Other Collections

The latest in a series of books about how teachers reveal Jesus to students can help safeguard Christian education in a changing society, says its editors.

Starting with a brief history of the development

of the Encounter Bible curriculum and summary

of the evaluative research methodology,

this paper draws on teacher, student and

administrator interview data in its account

of teachers’ attempts to teach Encounter

Bible. The writers refer to selected points

of interest from their evaluation as they

discuss teacher perceptions of the Encounter

resource, assessment practice, the theory

behind planning, the teaching and learning

process, spirituality in schools and classrooms,

and professional development. They also

review student perceptions of teaching, and

administrator involvement in supporting

teachers. In surveying teacher achievements

and challenges, the paper addresses a limited

number of key issues that could ultimately be

of critical reflective importance for Christian

schools.

Avondale College of Higher Education has been offering tertiary courses for over 120 years. In the past two decades, this institution has extended its programs to include distance courses for students who opt to study online or are not able to attend on-campus courses at Avondale’s Lake Macquarie and Sydney campuses. While all of the institutions courses are evaluated on a regular basis, no formal evaluation had ever been undertaken of the distance education program as a whole. During 2017, a mixed methods research project was conducted to gather evaluative data from recent and current distance students using questionnaires and focus groups. The results of the study provide insight into the extent to which the distance education program at the College provides a space in which learning relationships can develop in online communities. Also, suggestions for future improvement and further research recommendations are provided. Findings of this study may be of interest to educators and administrators who incorporate online components in their curricula.

This article describes collaborative autoethnographic reflections on the meaning of our decade-long journey as a school community towards reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This has resulted in a heartening cultural change driven by the school’s strong, faith-based commitment to reconciliation and the desire to make an incredibly complex issue accessible for children and young people.

A powerful change took place when we invited Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples into our community to tell their story and true growth occurred when our students moved from the position of spectators to participators. Reconciliation events are now a permanent part of our school calendar. The many cultures that make up our community, but especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritages, are celebrated in authentic ways. Our students have led the process and began to develop pride in their identity, finding their voice among peers

BACKGROUND/CONTEXT

Traditionally, decisions about assessment processes in higher education have been the domain of the lecturer or the course designer. However, university educators have been challenged to partner with students in the early stages of assessment design (Boud & Molloy, 2013). By engaging students in a collaborative process with their university teachers to prepare and create assessment guidelines and rubrics, there is a greater potential for students to take ownership of and be accountable for their own learning.

THE INITIATIVE/PRACTICE

The aim of the research project was to investigate the innovative and collaborative use of assessment rubrics, in partnership between students and academic staff, in order to develop a model of collaborative rubric practice for application in higher education contexts which includes guidelines on rubric co-construction processes that engage both students and teachers.

The project was conducted across six cohorts of undergraduate students in three higher education institutions and their teachers from five different disciplines and degree levels. The varied contexts provided a range of settings, each of which represented multiple cases to explore across multiple sites.

METHOD(S) OF EVALUATIVE DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

The project approach adopted a four-phase, mixed-method design across a two-year period, which included a systematic literature review, use of the Delphi technique and multi-site case studies. Students and teachers provided feedback about rubric co-construction processes via questionnaires, interviews and focus groups.

ISSUES REGARDING RUBRIC CO-CONSTRUCTION

The teaching-learning partnership established by the rubric co-construction initiative may present some challenges and changes to traditional assessment processes, especially in relation to issues such as pre-semester planning of course documentation, sharing the responsibility of assessment design between teachers and students and negotiating with groups of students about assessment and rubric design. Because rubric co-construction does represent a change in the way assessment rubrics are typically designed, the practical ramifications of this collaborative example of curriculum design may introduce institutional challenges that need consideration. However, the initiative also presents opportunities for developing a shared understanding by teachers and students about the purpose of assessment and the quality of learning in higher education.

INTENDED OUTCOME

By the end of this Showcase presentation, the participants will be familiar with a set of research-informed recommendations to engage students and academic staff in the collaborative process of designing and using assessment rubrics to promote learning. Participants will also be provided with details of how to access the project’s website, Owning the rubric, which includes the Model of Collaborative Rubric Construction and Use.

Teachers who work with young adolescents know that motivating and maintaining their interest in classroom-based learning is a major challenge.

This study seeks to address this issue and is an examination of the use of a motivational scaffold to assist a cohort of Year Nine students to take greater responsibility for their learning through direct and authentic learning experiences outside the classroom.

This article presents a new framework for the

governance of Christian Schools—a Community

Governance Framework that centres on the key

roles and relationships contained within that

community. Relationships are central to the

Community Governance Framework, as it is our

belief that quality healthy relationships are critical to

growing healthy Christian organisations.

Whilst there are many similarities and familiar

elements between the Community Governance

Framework and other models, the unique difference

is that the Community Governance Framework

seeks to put all the pieces of the governance puzzle

together in one place to show, in effect, what a

healthy Christian school actually looks like. The

framework has been developed through practical

experience as consultants working with the Boards

of hundreds of Christian Schools and Not for Profit

organisations.

The paper first offers a brief overview of some key concepts of Native Title, inclusive of key dates and events significant to the current native title issues in Australia. It then proffers a new perspective concerning three key issues relevant to the nexus between Christianity and Indigenous spiritualities, namely (a) the importance of place, (b) reconcilitation, and (c) the judgment.

