The Internet explosion, digital media principles and implications to communicate effectively in the digital space

© 2018, © The Author(s) 2018. Being literate has traditionally meant being able to read and write using the media of the day. In the 21st century, being literate requires additional skills such as competence with digital media creation. Until recently, those who could afford and use equipment and applications to produce digital media content were typically developers and technicians. With the development of prosumer electronics, in conjunction with the use of mobile devices and tablets, a shift has occurred in the accessibility of these tools, becoming more affordable for the general population. Video sharing services, social software and Web 2.0 applications have made it possible to host a digital media ecosystem on the Internet, and this has led to the proliferation of User-Generated Content. These technological advances have changed how we communicate, socialise and learn. Effective communication using digital media is underpinned by a set of design principles which most students are not likely to be aware. This paper built on two previous papers on the Digital Media Literacy Framework and the Taxonomy of Digital Media types for teaching and learning. It argues the importance of digital media principles to develop effective communication in the digital space. Students now require knowledge of these principles, in conjunction with conceptual and functional skills, for effective communication in the digital space

Using factor analysis to validate a questionnaire to explore self-regulation in learner-generated digital media (LGDM) assignments in science education

© 2019 Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE). This research is a validation study of a survey instrument to assess student self-regulation which aims to fill a methodological gap by capturing self-regulation processes while completing learner-generated digital media (LGDM) assignments. For this purpose, the study developed and validated a self-regulation learning questionnaire. Data were gathered from seven science subjects (Years 1 to 3, n = 341) which used LGDM assignments during Semester 1, 2017. Students were asked to complete a 40-item online questionnaire. The questionnaire was administered at three times during the semester (Weeks 2, 6, and 10). Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify factor structures, followed by confirmatory factor analysis to test the validity of the constructs defined by exploratory factor analysis. Analysis of the data revealed a ten-factor structure - six concerning self-regulation, two concerning student attitudes towards LGDM assignments, one concerning assignment ownership, and one concerning assignment motivation. The variables empirically verified in this study have important practical implications, as they could provide educators with the direction in which to target interventions to improve learners' experiences with LDGM. The study findings also contribute to the field by providing scholars with a validated research instrument that can be used in future studies

A Systematic Approach to Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating Learner-Generated Digital Media (LGDM) Assignments and Its Effect on Self-regulation in Tertiary Science Education

© 2019, Springer Nature B.V. This study explored the self-regulation strategies and learning experiences of undergraduate science students completing Learner-Generated Digital Media (LGDM) assignments that had been implemented using a theory-driven, systematic approach. The rationale for using LGDM in science education is to facilitate student learning of complex scientific concepts through the multimodal representation of content using digital media. The study was conducted in seven science subjects from first to third year in Autumn 2017, using a sample of 348 undergraduate science students attending a university located in Sydney, Australia. All the participants were enrolled in subjects that required them to communicate complex scientific concepts using digital media. Training on LGDM was conducted online (n = 199) and in blended mode (n = 149). The study used a mixed-methods approach with a validated self-regulation questionnaire, LMS logs, assessment scores, group contribution data, open-ended questions, and interviews. Online students were more likely than blended students to report using self-regulation strategies for goal setting, time management, task strategies, and help-seeking. Data triangulation revealed that participation in LGDM assignments was perceived by students to contribute to their science content knowledge, provide them with digital media skills, and nurture their capacity for working in groups. The findings of this study have implications for how LGDM is deployed in science education

Unsung heroes: Constituency election agents in British general elections

Despite their central role in the electoral process, constituency agents have been largely overlooked by political scientists and this article seeks to rectify the omission. It sketches the origins and development of the role of agent from the late 19th century and suggests that a serious rethink of the role took place in the 1990s. Survey-based evidence about the social characteristics of agents is presented confirming that they are largely middle-aged, middle-class, well-educated men. They are also becoming more experienced, offer realistic assessments of the impact of constituency campaigning and, arguably, many take a long-term view of how their party's support can be maximised

Dielectric measurements of nanoliter liquids with a photonic crystal resonator at terahertz frequencies

Data supporting Hanham SM, Watts C, Otter WJ, LucyszynS and Klein N (2015) Dielectric measurements of nanoliter liquids with a photonic crystal resonator at terahertz frequencies. Applied Physics Letters, 107 (3), Article number: 032903Data supporting Hanham SM, Watts C, Otter WJ, LucyszynS and Klein N (2015) Dielectric measurements of nanoliter liquids with a photonic crystal resonator at terahertz frequencies. Applied Physics Letters, 107 (3), Article number: 03290

Microwave study of field-effect devices based on graphene/aluminum nitride/graphene structures

Metallic gate electrodes are often employed to control the conductivity of graphene based field effect devices. The lack of transparency of such electrodes in many optical applications is a key limiting factor. We demonstrate a working concept of a double layer graphene field effect device that utilizes a thin film of sputtered aluminum nitride as dielectric gate material. For this system, we show that the graphene resistance can be modified by a voltage between the two graphene layers. We study how a second gate voltage applied to the silicon back gate modifies the measured microwave transport data at around 8.7 GHz. As confirmed by numerical simulations based on the Boltzmann equation, this system resembles a parallel circuit of two graphene layers with different intrinsic doping levels. The obtained experimental results indicate that the graphene-aluminum nitride-graphene device concept presents a promising technology platform for terahertz- to- optical devices as well as radio-frequency acoustic devices where piezoelectricity in aluminum nitride can also be exploited

Immediate Feedback Improves Career Decision Self-Efficacy and Aspirational Alignment

Misalignment between career and education aspirations has been associated with poorer achievement during adolescence and unstable employment in adulthood. In this study, we evaluated whether a brief in-school intervention improved career decision self-efficacy and aspirational alignment. We sampled 211 teenagers living in disadvantaged areas of Western Sydney, Australia using a quasi-experimental non-equivalent groups design. Students completed pre- and post-questionnaires which measured aspirational alignment and career decision self-efficacy. Students in the intervention condition (n = 102) received automated feedback on the alignment of their career and education aspirations, as well as a career information pamphlet detailing the educational pathways to a range of popular careers. Students in the control condition completed both questionnaires but only received feedback and the pamphlet at the end of the study. The intervention improved alignment of career and education aspirations, as well as increased some dimensions of career decision self-efficacy. Students in the intervention group more frequently identified the correct qualification for their career aspiration in the post-questionnaire (57.9%) compared with the pre-questionnaire (48.1%). Students with misaligned aspirations in the intervention group reported higher self-efficacy for gathering occupational information and selecting goals following the intervention. There were no pre-post differences for students in the control condition. The practical significance of this study is that an easy, low-cost intervention can improve aspirational alignment between career and education aspirations, as well as aspects of career decision self-efficacy