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There is a general recognition that learning of foreign languages is in decline in Australia. This paper uses the social constructivist theory as a conceptual framework to report on a project where university language students supported their high school peers in the learning of their specialist language in New South Wales, Australia. The project involved 15 university students from the University of Wollongong and over 100 high school students engaged in the study of five foreign languages (French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Mandarin) in four local schools. The first section gives the aims and rationale of the study; the second describes the methodology and data collection; and the third section discusses the results and evaluation of the project by the students involved in the study. Preliminary results show that both cohorts of students benefitted from the study in different ways. It was the direct interaction between both groups that allowed more advanced students to assist their younger peers and to reflect on their own language learning in the process. The conclusion discusses implications for widening access to foreign language education in Australia and bridging the gap between tertiary and secondary sectors.

The student experience is a widely used term; however, what makes up its critical components is not well understood. The focus on "students" is a key feature of the government's demand-driven system and its proposed "myUniversity" website. Understanding all aspects of the student experience will be critical to attracting and retaining students. This article conceptually divides the student experience into the academic and non-academic experience. The focus of this article is the latter. Based on a review of the literature a definition of the non-academic student experience is provided. Survey comments from University of South Australia students, including their study abroad experiences, are analysed as an example of how the non-academic experience can influence students' personal development and their ability to foster connections and relationships with others. It shows that developing and fostering the non-academic experience can be an integral and indeed a highlight of the overall student experience. [This paper was first presented at the Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Institutional Research, "Has institutional research come of age in Australia?," in Geelong, 10-12 November 2010.]

Graduates need to be prepared for working in global organisations that increasingly rely on virtual, culturally diverse teams. This paper reports on a qualitative research study concerned with the perceptions of university business students who collaborated on a virtual and international project to learn about intercultural communication. The findings indicated that participants capitalised on the opportunity the project presented to find friends and to negotiate and deepen relationships. In addition, the analysis revealed that social interaction also characterised and influenced the learning experience itself and had implications for engagement. The paper concludes that the subjectivities of social interaction are powerfully embedded in the learning process and may play a part in engagement. Second, the project was perceived as a valuable way of preparing students for workplaces where developing intercultural communication skills and online, culturally diverse team relationships are required.

There has been a paucity of literature investigating the teaching beliefs and intentions of Australian physical education teacher education (PETE) students that enter teacher training. The First-year Influences on Teaching Perspectives Exploratory (FIT-PE) study explores the teaching perspectives of first year PETE students; including teaching perspectives predicted as being dominant and important for physical education teaching. The teaching perspectives inventory (TPI) was administered to 105 Australian PETE students. Independent t-tests and one-way ANOVA statistical tests were conducted to compare average teaching perspective summary scores across demographic variables. The FIT-PE study findings revealed 18 year olds (compared to 20-25 year olds) and PETE students from rural backgrounds (compared to regional) had significantly higher average summary scores for the transmission (content-oriented) teaching perspective. This paper provides reflective opportunities for teacher training programs of the underlying core teaching values (beliefs and intentions) of students at the entry point of PETE training.

Mineralogy is an essential component of Earth Science education, yet many students struggle to obtain adequate comprehension and knowledge of mineralogy during tertiary (postsecondary) degree programs. The use of educational games can be an effective strategy for science teaching as games provide an active learning environment that enhances student engagement and motivation. This paper introduces a new card game called ''Mineral Supertrumps'' that can be used to counter the challenge of learning mineralogy at either secondary or tertiary level. The card game includes information on the properties of 54 minerals, which include the most important rock-forming minerals as well as minerals of industrial and economic significance. The game is easy to learn and play, and it is designed to motivate learning of mineral properties through active and competitive game-play in a group setting. Group play also helps to build identity and culture around student cohorts, which may also promote learning outcomes. Most students in the second year of a tertiary geology program surveyed after playing the game found it enjoyable to play and considered it to be effective for enhancing learning about mineral properties and their application to society and other Earth Science disciplines. Nevertheless, our survey results also indicate that student engagement with the game (and hence, learning benefits) may be limited if the game is not integrated with other course content, and/or it is not linked to incentive-based exercises (e.g., assessment).

