Developing lifelong learners: A novel online problem‐based ultrasonography subject

Online learning environments have a major role in providing lifelong learning opportunities. Lifelong learning is critical for successful participation in today's competitive work environment. This paper describes an online problem‐based learning approach to the creation of a student‐centred learning environment for the study of the biological sciences subject in the Graduate Diploma of Applied Science (Medical Ultrasonography) course at the University of Sydney. The environment is interactive and collaborative, with all communication taking place online. Students work in groups to study clinically relevant problems. A Web‐database system provides learner control in the process of knowledge acquisition, access to reference materials on the Internet and communication with the tutor and with peers through synchronous chat and asynchronous threaded discussion forums. Other online features include a protocol for problem‐solving, self‐assessment and feedback opportunities, detailed help, streaming audio and video and pre‐course, ongoing and post‐course questionnaires. This technology may be adapted to a range of disciplines and can also be utilized in on‐campus teaching

FIRST YEAR AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE STUDENT PERSPECTIVES IN GRADUATE ATTRIBUTE DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PROBLEM-BASED LEARNING

Academic staff are required to include graduate attributes like inquiry and problem-solving in student learning to meet university proclamations. In response to student evaluations that a traditional lecture-based first year agriculture science course was not effective in motivating students, a new course introduced inquiry orientated learning primarily to motivate and engage students, to promote deep learning and problem-solving skills. The approach adopted problem-based learning to develop discipline knowledge and graduate attributes in a seamless manner. Instead of giving the students a questionnaire with options for students to indicate what graduate attribute they had learned, a structured learning journal was used to question students about their learning without specifically asking about any graduate attributes. Analysis of the learning journals revealed that significant numbers of students perceived that they had learned or practiced a range of graduate attributes, including teamwork, research, personal attributes, writing abilities, time management, problem solving, leadership, and multidisciplinary skills. The students had learned and practiced these graduate attributes while engaging in authentic problem-solving activities as groups in online and face-to-face environments. These student perceptions exceeded the teachers’ expectations and revealed that problem-based learning in teams can be used for learning discipline knowledge and developing graduate attributes

Engaging employers, graduates and students to inform the future curriculum needs of soil science

This paper reports on the findings of a project to investigate the future needs of a soil science curriculum to produce work-ready graduates. Soil scientists are expected to deal with increasingly complex problems and graduates are required to have not only have well developed soil science knowledge and skills, but can also work between and across other disciplines communicate their findings appropriately. Survey results obtained from current student, graduates and employers of soil science indicated some areas of discipline knowledge that need to be addressed, as well as more emphasis on developing critical thinking and problem solving skills. Employers also expressed the desire to not only provide advice on curriculum change but a willingness to be involved in the learning environment. Using problem based learning as the scaffold an example of how industry maybe engaged is provided. Issues are raised around the need to align the graduate outcomes for soil science with Threshold Learning Outcomes for Science and Agriculture and the need for a core-body of knowledge (CBoK) that characterise graduates with soil science knowledge. As a result of widespread stakeholder consultations during the project a set of soil science teaching principles was developed (Field et al., 2011). Field, D. J., Koppi, A. J., Jarrett, L. E., Abbott, L. K., Cattle, S. R., Grant, C. D. McBratney A. B., Menzies N. W., Weatherly A. J. (2011). Soil Science Teaching Principles. Geoderma, 167-168, 9-14

ICT education: challenge of accommodating change

lobally, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector has gone through significant and radical changes over the last 30 years. The development of computers, desktop and laptop computing, substantial development of software, emergence and swift acceptance of Internet and electronic communication, meteoric rise of the industry in the 90ýs and the ýdot.comý and telecom crash of the following years can be mentioned as significant events in the evolution of ICT industry

Comparison of four methods for liberating various aggregate fractions in Vertosols to study their morphology

Topsoil samples from 3 Vertosols located at Narrabri, Warren, and Dalby were treated with 4 aggregate liberation methods to determine their suitability for analysis by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In addition to the ability of each method to liberate aggregates for assessment, the potential for consequent morphological deformation was also considered. It was found that the aggregate slaking in water and modified wet sieving methods were suitable for liberating aggregates \u3e100 μm in diameter, whereas the ultrasonic agitation method readily liberated aggregates \u3c50 \u3eμm in diameter. End-over-end shaking is not recommended for preparing aggregates for SEM as the method appeared to cause morphological deformation of the liberated aggregates. The systematic use of the 4 aggregate liberating methods, assuming an increase in the intensity of the energy supplied, enabled the partitioning of the aggregates of these Vertosols into pragmatic aggregate size fractions defining a hierarchy, i.e. \u3e250, 100–250, 20–100, 2–20, and \u3c2 \u3eμm in diameter