Storytelling and its Role in Cultural Heritage

In our research, we wanted to explore how storytelling connects people to cultural heritage. Specifically, we were interested in how mythology, folklore, and religion are displayed. In one case, we explored how mythology and folklore in popular fictional novels connected readers to cultural heritage. Our second focus examined how storytelling amongst immigrant communities connected them to their cultural heritage

The Missing Link: A critical perspective on the role of Heads of Department in relation to Information Communications Technology and UK Secondary Schools.

PhDSince its inception in the 1980s digital technology is considered to be at the heart of contemporary education in the developed world, supported by national ICT strategies and exponentially rising levels of public funding. Yet the promised educational transformation, as measured by learning outcomes, has arguably failed to materialise, while developing countries continue to emulate unproven digital educational programmes. A substantial body of empirical research, conducted by policy makers, business and educators over the past fourty years has found tangible beneficial evidence consistently elusive. This qualitative-based study seeks to explain the dichotomy by critically investigating what is actually happening when digital technology meets education in UK secondary schools as opposed to what is often envisaged as ‘should’ or ‘might’ be happening. It moves the debate beyond both its learning focus predominance, and deterministic view of education and technology to one which addresses the educational phenomenon by reference to the broader context of the social, political, historical and cultural conditions that influence all educational practices and which recognises the mutual social-shaping nature of the relationship. Consequently, this qualitative study utilises semi-structured interviews in a multilevel framework to explore how secondary school heads of department; a hitherto under-researched group, at the organisation’s structural intersection, have responded to the introduction of ICT from the 1980s to the current day. This thesis contributes to the advancement of knowledge and understanding by drawing attention to issues of continuity and change, and structure and agency within the educational process and by offering insights into why (unforeseen) developments have occurred, how they have evolved and with what consequences for the profession and its educational institutions. It concludes by establishing a link between ICT-induced structural developments and agency constraints, offering policy makers a means of addressing key detrimental oganisational procedures in order to improve educational processes

Resilient Families Plus: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

Resilient Families Plus is a 10-week school-based family intervention designed for students in their initial high school years and their parents. The program aims to bolster family relations since the premise of the program is that positive family environments are associated with better social and learning outcomes (Shortt et al., 2007; Toumbourou, et al., 2013). Resilient Families Plus has been newly created from the original and established program called Resilient Families developed by Professor Toumbourou and colleagues at the Centre for Adolescent Health in conjunction with Deakin University (‘program developers’). Resilient Families Plus is a new prevention program with a family home reading component and is an extension from the previous Resilient Families program. Resilient Families Plus comprises the same five core elements of the original Resilient Families program but with two extra components which focus on academic and learning outcomes in addition to the health and well-being outcomes central to the original program. Academic and learning outcomes become a new focus through the introduction of the Parent committee training session and distribution of a parent reading campaign brochure designed to encourage adolescents to read an extra 10 minutes per day. The Resilient Families Plus pilot was conducted in Terms 2 and 4 in 2018 with Year 8 students and their parents from two Victorian secondary schools. These two schools had a high percentage of students from disadvantaged backgrounds (both schools had more than 50% students in the bottom quartile on the ICSEA1 measure). The aim of the evaluation was to examine the feasibility of the Resilient Families Plus intervention and its readiness for trial, and to explore whether the program had an influence on academic achievement precursors such as academic self-concept (Mathematics Self-Concept and English Self-Concept) and academic resilience. The original protocol of this evaluation included a comparison of two intervention groups (Resilient Families and Resilient Families Plus) and a control group. However, low recruitment (two schools and 34 students) resulted in the need to amend the evaluation design to a smaller scale study of one intervention group (Resilient Families Plus) reducing the potential for robust estimates of impact. Accompanying this impact study was an implementation and process evaluation and cost calculation of the Resilient Families Plus program. The evaluation of Resilient Families Plus was independently conducted by Western Sydney University between July 2017 and March 2019. The program delivery was co-funded by VicHealth and Evidence for Learning, and the evaluation was funded by Evidence for Learning

EvoPipes.net: Bioinformatic Tools for Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics

Recent increases in the production of genomic data are yielding new opportunities and challenges for biologists. Among the chief problems posed by next-generation sequencing are assembly and analyses of these large data sets. Here we present an online server, http://EvoPipes.net, that provides access to a wide range of tools for bioinformatic analyses of genomic data oriented for ecological and evolutionary biologists. The EvoPipes.net server includes a basic tool kit for analyses of genomic data including a next-generation sequence cleaning pipeline (SnoWhite), scaffolded assembly software (SCARF), a reciprocal best-blast hit ortholog pipeline (RBH Orthologs), a pipeline for reference protein-based translation and identification of reading frame in transcriptome and genomic DNA (TransPipe), a pipeline to identify gene families and summarize the history of gene duplications (DupPipe), and a tool for developing SSRs or microsatellites from a transcriptome or genomic coding sequence collection (findSSR). EvoPipes.net also provides links to other software developed for evolutionary and ecological genomics, including chromEvol and NU-IN, as well as a forum for discussions of issues relating to genomic analyses and interpretation of results. Overall, these applications provide a basic bioinformatic tool kit that will enable ecologists and evolutionary biologists with relatively little experience and computational resources to take advantage of the opportunities provided by next-generation sequencing in their systems

