Practice-focused ethics in Australian engineering education

The paper focuses on educational changes we see as necessary for future graduates to take up the emerging social and ethical challenges of their profession. This paper summarizes some Australian initiatives, presents some of our approaches to teaching ethics and suggests some ways to encourage both the study of ethics and actual ethical practice. The practice of engineering in Australia is guided by a Code of Ethics developed by the Institution of Engineers, Australia (IEAust). There is an expectation that Australian educators will guide students to develop the abilities to make ethical decisions and an appreciation of ethical conduct. The authors endorse the view that ethics issues should be included as an intrinsic part of engineering curricula. Wego further, and suggest that the social impact and the international and global nature of engineering practice call for an extension of traditional ethical frameworks to incorporate treatment of questions of social responsibility, including the issue of sustainability. We outline changes in engineering education in Australia over the past two decades, indicating some of the effects of these changes on the culture of engineering and the ways in which ethics issues are being conceptualized and taught. Experience at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) is our main focus because UTS is widely recognized as a leader in engineering education in Australia. Wedescribe the restructuring of our undergraduate programme so as to focus on engineering practice issues and discuss its implications for practice-focused ethics in engineering education.     

Distance education research priorities for Australia: A study of the opinions of distance educators and practitioners

The advantages of undertaking research in distance education are numerous. They include those which impact on national development, educational practice, professional practice in distance education, policy and management, and the constant review of research needs and methodology.

Research in distance education has suffered from a number of problems which include lack of co‐ordination and focus, and the involvement of comparatively few researchers. This is perhaps why there have been calls of late from some quarters such as the Australian Research Council to prioritise educational research agenda in Australia. Future development in distance education would require a coordinated effort in establishing research priorities in Australia to effectively drive distance education theory and practice. One of the criteria in setting research priorities should be that derived from distance educators and practitioners of distance education. This paper reports on the Australian data collated from an investigation carried out as part of a worldwide study of the opinions of distance educators and practitioners regarding: (1) the availability of research information; (2) the areas in which research efforts should be concentrated; and (3) the order of priority to be given to such research areas in distance education. Using a five‐part questionnaire (with a Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient of .89), the results suggest the need for a conceited effort to embark on vigorous research in almost all areas of distance education. The distance educators and practitioners have also prioritised the areas of research and have ranked the difficulties they face doing research in distance education. The results are discussed and their implications for distance education practice and further research indicated.     

Quality and Qualms in the Marking of University Assignments by Sessional Staff: An Exploratory Study

The higher education sector is increasingly reliant upon casual (‘sessional’) staff for teaching and marking purposes. While this practice has been little examined in the past, over the last few years increasing attention has been paid to the quality of marking, mainly because students and academic staff alike are becoming increasingly likely to question examples of poor practice. Hence, many universities in Australia are now attempting to introduce stricter procedures relating to marking. Despite current concerns, there is little published research on marking practices in Australian universities. This paper adds to the body of knowledge by reporting on two pieces of empirical research into the use of casual markers. A project at Charles Sturt University comprised focus groups of, respectively, students, lecturers and markers, and a survey of distance education students. Research at the University of South Australia focused on pedagogical issues relating to marking, comparing the approaches of permanent lecturing staff with those of sessional markers. The results of these projects provide a useful insight into areas of current concern to university staff and management.     

Preparing Professionals to Face Ethical Challenges in Today's Workplace: Review of the Literature,Implications for PI,and a Proposed Research Agenda

Ethics is very much in the news today and on the minds of those who teach and/or train current and future professionals to work successfully in today's workplaces. While there seems to be agreement that organizations need to address the topic of ethics, there is also a concern about how best to proceed. Ethics and compliance offices, professional codes, ethics conferences, institutes, and centers, formal and informal ethics courses, and ethics hotlines are only some of the ways in which organizations have responded to the need for ethics preparedness. The diversity of our organizations and the global nature of our economy demands attention to multicultural/international issues as well. In this review, we examine the diverse body of literature research that explores teaching and training practices used to address ethical issues in corporations and institutions of higher education and include a special focus on multicultural environments. We discuss implications for PI professionals and propose a research agenda.     

