Christian Education Research Centre
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Item A BaRKing Good Idea(2014-01-01) Fisher, Barbara J.The story is about a therapy dog and his use in an after-school reading improvement program called BaRK (Building Reading Confidence for Kids).
Item A Comparison of Generic Skills and Emotional Intelligence in Accounting Education(2012-08-01) Daff, LynEmbedding generic skills such as communication and teamwork in the accounting curriculum to attract attention from stakeholders. In parallel, the business world and more recently some faculty, have recognized and explored the need to incorporate emotional intelligence (EI) in the curriculum. EI is viewed as a desirable quality as it allows accountants to excel in strategic decision making, teamwork, leadership, and client relations. We contend that in the quest to find the best employees, employers have focused on EI, whereas accounting faculty have placed less emphasis on EI skill development and a greater emphasis on generic skills. This paper addresses the need for accountants to have a combination of EI and generic skills framework are identified when the two are juxtaposed. This provides guidance for faculty seeking to develop highly skilled graduates via the development of a range of curriculum resources designed to enhance EI. [from the publisher's website].
Item A Logistics Support Framework: A Systems-Based Approach to Logistics Planning for Development Projects(2015-08-12) Ormsby, Gail; Keeffe, TimothyLogistics support plays a critical role in the delivery of quality health care services, particularly in developing countries. This study utilised systems methodology and Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) analysis to develop a Support Framework for a Vision Centre in rural Vietnam. The methodology employs elements of both ‘soft’ (in particular Checkland’s Soft Systems Management approach) and ‘hard’ systems practices to develop an accessible and robust logistics planning tool.
Item A Millennial Case Study of Literacy In Minecraft Based on the Four Resource Model for Reading(2017-12-01) Taylor, Lauren EliseThis case study reports the literacy experiences using Luke and Freebody’s Four Resource Model of reading for a Generation Alpha playing Minecraft. Through this single, descriptive case study the Four Resource Model facets of code breaker, text participant, text user and text analyst were investigated. Data was generated through a community survey, an interview with the Generation Alpha and their guardian, as well as researcher - observations and reflective journal. The data was analysed and interpreted through phenomenological analysis. The results show that Minecraft is not the most popular application and that less children and adolescents game daily compared to previous studies. However, this study proves that each facet of the Four Resource Model for reading emerge during a Generation Alpha’s Minecraft experience.
Item A Model for Online Unit Development: Necessity, the Catalyst for Invention(2001-06-01) Fetherston, Tony; Northcote, Maria T.Theoretical frameworks and practical processes driving online course development in tertiary institutions are currently under pressure, scrutiny and review and online courses are increasingly seen as an answer to these problems. Useable procedures, guidelines and tools are required to achieve the development of suitable courses. The new model for online unit development presented in this paper was developed by considering processes implemented in the fields of multimedia production, project management and distance education. Based on four main phases, the model recognises the centrality of issues such as course planning, media development and evaluation. As well as being suitable for a range of educational contexts, the model appears to be well suited to different cultural settings, particularly those involving Indigenous staff. Based on a semi-cyclic process, the model recognises the significance of tight timeframes, useable tools and supportive resources, and identifies the responsibilities of the major players in the development process.
Item A Multimodal Intervention for Improving the Mental Health and Emotional Well-being of College Students(2020-03-01) Przybylko, Geraldine; Renfrew, Melanie; Beamish, Peter; Kent, Lillian; Herman, Wendi; Craig, Bevan; Hinze, Jason; Morton, DarrenThis study examined the effectiveness of a 10-week multimodal intervention for improving the mental health and emotional well-being of college students when included as a mandatory component of the students’ course of study. A total of 67 students (20.9 ± 5.4 years, 30 male/37 female) participated in the intervention that introduced a variety of evidence-based strategies for improving mental health and emotional well-being from the Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology literature. Significant reductions were recorded in symptoms of depression (−28%, P < .05), anxiety (−31%, P < .05), and stress (−28%, P < .01), whereas significant improvements were observed in mental health (18%, P < .01), vitality (14%, P < .01) and overall life satisfaction (8%, P < .05). Effect sizes were larger than those reported by studies that have examined the individual effectiveness of the strategies incorporated into the intervention, suggesting a compounding effect. Stratified analyses indicated that participants with the lowest measures of mental health and emotional well-being at baseline experienced the greatest benefits. The findings of the study suggest that meaningful improvements in the mental health and emotional well-being of college students can be achieved, and potentially magnified, by utilizing a multidisciplinary approach involving evidence-based strategies from Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology.
