'Always on' Learning Communities: M-Learning landscapes transforming school cultures. Australia is going online: Internet access in Australian business is close to 100 percent and is almost 60 percent in households (ABS 2005). Ownership of mobile devices is growing at 10 percent each year and by the end of 2007 it is predicted by Telstra that close to 90 percent of the Australian population will own a mobile device. There has been a government commitment of $73 million for the development of onl ....'Always on' Learning Communities: M-Learning landscapes transforming school cultures. Australia is going online: Internet access in Australian business is close to 100 percent and is almost 60 percent in households (ABS 2005). Ownership of mobile devices is growing at 10 percent each year and by the end of 2007 it is predicted by Telstra that close to 90 percent of the Australian population will own a mobile device. There has been a government commitment of $73 million for the development of online curriculum content in Australia and New Zealand. However, there has been limited research to inform the use of such content in classrooms and no reference to the possibilities of using mobile devices. Sustainable futures rely on the relevant preparation of our young people to succeed in the knowledge society. Read moreRead less
Farming 4 Care: Using nature to cultivate resilience in young people. This project aims to explore how passive and active engagement with nature might influence outcomes for young people who have experienced trauma, maltreatment and disrupted families. These people are extremely vulnerable, but often slip through the system. As they rarely engage in traditional therapy, non-traditional interventions may offer a viable alternative that should be explored and harnessed for this population. In addi ....Farming 4 Care: Using nature to cultivate resilience in young people. This project aims to explore how passive and active engagement with nature might influence outcomes for young people who have experienced trauma, maltreatment and disrupted families. These people are extremely vulnerable, but often slip through the system. As they rarely engage in traditional therapy, non-traditional interventions may offer a viable alternative that should be explored and harnessed for this population. In addition, traditional interventions are delivered at enormous cost and with minimal success for this group. Using an innovative multidisciplinary design, the project plans to test four hypotheses about nature engagement to contribute to the growing field of nature-based interventions. Our approach offers an alternative that draws on existing community resources and benefits local organisations, young people and farmers.Read moreRead less
The effects of maternal attachment, marital satisfaction and sensitivity to infants on infants attachment and adjustment: A longitudinal-structural equation study. This study will examine how family and attachment factors effect the adjustment of infant at 24 months of age. A longitudinal study, using structural equation method, will examine how maternal attachment and marital satisfaction when infants are 4 months of age will effect maternal parenting behaviors two months later, and how all thr ....The effects of maternal attachment, marital satisfaction and sensitivity to infants on infants attachment and adjustment: A longitudinal-structural equation study. This study will examine how family and attachment factors effect the adjustment of infant at 24 months of age. A longitudinal study, using structural equation method, will examine how maternal attachment and marital satisfaction when infants are 4 months of age will effect maternal parenting behaviors two months later, and how all three of these measures will effect infant attachment 6 months later. It will then examine how all four of these measures will effect the adjustment of infants 12 months later. The study will have important implications for early intervention and prevention of psychological problems in infants and children.Read moreRead less
Supporting personalised learning in secondary schools through the use of specific mathematics assessments that reveal thinking. This project will improve numeracy standards in secondary schools, by assisting teachers to personalise the teaching of each student. Through detailed research, the project will develop sophisticated assessments that clearly reveal students' mathematical thinking. On-line diagnosis will suggest teaching activities that can bring about desired conceptual changes. The eff ....Supporting personalised learning in secondary schools through the use of specific mathematics assessments that reveal thinking. This project will improve numeracy standards in secondary schools, by assisting teachers to personalise the teaching of each student. Through detailed research, the project will develop sophisticated assessments that clearly reveal students' mathematical thinking. On-line diagnosis will suggest teaching activities that can bring about desired conceptual changes. The effectiveness of the resources will be thoroughly tested, for impact on student achievement and the mathematics teaching skills of teachers, especially those working out-of-field. Rural schools will have equal access to these resources. Good numeracy provides the foundation for life-long learning, employment satisfaction and the economic competitiveness of Australia.Read moreRead less
Shifting the Culture of Out-of-field Professional Education for Teachers. This project aims to model an education system that would diversify the expertise of teachers as part of attending to long-term teacher shortage. It responds to a pressing national need for a system of valued and accessible professional education (PE) for out-of-field teachers. The project draws on perspectives from schools, governments and PE providers to expose current practices, cultural norms, and policies; propose an ....Shifting the Culture of Out-of-field Professional Education for Teachers. This project aims to model an education system that would diversify the expertise of teachers as part of attending to long-term teacher shortage. It responds to a pressing national need for a system of valued and accessible professional education (PE) for out-of-field teachers. The project draws on perspectives from schools, governments and PE providers to expose current practices, cultural norms, and policies; propose an 'ideal' PE ecosystem that values re-specialisation in the core subjects; and develop principles to inform policy and practice needed to attain this ideal. The evidence-based framing of PE will inform efforts by schools, PE providers and policy makers to sustain a highly capable, adaptive and specialised teaching workforce.Read moreRead less
The neural effects of torture. Torture affects millions of people and causes much long-term psychological harm. This project aims to identify the effects that torture has on the brain by studying torture survivors in the context of a range of brain imaging technologies that will lead to development of a model of the neural effects of torture to guide better treatments.