Lessons to be learned? Parallels between Australia and Hong Kong in the development of distance education

Developments in the provision of distance education in Australia and Hong Kong are analysed in terms of eight phases, characterised by Government policies and institutional practices. Hong Kong appears to be progressing through the same developmental phases as Australia, but at later points in time. Both countries decided against forming a single national open university in favour of dispersed provision but neither followed recommendations to form a body to co‐ordinate course provision nationally. Both have experienced a period of uncontrolled and unco-ordinated expansion of distance education courses and Hong Kong is still in this phase, whereas Australia is now in the midst of belated attempts by its federal government to rationalise distance education at the national level along with higher education as a whole. We argue that much of the confusion surrounding these events could have been prevented by early planning and setting of clear policy guidelines, together with a recognition that implementation of higher education policy is by no means a straightforward matter. Hopefully there are lessons to be learned from this analysis: in the case of Hong Kong, that its current trend towards unco‐ordinated expansion may well lead to enforced contraction and rationalisation should economic growth trends be reversed, and, in the case of Australia, a clearer understanding of issues related to policy and implementation.     

ePortfolio use by university students in Australia: a review of the Australian ePortfolio Project

In October 2008, the Australian Learning and Teaching Council released the final report for the commissioned project ‘ePortfolio use by university students in Australia: Informing excellence in policy and practice’. The Australian ePortfolio Project represented the first attempt to examine the breadth and depth of ePortfolio practice in the Australian higher education sector. The research activities included: surveys of stakeholder groups in learning and teaching, academic management and human resource management, with respondents representing all Australian universities; a series of focus groups and semi‐structured interviews that sought to explore key issues in greater depth; and surveys designed to capture students’ pre‐course expectations and their post‐course experiences of ePortfolio learning. Further qualitative data was collected through interviews with ‘mature users’ of ePortfolios. Project findings revealed that, while there was a high level of interest in the use of ePortfolios in terms of the potential to help students become reflective learners who were conscious of their personal and professional strengths and weaknesses, the state of play in Australian universities was very fragmented. The project investigation identified four individual, yet interrelated, contexts where strategies may be employed to support and foster effective ePortfolio practice in higher education: government policy; technical standards; academic policy; and learning and teaching. Four scenarios for the future were also presented with the goal of stimulating discussion about opportunities for stakeholder engagement. It is argued that the effective use of ePortfolios requires open dialogue and collaboration between the different stakeholders across this range of contexts.     

THE TEACHER AND THE PROJECT PRINCIPLE

This article presents an initial exploration of the teaching of ethics by religion teachers in second level schools in Ireland. It is set against the moral issues faced in Irish society and the President's Ethics Initiative. The article examines the difference between the practice of morality and the science of ethics as well as ethical theories and traditions. It provides a brief background to Irish education at second level before turning to the results of the survey. It is the author's view that there is considerable teaching of ethics by religion teachers at second level schools in Ireland.     

From Dual-mode to Flexible Delivery; Paradoxical Transitions in Australian Open and Distance Education

Distance education has been a fundamental element of Australian education from early in the 20th century. The prevailing practice in higher education has been to have dual-mode organizations. This has led to some paradoxes unfolding in the recent history of Australian distance education that are grounded in the history and politics of the development of educational institutions and systems. Dual-mode institutions developed in Australia only partly because they suited the geographical and demographic circumstances of a new and developing nation. Rather, distance education often was added as a means of supporting the viability of small, on-campus institutions that had been established for party political expediency in favored rural towns. Attempts by governments in recent years to “rationalize” distance education provision have produced a paradoxical position where “distance education” and “dual-mode” are less frequently used terms, and yet the practices and systems embedded in both terms have flourished under the guise of “flexible delivery.” “Flexible delivery” brings with it some new connotations and practices that reflect the domination of economic rationalist ideologies.     

