A suggested approach to a library building program

The preliminary building program suggested in this paper makes use of outlines, graphs, charts, and lists, rather than long-winded paragraphs, to describe the needs, objectives, and philosophy of the library. It is hoped that a short, concise, but detailed, report using these methods will save time and make the report more attractive to read, thereby encouraging the many people who will need to assist in the building planning to use the report.     

Negotiating Academic Learning and Research: The Spiritual Praxis of Graduate Students of Color

Drawing on data collected in a qualitative study of racially minoritized faculty members, this article examines the challenges these faculty members faced in bringing different aspects of their spirituality into their scholarly work as graduate students. This article explores the questions: How do racially minoritized graduate students negotiate their spiritual identities and integrate their spiritual epistemologies and cultural knowledge into academic practices, and what challenges do they face in doing both? This article presents three salient themes: sacred subjectivity in student-focused research, spiritual praxis in the classroom, and new visions for inclusive spiritual expression in the academy. By focusing our analysis on study participants' strategies for resisting pressures to closet their beliefs, this article affirms the importance of legitimizing the spiritual epistemological perspectives of racially minoritized graduate students in creating a more equitable and diverse higher education culture.     

Imagining the New Order Nation: Materiality and Hyperreality in Indonesia

This paper examines the tension between the materiality of information and communications technologies and the hyperreality which they are thought to produce. The setting for our analysis is Indonesia, where the most recent innovations in communications technologies co-exist alongside ancient – but still functional – ‘predecessor’ devices. Building upon Benedict Anderson's work on late-colonial Indonesia and Chandra Mukerji's work on seventeenth-century French formal gardens, we examine how the national imaginaries specific to Suharto's New Order state are embedded in the materiality of the present.     

A Practical Introduction to Authoring for Computer-Assisted Instruction Part 8: multi-media CAL

Until recently the majority of applications of the computer within conversational computer-assisted learning and computer-based training have utilized a keyboard/ cathode ray tube model of human/computer interaction. However, because of its greater scope, instructional designers are turning increasingly to the use of a workstation model of student interaction with computers. Such a model can lead to the implementation of didactic dialogue that is more natural, more exciting and far more flexible. In this paper we show how such a model forms the basic foundations for multi- media CAL. We then outline some case studies involving the use of this approach and summarize some author languages that have been designed for use in this area.     

Simulated learning for generic communication competency development: a case study of Australian post-graduate pharmacy students

Authentic workplace experience is becoming increasingly challenging to provide for students. Simulation represents an effective pedagogical strategy for communication competency development in preparation for, or in lieu of clinical placements/practicums. The case study represents an innovative approach to simulating aspects of a pharmacy practice when insufficient placements were available. Prior to undertaking a three-week placement, a cohort of Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) students (N?=?95) completed two four-hour simulated learning modules (SLMs). Each of the six SLMs addressed interpersonally challenging, commonly experienced pharmacy practice scenarios generated by pharmacists/pharmacy educators. Scenarios, underpinned by the Excellence in Cultural Experiential Learning and Leadership (EXCELL) model, included schemas called Social Interaction Maps (SIMs), and involved interacting with trained actors. EXCELL is an evidence-based, professional development resource centred on learning generic social competencies including participating in a team, refusing a request and giving feedback. Evaluations comprised students’ survey responses collected before, during and after SLM workshops and pharmacy placements, and reflections from workshop facilitators. Students reported significant improvements in their overall communication competencies post-workshops and post-placement. Facilitators rated SLMs as a useful strategy to improve students’ communication competence and workplace readiness. Future curriculum development could benefit from including discipline-specific, interpersonally challenging SLMs using SIMs and actors (where possible) to simulate workplace interactions.     

The relationship of teacher ratings of executive functions to emergent literacy in Head Start

Reading and Writing - The purpose of this study was to investigate the concurrent relationships between selected teacher-rated executive function (EF) and a comprehensive array of emergent literacy...     

DILEMMAS AT A DISTANCE

This paper addresses some of the situations and problems to be found in distance learning for both the teacher and learner. It looks at the general needs of distance learning and, implicitly, on the strategies used to provide feedback in both directions. It uses as examples courses given by live television to branch campus students at distances of 30 to 120 miles from the instructor. Some solutions are suggested to the difficulties found in this specific situation, which should be able to be translated into other learning situations.     

PERSONALITY PROFILES AND SELECTION FOR COURSES

16PF Personality profiles for 364 young civil engineers have been compared to the British Norms for the 16PF Questionnaire. Civil Engineers differ from the British Norms on five of the 20 factors derived from the Questionnaire. These factors indicate the questions on which to concentrate when selecting students for civil engineering courses.     

DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND EXAMINATION RESULTS

The possibility of using diagnostic tests was explored and several tests were used with civil engineering students to see if they would be useful in selecting students for the civil engineering degree course. The performance of students on the tests used was compared with the examination results and it was found that the tests showed a little promise. It will be necessary to design a test specifically for civil engineering students. On the other hand perhaps our methods of teaching and examining subjects fundamental to civil engineering should be examined in depth. The results from the tests used indicated a culture gap between home and overseas students and the need for a database of student information.