Reflective practice is a key skill in many professions and is considered an essential attribute of healthcare practitioners. Healthcare students are often expected to develop reflection skills through their assignments, and this is frequently expected to occur with little explicit instruction, practice or guidance about how to reflect. Currently, there is limited guidance in the literature on how teachers can help students develop these reflective skills effectively. In this study, we describe a process for embedding reflective skills into a transition program for new healthcare students about to enter university. By allowing students to explore reflection through a method of self-discovery supported by peer discussion, we found that students were likely to recognize and value reflection as a learning tool (a concept we term "reflection for learning"). Additionally, these students were more likely to continue to practice reflection in their studies than students who had not participated in the training. In summary, this paper demonstrates that students are able to make meaningful deductions about reflective practice and their own learning through use of a basic framework in which to self-reflect, from the very start of their tertiary studies.

Australia is forged by ongoing migration, welcoming a range of cultures, languages and ethnicities, celebrating a diverse range of the Arts. In this multicultural society, music and dance may serve as a positive medium to transmit and promote social cohesion. I argue that the inclusion of innovative and immersive practice of African music in teaching units may foster understandings of culture in education settings. In this paper I discuss tertiary students' experience in relation to the teaching and learning of African music within higher education courses. Drawing on interview data with six sessionals, questionnaire data, observation notes, anecdotal feedback and narrative reflection, I employ Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to analyse and code the data into two broad themes. By offering a discussion on teaching and learning African music, I invite international dialogue regarding best practice for preparing, assessing and evaluating our students to raise/enhance the quality of Musical Arts Education.

Employers in the 21st century seek graduates with a demonstrated ability to be independent, self-managing, lifelong learners. In this paper the authors explore student responses to a tutorial activity designed to promote lifelong learning skills. The activity is framed around situated learning theory, and capitalises on the affordances of video and a structured reflective process to extend opportunities for students to learn from their authentic clinical practicum experiences; enhance student skills in reflection, evaluation and feedback; and promote self-efficacy and lifelong learning.

This paper examines the interrelationships between teaching beliefs and approaches, instructional design, relationships with students, and academics' and students' perceptions of effective teaching and learning. Mixed methodology was utilised and included interviews with academics and students, and questionnaires, inventories, and learning journals. As anticipated educationally optimal instructional design was appreciated by academics and students, however, it was not the most significant aspect in influencing students' perceptions of "good" or effective teaching. Differences were found between two teaching academics' beliefs about students and these translated into varied approaches to teaching, interactions with students, and different capacities to establish positive classroom environments and relationships. Academics' ethic of care and relational acumen were the pivotal components in students' criteria for effective teaching, which may present a quandary to academic developers. Findings indicate the importance of relational acumen and an ethic of care and may also have significance for university leaders in matching academic teaching activities to faculty strengths and potentially explaining negative student feedback in well-designed units.

Field Project A is an elective course in the Bachelor of Exercise Science program at Griffith University and includes elements of both career development learning and work-integrated learning. This paper aims to determine the effects of the learning activities and assessment items developed for the course on students' self-efficacy in making positive career decisions. Prior to commencing a work experience placement, workshops were conducted based on the SOAR model (Kumar, 2007), including activities related to the development of the first three phases of the model--self-awareness, opportunity awareness and aspirations. The career decision self-efficacy scale (CDSS) and a questionnaire were administered prior to and on completion of the course. Comparison of scores demonstrated significant differences in relation to students' confidence in self-appraisal, occupational information, goal selection, planning and problem-solving. Students perceived the course increased their awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses related to employability and their knowledge of specific occupations.

