Description:
This thesis explores the issues involved in developing a relatively low-cost digital imaging analysis (DIA) system fot the quality assessment of wheat and barley using commonly available equipment. It also explores the capability of such a system to provide rapid and accurate assessments.
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Master of Applied Science by research
Description:
This thesis explores the issues involved in developing a relatively low-cost digital imaging analysis (DIA) system fot the quality assessment of wheat and barley using commonly available equipment. It also explores the capability of such a system to provide rapid and accurate assessments.
Description:
Master of Applied Science by research
Description:
As part of an evaluation of a web-based early literacy intervention, ABRACADABRA, a small exploratory study was conducted over one term in three primary schools in the Northern Territory. Of particular concern was the relationship between attendance and the acquisition of early literacy skills of Indigenous and non-Indigenous children. Using the GRADE literacy assessment, it was found that students made significant gains in a number of early literacy skills (e.g. phonological awareness skills and vocabulary processing). Classroom attendance was strongly and positively correlated with the acquisition of phonological awareness skills and early literacy skills (e.g. letter recognition, word identification processing). Indigenous children attended class significantly less frequently than non-Indigenous children and performed significantly worse overall, particularly with regard to phonological processing tasks. In light of these findings, it is suggested irregular attendance contributed to the Indigenous students' lowered literacy acquisition.
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Since 1980, national and international research knowledge on carers and care-giving has been accumulating. However, the theoretical bases of this research are usually unstated and implicit. Theory is vital in shaping social work research programs and types of social work intervention. This paper examines and critiques the social work theories influencing published social work research on care-giving. A search of key social work journals from 1980 to 2001 identified a total of 102 research articles about care-giving. The perspectives informing these articles fall into four groupings: positivist; interpretivist; systems; and feminist/radical. Building on the model developed by Howe (1987), which differentiates theories of radical change from those concerned with social regulation, each perspective is critically analysed for its underlying assumptions, level of analysis, research methodology and implications for policy and practice. Our review indicated that research on care-giving is dominated by a positivist approach that focuses on stress-coping and social support theories. These approaches are essentially individualistic, focus on the burden of care and prescribe interventions that assist carers to adjust to or cope with the care-giving role. Future social work research on care-giving should be informed by critical social work theories offering deeper structural analysis. This would be more consistent with our discipline's concern for social change and social justice.
Description:
Since 1980, national and international research knowledge on carers and care-giving has been accumulating. However, the theoretical bases of this research are usually unstated and implicit. Theory is vital in shaping social work research programs and types of social work intervention. This paper examines and critiques the social work theories influencing published social work research on care-giving. A search of key social work journals from 1980 to 2001 identified a total of 102 research articles about care-giving. The perspectives informing these articles fall into four groupings: positivist; interpretivist; systems; and feminist/radical. Building on the model developed by Howe (1987), which differentiates theories of radical change from those concerned with social regulation, each perspective is critically analysed for its underlying assumptions, level of analysis, research methodology and implications for policy and practice. Our review indicated that research on care-giving is dominated by a positivist approach that focuses on stress-coping and social support theories. These approaches are essentially individualistic, focus on the burden of care and prescribe interventions that assist carers to adjust to or cope with the care-giving role. Future social work research on care-giving should be informed by critical social work theories offering deeper structural analysis. This would be more consistent with our discipline's concern for social change and social justice.
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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.
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Assessment, teaching and learning are intertwined concepts and are at the heart of quality teaching (Absolum, Flockton, Hattie, Hipkins and Reid, 2009 Ministry of Education (MoE), 2011). With its shifts in assessment-related content, the revision of Te Whariki (MoE, 2017), provides timely opportunity to explore early childhood teachers' understandings and practices related to assessment (McLachlan, 2018).
Description:
Assessment, teaching and learning are intertwined concepts and are at the heart of quality teaching (Absolum, Flockton, Hattie, Hipkins and Reid, 2009 Ministry of Education (MoE), 2011). With its shifts in assessment-related content, the revision of Te Whariki (MoE, 2017), provides timely opportunity to explore early childhood teachers' understandings and practices related to assessment (McLachlan, 2018).
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).
Description:
To make a valuable contribution to our society today, knowledge must be relevant, applicable and actionable. On the side of managers it calls for collaborative approaches to knowledge creation and knowledge transfer between their organisations and knowledge institutions. On the side of academics, it calls for engaged scholarship aimed at knowledge transfer and knowledge contribution to the practical know-how of managers and organisations. Action researchers have long advocated collaborative knowledge creation processes as the way forward, despite the fact that working within an environment that aspires for knowledge to be become applicable and actionable can be complex and challenging. This paper discusses actionable research methods with a focus on networks and learning in a regional development context.
