to advanced communication and information systems has increasingly been seen as critical for economic and social well-being. Information communications technology (ICT) has been identified as having a virtually unlimited potential to enhance business competitiveness. For regional communities ICT has been identified as providing opportunities to ‘level the playing field’ with benefits espoused in terms of ‘location independence’ and for the end of the ‘tyranny of distance’. In terms of community well-being it has been argued that online capabilities can help to stimulate and reinvigorate both geographic communities and communities of interest. However in spite of the context where online capabilities are promoted as critical elements of regional and rural success, few attempts have been made to draw together various intellectual streams of research with examples of community practice, to gain a clear understanding of how regional Australia can grab its share of this wealth and use it to strengthen local communities. This paper reports on collaborative research which is directed towards these very issues. It responds to a call for research to be instigated to collect case studies of rural communities that have successfully developed community-based Internet services for socially and economically beneficial purposes. There are four industry partners supporting this research. They are Ararat Rural City, the Wimmera Development Association, AME Systems and the Shire of Hepburn. The broad research objective is to consider factors that underpin the sustainability of regional and rural communities with a particular focus on investing factors that affect the success of community informatics (CI) initiatives. CI is an overarching term and an emerging field of study that focuses on the use of ICT by communities for their betterment. It links the concepts of social, economic, political and cultural development with emerging opportunities from ICTs. A mixed methodology, combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies has been used to achieve the study objectives. Findings indicate that where commitment, compatibility and a shared strategic intent are at the heart of collaborative relationships, success and learning is much more likely to occur. The research demonstrates the benefits and challenges of operationalising online initiatives in a regional and rural context. It also contributes to forming an evidence-based approach to public and private action required to underpin the sustainability of regional and rural communities in Australia.
Description:
The mechanism of subnational regional and urban economic development has been studied extensively by economists, geographers, town planners and other academics. The existing widely varying theories of regional economic development are insufficient on their own in explaining how a region can develop and prosper. Each theory has evaluated a few facets of regional economic development. Research from these different perspectives is narrow and prevents any cross-fertilization of research from these diverse theories. Recognition of multiple factors affecting the development process has led the author to create an integrated model of regional and urban economic development. The essay first sets out to describe and explain this integrated model. Each of the components of this new model draws heavily upon seminal work in the field. This model proposes three rings. Each ring is at a different level of abstraction. The determinants of development described in each ring can influence each and every other determinant of development shown in the three-ring structure. This model recognizes that development in any centre, be it regional or urban, nascent or established, is a composite end result of the complex interplay of all the determinants. The essay then goes on to show how this model can provide a broad holistic approach to regional economic development that can assist researchers in their attempts to understand and link its various theories.
Description:
Technology use in higher education teaching has become widespread and ubiquitous, affecting many areas of teaching and learning (Bond et al., 2020). Nurse education has been impacted by this shift with increasing use of technologies in the classroom (Koch, 2014). Although there has been a large research focus relating to students’ elearning, there has been less focus on the academic and their elearning role, in particular, how academic attitudes influence technology use in teaching (Drysdale et al., 2013; Martin, Polly, et al., 2020). The aim of this study was to explore nurse academics’ attitudes to technology and the influence attitude has on their use of technologies in teaching. There were three objectives: 1) To investigate nurse academics’ attitudes to technology through the Technology Readiness Index 2.0 (TRI 2). 2) To develop an understanding of how and why nurse academics engage with technology through individual interviews. 3) To integrate the quantitative (Objective 1) and qualitative (Objective 2) findings in order to gain a holistic understanding of academics’ use of technologies in teaching. A mixed methods sequential explanatory design consisting of two phases was used to address the aim. The first phase was a survey based on a previously validated, 16 item questionnaire, the Technology Readiness Index 2.0 (TRI 2), which was distributed to Australian nurse academics. The second phase included semi-structured individual interviews focussed on academics’ use and attitudes to technology, incorporating elements from the survey. The Technology Readiness Index 2.0 (TRI 2) was used in this study for the first time with nurse academics. The phase one findings indicate that nurse academics were technology ready, had higher overall TRI mean score than the general population (Parasuraman & Colby, 2015), but with similar outcomes to previous nurse academic research. Of note was that TRI was significantly associated with frequency of technology use, number of technologies used and self-rated confidence to use technology. The findings revealed three main Technology Readiness groups, representing three attitudes to technology in teaching: Explorers, Sceptics and Hesitators. Explorers were found to be innovative, positive and confident in their use of technology; Sceptics showed aversion to technology, were cautious when considering the impact on pedagogy and concerned about the impact on interpersonal skills; Hesitators showed preference for traditional teaching and distrust and were anxious about technology use. Overall, attitudes were found to be complex, based on experience and the potential impact technology may have on nursing students. The groups identified in this thesis explain behaviours and enable institutes to support academics in their engagement with technology. Recommendations include flexible training to meet the needs of academics, the use of simple and reliable technology across TR groups and adjusting workloads to account for the time-consuming nature of technology. There is also a need for academics to consider their attitudes to technology and the impact this may have on their teaching. This thesis demonstrates that technology engagement is not a binary choice but a complex process based on attitudes and other factors.
