Regional Australian University Research Articles

An Exploratory Analysis of TPACK Perceptions of Pre-Service Science Teachers

Four distinct constructs were identified from a survey of a sample of pre-service science teachers at a regional Australian University. The constructs emerged after employing Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) on respondents' perceptions of pedagogical practices incorporating the use of Information Communication and Technology (ICT). The key components of the survey were derived from a Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) survey developed for a national project. For future investigations of TPACK application in university contexts, a four-construct configuration of pre-service teacher TPACK perceptions is proposed requiring empirical confirmation. This inquiry depicts a portrait of emerging domains of TPACK. The relevance of the findings and their implications for universities that rely heavily on ICT in the delivery of are discussed, especially in relation to improving teaching practices.

Identification of ‘at risk’ students using learning analytics: the ethical dilemmas of intervention strategies in a higher education institution

Learning analytics is an emerging field in which sophisticated analytic tools are used to inform and improve learning and teaching. Researchers within a regional university in Australia identified an association between interaction and student success in online courses and subsequently developed a learning analytics system aimed at informing learning and teaching practices. Contemporary literature draws attention to ethical considerations and moral tensions in the implementation of learning analytics. This paper presents a case study of the ethical implications of a learning analytics implementation at CQUniversity, a regional Australian university. There was an institutional assumption that student data, consensually gathered at enrollment could be analyzed beyond the scope of the original consent. Further, academics were using the data in a manner not intended by the designers of the learning analytic system, and academics interpreted the student’s individualized data to label students based on their estimate of success. The learning analytics system is still being used and the ethical findings from this paper have implications for CQUniversity, academics and students. In order to resolve the ethical dilemmas the university could increase transparency of the process to students and obtain consent at multiple levels throughout the student journey.

Focusing on People, Communities and Commerce: Interdisciplinary Research as a Multiple Lens

Universities, as knowledge intensive communities, seek to encourage multi-disciplinary research. Using a social capital framework, this paper explores the experiences of researchers from different disciplines within the Business and Law Schools at an Australian regional University. Social capital views organisations as a social community (community of practice)deriving distinctive advantage through speed and efficiency in creating, accessing, and transferring knowledge. Members of a multi-disciplinary research group combined complimentary viewpoints on the concept of ‘value’ to write a journal article on tension between different sections of society on an agreed topic. Undertaking a process of discussion, negotiation and debate to produce the article led to interesting ideas and viewpoints, new avenues of thought and “Eureka” moments, from which surfaced new ways of thinking about the problem. Using the reflections of the different team members, this paper shows how the information transfer across discipline boundaries and between quantitative and qualitative researchers can lead to a greater understanding of the complex web of societal life. This information transfer informs and enriches understandings of complex situations and assists the researchers to redefine problems outside of the normal boundaries of research.

The role of an academic development unit in supporting institutional VET learning and teaching change management

The aim of this paper is to examine the role and impact of a central academic development unit (ADU) within an institutional strategic and operational change management project. The primary goal of this project was to improve vocational education and training (VET) learning and teaching practice in an Australian dual-sector regional university. This driver of this change management project was in preparation for an external accreditation audit with the Australia Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). This paper presents perspectives from the ADU director and a specific ADU team (six senior educators and nine administrative staff) employed for 16 months to enact partial project goals. The ADU director utilises narrative methodology to describe the enactment of the project at the ADU level within the context of Kotters 8 Step Change Model (Kotter, 2012). An open and closed item survey approach was used to capture the perceptions of the ADU team regarding demonstrated leadership, management and team functionality throughout the duration of the project. The survey data also captured their perceptions regarding the value placed on change management requirements and indicators and their most rewarding experiences throughout the project. This paper highlights challenges and key lessons for ADUs associated with change management in a dual-sector environment. It also highlights the importance of utilising a suitable change management framework to initiative, lead and support meaningful, sustained changes in the dual-sector education environment

The problem of student attrition in higher education: An alternative perspective

Student attrition continues to be a significant and costly challenge for higher education institutions across the globe. In Australia, universities cite the importance of addressing student attrition through strategic statements and policy documents, and expend time and resources on the problem. Despite vast expenditures, they have made little impact on student attrition, which continues to negatively impact reputation and revenue. Using a regional Australian university as a case study, this paper analyses a student exit survey to identify the complex and inter-related array of factors that contribute to student attrition. It was found that attrition would be better conceptualised as a wicked problem, which is one that cannot be strategically addressed using traditional approaches to problem-solving. The practical implications of these findings reinforce that current approaches to attrition are likely to fail. Therefore, the wicked nature of the attrition problem needs to be taken into account when developing strategies or policies within higher education.