Evaluation of a multidimensional cognitive enhancement training program for healthy older adults. The percentage of the Australian population aged 65 years and over is projected to increase considerably over the next 50 years. The increased number of older Australians will have a major economic cost in terms of income support and the provision of health services. It is of high socioeconomic importance, therefore, to promote functional independence in this group. The implementation of cognitive e ....Evaluation of a multidimensional cognitive enhancement training program for healthy older adults. The percentage of the Australian population aged 65 years and over is projected to increase considerably over the next 50 years. The increased number of older Australians will have a major economic cost in terms of income support and the provision of health services. It is of high socioeconomic importance, therefore, to promote functional independence in this group. The implementation of cognitive enhancement programs that may slow age-related cognitive decline and, thereby, maximise quality of life and independence for a long as possible will have significant national benefit.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101182
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,945.00
Summary
Problem families in the 21st century: policy, practice, outcomes. The project aims to investigate intractable intergenerational disadvantage by critically examining policy and practice in relation to so-called problem families. It expects to generate new knowledge for social work, policy and welfare by documenting how problem families are understood and managed through the key areas of data linkage, priority investment, income management and family support, and how these areas might be shaped by ....Problem families in the 21st century: policy, practice, outcomes. The project aims to investigate intractable intergenerational disadvantage by critically examining policy and practice in relation to so-called problem families. It expects to generate new knowledge for social work, policy and welfare by documenting how problem families are understood and managed through the key areas of data linkage, priority investment, income management and family support, and how these areas might be shaped by emerging fields including data analytics and epigenetics. Expected outcomes include greater practitioner capacity to engage with the implications of intergenerational disadvantage and dysfunction. This should provide significant benefits including more effective interventions and a richer evidence base for policy.Read moreRead less
Children, on-line learning and authentic teaching skills in primary education. The main aim of this project is to identify the authentic skills and strategies adopted by teachers of online learning programs in rural and urban locations. By studying teaching and learning behaviours in primary education we seek to match best practice in teaching with quality online learning outcomes. ICT experts acknowledge the urgency of this knowledge. Without clear indicators for teachers we run the risk of mis ....Children, on-line learning and authentic teaching skills in primary education. The main aim of this project is to identify the authentic skills and strategies adopted by teachers of online learning programs in rural and urban locations. By studying teaching and learning behaviours in primary education we seek to match best practice in teaching with quality online learning outcomes. ICT experts acknowledge the urgency of this knowledge. Without clear indicators for teachers we run the risk of mismatched traditional techniques and minimising teaching effectiveness. The expected outcomes will be benchmarked data linking numeracy and literacy standards with best practice in on-line teaching, and an accompanying interactive web based professional development package grounded in theory.Read moreRead less
Calculus in the real world: transforming the way we teach mathematics in primary education. This project will demonstrate that, with the aid of computers, primary school students can solve university-level advanced mathematics problems. After studying with multi-media teaching materials and specialised software, the students will undertake a university engineering examination - and pass with flying colours!