Description:
Technology use in higher education teaching has become widespread and ubiquitous, affecting many areas of teaching and learning (Bond et al., 2020). Nurse education has been impacted by this shift with increasing use of technologies in the classroom (Koch, 2014). Although there has been a large research focus relating to students’ elearning, there has been less focus on the academic and their elearning role, in particular, how academic attitudes influence technology use in teaching (Drysdale et al., 2013; Martin, Polly, et al., 2020). The aim of this study was to explore nurse academics’ attitudes to technology and the influence attitude has on their use of technologies in teaching. There were three objectives: 1) To investigate nurse academics’ attitudes to technology through the Technology Readiness Index 2.0 (TRI 2). 2) To develop an understanding of how and why nurse academics engage with technology through individual interviews. 3) To integrate the quantitative (Objective 1) and qualitative (Objective 2) findings in order to gain a holistic understanding of academics’ use of technologies in teaching. A mixed methods sequential explanatory design consisting of two phases was used to address the aim. The first phase was a survey based on a previously validated, 16 item questionnaire, the Technology Readiness Index 2.0 (TRI 2), which was distributed to Australian nurse academics. The second phase included semi-structured individual interviews focussed on academics’ use and attitudes to technology, incorporating elements from the survey. The Technology Readiness Index 2.0 (TRI 2) was used in this study for the first time with nurse academics. The phase one findings indicate that nurse academics were technology ready, had higher overall TRI mean score than the general population (Parasuraman & Colby, 2015), but with similar outcomes to previous nurse academic research. Of note was that TRI was significantly associated with frequency of technology use, number of technologies used and self-rated confidence to use technology. The findings revealed three main Technology Readiness groups, representing three attitudes to technology in teaching: Explorers, Sceptics and Hesitators. Explorers were found to be innovative, positive and confident in their use of technology; Sceptics showed aversion to technology, were cautious when considering the impact on pedagogy and concerned about the impact on interpersonal skills; Hesitators showed preference for traditional teaching and distrust and were anxious about technology use. Overall, attitudes were found to be complex, based on experience and the potential impact technology may have on nursing students. The groups identified in this thesis explain behaviours and enable institutes to support academics in their engagement with technology. Recommendations include flexible training to meet the needs of academics, the use of simple and reliable technology across TR groups and adjusting workloads to account for the time-consuming nature of technology. There is also a need for academics to consider their attitudes to technology and the impact this may have on their teaching. This thesis demonstrates that technology engagement is not a binary choice but a complex process based on attitudes and other factors.
Description:
Young children develop understandings about literacy from birth through experiences of print in their home environments. Today, written text is often present in children's homes in both print and digital forms. What kind of technologies are young children accessing at home and for what purposes? This paper discusses research findings from questionnaires completed by parents about the home digital literacy practices of 105 Turkish children aged 5-7 years and the nature of parental support for digital technology use at home. Parent interviews with five families further identified the technologies used, the children's repertoire of digital literacy practices and issues confronting parents about children's use of technology. The study revealed that children were actively engaged in multimodal practices through the use of digital technologies in play and learning in their homes. The main implications of this study are that it is important that educators be aware of children's existing digital home literacy practices as a foundation for further literacy learning and that parents may need support in understanding how technology use can contribute to children's literacy learning. Further research is warranted in this area.
Description:
Despite having been a prolific academic, whose work exerts considerable cross-discipline influence, the ideas of Foucault are largely neglected in educational technology scholarship. Having provided an initial brief overview of the sparse use of Foucault's work in this sub-field, this paper then seeks to generate new understandings, arguing that his texts have ongoing relevance, particularly if ed-tech research is to escape its limited, instrumentalism and critically engage with broader social, economic and political concerns. To this end Foucault's writings on technology, discourse and panopticism are considered and the analytical insights they offer into educational technology research explored. Whilst recognising that it is impossible to do justice to Foucault's oeuvre in such a short piece, it is hoped that through providing an introduction to these key concepts and suggesting problems that they could be used to addresses a more critical approach to educational technology will be engendered.
Description:
Snapchat is emerging as a popular image-based instant messaging service. Aiming to provide the first insight into the characteristics of Snapchat users, this study (N = 235) drew on the limited existing Snapchat research base, uses and gratifications theory, and other social media research to derive a range of research questions about Snapchat users vs. non-users. As hypothesised, Snapchat users were younger, placed significantly more importance on social connectedness than non-users, reported significantly greater reliance on graphics in communication, were more likely engage with technology regularly, had greater comfort with technological multitasking, and showed a stronger preference for online social interaction than non-users. However, in contrast to predictions, a desire for instantaneous interaction and reward was not significantly associated with Snapchat use. The findings are considered in terms of a proposed research agenda, including relevant theoretical paradigms (such as belongingness, technology acceptance, psycholinguistic, and semiotic theories) and applied outcomes (such as social capital and communication). Frameworks for future Snapchat research are provided. •First investigation of Snapchat user vs. non-user characteristics.•Snapchat users were younger and use graphics, technology, and multitask more often.•Snapchat users place greater importance on social connectedness.•Snapchat users have a stronger preference for online social interaction.•Relevant theory and applications are suggested in terms of a Snapchat research agenda.
