Faculty of Education - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 10 of 67
-
ItemEvaluation of web site design in online learning : a case study approach(University of Melbourne, 2002)As a result of economic rationalism and technological determinism, it has been argued that a global imperative to adopt Online Learning (OLL) is being driven by "megauniversities" (Bates, 1996, p.6), in order to deliver a mass-produced education (Clark, 1996; Laurillard, 1996). While this may have been enough for its initial justification, many now believe it should provide "value-added" (Leigh, 1997, pp.5-6), benefits that also improve the quality of learning as well (Alexander, 1996; Andres 1996; Laurillard, 1996). To accomplish this, some would argue, requires a paradigm shift away from traditional "Instructional" design approaches towards a model of "Constructivism" where the delivery of education becomes learner-centred (Alexander, 1996, p.5; Jonassen, 1994, pp.1-3). The capacity of the World Wide Web (WWW) to meet these demands is wellrecognised. Not only can it deliver "anytime, anywhere" (Bates, 1996, p.1), but by incorporating interactive hypermedia (IHM) it may be possible to create an environment where opportunities for "deep" learning (through "knowledge construction"), as well as "life-long" learning may occur (Alexander 1996, pp.5-6; Jonassen, 1994, p.2). Hence it is crucial that educators are able to make informed decisions about web design strategies in order to contribute to the process of maximising quality outcomes in OLL. The purpose of this study was to investigate student perceptions of two (2) contrasting OLL sites and any effects web usability design (Nielsen, 1997), may have had upon either site's potential to value-add to a user's learning experience. Conducted within a TAFE(1) setting by a teacher using students as volunteers(2), a qualitative case study approach was applied. Prior to this investigation a specific set of web usability design (WUD) guidelines was created in order to aid in the development a model OLL web site that aimed at promoting an interesting and stimulating learning environment while simultaneously reducing the cognitive load placed upon a user. A second site containing essentially the same subject material but contrasting dramatically in terms of its delivery design was then also produced. So that a comparative evaluation of these two sites could be made twelve volunteers, of mixed gender and generally representative of a TAFE student population, were recruited to act as heuristic usability evaluators. This study demonstrates that to promote the potential for a better quality OLL experience for students, careful consideration of web usability design (WUD) is important. That teachers can play an active role in the design, development and evaluation of an OLL program is also possible given that this case study shows that it is feasible to implement an iterative design strategy that is less costly and more time efficient than traditional computer engineering models. Consequently in the process of conducting this form of inquiry it was found that in the application of these WUD guidelines a strategy that provides a more responsive approach to student needs in OLL is achievable and that in the end this must be one of the key considerations in providing a quality learning experience.
-
ItemThe academic achievements of language centre students at a secondary college( 2001)What are the academic achievements of adolescent new-arrival English as a Second Language (ESL) students at secondary schools in Victoria, Australia? Research on Non-English Speaking Background (NESB) students in Australia has tended to neglect new arrival ESL students. To examine the academic achievements of this important subgroup of NESB students, the current study will highlight the academic achievements of a cohort of Victorian Language Centre students at a Secondary College over six years with interruption to schooling in their first language (L1) as the key variable linked to academic achievement in their second language (L2). Victorian Language Centres provide new-arrival ESL students with the English skills they need to start their secondary educations in L2. The current study examined the academic achievement of two groups of Language Centre students, those who completed their Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) and those who left the Secondary College prior to completing VCE. Their academic results were summarised into spreadsheets for quantitative analysis. Subsequent to the quantitative analysis interviews were conducted with four ESL students from the Language Centre currently completing their VCE studies to provide further insight into the factors that enabled them to do their VCE. Results indicate that the academic achievements of this cohort of ESL Language Centre students are poor and that interruption to education in Ll had a major impact on the students' ability to achieve academically at the Secondary College. The study suggests that L1 education is the key variable influencing the student's ability to acquire the academic language skills necessary to meet the academic demands of secondary education, particularly the VCE. Other factors such as support for learning and strong motivation were found to help students overcome difficulties encountered in their secondary education. However, students who were unable to overcome these difficulties left the College prior to completing VCE. It was concluded that the majority of Language Centre students faced uncertain economic futures once they left the Secondary College. The results of the study suggest that Language Centre students need more support and assistance to enable them to complete VCE or to access educational alternatives to the VCE. This study also suggests that more research into the effect of L1 education on L2 education be conducted as this was found to be the key variable in the students' ability to acquire the academic language skills necessary to meet the academic demands of VCE.
