Outcomes based education? Rethinking the provision of compulsory education in Western Australia

Outcomes based education (OBE), which emphasises a radical reinterpretation of the enterprise of education, is a phenomenon enveloping the Australian compulsory education sector. This paper examines the theoretical tenets of OBE as articulated by its chief exponent, William Spady. It then explores the effects that OBE implementation is having on the Western Australian educational fraternity, touching upon current tensions and emerging consequences. Implementation exigencies in one area of the WA curriculum (Mathematics) are then considered; and finally, possible future ‘outcomes’ are suggested should the identified concerns fail to receive due attention

Paper Session III-A - Challenger Center Touching the Future

The Challenger Center for Space Science Education is a nonprofit educational organization with a mission to increase the number of elementary and middle school students interested in science, and to reverse the negative feelings many American youngsters have about science and technology. The Challenger Center was established in 1986 by the families of the Challenger shuttle crew as the most appropriate way to continue the Challenger crew\u27s educational mission: to teach, to explore and to inspire. Challenger Center uses the excitement of space exploration to capture children\u27s interest. Through interesting and hands-on, problem-solving, space-related activities, children experience first-hand the opportunities and satisfactions offered by science and technology. To ensure reaching the broadest possible group of schoolchildren nationwide, Challenger Center operates through a distinctive series of collaborations with local schools, science center and museums, government agencies and community organizations. Challenger Center currently has four core educational programs: 1) Challenger Learning Center Sites form a national network of high-technology space-flight simulators for exciting hands-on learning experiences. 2) Satellite Learning Network is a continuing series of teleconference programs for classrooms featuring space-based lessons, call-in interviews, activities and materials for the classroom. 3) Touching the Future: Linking the Classroom with Space is a series of teacher training workshops led by 100 NASA Teacher-In-Space finalists who are the core of the Challenger\u27s National Faculty. This program uses space-based teaching and curriculum materials designed to be effective tools and strategies for teaching science. 4) Adventures in Exploration is a series of educational projects involving students from around the world in year-long space mission simulations designed to address the challenges of problem-solving in multicultural and multilingual situations

Financing and Restructuring Doctoral Education in the Future

[Excerpt] I will argue today that a combination of short- and longer-run economic and political forces pose a threat to the well-being of our nation’s doctoral programs. After briefly touching on the impact of our current economic problems on doctoral education at private universities, I will in turn discuss the growing pressure on academia to expand access to and improve persistence in undergraduate education, the financial problems facing public research universities, the changing nature of faculty positions in academia and the implications of all of these forces for financing and restructuring doctoral education in the future

X-rays from Supernova Remnants

A summary of X-ray observations of supernova remnants is presented including the explosion fragment A of the Vela SNR, Tycho, N132D, RX J0852-4622, the Crab Nebula and the 'bulls eye', and SN 1987A, high-lighting the progress made with Chandra and XMM-Newton and touching upon the questions which arise from these observations and which might inspire future research.Comment: 13 pages, 18 figures. To appear in the Proceedings of the 270. WE-Heraeus Seminar on Neutron Stars, Pulsars and Supernova Remnants, Jan. 21-25, 2002, Physikzentrum Bad Honnef, eds W. Becker, H. Lesch & J. Truemper. Proceedings are available as MPE-Report 27

TOU-AR:Touchable Interface for Interactive Interaction in Augmented Reality Environment

Touchable interface is one of the future interfaces that can be implemented at any medium such as water, table or even sand. The word multi touch refers to the ability to distinguish between two or more fingers touching a touch-sensing surface, such as a touch screen or a touch pad. This interface is provided tracking the area by using depth camera and projected the interface into the medium. This interface is widely used in augmented reality environment. User will project the particular interface into real world medium and user hand will be tracked simultaneously when touching the area. User can interact in more freely ways and as natural as human did in their daily lif

Paper Session III-C - Touching the Future: Space and Technology in Education

I would like to address the theme of space, technology and education from the pragmatist\u27s perspective and how Challenger Center\u27s network is using space exploration and technology to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of children each year