Description:
Universities are constantly challenged to seek methods to improve student engagement. Leading edge technologies such as podcasting may be one of the most effective ways to accomplish this engagement, particularly for those students aged between 18 and 25. Students within this general age group have been termed by many as Generation Y or the iLife generation. This is due to this group being attracted to new technologies, particularly Apple's iPod®. This attraction to multimedia based technologies may indicate that podcasting, an online multimedia delivery method, could become a valuable educational technology for Generation Y tertiary students. This poster will present findings from a pilot study which aimed to measure student perceptions toward podcasting as a teaching and learning technique. Students of an introductory information system unit were provided with an educational podcast. This podcast included short discussions each week which would supplement lectures. The students in this unit were then surveyed to determine their perceptions of the technology, including whether they believe it enhanced their educational experience. Over 90% of enrolled students completed the survey, while over 90.2% of those respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that lecture material was easier to understand as a result of the podcast.
Description:
Under the playful headline ‘World of Spycraft’, it was reported in December 2013 that the United States National Security Agency (NSA) and its United Kingdom counterpart were potentially conducting extensive covert surveillance in online gaming domains, such as World of Warcraft (WoW), Second Life and Xbox Live (New York Times, 2013). According to government papers released by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, such activity was undertaken in response to the fear that terrorist or criminal organisations could use the games to communicate secretly, recruit members, move money and plot attacks. As Whitson and Simon (2014: 311) argue, the revelations in these documents clearly indicate ‘that there is an imagination of possibilities for digital games in the context of the surveillance state apparatus’.
Description:
This paper discusses the important support role that universities can play in the establishment and ongoing sustainability of regional information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives. Three case studies are presented to explore the uptake of ICT in a regional and rural context. A common element in each of these initiatives is the active participation of the University of Ballarat throughout all project phases. The resultant combination of on-the-ground leadership, infrastructure, collaboration and multi-disciplinary research has not only created benefits for the individual communities but also through the generation of consultancy income, publications and community engagement of a type which is highly consistent with the University’s vision and mission.
Description:
This article presents a critical assessment from the standpoint of early childhood literacy of Britain’s ambitious and costly on-line learning resource, the National Grid for Learning. It provides an overview of the aims, scope and administration of the Grid, together with typical examples of content available for users in the early childhood age range (0–8 years).The authors argue that the Grid is headed in an unfortunate and counterproductive direction so far as young learners are concerned.The argument claims that in its current form the Grid is likely to generate boredom among young people in terms of Grid-promoted on-line literacy practices, and to foster mislearningof important new forms of literacy, such as email and interactivity. Furthermore, Grid activities and approaches dumb down literacy acquisition, particularly acquisition of ‘new literacies’, and impede development of personal responsibility for on-line actions. The authors claim that a major change in mindset will be necessary to reform the Grid in ways that are compatible with the official policy goals and aspirations behind its development. Examples are provided of more productive alternatives, together with concepts, principles and data supporting the judgments and suggestions advanced.
Description:
While digital technology is an integral feature of contemporary education, schools are often presumed to constrain and compromise students' uses of technology. This paper investigates students' experiences of school as a context for digital technology use. Drawing upon survey data from three Australian secondary schools (n=1174), this paper considers the various ways in which students use digital devices and applications in school and for school. After highlighting trends and differences across a range of digital devices and practices, the paper explores the ways in which students perceive school as a limiting and/or enabling setting for technology use. The findings point to a number of ways that schools act to extend as well as curtail student engagement with technology. This paper concludes by considering the possible ways that schools might work to further support and/or enhance students' technology experiences.
Description:
The purpose of this article is to qualitatively explore participant and therapist experiences of the therapeutic alliance, perceived benefits, challenges, and areas for improvement when using video chat as a mode of therapist assistance within an adaptive digital mental health intervention. In total, 74 semistructured interviews were completed with participants and therapists who participated in an adaptive clinical trial. The participant interviews explored experiences of attending a clinical assessment via video chat and experiences of receiving low- or high-intensity therapist assistance via video chat. Interviews completed with therapists explored their experience of administrating a clinical assessment tool and delivering therapist assistance, both via video chat. Reflexive thematic analysis identified four themes: using video chat, characteristics of therapeutic relationships, task-specific experiences, and utility and adoption of video chat. Both participants and therapists were able to adapt to the modality of video chat and develop positive therapeutic alliances. They reported satisfaction with video chat for conducting clinical assessments and delivering therapist assistance. Concerns were identified by both participants and therapists with low-intensity therapist assistance. This study identified elements of task-specific experiences and human characteristics as more influential in participant and therapist experience than the modality of video chat technology. Implications for assessing suitability for the modality of video chat and low- and high-intensity models of therapist assistance are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)