Item A New Approach to Unit Content: Using Interview Transcriptions in an Interactive Online Unit.(2001-02-01) Northcote, Maria T.; Czekalowski, Donna; Oakes, Carol; Stratton, GregAt Kurongkurl Katitjin, the School of Indigenous Australian Studies at Edith Cowan University, we have developed an online unit for pre-tertiary students which focuses on the processes of writing fictional text. The unit, ABB 1112: Journeys in Writing, is part of the Indigenous University Orientation Course and is delivered by using a combination of online, print and multimedia materials.
Rather than basing this unit on a more traditional modularised content structure that has been used successfully in much distance education material, this unit has used interview transcriptions as the foundation of its content. Two Aboriginal authors, Dallas Winmar (dramatist) and Graeme Dixon (poet), were selected to form the focus of this innovative unit. By examining the way in which these two authors go about the process of writing fictional text, students come to discover and understand first-hand the processes involved in writing.
Both authors were interviewed on audio and video tape. Transcriptions of these tapes were then recorded and categorised into various sections. This text then not only formed the content of the unit but also drove the entire manner in which the unit was presented to students. The learning and assessment activities of the unit were based around the transcripts and the whole structure of the unit reflected this content. Additionally, by collecting content anew, from authentic sources, the authors had a direct input into how their work was presented in this educational online context, one which is culturally appropriate as it allows Indigenous authors to connect with Indigenous students.
Rather than basing this unit on a set of predetermined concepts, we have attempted to use a more flexible, authentic method providing students with relevant, culturally sensitive material. This paper examines the methods used to collect "fresh" content and how this content was used to create an interactive, online unit which reflects appropriate Indigenous ways of learning, as well as the principles of social constructivism and situational cognition. The unit uses current online technology in an attempt to cater for the diversity of the Indigenous student population.
Item A Positive Association Between Cryptosporidiosis Notifications and Ambient Temperature, Victoria, Australia, 2001-2009(2015-12-01) Higgins, Nasra; McPherson, Michelle; Kent, LillianIncreased temperatures provide optimal conditions for pathogen survival, virulence and replication as well as increased opportunities for human-pathogen interaction. This paper examined the relationship between notifications of cryptosporidiosis and temperature in metropolitan and rural areas of Victoria, Australia between 2001-2009. A negative binomial regression model was used to analyse monthly average maximum and minimum temperatures, rainfall and the monthly count of cryptosporidiosis notifications. In the metropolitan area, a 1°C increase in monthly average minimum temperature of the current month was associated with a 22% increase in cryptosporidiosis notifications (IRR 1.22; 95% CI 1.13 – 1.31). In the rural area, a 1°C increase in monthly average minimum temperature, lagged by 3 months, was associated with a 9% decrease in cryptosporidiosis notifications (IRR 0.91; 95% CI 0.86 – 0.97). Rainfall was not associated with notifications in either area. These relationships should be considered when planning public health response to ecological risks as well as when developing policies involving climate change. Rising ambient temperature may be an early warning signal for intensifying prevention efforts, including appropriate education for pool users about cryptosporidiosis infection and management, which might become more important as temperatures are projected to increase as a result of climate change.
Item A Professional Learning Program for Novice Online Teachers Using Threshold Concepts(2019-12-01) McLoughlin, Catherine E.; Reynaud, Daniel; Kilgour, Peter W.; Gosselin, Kevin P.; Northcote, Maria T.The professional development of online teachers is now commonplace in higher education. Alongside the relatively straightforward decision to provide professional learning support for novice and experienced online educators within universities, decisions about the nature and content of such support are not always as clear cut. The study aimed to gather evidence about the online teaching and learning experiences and views of current students and staff which, in turn, informed a set of pedagogical guidelines that could be used as the basis of professional learning programs for novice online teachers. Using a mixed methods research design, data were gathered using questionnaires, reflective journals, and focus groups to determine the threshold concepts about online teaching and perceptions of ideal online learning environments. As well as identifying threshold concepts about online teaching and perceptions of teachers’ and students’ ideal views of online learning contexts (reported elsewhere), the study produced curricular guidelines to inform the design of professional development outputs for online teachers in higher education. This article reports on an example of how these professional development guidelines, based on identified threshold concepts of online pedagogy, were implemented at one higher education institution to provide wide-scale implementation of a professional development program for academic staff engaged in online teaching.
