Developing Australian Academics' Capacity: Supporting the Adoption of Open Educational Practices in Curriculum Design

This seed project initiative addressed an identified gap in Australian higher education between awareness of open educational practices (OEP) and implementation of OEP, particularly the production, adaptation and use of open educational resources (OER) to support the design of innovative, engaging and agile curriculum. In response, the authors aimed to design, develop, pilot and evaluate a free, open and online professional development course focused on supporting curriculum design in higher education. The specific aim of the course - Curriculum design for open education (CD4OE) - is to develop the capacity of academics in Australia to adopt and incorporate OER and OEP into curriculum development, for more effective and efficient learning and teaching across the sector

Employees' Choice of Superannuation Plan: Effects of Risk Transfer Costs

Consistent with a worldwide trend away from defined benefits towards accumulation benefits, many Australian employers who traditionally offered their workers defined superannuation benefits are closing their defined benefit plans to new members and/or offering existing members the option of transferring to an accumulation plan. There has also been a push to allow members greater choice in terms of both funds and investments. Against this background, the Superannuation Scheme for Australian Universities (SSAU) made an offer to its members in 1998 to transfer from the defined benefit section to an accumulation-style plan. Their position was that the choice of fund for employees should be a matter for the employer and the employees at the workplace or their respective representative organizations. At the conclusion of the offer period only one-third of SSAU members had elected to transfer to the Investment Choice Plan (ICP). This study seeks to explain why the majority of SSAU members chose to remain in the defined benefit plan when offered the option of transferring to the accumulation-style ICP. We propose that ‘risk transfer costs’ explain the low ICP acceptance rate. Research findings show that both those who chose to stay in the DBP and those who elected to transfer to the ICP were prepared to accept tradeoffs in their choice. DBP members were prepared to forego a higher quantum of expected benefits for greater security of benefits expected in the DBP, whereas the ICP members were prepared to forego such security and accepted higher investment risk in return for a higher expected quantum and greater control over their benefits. Differences in financial proficiency and differences across academic disciplines confirm that risk transfer costs were a key reason for the majority of SSAU members rejecting the ICP choice. Important implications arising from this study include the need for greater transparency of the risk transfer costs involved in offers of benefit structure change, such as that offered by the SSAU, and the need to incorporate compensation for such costs into the offer. Cognizance also needs to be taken of the major risk transfer cost of becoming informed about superannuation and the consequences of such costs for the Government’s intentions to mandate superannuation fund choice for all Australian workers

An Action Research Study of the Supporting the University-Ready through Environment (SURE) Program

The current research documented the processes and outcomes of an educational access program for women living in poverty at the individual and organizational level of analysis. The purpose of this study was to understand barriers, strategies to reduce barriers and outcomes achieved by a grassroots program: Supporting the University-Ready through Empowerment (SURE). The 12 participants consisted of three women learners of the SURE program, three SURE co-directors (including myself), three university partners and three community partners. Life narrative interviews were conducted with the learners with structured interviews conducted with all other informants. Additionally, focus groups were run with the SURE team (a team consisting of learners and directors), as well as a structured researcher journaling process. The findings address two separate research questions: What are the processes and outcomes of SURE at the (a) individual and (b) organizational level? At the individual level, barriers to the learners, direct and indirect strategies to reduce barriers, and outcomes (positive, negative and outcomes yet to be achieved) for the learners, family members and other women in the learners community were found. At the organizational level, barriers to the program, university, government and societal level were found with little focus on strategies to reduce barriers at this level. Within the organizational level, achieved outcomes and outcomes yet to be achieved are reported. The findings are interpreted through an empowerment lens utilizing current understanding of empowered and empowering individuals/organizations. The interrelations and connections between different levels of empowerment are explained using ecological and empowerment theory, and future research is proposed

Issues in academic educational research: The impact of current issues on research activity