Description:
To make a valuable contribution to our society today, knowledge must be relevant, applicable and actionable. On the side of managers it calls for collaborative approaches to knowledge creation and knowledge transfer between their organisations and knowledge institutions. On the side of academics, it calls for engaged scholarship aimed at knowledge transfer and knowledge contribution to the practical know-how of managers and organisations. Action researchers have long advocated collaborative knowledge creation processes as the way forward, despite the fact that working within an environment that aspires for knowledge to be become applicable and actionable can be complex and challenging. This paper discusses actionable research methods with a focus on networks and learning in a regional development context.
Description:
Thirty years ago, in April 1975, Milton Friedman, came to Australia to declare that the world economic situation manifestly unsound.[1] Friedman asserted on that trip what Michael Kalecki predicted in his 1943 article would be the response of ‘captains of industry’ to Keynesian macroeconomic policies; it was that ‘…government expenditure financed by borrowing will cause inflation’ (Kalecki, 1990: 348). A chorus of Australian businessmen and mandarin economists came out in support of Friedman, leading to the demise of Keynesian macroeconomic policy and the rise of neo-liberal policies. Milton Friedman, at the time was the Paul Snowden Russell Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago; and acknowledged head of the ‘Chicago School’ of monetary economics, called ‘monetarism’. A year later, in 1976, Friedman received the ‘Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel’, confirming his status in the financial community and the neo-liberal mainstream of the economics profession during this period. At the time he was also a regular contributor to Newsweek magazine.
Description:
Thirty years ago, in April 1975, Milton Friedman, came to Australia to declare that the world economic situation manifestly unsound.[1] Friedman asserted on that trip what Michael Kalecki predicted in his 1943 article would be the response of ‘captains of industry’ to Keynesian macroeconomic policies; it was that ‘…government expenditure financed by borrowing will cause inflation’ (Kalecki, 1990: 348). A chorus of Australian businessmen and mandarin economists came out in support of Friedman, leading to the demise of Keynesian macroeconomic policy and the rise of neo-liberal policies. Milton Friedman, at the time was the Paul Snowden Russell Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago; and acknowledged head of the ‘Chicago School’ of monetary economics, called ‘monetarism’. A year later, in 1976, Friedman received the ‘Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel’, confirming his status in the financial community and the neo-liberal mainstream of the economics profession during this period. At the time he was also a regular contributor to Newsweek magazine.
Description:
Academic mobility is considered a standard requirement for the development and progression of an academic research career. However, this career mobility is at odds with the drive to recruit and retain professionally-qualified workers in regional Australia, to ensure future generations of regional Australians have capacity to access higher education in their home region. To date, little work has been completed regarding the retention of active research staff in regional Australia. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to determine the viability of using author affiliation data as listed on publications to track an institutional cohort of authors by their affiliation; also, to determine if data analysed using this method revealed any insights regarding the retention of academic staff. Whilst using author affiliation data was found to be viable, it required extensive data manipulation and cleansing. Once analysed, the data revealed intriguing insights into the retention and movement of active academic researchers. Implications for regional higher education will be discussed.
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As a qualitative researcher, the process of designing and undertaking an ethnographic study commenced with intellectual curiosity to enhance understanding about the nature and meaning attached to patient-nurse interactions in nursing culture. This endeavor drew my attention to the role of one’s self in research, from methodological and philosophical perspectives. The following discussion explores my personal experience of learning how self is an inherent part of research and the ongoing nature of self-discovery throughout the research process. Two areas are addressed: the delicate methodological interplay of participant-researcher reciprocity; and research authenticity by declaring ones beliefs, values and life experiences. Disclosing one’s self, your own story and sharing your discovery of self, facilitates disclosure and openness by participants. Giving of one’s self is risky, yet in addition to enhancing the authenticity of the research, there are personal challenges, rewards and cathartic benefits in becoming aware of, and acknowledging, the interconnection between one’s personhood, one’s research and research participants.
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Aim We aim to promote discussion about an Indigenous Cultural Identity of Research Authors Standard (ICIRAS) for academic journal publications. Context This is based on a gap in research publishing practice where Indigenous peoples' identity is not systematically and rigorously flagged in rural health research publications. There are widespread reforms, in different research areas, to counter the reputation of scientific research as a vehicle of racism and discrimination against the world's Indigenous peoples. Reflecting on these broader movements, the editorial teams of three rural health journals—the Australian Journal of Rural Health, the Canadian Journal of Rural Medicine, and Rural and Remote Health—recognised that Indigenous peoples' identity could be embedded in authorship details. Approach An environmental scan (through a cultural safety lens where Indigenous cultural authority is respected, valued, and empowered) of literature was undertaken to detect the signs of inclusion of Indigenous peoples in research. This revealed many ways in which editorial boards of Journals could systematically improve their process so that there is ‘nothing about Indigenous people, without Indigenous people’ in rural health research publications. Conclusion Improving the health and wellbeing of Indigenous peoples worldwide requires high quality research evidence. The philosophy of cultural safety supports the purposeful positioning of Indigenous peoples within the kaleidoscope of cultural knowledges as identified contributors and authors of research evidence. The ICIRAS is a call‐to‐action for research journals and institutions to rigorously improve publication governance that signals “Editing with IndigenUs and for IndigenUs”.
