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Blended synchronous learning involves using rich-media technologies to enable remote and face-to-face students to jointly participate in the same live classes. This article presents blended synchronous learning designs from seven case studies that were part of a project funded by the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching and articulates principles for implementation as espoused by the teachers who enacted them. A wide range of technologies (including video conferencing, web conferencing and virtual worlds), tasks (namely collaborative evaluation, group questioning, class discussion, problem solving and collaborative design) and levels of student interaction (from lightweight to tightly coupled) were present within the designs. The main issues that teachers confronted when facilitating blended synchronous lessons were those relating to communication and those relating to cognitive overload caused by split attention. Key pedagogical principles for enactment as identified by the lead teachers included the need for extensive preparation, clear instructions, composure, flexibility, advance preparation of students and savvy utilisation of support staff.

Logarithms continue to play an important role in mathematics (most significantly in calculus), science, and engineering. It is therefore important for students to understand logarithms as real numbers as well as the characteristics of logarithmic functions. Exploration of challenges in understanding logarithms as real numbers and logarithmic functions as well as their graphs provides insight that can be used as the basis for instruction. This paper discusses and shares evidence of students' difficulties collected from various courses over time. The authors share concepts related to logarithms that can help students build an understanding of these functions, and present some ways that misconceptions related to these concepts are manifested to suggest what teachers can listen for as they explore logarithms with students.

This paper presents an example of constructive alignment in practice. Integrated technology supports were deployed to increase the consistency between learning objectives, activities and assessment and to foster student-centred, higher-order learning processes in the unit. Modifications took place over nine iterations of a second-year Marketing unit and were guided by a design-based research approach. The aligned technologies were embedded in voluntary weekly tasks, feedback, lecture participation and research skill acquisition. Findings indicate that constructive alignment strengthens and is strengthened by technology supports, resulting in consistently improved learner experiences in small (under 60) and large (over 500) face-to-face cohorts, over time and in comparison to benchmark data derived from over 65 similar units. Heuristic themes emerging from the study conceive constructively aligned technology interventions as gateways, springboards and enablers to improved learning and learner experiences. (Contains 3 tables and 6 figures.)

Exposure to adverse experiences during pregnancy, such as a natural disaster, can modify development of the child with potential long-term consequences. Elemental hair analysis may provide useful indicators of cellular homeostasis and child health. The present study investigated (1) if flood-induced prenatal maternal stress is associated with altered hair elemental profiles in 4-year-old children, and (2) if hair elemental profiles are associated with behavioural outcomes in children. Participants were 75 children (39 boys; 36 girls) whose mothers were exposed to varying levels of stress due to a natural disaster (2011 Queensland Flood, Australia) during pregnancy. At 4 years of age, language development, attention and internalizing and externalizing problems were assessed and scalp hair was collected. Hair was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for 28 chemical elements. A significant curvilinear association was found between maternal objective hardship and copper levels in boys, as low and high maternal objective hardship levels were associated with the highest hair copper levels. Mediation analysis revealed that low levels of maternal objective hardship and high levels of copper were associated with lower vocabulary scores. Higher levels of maternal objective hardship were associated with higher magnesium levels, which in turn were associated with attention problems and aggression in boys. In girls, high and low maternal objective hardship levels were associated with high calcium/potassium ratios. Elemental hair analysis may provide a sensitive biomonitoring tool for early identification of health risks in vulnerable children. • Maternal exposure to natural disasters during pregnancy alters child development. • Low and high prenatal objective maternal hardship is associated with elevated hair copper accumulation in boys. • Low levels of maternal hardship and high levels of copper were associated with lower vocabulary scores in boys. • High maternal hardship was associated with high magnesium levels, inattention, and aggression in boys. • Prenatal adversity was indicated by sex-specific hair mineral signatures and behavioural outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers some insights into the structure and function of the apocalyptic literary form in the preparation of the homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time in which the Gospel is taken from evangelist Luke's eschatological discourse in Australia. It discusses the description of the structure and function of the apocalyptic genre. It also discourses the manner in which Luke used apocalyptic in his gospel and some suggestions for using Luke 21:5-19 in a homily.