英国教育研究伦理的规范和实践及对我国教育研究的启示

研究伦理是进行社会科学研究时需要遵守的重要准则。英国教育研究学会(BERA)对研究伦理的基本内容和应用原则有着详细和成熟的规定,并在教育学研究生学术训练和学术研究审查程序中占据重要地位。研究伦理在英国的发展和实践对中国教育学界树立以人为本的研究伦理观,发挥各科研教学机构和学会组织的基础性作用,以及在国家层面形成对研究伦理的统一指导,建立与国际学术界接轨的学术规范等方面具有重要的借鉴作用。     

Opening up Down Under: the role of open educational resources in promoting social inclusion in Australia

This article discusses the role of open and distance learning to widen participation and promote social inclusion within Australian higher education, as well as the benefits that open educational resources (OER) could bring to that context. It also explores some of the most relevant social inclusion policies and related initiatives developed in Australia over the past two decades and their implications for OER. The article then reports the findings of an environmental scan of the use of OER across the higher education sector in Australia as part of a centrally funded research project. The research identifies a number of misconceptions within the higher education community about the nature of OER and reveals the lack of awareness regarding the potential of OER to close the gap between formal and informal education in Australia. Despite the strong evidence of the educational possibilities of OER, they are yet to play a significant role in promoting social inclusion Down Under.     

Engineering work integrated learning placements: the influence of capitals on students’ access

ABSTRACT

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is embraced in Australian higher education (HE) and is a feature of most Australian HE ‘entry to profession’ engineering education programs accredited by Engineers Australia. Accreditation guidelines articulate the need for curriculum-integrated engagement with professional practice (EPP) and encourage EPP in a separate workplace environment, e.g. WIL. This article reports on the analysis of semi-structured interviews with staff and student engineers from four Australian HE institutions with mandatory engineering WIL. Framed by a Bourdieusian theoretical perspective, the influence of capitals on student access to engineering WIL placements was investigated. The research found that students’ capitals influenced access to engineering WIL placements. Policy and educational practice recommendations are made.     

Distance education in Australian higher education — a history

Distance education, usually described in Australia as ‘external studies’ has a long history in Australian universities, although the situation since about 1965 has been marked by very considerable new development in all tertiary institutions. No longer is external study the very courageous innovation it was when the University of Queensland established a Department of Correspondence Studies in 1911; indeed it has become a very significant feature of Australian higher education generally. Reasons behind the introduction and expansion of external study extend beyond simply meeting the needs of people in rural areas, though these were important in the early stages. This article considers the wider policy issues affecting developments in Australian states, while also drawing attention to previously undocumented proposals in the nineteen thirties that established a base from which post‐World War II policy has been derived.     

远程教育领域研究内容框架探析：实践视角

理论与实践脱节是我国远程教育领域面临的重大问题之一,立足典型远程教育机构的实践内容,有利于从实践出发完善我国远程教育领域研究的内容框架。基于中外学者从理论层面对远程教育领域研究内容框架的划分,结合2010年电大系统实践层面科研课题的统计数据,研究认为,远程教育领域研究内容框架应包括7个子领域及30个研究主题。7个子领域分别是理论研究、系统建设与运作、教学管理与质量保证、教学资源、远程教与学、学习支持服务和媒体技术。通过比较发现：学者视角的远程教育领域研究更加关注理论研究、教学管理与质量保证子领域;实践机构更加关注应用研究、远程教与学、教学资源子领域;两者在系统建设与运作、学习支持服务、媒体技术方面的关注度相当。     

Australian and South Pacific External Studies Association: ODLAA’s regional predecessor

The Australian and South Pacific External Studies Association (ASPESA) – the predecessor of the Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia, Inc. (ODLAA) – was founded in 1973. From the outset, ASPESA adopted a broader‐than‐Australia focus for open and distance learning that included New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and the member countries of the University of the South Pacific. Its interest was firstly on ‘professional’ matters (i.e., an identity for distance education, distance educators, and their professional development). ASPESA forums and workshops spread through various Australian ‘external studies’ institutes and developed the practical and intellectual infrastructure for ASPESA’s aims and objectives.