Previous investigations into educational research in Australia have highlighted important issues affecting research, with the majority of issues remaining to date. The Australian government and several research academics have examined issues relevant to educational research, including areas such as research design, dissemination of research results, and effectiveness of research. However, few studies have given voice to the academic researchers working in this field. Therefore, in light of the complexities and broadness of issues faced by educational researchers, this study aimed to investigate what current issues were pertinent to academic educational researchers through an examination of their experiences. This study also sought to determine the reasons for these issues and ascertain possible solutions. This study used a qualitative approach within a critical theory framework. In addition, this study also utilised a radical interactionist philosophical perspective. The technique used to gather data was through a questionnaire using open-ended questions. There were 18 participants currently engaged in academic educational research in this study. The questionnaire transcripts were analysed through open coding and axial coding to establish categories. These categories were developed into a model and included the themes of: research purpose, ethics processes, collaboration, value of educational research and academic freedom. The overarching theme to which all other themes were connected was research culture. The results of this study revealed that issues faced by academic educational researchers are of a perpetual nature and highlights the significant difficulty in overcoming these issues. This study also demonstrated that the issues in academic educational research are sustained through a lack of research culture. This lack of research culture was found to provide a significant barrier to research activity and recommendations are provided toward developing a research culture within the field of academic educational research. For future research, the categories within the developed model may be investigated in more depth, and knowledge structures and strategies within research-intensive universities may be further investigated in relation to research activity and research cultures

Art and consciousness in light of Maharishi Vedic science

This research examines the field of art and consciousness in light of Maharishi Vedic Science. Maharishi Vedic Science is a complete science of consciousness and its expressions, based on ancient Vedic knowledge, as elucidated by His Holiness Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the foremost scholar in the field of consciousness. The research explores the practical application of Maharishi‘s technologies of consciousness― the Transcendental Meditation program and TM-Sidhi program, and simultaneously the theoretical understanding of consciousness through the study of Maharishi Vedic Science. The research examines this knowledge by considering two questions- Question 1―What is the benefit of the practical technologies and theoretical knowledge of Maharishi Vedic Science for the arts and the artist? Question 2―Through my own subjective research into consciousness, how has this knowledge affected the outcome of my creative practice? This research is both an intellectual objective analysis and simultaneously a subjective investigation through my own personal experience in the development of consciousness. The research elucidates Maharishi Vedic Science and verifies it through modern scientific research, art and its foundation in creative intelligence, the history of art and its future potential, and my own personal artwork and creative process that has grown through the understanding and practical application of Maharishi Vedic Science in my daily life

An Objective Measure of Sleep in Division I College Soccer Players Compared to the General College Population

Introduction: Sleep is necessary for proper recovery from daily life for both college athletes and students. Purpose: To objectively evaluate the sleep quality of college athletes across gender, comparing them to a normal college student population. Methods: A convenience sample of 104 subjects (19.39 ± 1.28 years), 42 Division college athletes and 62 comparison college students completed one week of data collection using the ActiGraph GT3X device. Wear time, sleep time, and wake time were recorded by each participant. Independent variables were athlete status and gender. Dependent variables were Total Sleep Time (TST), Wake After Sleep Onset (WASO), Latency, and Efficiency as well as physical activity levels. Independent T-tests were used to compare variables of groups to normative data and between groups. Chi-square Tests of Independence were used to compare physical activity levels between groups. Pearson’s Product Correlations were used to compare the relationship of sleep and physical activity levels for each group. Results: One Sample Independent T-Tests showed all groups have significantly less TST and sleep efficiency (p \u3c 0.001) than the recommended values of 8 hours a night and 85% efficiency. Two Sample T-Tests showed male athletes had significant less TST than the comparison group (p = .010). Chi-square Tests of Independence showed no differences in physical activity levels. Pearson Product Correlations showed moderate relationships between physical activity and both latency (r = .383) and efficiency (r = -.364) for male athletes. For female athletes, there were moderate relationships between physical activity and TST (r = -.402), latency (r = .557), and efficiency (r = -.417). Conclusion: Findings suggest that both the Division I college athlete and general college student populations suffer from poor sleep quality. This study was inconclusive as to if differences are present between the two groups. Additional research regarding factors of a Division I athlete lifestyle and their effect on sleep quality

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThe purpose of this study was to examine and understand the relationship between factors that contribute to or inhibit bachelor's degree attainment utilizing Bourdieu's framework of social reproduction theory. Bourdieu's concepts of capital, habitus, and field were examined with regard to bachelor's degree attainment for students who entered postsecondary education at a public, 2-year or at a public, 4-year institution through a series of multilevel logistic regressions using the Beginning Postsecondary Longitudinal Survey (BPS) and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Bourdieu's framework was applied to develop an analytical understanding of social reproduction and the role of education in transcending class-based inequalities as well as implications for policy and practice for both 2-year and 4-year institutional sectors