Representing Kanaks: Generic Variation, Identity, and the Politics of the Everyday Semiotic. The project hypothesizes that representational struggles over indigenous identity are crucially shaped by the range of genres in which identity is asserted. Through the case of Kanaks in New Caledonia, as represented by several everyday genres hitherto neglected by scholarship, the representational politics of indigeneity are interrogated with the aim of demonstrating that Kanak existence is constituted ....Representing Kanaks: Generic Variation, Identity, and the Politics of the Everyday Semiotic. The project hypothesizes that representational struggles over indigenous identity are crucially shaped by the range of genres in which identity is asserted. Through the case of Kanaks in New Caledonia, as represented by several everyday genres hitherto neglected by scholarship, the representational politics of indigeneity are interrogated with the aim of demonstrating that Kanak existence is constituted in the semiotic detail of everyday generic variation. The project's significance lies in its radical reconception of identity and representational politics: going beyond indigenous versus colonial binaries, it reveals the complexity of day-to-day competition over and consolidation of indigenous identity through representational systems.Read moreRead less
Connecting Indigenous Community Photographies: a transnational case study. The project aims to conduct the first transnational comparison of Indigenous community-controlled photography, exploring Indigenous peoples’ ways of seeing and documenting their worlds. The project seeks to significantly advance Australian and global understanding of Indigenous vernacular photography through investigating formerly unexplored private collections of images created by Indigenous photographers during the mid ....Connecting Indigenous Community Photographies: a transnational case study. The project aims to conduct the first transnational comparison of Indigenous community-controlled photography, exploring Indigenous peoples’ ways of seeing and documenting their worlds. The project seeks to significantly advance Australian and global understanding of Indigenous vernacular photography through investigating formerly unexplored private collections of images created by Indigenous photographers during the mid 20th Century in four communities across three countries. One of the outcomes of the project is a nuanced visual history that cannot be excavated from other sources. The benefits of this project include public exhibitions, a book, symposiums, and a scholarly anthology that encourages the public’s connection with the past.Read moreRead less
The measurement of primary traits in second language oral proficiency in second language acquisition research. The proposed research will help to inform high-quality learning outcomes for international ESL (English as a Second Language) students and students who study Japanese or Spanish as a second language in Australian universities. Improved effectiveness in current second language teaching pedagogy will result from a deeper understanding of the role that the key language traits (syntactic co ....The measurement of primary traits in second language oral proficiency in second language acquisition research. The proposed research will help to inform high-quality learning outcomes for international ESL (English as a Second Language) students and students who study Japanese or Spanish as a second language in Australian universities. Improved effectiveness in current second language teaching pedagogy will result from a deeper understanding of the role that the key language traits (syntactic complexity, lexical range, accuracy and fluency) play in the attainment of advanced proficiency. Read moreRead less
Through the Lens: A Cultural Study of Women's Fashion Photography in Australia, 1890 to 2000. This study supports growing academic interests in Australian fashion and provides the nascent fashion industry, and the media, with a cultural and historical context for their current practices. It sets up debate and expands available information about local fashion photography, challenging the assumption that it is solely dependent on overseas ideas and practices. It has the further potential to export ....Through the Lens: A Cultural Study of Women's Fashion Photography in Australia, 1890 to 2000. This study supports growing academic interests in Australian fashion and provides the nascent fashion industry, and the media, with a cultural and historical context for their current practices. It sets up debate and expands available information about local fashion photography, challenging the assumption that it is solely dependent on overseas ideas and practices. It has the further potential to export understandings of Australian fashion and its photographic representation, including its creative and aesthetic aspects, and by implication will assist the fashion industry, and the public, develop understanding of its workings.Read moreRead less
The world through the prism of language: a cross-linguistic view of genders, noun classes, and classifiers. Australia is one of the most multilingual and multicultural countries in the world, with several hundred indigenous and immigrant languages. Noun classification devices - ranging from gender systems in familiar Indo-European languages to numeral classifiers in Southeast Asian languages - offer a unique insight into people's categorisation of the world around them. In-depth knowledge of how ....The world through the prism of language: a cross-linguistic view of genders, noun classes, and classifiers. Australia is one of the most multilingual and multicultural countries in the world, with several hundred indigenous and immigrant languages. Noun classification devices - ranging from gender systems in familiar Indo-European languages to numeral classifiers in Southeast Asian languages - offer a unique insight into people's categorisation of the world around them. In-depth knowledge of how speakers of different languages classify objects around them will promote intercultural understanding within Australia and world-wide, allowing us to overcome potential miscommunications due to different language backgrounds, and advancing our understanding of the region and the world (within the National Priority 'Safeguarding Australia'). Read moreRead less