In the era of quality assurance (QA), close scrutiny of assessment practices has been intensified worldwide across the board. However, in the Australian context, trends in QA efforts have not reached the field of modern/foreign languages. This has largely resulted in leaving the establishment of language proficiency benchmarking up to individual institutions and programs of study. This paper discusses the findings of a cross-institutional collaborative research project focused on the comparative analysis and review of assessment practices in the Spanish language majors at the University of Queensland (UQ) and Griffith University (GU), both members of the Brisbane Universities Languages Alliance (BULA). The project had a two-pronged focus; on the one hand, establishing comparable student academic achievement standards, specifically for oral assessment in intermediate level courses; and, on the other hand, providing tools and resources to train teachers (continuing and sessional staff) in consensus moderation (CM) practices through an online platform. The results presented here offer practical pedagogical suggestions to support planning and review of oral assessment, thus contributing to QA management in languages other than English.

This paper presents the findings from research on peer assessment practice that was specifically focussed on improving the experience in a tertiary bridging course. The objective of the study was to examine the impact of this assessment approach on student social relationships and the overall assessment experience. The study also examined whether peer assessment provided a valid and reliable method of assessment at the tertiary bridging level and whether students were equipped to be able to engage with this form of assessment. Data were collected from 107 students enrolled in a tertiary bridging program at a regional university in Australia using a custom designed questionnaire. Four subscales, Task Experience, Feedback, Peer Relationships and Process Understanding, were identified and analysed. The initial results suggest this model of assessment did add value for students in the positive attitude toward the task and the feedback they received from their peers. The participants did not report a preference for peer assessment over other traditional forms. Improvements in the quality of peer relationships were also not identified. It was concluded that, while there are benefits provided by peer assessment in improving the students' understanding of the process of assessment, there were limited benefits in its use in relation to improving the overall student experience.

In this paper the authors report on an exploratory investigation into the use of disequilibrium and difference of opinion in decision-making in schools, based on the experiences of Master of Education students in their own university. From examples provided by the participants the authors identify the factors that contribute to the positive use of difference of opinion, and those that limit or constrain its use. They then discuss the implications of the findings for the curriculum of the degree in which the participants are enrolled.

Reflective practice is an important lifelong skill for business professionals. In the work integrated learning (WIL) curriculum, supporting interns' development of reflective practice is critical to their experience in WIL as well as their transition into professional practice. The purpose of this paper is to explore students' perceptions on the use of online assessments for engagement in reflective practice as they undertake internships as part of WIL. The findings demonstrate online assessment as commensurate with facilitating reflection-on-action. Students report on the benefits of the online environment for enabling accessible and flexible engagement with assessments. The online assessments are endorsed as critical learning opportunities for students to iteratively look back on their actions to consider or record improvements as well as to "practise reflective practice". Although few students found online reflective assessments constrained social learning, we argue that a balance between face-to-face and online learning is essential to supporting learners in dispersed contexts in WIL.

The issues of developing strategies and approaches to teaching introductory level economics courses at university have been long standing. With the development of economics learning standards in Australia, this is a time to consider teaching and learning approaches to engage students and develop skills in economics. This paper considers that to satisfactorily develop skills in economics it is important to recognise this difference in student preferences for learning styles and to apply a variety of learning styles and opportunities for students to learn and develop skills. One method for measuring learning styles is VARK. This approach considers visual (V), aural (A), reading (R) and kinesthetic (K) preferences for learning. This method determines students preferred modes of intaking, processing and outputting information. The paper examines the application of this approach at Australian Catholic University and evaluates the success this pedagogy had at increasing student satisfaction and skills in introductory level economics.