-
ItemArticulating the theatre experience : ways in which students respond to the theatre experience, individually, collectively & within the context of the curriculum( 2005)This thesis investigates how a class of senior Drama students experience the event that is theatre performance. The theatre experience is at the very heart of this study, both as a personal one, and as it is framed within the parameters of the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) Drama Curriculum. Five themes emerge from the study: the role of cultural contexts; the role of prior experience; knowing versus not knowing measuring the theatre experience; and the impact of curriculum and assessment criteria on student responses. The findings of the study suggest that the subject of Drama provides entry into an aesthetic world that is not necessarily accessible through other subjects. It indicates that a range of cultural contexts and prior experiences create a frame through which students experience new theatre performances. The study indicates that the immediate and transient nature of a performance text is inherently difficult to measure but rather, relies on the measuring of the memory of that experience. Finally, the study suggests that there is a gap between the process through which students make meaning from their experiences, and the process by which the curriculum asks them to respond to the aesthetic experience that is theatre. The implications of this investigation are that the teaching of theatre text and the design of curriculum documents needs to more carefully acknowledge the cultural framing, prior experiences, and personal aesthetics that students bring to that experience. Further, it asks Drama educators to consider whether aesthetic experiences are indeed assessable and, if so, how that can be achieved in ways that acknowledge the complex nature of responses to a text that exists only in the memory of those who have seen it.
-
ItemProfessional development : returning to industry : implications for VET trainers and teachers of hospitality( 2000)This study was designed to investigate the practices of professional development within the vocational education and training, hospitality sector. The study aimed to explore the effectiveness of the learning arising out of a return to industry activity. Qualitative research offered the opportunity to explore the rich contextual elements central to this type of study. Particular methods applied were questionnaires, a group interview and in-depth interviews. Data were collected and collated concerning the experiences of trainers and teachers during a return to industry activity. Findings generally indicated that a return to industry activity was a very valuable form of professional development for vocational education and training trainers and teachers. A model is posed for return to industry activities. However, critical analysis of the data revealed numerous difficulties associated with the accomplishment of a return to industry activity. Among the implications of this study is a suggestion that Registered Training Organisations and the hospitality industry must embrace greater responsibility for the implementation of return to industry experiences. The study furnished findings with important implications to contribute to the understanding of effective professional development practices of VET hospitality trainers and teachers and also identified critical directions for further research.
-
ItemRelationships between modernism, postmodernism, new technologies and visual culture in Victorian secondary visual arts education( 2001)This study investigates relationships between computer technologies, modernism, postmodernism, visual culture and visual arts education. The literature research focuses on relationships between modernism and new technologies, modernism and postmodernism, postmodernism and new technologies and art education and computer technologies. The field research consisted of three 'semi-structured interviews with secondary visual arts teachers in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria. I investigated selected teachers' perceptions of the extent to which they addressed computer technologies, modernism, postmodernism and visual culture in their visual arts curricula. Initially I aimed to discover the extent that they included computer technologies and postmodern theories into their visual arts curricula. I used a combination of research methods when undertaking this study and in particular when analysing the field research findings. The deductive method of Orientational Qualitative Inquiry was combined with the inductive method of grounded theory. Whilst investigating relationships between postmodernism and new technologies using Orientational Qualitative Inquiry I found that modernism impacted upon both postmodernism and computer technologies. I then used grounded theory to document the interrelationships between modernism, postmodernism, visual culture, new technologies and arts education. This study was limited by several factors, including the following. Firstly, I limited the investigation to only three participants. Secondly, there were flaws inherent in the combination of inductive and deductive research methods. Most significantly, I was limited by the fact that the three interviewees worked in modern institutions. The relationships between modernism and new technologies encountered in section 2.1 were echoed by the interviewees' comments, particularly in sections 4.1 and 4.2. The interviewees held strong modern values such as a belief in progress and the importance of originality. The investigations surrounding postmodernism and visual culture in sections 2.2 and 2.3 were less well established in the field research. However, these were still present, especially in section 4.3. Finally, the traditions of the incorporation of computer technologies established in Australian and American visual arts education in section 2.4 were continued by all three participants in chapter four and summarised in section 5.1. By exploring relationships between modernism, postmodernism, visual culture and new technologies in visual arts education I found that modernism and postmodernism are not mutually exclusive but rather deeply interconnected.
