Experience of Dying: Concerns of Dying Patients and of Carers

Background: Terminally ill patients frequently express concerns about what dying will be like: how their bodies may change as disease progresses, how medication may alter the effect of these changes and whether and how their preferences will be respected as they become more ill.----- Methods: Thirty-six patients admitted to a hospice were interviewed and 18 carers of patients of the Palliative Care service,whohad died participated in focus groups. Thirty-three patients had advanced malignant disease, 13 were women; their mean age was 68 years (range 44–92 years).----- Results: The areas of concern consistently identified by patients were (i) privacy and autonomy, principally in regard to families, (ii) a lack of information about physical changes and medication use as death approached and (iii) the desire to shorten life, which was expressed by all patients. Carers recalled problems accessing services and support and had needed more help with practical issues such as medication timing and dose. They believed that not enough information about the patients’ illnesses had been given to them and they were insistent that carers should have information against the wishes of patients.----- Conclusion: Some of the patients’ and carers’ concerns can be readily addressed. Others, particularly access to confidential information, cannot be addressed without a realignment of professional ethical standards and community expectations. The patients’ discussions of their desire to shorten life may have implications for the debate on euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide

Computer assisted instruction and individual cognitive style preferences in learning : does it matter?

This paper reports the findings of a pilot study aimed at improving learning outcomes from Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI). The study involved second year nursing students at the Queensland University of Technology. Students were assessed for their preferred cognitive style and presented with either matched or mismatched instructional material. The instructional material was developed in accordance with four cognitive styles (Riding & Cheema, 1991). The findings indicate groups that received instructional material which matched their preferred cognitive style, possibly, performed better than groups that received mismatched instructional material. The matched group was particularly better in the explanation and problem solving tasks

Changing Workplace Environments: Implications for Higher Education

Industry today is driven by information, global competition and knowledge. These factors have led to continual changes in workplaces as organisations strive to remain viable. This study examined the nature of changes that occurred in two distinct organisations in Australia over two years. It also examined how workers are adapting to those changes in terms of learning, and considered what implications there are for higher education. The participants constituted 18 workers from a medical service industry and 19 workers from an engineering organization. The data were analysed qualitatively and results indicated several categories of change. It was also apparent that while much learning was occurring in the workplace, there was very little direct association between workplace learning and higher education for the workers in this study although several have degrees or have organised their own further study. Suggestions are made regarding the current practices in universities and workplace learning and for better collaboration. For example, universities need to develop closer ties with industry and curriculum models that prepare workers for ongoing changes in the workplace should be developed

Older and Younger Workers' Conceptions of Work and Learning at Work: A Challenge to Emerging Work Practices

Thirty nine participants aged over 40 and 16 participants aged under 40, from a medical organization and a transport organization, were interviewed to obtain data regarding their conceptions of work and learning at work amidst changing workplace practices. A phenomenographic approach was adopted to analyse the data. Frequency distributions of conceptions and a comparative analysis between the two age groups were also carried out. In addition, an analysis of the implications of these conceptions was conducted to understand workers’ behaviours in light of current changes in work practices and to assess the potential implications for knowledge creation and use. The results indicated that there were four and five hierarchical conceptions for work and learning at work respectively and that these were spread across Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) levels and workplaces. There were also differences between the two age groups and their distribution across the conceptions

Well-Being, Burnout and Competence: Implications for Teachers

Traditionally, the teaching role has been one of nurturing and developing students’ potential. However, teachers’ work today comprises a complex mix of various factors that include teaching; learning new information and skills; keeping abreast of technological innovations and dealing with students, parents and the community. These are demanding roles and there are growing concerns about teacher well-being and competence. In particular, teachers are experiencing increasing levels of attrition, stress and burnout. This study investigated the relationship between burnout and competence for a sample of mid-career teachers in primary and secondary schools in Queensland. The results break new ground in reporting a negative association between the MBI subscale Depersonalization and competence that may be attributed to a distancing mechanism in difficult human interactions. Overall, the findings of this study hold implications for teacher training courses and the well-being and competence of teachers

Assisting women assisting research : the professional and career development needs of education faculty research assistants