Item A Qualitative Analysis of Discipleship in the Seventh-day Adventist Church: Responses to a Global and Regional Survey(2016-09-01) de Waal, Kayle; Heise, Julie-Anne; Petrie, Kevin; Ferret, Rick; Morton, Lindsay; Hattingh, Sherry J.In 2014 the South Pacific Division1 (SPD) of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church commissioned a research team from Avondale College of Higher Education to investigate the nature of discipleship. The aim of the research project was twofold: to provide an objective description of a Seventh-day Adventist disciple of Jesus, and to provide a criterion/criteria by which the attainment of discipleship may be measured and shared in the context of the Adventist Church’s mission. This paper reports on stage one of the project in which international and national church leaders were interviewed regarding their understanding of discipleship as articulated and applied at division, union, conference, and local levels. This qualitative data was then analyzed for common themes, areas for development, and contributions towards a description of a Seventh-day Adventist disciple. Five key findings emerged from stage one and are reported below, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses in the Church’s understandings of and approaches to discipleship.
Item A Review of Literature: What is an Ideal Internationalised School?(2016-07-02) Hattingh, Sherry J.This article presents the findings of a literature review conducted from 2005 to 2013 on the elements involved when a school internationalises. In the past there has been predominant focus on the teachers or the international students at schools with little emphasis on a whole school approach to internationalisation. This review considers the body of literature on internationalisation and synthesises the findings using a stage play metaphor to construct the ideal performance of a school-wide approach to internationalising. The first act by the school leadership is that of organising and managing the school, the second act involves the international student and their experience, and the third and final act is that of the teachers and their pedagogy. This literature review presents all the elements through the acts, key roles and essential scenes for the best performance of a school for internationalisation.
Item A Semiotic Analysis of Representational Imagery Used in a Collective Design Task(2014-05-01) Williams, Anthony; Gu, Ning; Phare, DarinCollective Design seeks to explore how new forms of Collective Intelligence, arising from the web, allows mass participation in design. Regarding design we have a well established grounding for understanding how design works through the use of representations. Likewise, collective intelligence via certain crowdsourcing examples has demonstrated that a diverse crowd can trump ability groups, when the conditions are right. In the literature, crowdsourcing is the leading lens bridging design with collective intelligence. However in crowdsourcing design there is less focus on the role of shared representations, subsequently any collective diversity is mitigated by the models that govern the extraction of this intelligence. We propose that more effective design in collective intelligence lies in the crowd’s ability to generate meaningful contributions via the content of shared representations. In order to investigate this, the current paper examines data collected from a pilot study in which a representationally rich online collaborative presentation tool is used to provide a shared design space. The analysis presented applies our previously established semiotic framework to identify potential patterns in the meaningful communication of image based design information.
Item A Sri Lankan Tea Plantation Nursery(2014-01-01) Ormsby, GailEach time you have a cup of tea, think about the toil that has gone into the production of the tea leaves. Women make up most of the workforce, who labour for years from the early age of twelve. Their ethnic origin is Indian Tamil, brought to Sri Lanka as labourers, denied citizenship, an education and their human rights, and forced to labour long hours in the plantation for little financial gain - a few cents per day. Overcrowded housing, the lack of suitable sanitation and water supplies creates an environment for domestic violence. They are imprisoned by circumstance, worse than a jail sentence in Australia.
However, the compassionate efforts of non-government organisations have brought a glimmer of hope for some communities. This day-care nursery ensures that these babies and young children acquire some focused attention, a “breath” of opportunity that might trigger a change in their circumstance.
They deserve to be treated with dignity, respect and grace.