While feedback has been highlighted as the most powerful influence on student achievement, Weaver (2006) noted that up to 40% of tertiary students lack confidence in their feedback and many students express dissatisfaction with this aspect of their student experience (Rodway-Dyer, Dunne, & Newcombe, 2009). Chasms remain between academic feedback and student feed forward outputs, as research suggests that feedback is undervalued by "unresponsive" tertiary students due to misunderstanding, inconsistencies and lack of clarity, and that feedback is not as effective as staff imagine. This paper explores student and staff perceptions of a video feedback model for tertiary institutions. Each student received feedback in the form of an individualized video which was made available online, thus mirroring the established course assessment processes. A mixed methodology study revealed a mass preference for video feedback, with participants noting that video feedback personalized assessment processes and enhanced understanding. In excess of 90% of students rated video feedback as more valuable than written feedback, with 74% completely understanding the feedback provided by the marker, showing that technology may "provide the innovative edge that can help students engage more effectively with their feedback" (Crook et al., 2012, p. 387).

This paper investigates the magnitude of difference of academic achievement scores by language of instruction of prior education and the magnitude of interaction between language of instruction of prior education and students' preferred learning trait on academic performance of a group of international students in two teaching and learning practices. The magnitude of difference and magnitude of interaction were determined by using Cohen's "d" with Hedges "g" correction. Coe's spread sheet was used for the analysis. The study showed that the magnitude of difference of academic achievement score was found to be "very small" on Traditional method of Teaching and Learning (TTL) and small on Problem-Based method of Learning (PBL). However, the magnitude of interaction between language of instruction of prior education and learning traits varied from very small to large. It is a challenging task to accommodate international students from different language background and optimize the whole learning process in an English speaking teaching and learning environment.

This paper addresses the retention issues presented when large numbers of students from low socio-economic backgrounds and associated disadvantaged educational histories live together on-campus. It reports research in progress on a new approach taken at the University of New England (UNE), Australia, aimed at encouraging the growth of learning communities in colleges through the training and subsequent support of senior students charged with helping first year students negotiate the transition to successful university study. It outlines the issues faced by both the first year students and the senior students, strategies implemented, outcomes to date and plans for further change. UNE is a regional university with 5,000 on-campus students, half of whom live in seven residential colleges. It appears that for these students, traditional lectures and workshops on learning strategies and techniques are not as effective as layered, personal "at the elbow" learning support in a non-threatening, social environment. (Contains 6 tables.)

This paper contributes to research on the scholarship of teaching in the physical education/sport studies fields by examining the responses of study abroad students from overseas studying in Australia to a unit of study in sport studies that placed the interpretation of experience as the centre of the learning process. It draws on research conducted at an Australian university over an 18-month period and involving 170 participants. The study focused on the ways in which student motivations, inclinations, expectations and prior experience interacted with experiences of living in Australia and the experience-based nature of the unit of study shaped their responses and perceptions of learning.

Taking students out into the field to visit properties has been a foundation of agricultural education practice in Australian higher education. These excursions are invariably popular with students, but their enjoyment of these activities may be largely due to factors other than the achievement of learning outcomes. This paper reports on a constructivist learning design used for a farm tour whereby strategies were deliberately planned and employed to challenge students to develop their observational skills in an authentic context. Students needed to utilise their prior learning in the area and engage with each other to devise and present proposals to both academic staff and industry cooperators while on the tour.

Self-regulated learning theories are used to understand the reasons for different levels of university student academic performance. Similarly, learning analytics research proposes the combination of detailed data traces derived from technology-mediated tasks with a variety of algorithms to predict student academic performance. The former approach is designed to provide meaningful pedagogical guidance, while the latter is designed to identify event patterns and relations that can be translated into actionable remediation. The benefits of both approaches have motivated this study to investigate if a combination of the self-report data and data arising from an observation of the engagement of students with online learning events offers a deeper understanding and explanation of why some students achieve relatively higher levels of academic performance. In this paper we explore how to combine data about self-regulated learning skills with observable measures of online activity in a blended learning course to increase predictive capabilities of student academic performance for the purposes of informing teaching and task design. A case study in a course with 145 students showed that the variation of the students' final score for their course is better explained when factors from both approaches are considered. The results point to the potential of adopting a combined use of self-report and observed data to gain a more comprehensive understanding of successful university student learning.