Writing for publication group: professional development situated in the interstices of academia and performativity

This article features nine ‘narratives of experience’ illustrative of academics engaged in an alternative Professional Development (PD) activity, referred to as Writing for Publication, in a regional Australian university. Each narrative adopts a critical stance to academic practice situated in what Ball defines as a ‘culture of performativity’ perpetuated by a ‘global neoliberal environment’. Contrary to professional development built primarily around sporadic content-provision and credential-based activities, Writing for Publication represents an alternative approach to professional development, a loose-coupling model, that gives validation to academics engaged in navigating dominant neoliberal discourses driving higher education filtered through the interstices or sites for identity-creation, agency formation and emerging communities of practice.

Pre-service teacher education in Nauru: Where, who, and why

Rural education thrives on building teaching capacity and mentoring from within communities. Whilst isolated and remote areas have the potential to participate in online teacher education, strategic and effective delivery requires a targeted analysis of the characteristics of the learners, the motivations that drive them, and day-to-day environmental and community factors influencing the students’ studies. This paper reports on an innovative model of teacher education recently implemented in the Republic of Nauru. In this model, the Nauruan Government has partnered with an Australian regional university to develop quality Pacific-focused teacher education programs that are delivered through a hybrid of online and classroom instruction. The Nauru Teacher Education Project (NTEP), conceptualised and administered by the University of New England, provides culturally responsive online and on-island teacher development for the community of Nauru. It is here that the lecturers come to ‘know the students’.

Meeting Country and Self to Initiate an Embodiment of Knowledge: Embedding a Process for Aboriginal Perspectives

Social justice is often the primary framework that directs academics to embed Aboriginal perspectives into teacher education programmes. The effectiveness and limitations of social justice as a catalyst and change agent was examined when six school of education academics from an Australian regional university were introduced to Yuin Country as knowledge holder. This paper argues that social justice in Australian education systems can contribute to the colonial control of knowledge production. At the same time, however, social justice may provide a means for non-Aboriginal people to experience Aboriginal ways of knowing and thereby to diversify their thinking. A cultural experience with Yuin Country played a central role in connecting and separating social justice to provide a balance in relatedness, disrupting the colonial emphasis of Western binary thinking that only separates. The academics shared their ideas and feelings in relation to Aboriginal people and culture before, during and after the cultural experience Mingadhuga Mingayung (McKnight, 2015) of two significant Yuin Mountains on the far south coast of New South Wales. The research described in this paper explored the academics’ journey with Country to investigate the role of social justice thinking to unveil and or conceal Aboriginal perspectives as Country.

Educator Perspectives on Indigenous Cultural Content in an Occupational Therapy Curriculum

Health professionals must understand Indigenous perspectives to deliver effective health services. This study set out to determine the amount, type and effectiveness of current Indigenous content in an occupational therapy curriculum at an Australian regional university and the progress in meeting the National Aboriginal Health Strategy (NAHS) minimum standards for Indigenous content for Australian Universities. Twenty-one academic staff teaching at an Australian University were surveyed with five follow-up interviews. Findings suggest that while educators saw the importance of Indigenous cultural content, they lacked confidence in delivering this content. The need for a strategic and planned approach to embedding Indigenous content throughout the curriculum was identified. Future research evaluating the effectiveness of cultural competency initiatives is suggested.

Students' perceptions of the use of eportfolios in nursing and midwifery education

ePortfolios have been introduced into many higher education degrees in the past decade in an effort to help students to link theory, practice and personal experiences. This pilot study used a survey to examine ePortfolio use from the perspective of undergraduate nursing and postgraduate midwifery students. Fifty-seven students from a regional Australian university completed an online questionnaire which contained questions about the following areas of ePortfolio use: understanding of the tool; psychological perceptions; challenges around use; assessment; outcomes of use; benefits; maintenance of the ePortfolio; and enhanced learning. The majority of respondents were female, undergraduate students, aged 21–30 years. Results indicated that many students found ePortfolio use frustrating; in particular, technological and logistical challenges in using ePortfolios were highlighted. Most students, however, noted ePortfolios could be useful repositories for documents, reflections and learning experiences. Undergraduate students were more likely than postgraduate students to see the positive potential of ePortfolio use. The findings, coupled with the literature, raise questions about the effectiveness of ePortfolio use in nursing and midwifery education and, particularly, whether ePortfolios have been implemented with misguided and misinformed good intention. Further research is required to better understand the logistical and technological aspects of successful implementation of ePortfolios and fully capitalise on their benefits for nursing and midwifery education.