Item A Web- and Mobile App–Based Mental Health Promotion Intervention Comparing Email, Short Message Service, and Videoconferencing Support for a Healthy Cohort: Randomized Comparative Study(2020-01-06) Craig, Bevan; Przybylko, Geraldine; Beamish, Peter; Hinze, Jason; Morton, Jason K.; Morton, Darren; Renfrew, MelanieBackground: The rapid increase in mental health disorders has prompted a call for greater focus on mental health promotion and primary prevention. Web- and mobile app–based interventions present a scalable opportunity. Little is known about the influence of human support on the outcomes of these interventions.
Objective: This study aimed to compare the influence of 3 modes of human support on the outcomes (ie, mental health, vitality, depression, anxiety, stress, life satisfaction, and flourishing) of a 10-week, Web- and mobile app–based, lifestyle-focused mental health promotion intervention among a healthy adult cohort.
Methods: Participants were recruited voluntarily using a combination of online and offline advertising. They were randomized, unblinded into 3 groups differentiated by human support mode: Group 1 (n=201): standard—fully automated emails (S); Group 2 (n=202): standard plus personalized SMS (S+pSMS); and Group 3 (n=202): standard plus weekly videoconferencing support (S+VCS), hosted by 1 trained facilitator. Participants accessed the intervention, including the questionnaire, on a Web-based learning management system or through a mobile app. The questionnaire, administered at pre- and postintervention, contained self-reported measures of mental well-being, including the “mental health” and “vitality” subscales from the Short Form Health Survey-36, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, Diener Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), and Diener Flourishing Scale.
Results: Of 605 potential participants, 458 (S: n=157, S+pSMS: n=163, and S+VCS: n=138) entered the study by completing registration and the preintervention questionnaire. At post intervention, 320 out of 458 participants (69.9%; S: n=103, S+pSMS: n=114, and S+VCS: n=103) completed the questionnaire. Significant within-group improvements were recorded from pre- to postintervention in all groups and in every outcome measure (P≤.001). No significant between-group differences were observed for outcomes in any measure: mental health (P=.77), vitality (P=.65), depression (P=.93), anxiety (P=.25), stress (P.57), SWLS (P=.65), and Flourishing Scale (P=.99). Adherence was not significantly different between groups for mean videos watched (P=.42) and practical activity engagement (P=.71). Participation in videoconference support sessions (VCSSs) was low; 37 out of 103 (35.9%) participants did not attend any VCSSs, and only 19 out of 103 (18.4%) attended 7 or more out of 10 sessions. Stratification within the S+VCS group revealed that those who attended 7 or more VCSSs experienced significantly greater improvements in the domains of mental health (P=.006; d=0.71), vitality (P=.005; d=0.73), depression (P=.04; d=0.54), and life satisfaction (P=.046; d=0.50) compared with participants who attended less than 7.
Conclusions: A Web- and mobile app–based mental health promotion intervention enhanced domains of mental well-being among a healthy cohort, irrespective of human support. Low attendance at VCSSs hindered the ability to make meaningful between-group comparisons. Supplementing the intervention with VCSSs might improve outcomes when attendance is optimized.
Item Acknowledging the Affirmative: Evidence of Supervision Learning Thresholds in Thesis Acknowledgements(2021-07-08) Northcote, Maria T.Mantai and Dowling (2015) refer to the Acknowledgements pages of higher degree research (HDR) theses as “an under-utilised yet rich data source” (p. 106) and Hyland (2004) recognises the way in which thesis Acknowledgements have the potential to “reveal academic preferences” and “point to the processes of its [the thesis’] creation” (p. 305). Using a matrix analysis technique (Miles & Huberman, 2013; Patton, 2015), this study mines the Acknowledgements section of a sample of 120 Masters and Doctoral theses to investigate HDR graduates’ views of their postgraduate supervisors to augment our current understanding of the learning thresholds of HDR supervisors.
Based on the conference sub-theme of “Troublesome not tricky: not all that challenges is a threshold”, this paper considers the more constructive nuances of threshold concept theory in relation to the learning thresholds of postgraduate supervisors. Instead of furthering the discussion that threshold concepts have become synonymous with learner difficulty, the question posed is: What do the affirmative and joyous experiences of postgraduate supervision have to offer threshold concept theory associated with the pedagogy of supervision? This study layers the viewpoints of HDR graduates’ positive experiences about supervision alongside some of the more negative experiences of supervisors that typically incorporate “darker themes”, “threats”, “ordeals” and “disorientation” (Carter, 2016, pp. 1139, 1145) as well as “barriers”, “power conflicts” and “tensions” (Ismail, Majid, & Ismail, 2013, pp. 165, 168).