Internationally chaplaincy as a whole,

and school based chaplaincy in particular, is

morphing into new forms within emerging national

uncertainties, and cultural diversity. Drawing on

their work in Ireland, King and Norman (2009)

believe that the role of school chaplains everywhere

needs to be carefully realigned and rethought.

This paper seeks in part to address this

situation, unpacking the initial ‘emic-journey’ of

a three year multi-case study research agenda

that seeks to holistically investigate how key

stakeholders in three faith based schools

understand the role and practice of school

chaplains. In this instance, the stakeholders

included administrators, chaplains and students.

The multi-case study approach and the stratified

sets of respondents were deemed to be the best

‘goodness of fit’ as Parekh’s (2000) axiom clearly

states an understanding that one group’s place

within an organisation needs to be considered not

in isolation, but as intersecting forces that act as a

“locus of identity.”

An alternative approach for the development of curricula has been formulated and used as an adjunct to the curriculum planning process. This project evolved from a perceived dichotomy existing between the actual educational needs of post-registration nursing students and that of the focus of curricula, planned for them. In the course of this inquiry, the particular attributes of post-registration nursing students were delineated, the postulations supporting a person-oriented theory were established and the major concepts of a person-oriented point of view were used to evaluate the philosophical nature of the elements of selected curricula. The major part of this inquiry consisted of an investigation into the philosophical nature of post-registration nursing curricula, in an endeavour to establish the existence or nonexistence of a person-oriented approach to curriculum construction. The findings of this inquiry suggest that planners of post-registration programmes in nursing do use this approach in curriculum development. However, it was found that in some instances there were marked inconsistencies. Planners sometimes expressed the person-oriented ideas in their philosophical statements, subsequently failed to follow these concepts consistently and fully. This project justified the use of a matrix tool for the cross-linking of person-oriented theoretical concepts, with traditional curriculum elements. The findings of this analytical study support a person-oriented approach to the development of post-registration nursing programmes, such as a Bachelors Degree in Nursing.

The use of assessment rubrics in the higher education sector is now widespread in a number of disciplines. Typically, these rubrics are constructed by teachers who also tend to be the main users of the rubrics throughout the grading process. In recent years, questions have been raised about this teacher-directed approach and some educators have begun to explore an alternate approach to rubric construction; that is, engaging students in collaboration with their teachers to co-construct assessment rubrics. This paper outlines the processes employed in a project that investigated the co-construction of rubrics within six different contexts. The project aimed to engage students in collaboration with their teachers to co-construct rubrics which are co-owned by teacher and student. A mixed methods approach was utilized to explore the effectiveness of the strategy. Questionnaires, interviews and focus groups were utilized to gather data from both the teacher-participants and student-participants regarding their experiences of being involved in the study. Findings are presented from the perspectives of both students and teachers, relating their views of rubrics and the activity of rubric co-construction. The paper concludes with recommendations for practical approaches to rubric co-construction and future research directions.

This study—A Decade of Encounter—research commissioned by Adventist Schools Australia, offers valuable data worthy of reflection as we enter a new decade of Encounter’s implementation within Australia. The time and effort invested in the collection of these voices from the field is valued and appreciated. Recent engagement with the researchers has brought rich discussion and a commitment to make the Adventist Encounter curriculum even stronger as we embark on a revision of the curriculum in 2020. This dialogue will continue as time goes on.

I never, ever, thought I’d be that teacher—the

one you hear screaming at the kids in their class

from half a mile away—until I became one.

I’m not a shouter. At least I wasn’t a shouter

until, after over 20 years teaching in high

schools, I began working as a specialist art

teacher in a primary school.

How did I move from good behavioural

management strategies and a working pedagogy

in the high school art room to bored, noncompliant

behaviour in the primary school? How

did I find my way back from hating art classes as

much as the kids did to an environment where

we all are engaged, look forward to and love

what we do?

This study evaluates the sodium and calcium content of convenience cheese products available for use in school lunches and the classification of such products using traffic light approaches designed to guide food selection for healthy eating. Thirty-eight convenience cheese products from NSW supermarkets were studied. Nutrition information panels provided sodium content for all products and calcium content for 35 products. It was found that a 40g serve of convenience cheese products can contribute a substantial proportion of children’s calcium Estimated Average Requirements (EARs). However, the accompanying sodium levels create difficulty for keeping daily sodium intake within the Adequate Intake (AI) range for school children of all ages, particularly, younger children (4–8 year olds). Due to the sodium content, many of the cheese products, especially processed cheeses, need to be classified as ‘red’ foods—to be avoided or only eaten occasionally. The categorisation of the convenience cheese products as ‘green’, every day foods, to provide calcium conflicts with messages to choose foods low in sodium when promoting healthy eating.

This paper was initially prepared for the Dialogue on Design Conference, Avondale College, June 9 and 10, 2006.

My name is Tamara Bernoth - I am one of our Deputy Principals at Prescott Primary Northern in South Australia. Although heartbroken, it is my absolute honour and privilege to share on behalf of our Prescott family, some memories, and insights of Sharney, Miss Truscott, as a teacher, colleague and friend.

An Avondale lecturer’s third and final book in a series telling the story of a boy and the challenge of adolescence launched recently.

Has learning about text types lost some of its

lustre for your students; particularly boys?

Does Studies of Society, HSIE, or History need

a fillip to energise students’ learning in your

classroom? Could your Bible/Scripture/Studies

of Religion program do with more vibrancy and

relevance? And what about a little detective

work, some historical research, a mapping

assignment or a variation on some of these?

Perhaps the reading of a boy’s diary may

become a spring-board for any one of a number

of interesting learning activities.