SOCIAL WORK IN THE ENTERPRISE UNIVERSITY: A COMPARATIVE SURVEY OF AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATORS 1982 TO 2004. In an era when the nature of welfare practice and higher education are being radically transformed in a globalizing marketplace, the socio-demographic characteristics, education, research productivity and international linkages of Australian social work academics are of critical importance. This research proposes a national survey of current Australian social work educators in 2004, t ....SOCIAL WORK IN THE ENTERPRISE UNIVERSITY: A COMPARATIVE SURVEY OF AUSTRALIAN SOCIAL WORK EDUCATORS 1982 TO 2004. In an era when the nature of welfare practice and higher education are being radically transformed in a globalizing marketplace, the socio-demographic characteristics, education, research productivity and international linkages of Australian social work academics are of critical importance. This research proposes a national survey of current Australian social work educators in 2004, the results of which will be compared with a baseline survey carried out in 1982, and with other contemporary studies of Australian academics. Fifty in-depth interviews with a stratified sample of respondents will then explore key themes in the changing political eocnomy of the professions in their adaptation to the shifting higher education and community service environment.Read moreRead less
The Social and Economic Security of International Students in the Global Education Market. Social and economic security is a prime factor in decisions by international students to select Australia as a study destination. It is also central to the long term trajectory of Australian exports. In the international education market security issues have assumed greater importance and urgency in that through 2003 Australian universities lost half of their prior price advantage vis a vis US universities ....The Social and Economic Security of International Students in the Global Education Market. Social and economic security is a prime factor in decisions by international students to select Australia as a study destination. It is also central to the long term trajectory of Australian exports. In the international education market security issues have assumed greater importance and urgency in that through 2003 Australian universities lost half of their prior price advantage vis a vis US universities via appreciation of the Australian dollar. Given that the educational product itself is little different to that of the USA and the UK, differentiation on the basis of student security is likely to be crucial. Yet so far there has been no academic research on student security, and a limited policy focus only on selected aspects.Read moreRead less
Improving the reliability of assessment in higher education: The place of computer-assisted techniques. This project investigates whether computer-assisted assessment (CAA) can play a significant part in increasing the reliability of assessment in higher education and ultimately influence student performance. Increasing numbers of part-time external markers has exacerbated the issue of reliability of assessment and quality of feedback to students. Outcomes include: enhanced understandings of th ....Improving the reliability of assessment in higher education: The place of computer-assisted techniques. This project investigates whether computer-assisted assessment (CAA) can play a significant part in increasing the reliability of assessment in higher education and ultimately influence student performance. Increasing numbers of part-time external markers has exacerbated the issue of reliability of assessment and quality of feedback to students. Outcomes include: enhanced understandings of the value of CAA in both quantitative and qualitative assessment in tertiary education; understanding of the impact of quality feedback produced using CAA on students' learning; how academics' workload can be reduced using CAA; and international recognition and sale of the instrument.Read moreRead less
The Impact of Risk Management on Higher Degree Research Policy and Pedagogy in Australian Universities. In the context of heightened concerns about the outcomes of Higher Degree Research (HDR) programs in Australia, this project seeks to make a systematic inquiry into the ways that higher degree policy and pedagogy are impacted by the recent focus on risk management as an organisational imperative in universities. It will do so by investigating whether and how the social, cultural and institutio ....The Impact of Risk Management on Higher Degree Research Policy and Pedagogy in Australian Universities. In the context of heightened concerns about the outcomes of Higher Degree Research (HDR) programs in Australia, this project seeks to make a systematic inquiry into the ways that higher degree policy and pedagogy are impacted by the recent focus on risk management as an organisational imperative in universities. It will do so by investigating whether and how the social, cultural and institutional processes related to the management of risk are changing HDR policy and pedagogy in science- and social science-related departments within four Australian universities - a Group of Eight, an ATN, a 'dual mode/regional and a Private university.Read moreRead less
Photonic routing with liquid crystals. Liquid crystals became a household item but their unequaled nonlocal optical properties are much less known and studied, although the breathtaking prospects of their future applications in photonics inspire many experts around the world. We will bring to Australia the state of the art research approach, theoretical and experimental, aiming to uncover and realize the potential of long range interaction between laser light and nonlocal liquid crystals for fut ....Photonic routing with liquid crystals. Liquid crystals became a household item but their unequaled nonlocal optical properties are much less known and studied, although the breathtaking prospects of their future applications in photonics inspire many experts around the world. We will bring to Australia the state of the art research approach, theoretical and experimental, aiming to uncover and realize the potential of long range interaction between laser light and nonlocal liquid crystals for futuristic all-optical devices. This project will promote and enhance the rapid development of photonics in Australia, as well as deliver foremost practical expertise and outstanding training of young researchers.Read moreRead less
