3,202 research outputs found
Orientation to mission: Assessing the perceptions of effectiveness of an in-house orientation program focussed on mission, vision and values within a large-scale, not-for-profit, private hospital
St John of God Healthcare (SJGHC), as a large Catholic, not-for-profit, healthcare provider, has explicit statements which reflect the Mission, Vision and Values of the organisation. New employees receive a comprehensive induction and orientation program, part of which includes ensuring new recruits are conversant with the Mission, Vision and Values. This program is deemed as formation, rather than training, to reflect a desire for the input to have a direct and personal impact on new employees, to increase their motivation and engagement with the ideals of the organisation. This research attempted to measure the perceived efficacy of the Mission component of Orientation at one particular SJGHC site, the hospital located in Subiaco, Western Australia, through both participant surveys and interviews. The results of 120 surveys were analysed and 16 semi-structured interviews were used to validate and probe information obtained from the participant surveys. Importantly, the research demonstrated that the session was perceived as valuable by participants and showed an increase in knowledge. This research has led to further ongoing research to determine if the perceptions of patients and their visitors align with staff perceptions of the way Mission is integrated in to the life of this hospital. The latter work will provide an important adjunct to this project since the work of hospital staff is ultimately not measured by individual staff membersâ knowledge, attitude or intentions, but by how their work impacts on the patients and their visitors
Staff development at RMIT: Bottomâup work serviced by topâdown investment and policy
Effective staff development is the weaving together of many strands. We need to support staff in their current work, while providing them with ideas, incentives and resources to look for new ways to design learning environments which will enhance student learning. Staff development must be combined with specific projects where change is occurring. Ideas are not hard to find Incentives and resources are another matter. The paper will outline some general principles for effective staff development. These principles will be applied in the description of the substantial investment RMIT has made in order to realize our teaching and learning policy. We have a model of âgrassârootsâ facultyâbased work funded by largeâscale corporate âinvestmentâ. âBottomâupâ meets âtopâdownâ
Outcomes based education? Rethinking the provision of compulsory education in Western Australia
Outcomes based education (OBE), which emphasises a radical reinterpretation of the enterprise of education, is a phenomenon enveloping the Australian compulsory education sector. This paper examines the theoretical tenets of OBE as articulated by its chief exponent, William Spady. It then explores the effects that OBE implementation is having on the Western Australian educational fraternity, touching upon current tensions and emerging consequences. Implementation exigencies in one area of the WA curriculum (Mathematics) are then considered; and finally, possible future âoutcomesâ are suggested should the identified concerns fail to receive due attention
Grouping & regrouping using Mixintools: An exploratory study
On a regular basis, teachers find it necessary to place children into groups for instruction. Random assignment is typically the norm when group composition is immaterial to the task. When member-sensitive groups need to be created, teachers might associate specific assignment with colours, numbers or other coding systems. Mixintools offers the teacher a strategy for creating groups in an enjoyable, expedient and variable fashion. Or does it? The purpose of this research was to determine whether the resource had any value from the perspective of both the teacher and the student. Data were sourced from three primary schools and one university teacher education class regarding the usefulness of Mixintools. Results indicated a mixed response. Reasons for this are reported
Pragmatic meta analytic studies: learning the lessons from naturalistic evaluations of multiple cases
This paper explores the concept of pragmatic metaâanalytic studies in eLearning. Much educational technology literature focuses on developers and teachers describing and reflecting on their experiences. Few connections are made between these experiential âstoriesâ. The data set is fragmented and offers few generalisable lessons. The field needs guidelines about what can be learnt from such singleâcase reports. The pragmatic metaâanalytic studies described in this paper have two common aspects: (1) the cases are related in some way, and (2) the data are authentic, that is, the evaluations have followed a naturalistic approach. We suggest that examining a number of such cases is best done by a mixedâmethods approach with an emphasis on qualitative strategies. In the paper, we overview 63 eLearning cases. Three main metaâanalytic strategies were used: (1) metaâanalysis of the perception of usefulness across all cases, (2) metaâanalysis of recorded benefits and challenges across all cases, and (3) metaâanalysis of smaller groups of cases where the learning design and/or use of technology are similar. This study indicated that in Hong Kong the basic and nonâinteractive eLearning strategies are often valued by students, while their perceptions of interactive strategies that are potentially more beneficial fluctuate. One possible explanation relates to the level of risk that teachers and students are willing to take in venturing into more innovative teaching and learning strategies
Why music really matters
As we move forward, there is much need for some national direction on the teaching of the Arts. The current work on the Australian national curriculum documents, for the Arts, is a sign of great hope. The time is opportune for a review of the role of music in child development outside the narrow dimensions of the place of âmusicâ as a subject
How long do we carry an ineffectual teacher?
Siegler et al. (2012) demonstrated that primary school students experiences with fractions and division, can reliably predict their mathematics achievement in high school, five or six years later. This research, a major international comparative study, sounds a dire warning, when we know such topics are frequently taught poorly. As student engagement with mathematics and science in upper school plummets, much of the disengagement can be linked to poor prior teaching and learning experiences. This is directly related to teacher competence, and specifically to teachers who lack the necessary content knowledge to teach these subjects effectively. The âelephant in the roomâ is our current cohort of teachers, many who lack the necessary skills and knowledge, and the systems which have allowed this to occur
1991 DA: An asteroid in a bizarre orbit
Asteroidal object 1991 DA has an orbit of high inclination, crossing the planets from Mars to Uranus. This is unique for an asteroid, but not unusual for a comet of the Halley-type: it therefore seems likely that 1991 DA is an extinct or dormant comet. Previous CCD imaging has shown no indication of a coma; spectroscopic observations of 1991 DA which lack any evidence of strong comet-like emissions are reported. Numerical integrations of the orbit of this object were performed which show that is has been remarkably stable for the past approximately 20,000 yr, but chaotic before that. This may allow a new estimate to be made of the physical lifetimes of comets
The power of writing for all pre-service mathematics teachers
Janeâs decision to write her maths-autobiography came as she witnessed the benefits achieved by other preservice teachers at UNDA undertaking the same task. However, unlike fellow students, Jane did not suffer from Mathematics Anxiety. Janeâs autobiographical writing demonstrates the potential uses and benefits for a non-anxious preservice teacher. Her autobiography provides insights for teachers and teacher educators into the everyday experiences of the classroom and students. For teacher educators, it further demonstrates the value of various writing styles as tools for self-growth. Janeâs writing contains a number of examples that demonstrate that her childhood experiences and subsequent writing about those times, directly impact on her emerging teaching philosophy and future professional work. Janeâs writing also demonstrates the transformative potential of writing a mathematics autobiography for preservice teachers
Letâs not wait for curriculum change
While the National Curriculum will bring change, some immediate reforms are necessary now, particularly in Western Australia, says Keith McNaught. Doing nothing but wait is not an ethical option, he argues
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