Somos Sequence Near-Addition Formulas and Modular Theta Functions

We have discovered conjectural near-addition formulas for Somos sequences. We have preliminary evidence suggesting the existence of modular theta functions.Comment: 31 page

Web based lecture technologies: blurring the boundaries between face to face and distance learning

Web based lecture technologies (WBLT) have gained popularity amongst universities in Australia as a tool for delivering lecture recordings to students in close to real time. This paper reports on a selection of results from a larger research project investigating the impact of WBLT on teaching and learning. Results show that while staff see the advantages for external students, they question the extent to which these advantages apply to internal students. In contrast both cohorts of students were positive about the benefits of the technologies for their learning and they adopted similar strategies for their use. With the help of other technologies, some external students and staff even found WBLT useful for fostering communication between internal and external students. As such, while the traditional boundary between internal and external students seems to remain for some staff, students seem to find the boundary much less clear

Using research to inform learning technology practice and policy: A qualitative analysis of student perspectives

As learning technologies are now integral to most higher education student learning experiences, universities need to make strategic choices about what technologies to adopt and how to best support and develop the use of these technologies, particularly in a climate of limited resources. Information from students is therefore a valuable contribution when determining institutional goals, building infrastructure and improving the quality of student learning. This paper draws on a survey of student experiences and expectations of technology across three Australian universities. Analysis of text responses from 7,000 students provides insight into ways that institutional learning technologies and academicled technologies are influencing the student experience. This paper also discusses how the three universities have used this information to develop strategic initiatives, and identifies a need for new strategies to support academic-led use of the available tools. © Australasian Journal of Educational Technology 2014

Students' experiences and expectations of technologies: An Australian study designed to inform planning and development decisions

The pace of technological change accompanied by an evolution in social, work-based and study behaviours and norms poses particular challenges for universities as they strive to develop high quality and sustainable technology-rich learning environments. Maintaining currency with the latest advances is resource intensive, hence the costs incurred in upgrading existing and introducing new technologies need to be carefully weighed up against the potential benefits to students. This calls for a multidimensional approach to planning, with the student voice being an important dimension. Three Australian universities have recently completed a project to gain a better understanding of students' experiences and expectations of technologies in everyday life and for study purposes. The LMS and 25 other technologies ranging from established university offerings (email, learning management systems) to freely available social networking technologies (YouTube, Facebook) were surveyed. More than 10,000 students responded. This paper discusses the development of the survey and presents the broad trends that have emerged in relation to the current use of technologies and desired future use of these for learning purposes. The implications of the survey findings for developing institutional infrastructure to engage students and support their learning are highlighted. © 2013 Australasian Journal of Educational Technology

Evidencing the development of distributed leadership capacity in the quality management of online learning environments (OLEs) in Australian higher education

The poster will present findings from the first year of a two-year nationally funded Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) project, Building distributed leadership in designing and implementing a quality management framework for Online Learning Environments undertaken by Deakin University, Macquarie University, University of South Australia, University of Southern Queensland and RMIT University. The project is running over 2011-2012. This project aims to design and implement a framework that uses a distributed leadership approach for the quality management of Online Learning Environments (OLEs) in Australian higher education. The distributed leadership approach enables the development of the framework and in turn contributes to its implementation. The framework is the vehicle for building leadership capacity. The national project team itself represents a broad range of educational, technical and managerial expertise

Socio-economic status and students' experiences of technologies: Is there a digital divide?

With the widening participation agenda in Australia, more students from low socio-economic backgrounds are being encouraged to undertake university degrees, and will be expected to use digital technologies and demonstrate digital literacies. This paper used data from a 2013 survey of students across three universities, to examine whether there were socio-economic differences in students' access to and use of technologies. There were few differences in access to equipment. There were also no differences in the most common uses of technologies, such as accessing course materials from the LMS, and few differences between students from low, medium and high socioeconomic status suburbs. However students who received government support benefits less frequently used technologies that related to disciplinary skills or to creating rather than receiving content. There may be a subtle digital divide, where financially disadvantaged students are engaging less with technologies that will most benefit their future employment

Evaluation of binomial double sums involving absolute values

We show that double sums of the form $$\sum_{i,j=-n} ^{n} |i^sj^t(i^k-j^k)^\beta| \binom {2n} {n+i} \binom {2n} {n+j}$$ can always be expressed in terms of a linear combination of just four functions, namely $\binom {4n}{2n}$, ${\binom {2n}n}^2$, $4^n\binom {2n}n$, and $16^n$, with coefficients that are rational in $n$. We provide two different proofs: one is algorithmic and uses the second author's computer algebra package Sigma; the second is based on complex contour integrals. In many instances, these results are extended to double sums of the above form where $\binom {2n}{n+j}$ is replaced by $\binom {2m}{m+j}$ with independent parameter $m$.Comment: AmS-LaTeX, 42 pages; substantial revision: several additional and more general results, see Proposition 11 and Theorems 15-1

Leading the evaluation of institutional online learning environments for quality enhancement in times of change

This paper reports on findings from a nationally funded project which aims to design and implement a quality management framework for online learning environments (OLEs). Evaluation is a key component of any quality management system and it is this aspect of the framework that is the focus of this paper. In developing the framework initial focus groups were conducted at the five participating institutions. These revealed that, although regarded as important, there did not appear to be a shared understanding of the nature and purpose of evaluation. A second series of focus groups revealed there were multiple perspectives arising from those with a vested interest in online learning. These perspectives will be outlined. Overall, how evaluation was undertaken was highly variable within and across the five institutions reflecting where they were at in relation to the development of their OLE

Asymptotic Properties of Difference Equations for Isotropic Loop Quantum Cosmology

In loop quantum cosmology, a difference equation for the wave function describes the evolution of a universe model. This is different from the differential equations that arise in Wheeler-DeWitt quantizations, and some aspects of general properties of solutions can appear differently. Properties of particular interest are boundedness and the presence of small-scale oscillations. Continued fraction techniques are used to show in different matter models the presence of special initial conditions leading to bounded solutions, and an explicit expression for these initial values is derived.Comment: 27 pages, 2 figure

Quality management of online learning environments : final report of the project : Building distributed leadership in designing and implementing a quality management framework for online learning environments

&nbsp;The project developed and disseminated, through a distributed leadership approach, an overall framework for the quality management of online learning environments (OLEs) in Australian higher education. The Six Elements of the Online Learning Environment (6EOLE) Quality Management Framework and its guidelines was constructed based on various data collection methods deployed in the project.The 6EOLE Quality Management Framework, displayed on page six, and accompanying guidelines (i.e. An evidence-based approach to implementation, and A condensed guide) can be used to guide management action to assure and continuously improve the quality of an organisation&rsquo;s OLE where environmental factors are relatively stable, at least for a period....This report shows how the project&rsquo;s objectives were achieved through the project approach and methodology, which in turn led to a set of project outcomes and key deliverables. Moreover, a consideration of these key outcomes and deliverables has led to the presentation of recommendations to the Office for Learning and Teaching and the higher education sector. We argue these recommendations are pertinent to the consideration of distributed leadership and the quality management of OLEs at any tertiary institution.</div