Enhancing academic development practice: reclaiming academic practice wisdom

The growing impetus for science-based or evidence-based practices in higher education are shaping conceptions of the nature and role of professional practice and raising new concerns about what it means to be adequately prepared and what it means for practitioners to learn. But the practices of teaching are moral-political, not simply scientific or technical undertakings. This seminar will explore the concept of academic practice wisdom and values and how these might be reclaimed and developed

The role of assessment in the development of judgement

This paper introduces an integrated assessment model developed within a project management discipline stream in a Construction Management course. Following Boud and Falchikov (2007) this model starts with practice, that is, the actual &lsquo;doing&rsquo; of project management as the basis for shaping assessment that equips students to learn for the rest of their lives. Practice is understood as a holistic conception of what professionals do in particular contexts, and a theoretical construct that provides a method of framing ways in which we can investigate the world (Schatzki, 2001). This approach opens the way for considerations of assessment that engage with, and cultivate, certain kinds of professional learning and identity formation including the development of judgement. Integral to the model is the non-sequential nature of assessment activities, evolving team formation and ongoing self and communal reflection. The paper concludes that the use of an authentic and integrated assessment model creates a compelling learning environment that contributes meaningfully to the development of skills, knowledge and identities for future professional learning.<br /

Judgement, reflexivitiy and interdisiciplinarity : reframing construction management education

A core skill of the construction management professional is decision making. Disciplinary content knowledge provides the basis for effective decision making, but is largely insufficient in contexts where projects demand a responsive and flexible approach to scenarios as they evolve and change. As Beckett and Hager suggest, &lsquo;professional practice requires a much richer set of phenomena &ndash; a capacity to make judgements, sensitivity to intuition and an awareness of the purposes of the actions are all involved &lsquo;(2002: 12). This paper begins by exploring judgement to develop a conceptual model for initiating and developing decision making skills for construction management professionals. The capacity to respond to change in a structured and self aware manner is examined through the concept of reflexivity, a concept borrowed from sociology. Reflexivity is an individual&rsquo;s capacity to be aware, responsive and adaptability to constant changing and evolving environments. Coupled with this is the challenge for all built environment professionals in the need to integrate knowledge and processes from various specialist knowledge domains, particularly design domains. The conceptual model is then refined by synthesising concepts from interdisciplinary research.The aim of this paper is to describe a framework to analyse and review current undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs offerings from Deakin University in the School of Architecture and Building. Following Boud and Falchikov (2007) this framework starts with practice, that is, the actual &lsquo;doing&rsquo; of construction management as the basis for shaping curriculum development.<br /

Ontology At Work: Constructing the Learner/Worker

Constructing adult learners’ and workers’ identities starts with their embodied actions, and to do this we present a philosophical perspective, two fieldwork sites and a model for learning

The tale of two cities: a qualitative investigation of the experiences of black survivors of homicide victims in Boston and Detroit

Homicide rates are the highest in Black communities in the United States (CDC, 2017), and the family and friends of the victims, known as survivors of homicide victims, are left behind to cope with this tragic loss. There is a limited amount of research on the experiences of Black survivors of homicide victims, including the coping strategies they utilize and how context shapes said strategies. This dissertation applies theoretical frameworks and perspectives proposed by Sharpe (2015) and Bronfenbrenner (1979), and incorporates geographical context with specific neighborhood effects (Jencks & Mayer, 1990; Sampson et al., 1997; Leventhal & Brooks-Gunn, 2000), and Delgado & Stefancic (2017), to explore how geographical location influences the lived experiences of Black survivors of homicide victims in two urban cities in the United States; Boston, MA and Detroit, MI. Two main research questions were addressed 1) How does geographical context affect the lived experiences of Black survivors of homicide victims in Boston and Detroit, and 2) How does geographical context impact the coping strategies Black survivors of homicide victims utilize? A convenience sampling strategy was employed, and participants were recruited through organizations focused on homicide or violence. Black individuals over the age of 18 (n=26) participated in a semi-structured individual interview. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to understand the experiences of survivors from their own perspectives of coping with the homicide of a loved one. This dissertation provides useful information on how the social and physical location, proximity of support services, and relationship with the police and community impacts Black survivors of homicide victims’ experiences. Findings illustrate that as a result of their sociocultural context and geographic location, survivors are grappling with double stigmatization because of their racial identities, fear of returning to their communities where the homicide occurred, loss of sense of community and a need for more culturally relevant supports. These findings have implications for providing mental health practitioners, community leaders, researchers, and other service providers with vital information to assist them in providing culturally responsive and appropriate support services for Black survivors of homicide victims

