Giving instructional animations a helping hand. Computer-based instructional animations have not produced the positive learning outcomes that might be expected considering the advances in technology. The project will demonstrate that animations can be highly effective when learning about human movement and further enhanced by the inclusion of human gestures. It will directly investigate how learning is supported when humans observe manual actions, make gestures, or both. The project will identif ....Giving instructional animations a helping hand. Computer-based instructional animations have not produced the positive learning outcomes that might be expected considering the advances in technology. The project will demonstrate that animations can be highly effective when learning about human movement and further enhanced by the inclusion of human gestures. It will directly investigate how learning is supported when humans observe manual actions, make gestures, or both. The project will identify some key conditions under which animations may facilitate effective learning of both mechanical and human movement knowledge, and will develop principles for the design of best-practice instructional materials in e-learning environments.Read moreRead less
Making Australia internationally competitive: driving educational attainment by academic motivation, self-concept, engagement and aspirations. This project will extend and test predictions from motivation theory about educational choice and attainment, using multiple large national/international databases and new statistical models. This will result in better strategies to meet government targets of increasing tertiary enrolments, particularly for disadvantaged students.
Furthering Positive Futures for Children with Intellectual Disabilities: A Longitudinal Investigation. This project will address the paucity of empirical research on drivers of psychosocial and physical well-being (PPW; for example self-concept, depression, behavioural problems, physical fitness, weight) of children with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). This proposal presents an extensive research program aimed at understanding the effects of school life and Physical Activity (PA) on PPW for Aust ....Furthering Positive Futures for Children with Intellectual Disabilities: A Longitudinal Investigation. This project will address the paucity of empirical research on drivers of psychosocial and physical well-being (PPW; for example self-concept, depression, behavioural problems, physical fitness, weight) of children with Intellectual Disabilities (ID). This proposal presents an extensive research program aimed at understanding the effects of school life and Physical Activity (PA) on PPW for Australian children with ID. This program examines: the relations between school life and PPW; the benefits, barriers and predictors of PA; moderators (personal characteristics, educational settings). The overarching objective is to advance theory and research in this area, and to inform intervention strategies furthering more positive futures for children with ID.Read moreRead less
Square Eyes or All Lies? Understanding Children's Exposure to Screens. This project will examine Australian parents’ number one concern about their children’s health and behaviour – their interactions with electronic screens. Current screen time guidelines are based on low-quality evidence and lack the nuance required to address this complex issue. This project will use innovative technology to resolve these weaknesses. Wearable cameras will measure what children are doing on screens, and where, ....Square Eyes or All Lies? Understanding Children's Exposure to Screens. This project will examine Australian parents’ number one concern about their children’s health and behaviour – their interactions with electronic screens. Current screen time guidelines are based on low-quality evidence and lack the nuance required to address this complex issue. This project will use innovative technology to resolve these weaknesses. Wearable cameras will measure what children are doing on screens, and where, when, and how long they are doing it. The project will also investigate how screen time impacts children’s development and how it is influenced by their environment. This evidence will benefit children by improving screen time guidelines, and help parents understand the impact of screen time on children’s development.
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Health-related physical activity: Psychological determinants, consequences, and experimental interventions. Increasingly sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity constitute a worldwide health problem. Despite well-known benefits of physical activity, preventive-medicine interventions have had limited success. Instead, we propose an innovative psychological approach, emphasising quality of subjective experience (flow), motivation, physical self-concept, and the transtheoretical model of beha ....Health-related physical activity: Psychological determinants, consequences, and experimental interventions. Increasingly sedentary lifestyles and physical inactivity constitute a worldwide health problem. Despite well-known benefits of physical activity, preventive-medicine interventions have had limited success. Instead, we propose an innovative psychological approach, emphasising quality of subjective experience (flow), motivation, physical self-concept, and the transtheoretical model of behavioural change. We propose psychological determinants of physical activity and a new experimental intervention to significantly enhance health-related physical activity. The research breaks new theoretical ground, extending and integrating different theoretical perspectives, offering a synergy between qualitative and quantitative research traditions, and providing practical benefits to mental and physical health and to quality of life.Read moreRead less