Analyzing and supporting cooperation management in online learning communities. Australian companies, universities and other organizations are competing with other nations in the ?knowledge market?, and given the size of Australia's population compared to many of its competitors, keeping a position at the forefront of knowledge production and innovation has become an economic necessity. Communities of practice and other forms of collaborative teams are becoming important as producers and dissemi ....Analyzing and supporting cooperation management in online learning communities. Australian companies, universities and other organizations are competing with other nations in the ?knowledge market?, and given the size of Australia's population compared to many of its competitors, keeping a position at the forefront of knowledge production and innovation has become an economic necessity. Communities of practice and other forms of collaborative teams are becoming important as producers and disseminators of knowledge and social capital. Our research will help such knowledge producing entities to make optimal use of modern communication media, employing elements of 'smart? technologies. Research outcomes will contribute to the design and support of knowledge building communities in form of guidelines and software tools.Read moreRead less
The influence of disciplinary cultures on approaches to undergraduate teaching and learning: extending higher education theory and practice. Improving the quality of teaching in higher education is an important priority for Australian universities. There has been rapid growth in the number of training programs for university teachers. This study will directly support these efforts. It will investigate the effectiveness of the diverse approaches to teaching and learning traditionally adopted with ....The influence of disciplinary cultures on approaches to undergraduate teaching and learning: extending higher education theory and practice. Improving the quality of teaching in higher education is an important priority for Australian universities. There has been rapid growth in the number of training programs for university teachers. This study will directly support these efforts. It will investigate the effectiveness of the diverse approaches to teaching and learning traditionally adopted within different fields of study?across the sciences, the arts, the humanities and the professions. The findings will be used to develop new training programs for university teachers that are tailored towards best practice in the particular areas of knowledge in which staff are teaching. Enhanced training of university teachers will lead to better teaching and better student outcomes.Read moreRead less
International student mobility and educational innovation: Chinese students and the internationalisation of Australian and American universities. Given China's entry into the WTO and building upon research into the uses of international education this project will investigate educational changes arising from Chinese students studying abroad. Its theoretical and empirical focus is the changes that the mobility of international students is effecting in the universities in which they are studying. ....International student mobility and educational innovation: Chinese students and the internationalisation of Australian and American universities. Given China's entry into the WTO and building upon research into the uses of international education this project will investigate educational changes arising from Chinese students studying abroad. Its theoretical and empirical focus is the changes that the mobility of international students is effecting in the universities in which they are studying. It will explore how Chinese students' identity formation, career trajectories and transnational relationships inform changes in Australian and American universities. The outcomes will be knowledge of the ways their presence impacts on the different historical trajectories of these university systems to produce varying possibilities for educational innovation.Read moreRead less
Maximising the benefits of diversity in university through cross-cultural interaction. Australia is unique among Western nations because of its proximity to Asia and its ability to attract large numbers of international students to its universities. This issue is extremely important as numerous Asian countries (China and India, in particular) have become increasingly dominant players in global markets. This research will contribute to enhancing Australia's capacity to understand and effectively ....Maximising the benefits of diversity in university through cross-cultural interaction. Australia is unique among Western nations because of its proximity to Asia and its ability to attract large numbers of international students to its universities. This issue is extremely important as numerous Asian countries (China and India, in particular) have become increasingly dominant players in global markets. This research will contribute to enhancing Australia's capacity to understand and effectively engage with diverse others through a greater understanding of other cultures and societies. The insights gained from this research will allow us to better prepare our university graduates with the skills necessary to benefit from this diversity. Read moreRead less
Extending the capabilities of argumentative Chinese students: Enhancing Australia's pedagogical capacity for engaging China through internationalising research education. In 2007, 90,000 students from China were studying in Australia. This represents 23% of Australia's international students. This project will improve Australia's capacity for engaging China by producing an innovative framework for teaching mainland Chinese research students. It will explore the educational value of engaging thes ....Extending the capabilities of argumentative Chinese students: Enhancing Australia's pedagogical capacity for engaging China through internationalising research education. In 2007, 90,000 students from China were studying in Australia. This represents 23% of Australia's international students. This project will improve Australia's capacity for engaging China by producing an innovative framework for teaching mainland Chinese research students. It will explore the educational value of engaging these students' Chinese intellectual heritage; their communicative abilities in English and Chinese, and the knowledge they access via digital technologies. Australia's knowledge about the internationalisation of its research education and developmental, cooperative approaches to research will be increased. This will enhance Australia's capacity for research-based engagement with the educational culture of China. Read moreRead less