Australian charities 2013

The Australian Charities 2013 Report reveals that Australian charities employ nearly 1 million people.  Additionally, charities manage around 2 million volunteers. The sector has a combined total income of more than $100 billion, growing by 2 per cent annually since 1990 Over 90 per cent of these are employed by only 10 per cent of charities. Of the charities, 10% account for 90% of the income and jobs and up to 30% may be low income or inactive.  It is a complex sector, in which nearly 70% of charities carry out more than one activity, and the administrative burden is born by 10% of the organisations. &nbsp

Small Changes - Big Difference: Bournemouth University Library and its learning community

The design of The Sir Michael Cobham Library at Bournemouth University (BU) represents an holistic approach to meeting student expectations. This paper will consider how the latest innovations in Library design are shaped by technology and learning. Parallels will be drawn with the libraries of the ancient world, printing revolution of the fifteenth century and their impact on learning. Best practice was used in the design of BU Library and continues to inform enhancements to the learning space. The big differences made by small changes are discussed; especially the changes in the boundary between group social and silent study space to ensure that library buildings are still seen as relevant in an increasingly digital world. The student experience at BU is enhanced by innovative pedagogical frameworks that bring together learning activities and academically- led quality e-resources within the unit of study. In this environment the JISC (2007) description of ICT “fading into the foreground” becomes a reality as students embrace new technologies and own the library space in which they are available

The Agro-Economic Survey of Indonesia: An Appreciation

Page range: 111-13

Crisis Airlift Management: Effective Scheduling

This is a report on the basis, data, findings, and models developed for US Transportation Command and Headquarters Air Mobility Command. Focusing on the dynamic scheduling problem that arises during management of airlift assets into space-constrained airfields during a crisis, this research explains the conditions surrounding this event, discusses several areas of potential cross-functional applications, presents analysis of current performance, and provides several modeling possibilities for schedule efficiency. Past research in the Flow Management Problem (an airline flow control issue) is extensive, but specific applications in crisis airlift are long in coming, primarily due to the complexity of the environment. This complexity is restricted in this initial research with an iterative approach providing for relaxation of those restrictions to present a more representative model. The model presented in this research is a variable set of feeding channels into a single queue with interaction and stochastic behavior serviced by a variably capacitated server. Initial findings include a high variance to mean ratio resulting in poor schedule performance. The products of this research are several tables and charts designed to aid planners in the development of executable schedules

Mobile learning and games in special education

Information technology is now a ubiquitous presence in all educational settings as well as places in which people work. While most mainstream schools now rely heavily on this technology to support learning, special education was often at the forefront of its adoption even acting as exemplars for mainstream education (Lilley, 2004). Educational virtual environments had been developed in special schools and adult training centres when virtual reality was still a novel technology in education (Standen & Brown, 2004; 2005; 2006). Now no school or educational setting would be imagined without information technology and there have been some exciting developments since those early pioneering days. In this chapter we intend to cover three of those which we think are particularly pertinent for learners with special needs: serious games, mobile computing and the role of users in the development of the technology

Exploring the relationship between reflexivity and reflective practice through lesson study within Initial teacher education

Purpose: A priority for initial teacher education is the development of reflection by preservice teachers in preparation for transition towards qualified teacher status. Whilst much literature exists on the practice of reflection, little attention has been placed on understanding and developing the processes that inform this practice. Drawing upon the concepts of Strong Structuration Theory, this paper draws attention to the role Lesson Study can play in developing pre-service teachers’ processes of reflexivity whilst enhancing their reflective practice. Methodology: Participants were two cohorts of Secondary Physical Education pre-service teachers (n=40), completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Education course (PGCE). Action research methodology was adopted during school placements, when pre-service teacher dyads engaged in cycles of Lesson Study. Data obtained through group discussion boards, questionnaires, group and individual interviews, was subjected to inductive analysis, comparing key patterns to locate themes. Findings: Drawing upon illustrations collated when exploring the enhancement of their reflective practice, the findings illustrate how pre-service teachers (agents-in-focus) were able to pre-reflectively and critically draw upon embodied dispositions and practices to engage with the external structural elements of their training programme. Such interactions enabled them to demonstrate enhanced forms of active agency and knowledge, developing practices beyond traditional support structures of the training programme. Originality and Implications for practice: In drawing upon these illustrations, this paper explores how the application of Strong Structuration Theory further enhances understanding of the underlying reflexive processes that shape pre-service teacher’s interaction with the structures of initial teacher education. Furthermore, it draws attention to the part Lesson Study can play in developing creative, confident and reflective pedagogy by pre-service teachers. In doing so this paper contributes to the growing body of literature that illuminates how Lesson Study may enhance the experiences and professional development of pre-service teachers

Journalism and intellectual life: the exemplary case of Donald Horne

Anti-intellectualism is widely seen as a feature of the modern mass media, but it is also widely accepted that much debate about ideas occurs through the mass media and that, for example, the mass media has been the prime vehicle for public intellectuals. In this paper, we examine this paradox and argue that there is a strong case that journalism, or parts of it, can be regarded as a form of intellectual practice. We do this by reference to a case study that examines the journalism of commentary and opinion and its use in fashioning a political and social agenda. This concerns Donald Horne's use of the magazines The Observer and the Bulletin to develop a public debate about Australian politics, society and culture. From this debate emerged the book The lucky country (1964) that set an agenda for public debate for at least 10 years