Numeracy, ICT and equity: A study of numeracy and ICT practices in primary schools. Numeracy and ICT are key lifeskills. However, not all students gain equal access to, and success in, these key areas. This project researches the numeracy practices of primary school students and their use of ICT; identifies effective pedagogical strategies for teaching ICT in and for numeracy learning; and then uses these knowledges to develop strategies to support and enhance learning of students who traditiona ....Numeracy, ICT and equity: A study of numeracy and ICT practices in primary schools. Numeracy and ICT are key lifeskills. However, not all students gain equal access to, and success in, these key areas. This project researches the numeracy practices of primary school students and their use of ICT; identifies effective pedagogical strategies for teaching ICT in and for numeracy learning; and then uses these knowledges to develop strategies to support and enhance learning of students who traditionally are most at risk of failing in numeracy. The project produces new knowledge about numeracy as a social practice at both theoretical and practical levels in order to support numeracy outcomes for indigenous, remote and economically-disadvantaged students.Read moreRead less
Autobiographical Avatars: testimony and emerging technologies of life narrative. Australian research has led to new ways of thinking about the ethical, social and political work of these autobiographical genres. This project builds on a national reputation for excellence in this scholarly field, and it promotes writing across the fields of literary studies, and creative and professional writing which are areas of particular strength at the institutional location of this project. Some case stud ....Autobiographical Avatars: testimony and emerging technologies of life narrative. Australian research has led to new ways of thinking about the ethical, social and political work of these autobiographical genres. This project builds on a national reputation for excellence in this scholarly field, and it promotes writing across the fields of literary studies, and creative and professional writing which are areas of particular strength at the institutional location of this project. Some case studies selected for this project involve people, nations and polities with which the Australian government is engaged in long-term diplomatic, political and military engagements - Iraq and Afghanistan, for example.Read moreRead less
Soul Searching in the Islamic East: Self-knowledge and the Avicennan Legacy in the 13th Century Islamic East. By deepening our understanding of the philosophical tradition of the Islamic world, this project will 'enhance Australia's capacity to interpret and engage with its regional environment through a greater understanding of languages, societies and cultures' (Research priority 4: Understanding our region and the world), an understanding so much needed in Australia's increasingly pluralistic ....Soul Searching in the Islamic East: Self-knowledge and the Avicennan Legacy in the 13th Century Islamic East. By deepening our understanding of the philosophical tradition of the Islamic world, this project will 'enhance Australia's capacity to interpret and engage with its regional environment through a greater understanding of languages, societies and cultures' (Research priority 4: Understanding our region and the world), an understanding so much needed in Australia's increasingly pluralistic society. The pure research aspect of this project will attract attention to Australian based research in Medieval and studies and Arabic philosophy that is of international quality, contribute to the reputation of Australia's high quality research capability, and open new possibilities for international cooperation in the field.Read moreRead less
Sketches of Bali in 1830: The unpublished letters and papers of Pierre Dubois, Dutch agent at Kuta, 1828-1831. The primary benefit of this work is its scholarly contribution to knowledge of Indonesian history in the nineteenth century. Perceptions of Bali forged in the colonial period provide the foundation on which contemporary ideas of identity are constructed. These images, notably those pertaining to Bali's Hindu religion and unique culture, remain important to contemporary Indonesian region ....Sketches of Bali in 1830: The unpublished letters and papers of Pierre Dubois, Dutch agent at Kuta, 1828-1831. The primary benefit of this work is its scholarly contribution to knowledge of Indonesian history in the nineteenth century. Perceptions of Bali forged in the colonial period provide the foundation on which contemporary ideas of identity are constructed. These images, notably those pertaining to Bali's Hindu religion and unique culture, remain important to contemporary Indonesian regional identities. They also point to some of the complex interconnections across Western and Indonesian cultures. As Australia-Indonesia relationships enter a more optimistic phase, this historical research thus has the potential to broaden our understandings of cultural differences to enhance Australia's capacity to interpret regional issues. Read moreRead less
Transforming the technologies and modalities of learning: The case of the New Life Sciences in secondary schooling. This project aims to provide theoretical and analytic frameworks for understanding changing intellectual, technological and communicational parameters of contemporary education, but it also aims to make these frameworks accessible enough to become part of the conceptual repertoire of professional practitioners and flexible enough to allow practitioners to maintain currency in evolv ....Transforming the technologies and modalities of learning: The case of the New Life Sciences in secondary schooling. This project aims to provide theoretical and analytic frameworks for understanding changing intellectual, technological and communicational parameters of contemporary education, but it also aims to make these frameworks accessible enough to become part of the conceptual repertoire of professional practitioners and flexible enough to allow practitioners to maintain currency in evolving fields of knowledge in the NLS. As the NLS, and education in this field are both expanding export industries, this study will offer Australian practitioners and authorities evidence and ideas for the growth of the NLS in schools, thereby supporting the maintenance of Australia's prominence in the region as a high-quality, current education provider.Read moreRead less