This study’s findings do not discount the challenging aspects of HDR supervision, as represented in earlier research. Instead, an intertwined representation is offered of the challenging “living through” experiences of the HDR supervisor with the rosier “looking back” views from HDR candidates at the completion stage of their studies. A collection of light and dark learning thresholds, acquired by HDR supervisors while developing a pedagogy of supervision, is offered for consideration.
References
Carter, S. (2016). Supervision learning as conceptual threshold crossing: When supervision gets ‘medieval’. Higher Education Research & Development, 35(6), 1139-1152. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2016.1160875
Carter, S., & Sterm, S. (2014). The hardest step is over the threshold: Supervision learning as threshold crossing. Paper presented at the 11th Biennial Quality in Postgraduate Research Conference, The National Wine Centre, Adelaide. http://www.qpr.edu.au/Proceedings/QPR_Proceedings_2014.pdf
Hyland, K. (2004). Graduates’ gratitude: the generic structure of dissertation acknowledgements. English for Specific Purposes, 23(3), 303-324. doi:doi.org/10.1016/S0889-4906(03)00051-6
Ismail, H. M., Majid, F. A., & Ismail, I. S. (2013). “It's complicated” relationship: Research students’ perspective on doctoral supervision. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 90, 165-170. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.07.078
Mantai, L., & Dowling, R. (2015). Supporting the PhD journey: Insights from acknowledgements. International Journal for Researcher Development, 6(2), 106-121.
Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (2013). Qualitative data analysis (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Item Acquisition of Cultural Awareness in Pre-Service Teachers(2013-11-30) Kilgour, Peter W.It is the desire of teacher educators in Australia that their mandated unit of study on multiculturalism and indigenous studies produces a cultural awareness in future teachers of the issues faced by multicultural and indigenous students. This paper reports a study where one cohort of 119 pre-service teachers was surveyed in the first and last lectures of the unit on what they believed would be the factors affecting their teaching in multicultural and indigenous classrooms. A significant perception change (p=0.05) of the students was measured between the first lecture and the last lecture. Students moved from a perception that physical, religious and language factors would be the main issues to their belief that prejudice, stereotyping, sensitivity and ethnocentrism would be the factor they would need to work with.
Item Addressing Disability in the Health System at CARITAS Takeo Eye Hospital(2013-05-21) Lewis, David; Bonn, Te Serey; Ormsby, Gail; Mörchen, ManfredThe article describes how the CARITAS Takeo Eye Hospital (CTEH) in Cambodia has worked hard to be more inclusive of people with disabilities. It mentions that the process to address the disability at the CTEH began in 2008 with the construction of new premises with universal design which reduced the physical barriers for everybody. The CTEH staff was trained on inclusion by CBM Australia and the Nossal Institute for Global Health; disability-inclusive practices reported a positive outcome.
Item Adventist Online Education: Realizing the Potential(2018-12-19) Williams, Anthony; Lim, Janine M.This collection of research by Adventist online educators will be useful to many online educators, including those interested in the intersection of faith and online learning, and online learning in faith communities. This research spans four major areas of online delivery: (1) the pursuit of Adventist distinctiveness and the Adventist experience within online delivery, applicable to all those considering the connection between the mission of an institution and it’s online delivery; (2) the empowering and enabling of students, staff, and faculty for advising, monitoring, and resourcing quality online experiences; (3) the power of technology to support collaboration among our institutions, our faculty, our teams; and (4) the supports, training, and methods needed for the effectiveness of online delivery
Item Age-Appropriate Experiences and Rituals That Help Students Encounter God, Part I(2020-01-01) Fisher, Barbara J.This article explores age-appropriate experiences and rituals for children to build a relationship with God.
Item Age-appropriate Experiences and Rituals That Help Students Encounter God, Part II(2020-06-01) Fisher, Barbara J.This article further explores age-appropriate experiences and rituals for children to build a relationship with God.