Influences of metacognitive beliefs on success in PhD candidature. In a knowledge-fuelled world our dependence on professionals is acute. There is an imperative to gain fundamental information about how adult learners approach and surmount obstacles to learning in complex situations. Persistence of major gaps in our knowledge about professional learning is a concern particularly in high stakes research degrees such as the PhD. Drawing on candidates from Australia and overseas this project will s ....Influences of metacognitive beliefs on success in PhD candidature. In a knowledge-fuelled world our dependence on professionals is acute. There is an imperative to gain fundamental information about how adult learners approach and surmount obstacles to learning in complex situations. Persistence of major gaps in our knowledge about professional learning is a concern particularly in high stakes research degrees such as the PhD. Drawing on candidates from Australia and overseas this project will shed light on what until now have been the 'invisible processes' that have led to the visible results of both successful and problematic doctoral candidature. The findings will provide direction for stakeholders, impact on global debates about doctoral quality, and enhance research capacity.Read moreRead less
Beyond the Beach: What it means to be Australian - A critical analysis of national, transgenerational, multicultural and self perspectives. The question ?What does it mean to be Australian?? raises issues of deep significance about our values, goals, loyalties, behaviours, and international image. Identity conceptions are fundamental to diverse national interest issues (e.g., social cohesion, multiculturalism, defence, promoting industry, social action/reform, immigration) and imagining our futu ....Beyond the Beach: What it means to be Australian - A critical analysis of national, transgenerational, multicultural and self perspectives. The question ?What does it mean to be Australian?? raises issues of deep significance about our values, goals, loyalties, behaviours, and international image. Identity conceptions are fundamental to diverse national interest issues (e.g., social cohesion, multiculturalism, defence, promoting industry, social action/reform, immigration) and imagining our future. This study will characterise: national identity; personal, ethnic, generational, regional and gender commonalities and variations; preferred futures; and moderating influences on identifying as Australian. Outcomes include new knowledge about contemporary national identity, multi-identity constructions, and processes underpinning identity formation; and advances in identity theory/research that will inform social, economic, and educational policy and practice.Read moreRead less
Realising Gifted Students' Potential: Elucidating psychosocial determinants and the impact of different educational settings on educational outcomes and psychosocial wellbeing. As current gifted students are expected to provide future leaders in all fields of endeavour, there is an increasing emphasis in Australia and worldwide on how to educate gifted students most effectively. Our proposed research will improve Australia's capacity to educate gifted students by: informing practice on how best ....Realising Gifted Students' Potential: Elucidating psychosocial determinants and the impact of different educational settings on educational outcomes and psychosocial wellbeing. As current gifted students are expected to provide future leaders in all fields of endeavour, there is an increasing emphasis in Australia and worldwide on how to educate gifted students most effectively. Our proposed research will improve Australia's capacity to educate gifted students by: informing practice on how best to select students to participate in gifted education; maximising the potential of gifted young Australians; and providing guidance for future intervention strategies. This research will contribute substantially to further actualising Australia's claim to be the clever country and will have important implications for the future of gifted education.Read moreRead less
Keeping Pace: A Critical Longitudinal Analysis of the Psychosocial Determinants of Seeding Success in Educating Home-Grown Doctors for Regional Communities. Australia currently has a medical workforce situation which, if unchecked, will see a deepening of the shortage of doctors in rural & regional communities. Elucidating the impact of psychosocial drivers on medical education outcomes will identify potent practical strategies that seed success. The outcomes of this research have the potential ....Keeping Pace: A Critical Longitudinal Analysis of the Psychosocial Determinants of Seeding Success in Educating Home-Grown Doctors for Regional Communities. Australia currently has a medical workforce situation which, if unchecked, will see a deepening of the shortage of doctors in rural & regional communities. Elucidating the impact of psychosocial drivers on medical education outcomes will identify potent practical strategies that seed success. The outcomes of this research have the potential to 'break the cycle' of doctor shortages in underserved areas by generating new solutions to: improve Australia's capacity to strengthen home-grown medical education; address doctor shortages regionally; and build capacity at community and individual levels. This research has important implications for the future of home-grown medical education nationally and internationally. Read moreRead less
Using machine learning and automated document analysis methods to support English composition training. The project has the potential to further strengthen Australia's Higher Education industry by providing scalable solutions for teaching academic writing, a core competence for students in the tertiary sector. It is also a contribution to the E-learning industry in general. Innovating with these respective technologies will have a significant impact on the quality of online training. Australian ....Using machine learning and automated document analysis methods to support English composition training. The project has the potential to further strengthen Australia's Higher Education industry by providing scalable solutions for teaching academic writing, a core competence for students in the tertiary sector. It is also a contribution to the E-learning industry in general. Innovating with these respective technologies will have a significant impact on the quality of online training. Australian organizations will be able to reap the benefits of a well-tested platform, with the exclusive added capabilities that this project will develop. One of the software systems to be used in this project is an open source Learning Management System that is available to every Australian institution without any licensing cost.Read moreRead less