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This research project applies an analysis of identity, time and ageing to the practice-led project of investigating the way in which self portraiture may reflect and inform society's understanding of changing concepts of the ageing self in the early twenty-first century.
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This research project applies an analysis of identity, time and ageing to the practice-led project of investigating the way in which self portraiture may reflect and inform society's understanding of changing concepts of the ageing self in the early twenty-first century.
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This study investigated several aspects of the value and funding of diplomas and advanced diplomas in community services and health (CSH). It reviewed the extent of training at this level, various data on the employment of persons with these qualifications and the ways training is funded. A number of key questions are addressed in this paper. What is the value of diploma and advanced diploma qualifications in responding to the needs of the CSH industries? How are diplomas and advanced diplomas currently being funded? What is the best way to fund higher level qualifications within the CSH industries? Key findings include: student numbers in diplomas and advanced diplomas have been rising in CSH but declining in most other industries; employment in CSH has been rising rapidly and within CSH the proportion of persons with diplomas or advanced diplomas has been rising; the mandating of minimum qualifications for particular occupations has been an important factor in the increased employment of persons with diplomas in CSH; most of the training for diplomas is provided in government supported training, however, of the small numbers taking advanced diplomas, only a minority are in government supported places; about 13 per cent of all government recurrent expenditure on [vocational education and training] VET is made on CSH Training Package courses; and of that 13 per cent about a third is spent on training for diplomas and advanced diplomas.
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An important plank in lifelong learning policy in both the UK and Australia has been the opportunity for workers to gain qualifications through work. In Australia this opportunity has often been provided through the traineeship system which is a form of ‘modern apprenticeship’ that has now been in place for twenty years. Two national Australian research projects on the delivery of qualifications through work have been undertaken over a five-year period by the authors and colleagues. Both projects involved research with workers, managers, training providers, industry bodies, and relevant officials at State and national level. The 2003 project surveyed 400 companies that provided qualification-based training at work and also included twelve enterprise case studies. The 2008 project involved six indepth industry case studies, each of which involved interviews with relevant senior stakeholders and two enterprise case studies, as well as in-depth interviews with senior policy officials, employer peak bodies and trade unions. The studies showed that many advantages accrue to workers as well as to employers from the delivery of qualifications through work. However there are also some disadvantages and problematic areas for workers, some of which may become more apparent as the global financial crisis affects employment. In the discussion, some parallels are drawn between the Australian and the UK approach to delivering qualifications to lower-level workers through work.
Description:
An important plank in lifelong learning policy in both the UK and Australia has been the opportunity for workers to gain qualifications through work. In Australia this opportunity has often been provided through the traineeship system which is a form of ‘modern apprenticeship’ that has now been in place for twenty years. Two national Australian research projects on the delivery of qualifications through work have been undertaken over a five-year period by the authors and colleagues. Both projects involved research with workers, managers, training providers, industry bodies, and relevant officials at State and national level. The 2003 project surveyed 400 companies that provided qualification-based training at work and also included twelve enterprise case studies. The 2008 project involved six indepth industry case studies, each of which involved interviews with relevant senior stakeholders and two enterprise case studies, as well as in-depth interviews with senior policy officials, employer peak bodies and trade unions. The studies showed that many advantages accrue to workers as well as to employers from the delivery of qualifications through work. However there are also some disadvantages and problematic areas for workers, some of which may become more apparent as the global financial crisis affects employment. In the discussion, some parallels are drawn between the Australian and the UK approach to delivering qualifications to lower-level workers through work.
Description:
This chapter outlines a case study of the application of the neo-positivist paradigm in the higher education research field. A small scale evaluative study of an attempt to improve teaching and learning provides the case study. The neo-positivist paradigm involves the objective investigation of an aspect of reality, providing provisional, contemporary understanding of patterns and entities. The ways in which this paradigm informed the research desgin, methodology, and the interpretation of results in a small-scale evaulative study are discussed. The study represents an attempt to conduct a rigorous empirical research project that incorporated random allocation to intervention and control groups; pre- and post-intervention measures of teaching and learning and the use of psychometrically sound measurement tools and qualitative data. The ways in which the ontology. axiology and epistemology of the neo-positivist paradigm impacted on the study and its findings are outlined.