Resilience in and beyond Covid-19: why this is a development, technology and innovation policy matter

The COVID-19 global health pandemic has exposed many vulnerabilities inherent in our societies. One of these has been the inability of many governments to effectively respond to the unfolding humanitarian emergency. The ramifications of this and other omissions have been profound and have disproportionately affected the most vulnerable collectives in society, which have become exposed to a higher risk of disease and loss of livelihoods. When looking ahead and planning for the future, it is essential that our existing decision-making systems are strengthened, building in resilience systemically to tackle future emergencies of a similar scale. Through a collection of case studies, this paper explores the view that technology and innovation can play a key role in building resilience in our existing systems and are necessary to catalyse transformative changes which foster development, thereby working towards securing the livelihoods of those most vulnerable in society

Co-creation of a student-implemented allied health service in a First Nations remote community of East Arnhem Land, Australia

Objectives: To co-create a culturally responsive student-implemented allied health service in a First Nations remote community and to determine the feasibility and acceptability of the service. Design: Co-creation involved a pragmatic iterative process, based on participatory action research approaches. Feasibility and acceptability were determined using a mixed-method pre/postdesign. Setting: The service was in Nhulunbuy, Yirrkala and surrounding remote First Nations communities of East Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. Participants: Co-creation of the service was facilitated by the Northern Australia Research Network, guided by Indigenous Allied Health Australia leadership, with East Arnhem local community organisations and community members. Co-creation of the day-to-day service model involved local cultural consultants, service users and their families, staff of community organisations, students, supervisors, placement coordinators and a site administrator. Findings: A reciprocal learning service model was co-created in which culturally responsive practice was embedded. The service was feasible and acceptable: it was delivered as intended; resources were adequate; the service management system was workable; and the service was acceptable. Health outcome measures, however, were not appropriate to demonstrate impact, particularly through the lens of the people of East Arnhem. Recommendations for the service included: continuing the reciprocal learning service model in the long term; expanding to include all age groups; and connecting with visiting and community-based services. Conclusion: The co-created service was feasible and acceptable. To demonstrate the impact of the service, measures of health service impact that are important to First Nations people living in remote communities of northern Australia are required

A good life for people living with disability: the story from Far North Queensland

Purpose: People with disability in regional, rural and remote Australia have poorer service access compared to people from metropolitan areas. There is urgent need for reform. This study’s aim was to explore the needs and aspirations of people with lived experience of disability in Far North Queensland (FNQ) to inform a new service framework. Materials and methods: Twenty-five individuals with diverse experience of disability were engaged in semi-structured interviews. Participants were recruited from four sites that differed geographically, culturally, and socioeconomically. Using an inductive then deductive thematic approach to data analysis, statements of needs and aspirations were compiled and aligned with three pre-determined vision statements. Results: Needs and aspirations aligned well with the vision statements which were to: feel “included, connected, safe and supported”; have “opportunities to choose one’s own life and follow one’s hopes and dreams”; and have “access to culturally safe services close to home.” To realise this vision in FNQ, support to navigate and coordinate services across sectors is essential. Conclusion: People of FNQ of all abilities, need and aspire to experience “a good life” like their fellow Australians. Any new service model must focus on providing service navigation and co-ordination amid the complexities of service delivery in FNQ

FNQ Connect: Connecting people, connecting care. A proposal for reform of disability, rehabilitation and lifestyle services for children, young people, adults and older people of FNQ

[Extract] FNQ Connect was created in response to a groundswell of interest and concern from FNQ people with lived experience of disability, their families and communities, together with stakeholders responsible for supporting them. They expressed an urgent need for service reform: current supply of services is outweighed by needs and is well below national standards; inaccuracies in national data conceal these inequities. Existing government, non-government and private services are largely fragmented; opportunities created by NDIS have added another layer of fragmentation. At the same time, demand for services is relentlessly increasing. To ensure quitable investment in services and continuity of care for the people of FNQ, accurate data and integration of services, were required

Incidence of first primary central nervous system tumors in California, 2001–2005

We examined the incidence of first primary central nervous system tumors (PCNST) in California from 2001–2005. This study period represents the first five years of data collection of benign PCNST by the California Cancer Registry. California’s age-adjusted incidence rates (AAIR) for malignant and benign PCNST (5.5 and 8.5 per 100,000, respectively). Malignant PCNST were highest among non-Hispanic white males (7.8 per 100,000). Benign PCNST were highest among African American females (10.5 per 100,000). Hispanics, those with the lowest socioeconomic status, and those who lived in rural California were found to be significantly younger at diagnosis. Glioblastoma was the most frequent malignant histology, while meningioma had the highest incidence among benign histologies (2.6 and 4.5 per 100,000, respectively). This study is the first in the US to compare malignant to benign PCNST using a population-based data source. It illustrates the importance of PCNST surveillance in California and in diverse communities