Melbourne School of Professional and Continuing Education - Research Publications
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ItemExploring the function of online narratives to develop critical thinking and localisation of knowledge in an international science program(WILEY-BLACKWELL, 2017-03)Abstract e‐learning practitioners have long recognised the benefits of using online training to achieve knowledge transfer, less is understood about facilitating the sharing of values, attitudes, critical thinking, and localisation using online platforms. In this article an online learning platform in the context of an international scientific program was evaluated. The platform uses a narrative approach to convey stories with the explicit aim of developing critical thinking and localisation. The platform embeds formative assessment within the stories to transfer the tacit understandings of the program to project site staff. Some of the challenges this approach encounters, particularly with regard to the expression of localisation was explored.
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ItemSpatial variation in the ongoing and widespread decline of a keystone plant species(Wiley, 2019)Extensive dieback in dominant plant species in response to climate change is increasingly common. Climatic conditions and related variables, such as evapotranspiration, vary in response to topographical complexity. This complexity plays an important role in the provision of climate refugia. In 2008/2009, an island‐wide dieback event of the keystone cushion plant Azorella macquariensis Orchard (Apiaceae) occurred on sub‐Antarctic Macquarie Island. This signalled the start of a potential regime shift, suggested to be driven by increasing vapour pressure deficit. Eight years later, we quantified cover and dieback across the range of putative microclimates to which the species is exposed, with the aim of explaining dieback patterns. We test for the influence of evapotranspiration using a suite of topographic proxies and other variables as proposed drivers of change. We found higher cover and lower dieback towards the south of the island. The high spatial variation in A. macquariensis populations was best explained by latitude, likely a proxy for macroscale climate gradients and geology. Dieback was best explained by A. macquariensis cover and latitude, increasing with cover and towards the north of the island. The effect sizes of terrain variables that influence evapotranspiration rates were small. Island‐wide dieback remains conspicuous. Comparison between a subset of sites and historical data revealed a reduction of cover in the north and central regions of the island, and a shift south in the most active areas of dieback. Dieback remained comparatively low in the south. The presence of seedlings was independent of dieback. This study provides an empirical baseline for spatial variation in the cover and condition of A. macquariensis, both key variables for monitoring condition and ‘cover‐debt’ in this critically endangered endemic plant species. These findings have broader implications for understanding the responses of fellfield ecosystems and other Azorella species across the sub‐Antarctic under future climates.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableSupplementary Material: More than Just Learning Discipline Skills: Social Interactions in Science Fieldwork Could Enhance Student Well-Being and Cognition(The University of Sydney Library, 2020-01-01)Fieldwork is typically used to develop students’ technical skills in a range of scientific domains. Fieldwork may also be particularly conducive for enhancing social learning because of increased opportunities for social interactions. However, few studies have explored the value of students’ social interactions during science fieldwork. This pilot study used a mixed-methods survey to investigate 107 undergraduate students’ perceptions of science fieldwork. Participants had completed science subjects with repeated on-campus fieldwork. The survey questions examined students’ perceptions of the potential influence on their well-being and cognition. Most respondents reported long-lasting benefits to their well-being (57%; 42 students) and/or cognition (69%; 52 students). Commonly reported benefits related to well-being included enhanced enjoyment, relaxation, increased motivation and engagement, and stress reduction. In examining cognition, commonly reported benefits included gaining a deeper conceptual understanding from ‘hands-on’ activities and improved information retention. Whilst a variable response rate must be considered in interpreting our findings, our preliminary results suggest science fieldwork has a broader value to learning and the student experience. Students recognise that the benefits of fieldwork activities extend beyond the development of technical skills. Future studies could further explore how science educators can generate more effective social interactions during fieldwork-based education in science.
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ItemWidespread dieback in a foundation species on a sub-Antarctic World Heritage Island: Fine-scale patterns and likely drivers(Wiley, 2021-02-01)Under anthropogenic climate change, emerging diseases and pathogens are increasingly prevalent in high latitude and altitude regions that were previously protected by cold winter temperatures. Ongoing island-wide dieback of a foundation species, the cushion plant Azorella macquariensis, on World Heritage listed Macquarie Island provides the first sub-Antarctic example. To better understand the island-wide progression of cushion dieback and its drivers, we established and quantified plant condition classes and measured microclimate across 62 sites. We then tested whether the drivers of cushion dieback were associated with (i) water stress: represented by vapour pressure deficit, wind exposure and gravel content, (ii) pathogen virulence: using freezing days and extreme humidity as empirically supported surrogates, or (iii) both. There was a strong north-south progression in cushion condition, with dieback most active in the centre of the island and advanced in the north. Dieback was most extensive at sites with fewer freezing days and high humidity. Natural southern refugia were explained by the significantly colder temperatures, associated with a north-south temperature gradient. It is expected that under current climate change trajectories, where Macquarie is likely to continue to become warmer and wetter, cushion dieback will remain pervasive, expanding most slowly in the south and potentially outpacing recovery. We emphasise the need for increased awareness to prevent the establishment of pathogens into and across the landscapes of newly susceptible high latitude and altitude regions. Areas of high conservation significance need to be prioritised for management, to prevent further landscape-scale change under current climate trajectories.