Social work education, training and standards in the Asia-Pacific region

This article discusses the joint project between the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW) and the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) to establish guidelines for the training and standard setting that elucidates what social work represents on a global level. While it is impossible to address all the issues that might be significant in such a large scope, attention is given to the challenges establishing global standards might encounter in a region as diverse as the Asia-Pacific

Evaluating the rank generating function of a graphic 2-polymatroid

We consider the complexity of the two-variable rank generating function, $S$, of a graphic 2-polymatroid. For a graph $G$, $S$ is the generating function for the number of subsets of edges of $G$ having a particular size and incident with a particular number of vertices of $G$. We show that for any $x,y \in \mathbb{Q}$ with $xy \not = 1$, it is $\#$P-hard to evaluate $S$ at $(x,y)$. We also consider the $k$-thickening of a graph and computing $S$ for the $k$-thickening of a graph

Using critical reflection to prepare practitioners for pedagogical work with infants and toddlers

This paper examines an early childhood care and education practitioner preparation program set in the School of Human Services at Griffith University in Queensland. Within this program traditional methods of teaching reflective practice have been employed in an effort to develop this skill in prospective graduates. The authors critique this traditional process arguing that it limits the ability of practitioners to effectively engage in the reflective process as it tends to be based on isolated experiences that do not create space for a dialogic relationship. Moreover, it is argued that there is an urgency, with respect to the development of critically reflective practitioners to work with young children, particularly infants and toddlers, in light of recent policy changes. Strategies are developed to move prospective practitioners from practice/ self-reflection to critical reflection. Implications for practitioner educators are discussed

Exploring the experience of supervising pre-registration nursing students thorough their literature review dissertation

This report explores and reports on the experience of supervising pre-registration nursing students thorough their literature review dissertation. The introduction includes the rationale and key questions for the investigation. It highlights the key transition points that students have to manage and the need for supervisors to be aware of these so as to support and develop them effectively. The investigation explains how the work was undertaken and expands on the methods used. The findings are broken down into; what constitutes an excellent literature review, effective ways of working with students and the problems that can arise offer an insight into the views of supervisors supporting pre-registration students. They suggest a need for attention to supervision practices and the development of detailed guidance, through participatory workshops, to support the supervisor through the supervisory process

Evaluating a weighted graph polynomial for graphs of bounded tree-width

We show that for any $k$ there is a polynomial time algorithm to evaluate the weighted graph polynomial $U$ of any graph with tree-width at most $k$ at any point. For a graph with $n$ vertices, the algorithm requires $O(a_k n^{2k+3})$ arithmetical operations, where $a_k$ depends only on $k$