Practicing Teachers’ Reflections: Indigenous Australian Student Mobility and Implications for Teacher Education

Social constructions of education historically have impacted adversely on marginalised Indigenous Australian students whose mobile lifestyles and cultural positioning challenge teachers’ social inclusion practices. This paper examines the preparation and capacity of pre-service teachers to engage with mobile Indigenous students and their communities. Evidence is drawn from practicing teachers who reflected on their experiences in working with Indigenous students and their communities since graduation and how their experiences, both pre- and post-graduation, impacted on their beliefs and practices. Individual interviews were conducted with four teachers who also participated in the first stage of the study as a group of 24 second year primary pre-service teachers at a regional Australian university. It was found that pre-service teachers representing a range of world views benefit from positive, scaffolded experiences that provide opportunities to develop practices that foster social justice and inclusion. The findings of this study have implications for providing pre-service teachers with opportunities to understand how historical factors impact on Indigenous student mobility in contemporary Australian educational settings and the development of socially inclusive pedagogical practices. Further longitudinal research to expand the evidence base around developing culturally-appropriate pedagogical practices in pre-service teachers is needed to support their transition into teaching.

Graduating nurses' self-efficacy in palliative care practice: An exploratory study

BackgroundEducational institutions and the health care industry agree that graduates from professional programs need to be “work ready” and capable of delivering competent and confident nursing care. One measure of program success is the student's self-efficacy in meeting expected graduate capabilities. In this study student's self-efficacy is related to palliative care graduate capabilities. AimTo explore graduating Bachelor of Nursing Science (BNSc) students' self-efficacy in caring for palliative care patients. DesignA qualitative design using semi-structured face-to-face interviews. SettingA regional Australian university. ParticipantsA purposive sample of 10 students in their final semester of study in a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree program. MethodSemi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted. Interview questions were informed by published palliative care graduate capabilities. Interview data were transcribed verbatim and coded by capability. The coded data were then analysed to determine evidence of self-efficacy in caring for palliative care patients. ResultsAll participants had experiences in caring for palliative care patients. However, the responses did not consistently reflect high degrees of self-efficacy in four documented palliative care graduate capabilities required to care for persons with a life-limiting illness. ConclusionsThe findings support others that have identified gaps between curriculum and health care industry requirements in terms of students' beliefs about their empowerment to deliver nursing care as graduates. Education interventions and approaches to program evaluation require further development to better support students' growth of self-efficacy in undertaking their graduate roles.

Assessing the Reliability of Merging Chickering & Gamson’s Seven Principles for Good Practice with Merrill’s Different Levels of Instructional Strategy (DLISt7)

Based on Chickering and Gamson’s (1987) Seven Principles for Good Practice, this research project attempted to revitalize the principles by merging them with Merrill’s (2006) Different Levels of Instructional Strategy. The aim was to develop, validate, and standardize a measurement instrument (DLISt7) using a pretest-posttest Internet quasi-experiment. It was proposed that the instrument could then be used as a rubric either for facilitating the implementation of DLISt7, or as a set of unobtrusive diagnostic indicators for assessing the quality of learning experienced by students in blended and online courses. The study was conducted across five faculties at a regional Australian multi-campus university. The intent was to contribute to knowledge building by leveraging the data that had been collected, analyzed, and reported to generate awareness about the likelihood of scaffolding and scaling, varying levels of instructional strategies for communicating expectations, and relaying information. The idea was to produce a tool that would create more opportunities for more of the principles to be put to good use as an effectiveness multiplier. The findings from the analysis conducted using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis verified the validity of DLISt7 and demonstrated excellent internal reliability values.

Articulating performance expectations for scholarship at an Australian regional university

With an academic workforce undergoing transformation, it is vital that universities rethink how they define and value scholarship through their processes for academic promotion. A key part of this rethink is to review and refine existing documentation about promotion to reflect changing conceptions of scholarly work, in a way that enables scholars from non-traditional academic pathways to be valued equally through the promotion process with their more traditional counterparts. This process of reviewing scholarship was the aim of a promotions review project which began at the University of Wollongong in 2011 and concluded with the production of an Academic Performance Framework (APF). This framework outlines a new way of articulating performance expectations in order to recognise scholarship more broadly, as well as to emphasise more clearly the imperative for academics to be able to articulate evidence of the impact of their work.

Role of health-promoting behaviours for on-campus and distance education students

University students are likely to experience high rates of stress, which has the potential to negatively affect academic performance and their experience of study. Research with on-campus students has found positive benefits of health-promoting behaviours such as stress reduction and academic achievement; yet no research has examined these relationships with distance education students (and in comparison with on-campus students). Distance education students are a growing cohort in Australia higher education and elsewhere. This paper aims to redress this imbalance by comparing the relationships between stress, strain and coping, academic outcomes, and health-promoting behaviours in tertiary students (on-campus and distance education students). The study involved 242 on-campus and 399 distance education students at a regional Australian university. A path model was developed comparing both cohorts, and relationships were found to be similar, indicating no significant difference. Online interventions for distance education students which could be used to enhance coping are discussed.

The first year experience of occupational therapy students at an Australian regional university: Promoting student retention and developing a regional and remote workforce.