ASPESA acknowledged its regional and international focus in various ways. The 1981 ASPESA forum was organised jointly by the University of the South Pacific and Massey University, New Zealand, and held in Fiji. Thereafter its regional members played a larger role in ASPESA activities and regional issues appeared on forum agenda. ODLAA and its companion associations around the South Pacific received from their predecessor, ASPESA, a heritage of professionalism and participation in regional and international open and distance learning. In due course, however, differences in distance education environments led New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and then the Pacific island countries to form separate distance education associations, while maintaining links with ASPESA.     

论混合学习设计的适配原则和定位策略

目前有关混合学习的理论及模式研究比较丰富,但普遍存在三个问题:一是把混合学习设定为几种具体的混合方式,二是把混合学习与混合教学混为一谈,三是在如何"混合"上缺乏操作原则和定位策略.针对这些问题,本文重新讨论了混合学习的定义;提出混合学习的混合不是随意的.而是基于一定的适配原则设计出来的,如适配学习者、适配学习内容、适配学习过程和适配学习情境;认为混合学习设计需要将多种学习要素进行有机混合,遵循两个定位策略,即树立结构化的定位思路和形成模式化的定位目标.     

国内外旅游伦理研究述评

国外关于旅游伦理的研究坚持以实践为导向,主要从旅游伦理的主体、原则、规范和实践四个方面进行了研究。国内关于旅游伦理研究主要集中在旅游伦理理论构建、旅游伦理实践探索、旅游伦理规范建设和旅游伦理教育强化等四个领域。国内外旅游伦理的研究存在旅游伦理研究对象不清、研究重点不突出、缺乏哲学批判、忽视德性伦理、缺乏多元基础理论等问题,需要从区分旅游活动和旅游经营活动、强化旅游伦理实践伦理问题导向、加强哲学反思和批判、重视德性伦理研究和丰富旅游伦理基础理论等方面推进旅游伦理的研究。     

英国开放大学的办学特色及其启示

英国开放大学在人才培养、科学研究等方面取得了举世瞩目的成就,得到英国和欧洲学习者的广泛认可,成为世界远程教育的先驱。借鉴英国开放大学的办学特色,我国建设开放大学应着重做好以下几个方面的工作:合理定位,实行开放性的教育;注重教师队伍建设,提升专业素养;加强学科和专业建设,打造精品课程;健全学习支持服务体系,提供学习保障;建立监控体系,提升教学质量。     

浅析远程开放教育法学专业课程实践

远程开放教育法学专业课程实践是培养法科学生的实践能力和创新意识、实现应用性人才培养目标的重要教学环节。虽然我国远程开放教育对法学专业课程实践进行了有益的探索,并取得了一些经验,但还没有建立一套系统的法学专业的课程实践制度,没有课程实践的支撑,培养学生的实践能力和创新意识、实现应用性人才培养目标就难以实现。本文通过分析我国远程开放教育法学专业课程实践存在的问题,提出了完善远程开放教育法学专业课程实践的思路。     

远程开放教育学习点的建设和管理

远程开放教育学习点的建设和管理目前处于实践探索阶段。探讨了远程开放教育学习点的概念,分析了实践中开放教育学习点建设和管理的案例,提出了现行学习点建设和管理中存在的问题,包括学习点的功能定位、学习点在城市电大的布局、学习点申报审批的程序以及学习点的规模等方面问题,并进行了有关的对策思考。     

A case for cautious optimism? Active citizenship and the Australian civics and citizenship curriculum

In late 2013 a new curriculum for Civics and Citizenship education was published by the Australian Curriculum and Assessment Reporting Authority for use in Australian schools. In line with previous curricular initiatives concerning education for citizenship in Australia a key rationale behind the new subject is the education of “active citizens”. Research evidence over the last 25 years paints a mixed picture regarding the extent to which the translation of policy intent has been successfully implemented within Australian schools. Exploring the new subject of Civics and Citizenship in Australia in the context of previous initiatives and existing research evidence, we explore the contested and complex nature of active citizenship around three key issues – the scope and form of action that constitutes citizenship in one’s communities, how young people themselves conceptualize and experience participation, the potential that active citizenship opportunities are interpreted as being synonymous with the use of active teaching and learning methods. On this basis we argue that the new curriculum provides some optimism for those committed to education for citizenship in Australian schools, but that this optimism needs to be tempered with a degree of caution.