"Blogging"--a contraction of the term "web logging"--is perhaps best described as a form of micro-publishing. Easy to use, from any Internet connection point, blogging has become firmly established as a web based communications tool. The blogging phenomenon has evolved from its early origin as a medium for the publication of simple, online personal diaries, to the latest disruptive technology, the "killer app" that has the capacity to engage people in collaborative activity, knowledge sharing, reflection and debate (Hiler, 2003). Many blogs have large and dedicated readerships, and blog clusters have formed linking fellow bloggers in accordance with their common interests. This paper explores the potential of blogs as learning spaces for students in the higher education sector. It refers to the nascent literature on the subject, explores methods for using blogs for educational purposes in university courses (eg. Harvard Law School), and records the experience of the Brisbane Graduate School of Business at Queensland University of Technology, with its "MBA blog". The paper concludes that blogging has the potential to be a transformational technology for teaching and learning. (Contains 5 tables and 1 endnote.)

The term "flexible education" is now firmly entrenched within Australian higher education discourse, yet the term is a contested one imbued with a multiplicity of meanings. This paper describes a process designed to elucidate how the idea of flexible education can be translated into teaching models that are informed by the specific demands of disciplinary contexts. The process uses a flexible learning "matching" tool to articulate the understandings and preferences of students and academics of the Built Environment to bridge the gap between student expectations of flexibility and their teacher's willingness and ability to provide that flexibility within the limits of the pedagogical context and teaching resources. The findings suggest an informed starting point for educators in the Built Environment and other creative disciplines from which to traverse the complexities inherent in negotiating flexibility in an increasingly digital world. (Contains 2 figures and 4 tables.)

Computers and computer-assisted instruction are being used with increasing frequency in the area of undergraduate paramedic education. Paramedic students' attitudes towards the use of e-learning technology and computer-assisted instruction have received limited attention in the empirical literature to date. The objective of this study was to determine paramedic students' attitudes towards e-learning. A cross-sectional methodology was used in the form of a paper-based survey to elicit students' attitudes to e-learning using three standardised scales. Convenience sampling was used to sample a cross-section of paramedic students at five universities during semester 1 of 2009. The scales used were: the Computer Attitude Survey (CAS), the Online Learning Environment Survey (OLES), and the Attitude Toward CAI Semantic Differential Scale (ATCAISDS). There were 339 students who participated. Approximately one-half (57.7%) were female and most (76.0%) were under 24 years of age. Moderate results were noted for the CAS general and education subscales. The CAS results were broadly corroborated by the OLES, although a statistically significant difference between participants preferred and actual results on the OLES Computer Usage subscale identified that participants would prefer to use computers less than they actually do. Similarly, the ATCAISDS found participants were largely ambivalent towards computers. As paramedic degree programs continue to emerge and develop, careful consideration should be given to the usability and utility of various e-learning approaches. (Contains 6 tables.)

The sophistication of the integrated world of work and increased recognition of business processes as critical corporate assets require graduates to develop "process orientation" and an "integrated view" of business. Responding to these dynamic changes in business organizations, business schools are also continuing to modify their curriculum and introducing innovative teaching and learning strategies. An ERP business simulation game is one such initiative that helps in understanding business processes and enterprise integration and develops process orientation among business graduates. This paper reports on a study investigating the influence of ERP simulation game on learning effectiveness, skills development and decision making. Its impact as a teaching and learning tool on the students' ability to develop an integrated view of business is assessed and their generic attitudes towards the learning of SAP analysed. The results reveal the significant impact this game had on students' abilities and points out the challenges in the process and pedagogy. The study found that the game contributed to deep learning in addition to resulting in significant improvement in their process orientation and integrative skills. The study, based on feedback from participants and the experience of academics, recommends further improvements to the deployment and curriculum design of the game. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)