Student retention at regional universities is important in addressing regional and remote workforce shortages. Students attending regional universities are more likely to work in regional areas. First year experience at university plays a key role in student retention. This study aimed to explore factors influencing the first year experience of occupational therapy students at a regional Australian university. Surveys were administered to 58 second year occupational therapy students in the first week of second year. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, inferential statistics (Pearson χ2 ; Spearman rho) and summarising descriptive responses. An Australian regional university. Second year undergraduate occupational therapy students. Factors influencing students' decisions to study and continue studying occupational therapy; factors enhancing first year experience of university. Fifty-four students completed the survey (93.1%). A quarter (25.9%) of students considered leaving the course during the first year. The primary influence for continuing was the teaching and learning experience. Most valued supports were orientation week (36.7%) and the first year coordinator (36.7%). The importance of the first year experience in retaining occupational therapy students is highlighted. Engagement with other students and staff and academic support are important factors in facilitating student retention. It is important to understand the unique factors influencing students' decisions, particularly those from regional and remote areas, to enter and continue in tertiary education to assist in implementing supports and strategies to improve student retention.

Developing responsive Resource Sharing services at an Australian regional university: University of Wollongong Library

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an update of Resource Sharing services at the University of Wollongong (UOW) Library two years after a complete review was undertaken to provide a financially viable service relevant to the research support needs of University clients. This paper provides an update of the service two years on. Design/methodology/approach – The UOW Library has been attentive to global changes in the resource sharing industry and document supply services. Unmediated resource sharing options are growing and assuming an increasing portion of requests received from clients. UOW’s involvement in new services has focused attention on the value of its collection, particularly the last national copy of a publication. By ensuring these unique titles remain in the collection indefinitely, they can be shared with other libraries through resource sharing arrangements. Ensuring staff workplace health and safety during the ongoing transformation in the delivery of services is an important element in the continued viability of resource sharing at UOW. Findings – The 2011-2013 review of UOW Library Resource Sharing services has resulted in a viable and relevant service that is adaptable to the changing needs of UOW clients and institutional directions into the near future. Unmediated requesting continues to assume a greater share of the requesting workload, though staff expertise is equally important in supporting this service. A future challenge for the UOW Library is the rising cost of postage for the sharing of loans across institutions. Originality/value – This case study demonstrates how an academic library can transform its resource sharing service for ongoing relevance and cost-effectiveness. Taking a holistic view of the service, in terms of people, costs and services, is important to ensure the overall viability of the service.

Students' Experiences of University and an Australian Social Work Program: Coming, Going, Staying

ABSTRACTStudent engagement, retention, and professional commitment is strongly influenced during the early stages of the university experience. However, a number of factors can undermine engagement, which has implications for the individual, the professional workforce, and university funding and reputation. This paper reports on cooperative inquiry research that explored the beginning experiences of 17 social work students from one regional Australian university. In-depth, qualitative data were collected during six discussions that focused on understanding the experiences that influenced university retention, enjoyment, and success. Data analysis revealed three primary themes: (i) purpose and timing, (ii) balancing commitments, and (iii) a sense of belonging. Findings suggested that students often struggled to balance life, work, and family commitments, while appreciating university processes that reduced stressors and contributed to a sense of belonging.

Improving the quality of assessment grading tools in Master of Education courses: a comparative case study in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

This study compares the use and efficacy of assessment grading tools within postgraduate education courses in a regional Australian university and a regional university in the US. Specifically, we investigate how the quality of postgraduate education courses can be improved through the use of assessment rubrics or Criterion Referenced Assessment sheets (CRA sheets). The researchers utilised interviews and a modified form of the Delphi Method to answer three research questions relating to; assessment and student motivation, grading tools and raising quality in learning, as well as assuring quality in assessment grading tools. The research resulted in the development of a checklist, in the form of a set of questions, that lecturers should ask themselves before writing rubrics or CRA sheets. The paper concludes by demonstrating how assessment grading tools might be applied, developed and constantly improved in Master of Education courses in Australian and US higher education institutions.

Exploring Unplanned Curriculum Drift

This study explored the opportunities for quality enhancement in teaching and learning by examining unplanned curriculum drift in an undergraduate nursing course. Curriculum drift is defined here as a process whereby the learning experiences associated with a curriculum do not match the specific syllabus, vision, or intentions associated with attaining desired outcomes for nursing students. Staff involved in the implementation of a new innovative Bachelor of Nursing curriculum at an Australian regional university were surveyed to explore their perceptions and knowledge of key philosophical and pedagogical concepts associated with a planned curriculum. A constructivist case study approach was used to explore curriculum drift. Survey responses revealed that staff actions were inconsistent with their interpretations of concepts underlying the proposed curriculum. It is proposed that the discrepancy is a contributing factor in curricular drift, where the potential to achieve desired learning outcomes associated with innovative curricula is compromised by a drift to preinnovative or unplanned states.