Bactericidal Effects of Cold Plasma Technology on Geobacillus Stearothermophilus and Bacillus Cereus Microorganisms

Cold plasma is a state of matter that contains a large number of particles that are electrically charged. Plasmas generate chemically reactive species and ultraviolet radiation making them useful in decontamination applications (Kong & Laroussi, 2003). Research regarding the inactivation of gram-positive bacteria by cold plasma has been studied by Laroussi et al (2003); however, there is limited research regarding the germicidal effectiveness of cold plasma on Geobacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus cereus microorganisms. The purpose of this study was to determine if cold plasma technology inactivates Geobacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus cereus vegetative cells and spores. This study consisted of 981 samples; 762 experimental samples exposed to cold plasma at various times and 291 controls. Experimental samples were inoculated and exposed either directly or indirectly/remotely to cold plasma. After exposure the samples were incubated for 12 to 16 hours and colony forming units (CFU) were quantified. The percentage kill and log concentration reductions were calculated from the CFU counts. Data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA, Kruskal Wallis and Tukey\u27s tests at the .05 level. There was a statistically significant difference in the inactivation of Geobacillus stearothermophilus vegetative cells for indirect exposure (p=.0001), direct exposure (p=.0013), as well as for Bacillus cereus vegetative cells and spores (p=.0001). Exposure of Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores to cold plasma demonstrated no statistically significant differences in inactivation for indirect exposure (p=.7208) and direct exposure (p=.0835). Results indicate that cold plasma exposure significantly inactivated Geobacillus stearothermophilus (vegetative) and Bacillus cereus; however, Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores were not significantly inactivated. Funding for this project was provided by ADHA IOH

Cold Plasma Technology: Bactericidal Effects on Geobacillus Stearothermophilus and Bacillus Cereus Microorganisms

Introduction: Cold plasma, also known as Low Temperature Atmospheric Pressure Plasma (LTAPP) is a novel technology consisting of neutral and charged particles, including free radicals, which can be used to destroy or inactivate microorganisms. Research has been conducted regarding the effect of cold plasma on gram-positive bacteria; however, there is limited research regarding its ability to inactivate the spore-formers Geobacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus cereus. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if cold plasma inactivates G. stearothermophilus and B. cereus vegetative cells and spores. Methods: Nine hundred eighty-one samples were included in this study (762 experimental and 219 controls). Experimental samples were exposed indirectly or directly to cold plasma, before plating and incubating for 16 hours. Control samples were not exposed to cold plasma. The percentage-kill and cell number reductions were calculated from Colony Forming Units (CFU). Data were statistically analyzed at the .05 level using one-way ANOVA, Kruskal Wallis and Tukey\u27s tests. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the inactivation of G. stearothermophilus vegetative cells receiving indirect and direct exposure (p=0.0001 and p=0.0013, respectively), as well as for B. cereus vegetative cells and spores (p=0.0001 for direct and indirect). There was no statistically significant difference in the inactivation of G. stearothermophilus spores receiving indirect exposure (p=0.7208) or direct exposure (p=0.0835). Conclusion: Results demonstrate that cold plasma exposure effectively kills G. stearothermophilus vegetative cells and B. cereus vegetative cells and spores; however, G. stearothermophilus spores were not significantly inactivated