Research Assistants (RAs) are a crucial yet often under-recognised and under-supported group in acadaemia. RAs are involved in every facet of scholarly research, and undertake research functions ranging from basic tasks to highly skilled analysis, writing and project management functions. In the context of escalating Government pressure for Universities to improve efficiency, productivity and accountability in all areas, skilled RAs are increasingly essential to the achievement of research performance indicators. However, there is some evidence to suggest that through university casualisation and under-resourcing, RAs may often not be acknowledged or receive adequate professional development. This paper profiles Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Education RAs in terms of their skill sets, employment circumstances and educational backgrounds. While nearly all RAs in the study were female and employed on a casual basis, they were otherwise a heterogenous group, including some undergraduates with minimal research experience, and some highly experienced and well-qualified RAs with specialised research capabilities. This study identifies key opportunities for skills enhancement, research community involvement, and career advancement (including research-focussed academic pathways), and makes recommendations regarding RA development initiatives

Cognition and Recreational Computer Games: Implications for Education Technology

Contemporary research has indicated that students enjoy playing computer games. As a consequence, recreational computer games are becoming an increasingly significant part of student's lives. At the same time, use of educational software in schools is increasing. It has been proposed that playing recreational computer games may facilitate cognitive processes such as forming complex mental representations and making inferences. In this study, a qualitative approach was adopted to determine the cognitive processes students engaged in while playing recreational computer games. This was conducted with a view to determining the validity of incorporating computer game features into educationa software. Twenty-one high school students participated. Results indicated that players practiced complex cognitive processes such as interpreting explicit and implicit information, inductive reasoning, metacognitive analysis, and problem solving

Maximising Data Use: Mixed Qualitative Methods

Mixed Methodology is a new star in the social science sky. More and more researchers are discontent with mono-method concepts for their research projects. They are trying new ways in combining or integrating different methods and methodological approaches. There are two debates in this field: the qualitative * quantitative controversy and the one-method * multi-method discourse. This book discusses those controversies and tries to give some reasons and examples for overcoming mono-method research in psychology. We think the discussion of methodological topics should not be divided from specific research projects. Only in the context of a concrete research question it makes sense to consider adequate research methods. So the volume presents examples of mixed methodologies from different fields in psychology and education, from psychiatry to organisational psychology, from learning studies to media analysis. The studies are grouped into four sections: combining qualitative methods, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, access to individual experience by mixed methods and deeper understanding of findings by mixing methods The book is adressed to all students, researchers and methodological interested people in social sciences and especially in psychology

Learning in and out of university : Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ conceptions and strategies used to learn

Research suggests that students’ approaches to learning and learning outcomes are closely related to their conceptions of learning. This paper describes a phenomenographically inspired investigation into conceptions of formal learning held by 22 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from three Australian universities in Queensland; experiences of informal learning, reasons for studying and strategies used to learn were also investigated. The attrition rate for these students in tertiary education is higher than that of any other group of students. It was hoped that information gained may delineate factors that contribute to high attrition rates and therefore inform courses of action that may lead to improved teaching and learning practices for these students. Additionally, success in tertiary education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students may increase their involvement in mainstream society. Results showed that they view and approach university learning in much the same way as other university students. It was also apparent that, generally, the strategies these students used did not match the conceptions of learning they held. An interesting result was the difference between the conceptions of formal learning and explanations of informal learnin

Assisting women assisting research: The professional and career development needs of education faculty research assistants

Research Assistants (RAs) are a crucial yet often under-recognised and under-supported group in acadaemia. RAs are involved in every facet of scholarly research, and undertake research functions ranging from basic tasks to highly skilled analysis, writing and project management functions. In the context of escalating Government pressure for Universities to improve efficiency, productivity and accountability in all areas, skilled RAs are increasingly essential to the achievement of research performance indicators. However, there is some evidence to suggest that through university casualisation and under-resourcing, RAs may often not be acknowledged or receive adequate professional development. This paper profiles Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Education RAs in terms of their skill sets, employment circumstances and educational backgrounds. While nearly all RAs in the study were female and employed on a casual basis, they were otherwise a heterogenous group, including some undergraduates with minimal research experience, and some highly experienced and well-qualified RAs with specialised research capabilities. This study identifies key opportunities for skills enhancement, research community involvement, and career advancement (including research-focussed academic pathways), and makes recommendations regarding RA development initiatives