To undertake rigorous research in biology and ecology, students must be able to pose testable hypotheses, design decisive studies, and analyse results using suitable statistics. Yet, few biology students excel in topics involving statistics and most attempt to evade optional courses in research methods. Over the last few years, we have developed a tertiary-level unit to create a positive, inquiry-based, learning environment for teaching survey methods and statistics to environmental science students. This paper reports the success of incorporating a staged sequence of learning and assessment tasks into an ecological research methods unit. To gauge reactions to the strategies incorporated into the unit, all students completed a questionnaire and several students were interviewed while the lecturer involved was interviewed. Overall, students demonstrated acquisition of fundamental research skills, enhanced understanding of the subtleties of the scientific method, and improved confidence in their use of inferential statistical procedures. Further, they recognised the value of interactions with their colleagues and the need for flexibility in research design to compensate for variable environmental conditions. Skills in statistics and survey design appear best taught using learning and assessment tasks that are integrated into the teaching sequence so that they emulate the steps involved in conducting "real-life" scientific research. (Contains 2 tables and 2 figures.)

Background: The oral health of many older Australians is poor and associated with many systemic health problems. However, nurses often have a limited understanding of the importance of oral healthcare for older people. This study aimed to investigate Australian nursing students' perception, knowledge, and attitude toward providing oral healthcare for older people and associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among final year nursing students studying at accredited nursing programs using an online self-reported 49-item survey. The data were analysed using univariate and bivariate analysis (t-test, ANOVA, Spearman's correlation test). Results: A total of 416 final-year nursing students from 16 accredited programs in Australia completed the survey. Mean scores showed that more than half of the participants felt they lacked confidence (55%, n = 229) and had limited knowledge about oral healthcare for older people (73%, n = 304); however, their attitude towards providing such care was favourable (89%, n = 369). A positive correlation was found between students' confidence in delivering oral healthcare to older people and their perceived knowledge (r = 0.13, p < 0.01). Results revealed a statistically significant positive association between students' experience in providing oral healthcare to older people and students' perception (t = 4.52, p < 0.001), knowledge (t = 2.87, p < 0.01), and attitude (t = 2.65, p < 0.01) mean scores in such care. Nearly 60% (n = 242) of participants received education/training in oral healthcare for older people at university, but this was often for less than one hour. Around 56% (n = 233) believed that the current nursing curriculum did not prepare them to provide effective oral healthcare to older people. Conclusion: Findings suggested a need for nursing curricula to be revised to include oral health education and clinical experience. Knowledge of evidence-based oral healthcare by nursing students may improve the quality of oral healthcare for older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Height trends can be useful indicators of population health but, despite Thailand's rapid socioeconomic development since the 1950s, few studies have examined accompanying secular changes in adult height or the effects of the transition on the heights of rural versus urban populations. This study therefore sought to document average heights in different age groups of rural and urban Thais and to investigate factors associated with attained height. Methods Data from 86 105 Thai Cohort Study participants was used to estimate mean heights for men and women in different birth year groups. Simple regression was used to calculate the change in height per decade of birth year among those based in rural or urban locations as children. Multiple linear regression was used to investigate effects of other childhood factors on height. Results Overall, average heights were found to have increased by approximately 1 cm per decade in those born between 1940 and 1990. However, the rate of increase was 0.4-0.5 cm per decade greater among urban-based Thais compared with those from the countryside. Parental education levels, household assets, birth size, sibling number, birth rank and region of residence were also significantly associated with adult height. Conclusions These data suggest a marked secular increase in Thai heights in the second half of the 20th century probably reflecting improved childhood health and nutrition over this time. Rural-born Thais, who benefited to a lesser extent from the changes, may face future health challenges with greater risks of, among other things, obesity and its health consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]