-
ItemChinese/Anglo-Celtic bicultural children's education experiences in Australia( 2001)This study explores, through three case studies, how home, school and community factors have influenced the education and development experiences of Chinese/Anglo-Celtic bicultural children attending Australian schools. The worldwide lack of previous research on the education of bicultural children and the high outmarriage rate of Chinese-Australian women make it important to understand whether Chinese/Anglo-Celtic children experience similar or different education problems to those experienced by monocultural minority and mainstream children The data was collected from parents and children through questionnaires and individual interviews conducted at each family home. All the participant families were referred to the researcher by colleagues and were previously unknown to the researcher. The findings indicate that the children's home environments have influenced the varying levels of their Chinese and Australian cultural values and language skills. However, they all generally appear psychologically stable and have successfully integrated into their respective schools and mainstream society.
-
ItemSecondary art teachers' perceptions of a regional art gallery( 2004)This study examines the view of five teachers in relation to their use of a regional gallery within their art program. Using qualitative inquiry, the study focuses on interviews with the gallery educator and five secondary teachers within the region. The key purpose of the study is to identify the value and reasons why teachers incorporate gallery visits into their teaching program.
-
ItemCritical language awareness and academic writing skills in English for overseas post-graduate engineering students( 2002)This research project examines the problems associated with bringing overseas post-graduate students to a satisfactory level of competence in Engineering Academic Writing in English. Having acknowledged that the teaching of more and more English grammar does not resolve the problem completely, this research project explores the possibility that an intervention program, based on a Critical Language Awareness approach, offers a promising alternative. By bringing to the students' conscious level aspects of their writer identity, which include issues of experience, status and power relations, their interests, values and beliefs, their voice(s), practices and ownership of their writing and issues of accommodation or resistance to change, it is shown that there is limited but promising evidence that student writing can be brought to a satisfactory level. However, as cultural norms are embedded deeply, change cannot be brought about readily.
-
ItemNurse educators use of scoring rubrics to determine varying levels of clinical performance in the perioperative setting( 2005)This research evolved out of the need to design and validate an instrument for the assessment of competencies within the specialised area of the Operating Suite. The study represents an attempt to develop an instrument underpinning the unit of competency NR 4 - The Instrument Nurse from the Australian College of Operating Room Nurses standards (2004). Both holistic and analytical rubrics were developed that were aligned to the ACORN Standard and underpinned by the Dreyfus (1981) model in accordance with the rules established by Griffin and colleagues (2001). Three video clips that captured the varying performances of instrument nurses in the operating suite were recorded and used as prompts for rating. Forty raters were required to judge the performance of the candidates in each video clip using an Analytical Observation Form, Holistic Performance Level Rubrics and Holistic Competence Rubrics. The study found that the holistic rubrics led to more consistent judgements than the analytical rubrics, yet the latter provided more diagnostic information for intervention purposes. Despite less consistency, the results revealed that the Analytical Observation Form had sufficient construct validity as determined by the Item Separation Index (Rasch, 1960). The study also revealed that the Analytical Observation Form had high internal consistency and greater inter-rater reliability when average ratings were used. The findings had direct implications for theory, practice and future research.
-
ItemA Screenage aesthetic in drama( 2002)This reflective practitioner study was designed to investigate the ways in which screenage culture impacted on the development of students' artistic meaning making in drama. As a teacher researcher I focused on a five week play-building unit that was undertaken by a Year 9 and a Year 10 drama class. The unit allowed the students to introduce elements of screenage culture into their work. The students discussed the development of their plays and these discussions were recorded and analysed. Themes emerged from the initial period of data collection that led me to question the levels of engagement of the planned activity and to consider the quality of aesthetic awareness among the students. In order to provide multiple perspectives, and support the classroom observation data, interviews were conducted with six students and three drama teaching colleagues. The data analysis highlighted the impact of the context on the quality of classroom drama and the importance of encouraging diverse perspectives during classroom discussions in order to develop aesthetic awareness. This study emphasises the need for the teacher to make connections between the teacher's world and the students' world in order to develop aesthetic awareness in the drama classroom.