Re-conceptualising sustainable widening participation: evaluation,collaboration and evolution

This article discusses the future of university-based programmes aimed at enabling the access and successful participation of students from traditionally under-represented backgrounds in higher education. It builds a case for adopting three strategies in ensuring the sustainability of widening access and participation work: (1) embedding broad-ranging and reflexive evaluation practices; (2) developing partnerships with industry partners; and (3) evolving the conceptual and strategic framework of widening participation. The article's reflections are contextualised within the framework of current higher education policy and practice in Australia, and its arguments are advanced from a close reflection on a mentorship programme aimed at media students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds at Macquarie University.     

Models,metaphors and measures: issues in distance learning

English: Theoretical models serve several important functions in science. Building theoretical models which can be applied in distance learning situations should be a major activity for researchers and practitioners. At present, the design, delivery, assessment and evaluation of distance learning is pragmatic and not theoretical, based on historical practice and not careful analysis. Analysis of distance learning within and across paradigms - behaviourist and constructivist - should be a major activity in order to create designs and delivery systems that explain and promote learning within distance learning situations.

Francais:Les modèles théoriques remplissent plusiers fonctions importantes en science. La construction de modèles théoriques qui peuvenet être appliqués dans les situations d'enseignement à distance devait être une activité majeure pour les chercheurs et les practiciens. Pour le moment, la conception, la diffusion, l'estimation et l'évaluation de l'enseignement à distance sont pragmatiques et non théoriques, basées sur des pratiques historiques et non sur des analyses soignées. L'enseignement à distance dans, et au travers des paradigmes, behaviouristes et constructivistes, devrait être une activité majeure de façon à créer des systèmes de conception et de diffusion qui expliquent et assurent la promotion dans les situations d'enseignement à distance.

Deutsch: Theoretische modelle werden für viele wichtige funktionen in der wissenschaft gebraucht. Daher sollte die konstruktion theoretischer modelle, die in DL-situationen angewandt werden können, su den hauptaktivitäten von forschern und praktikern gehören. Zur zeit ist das design, die zustellung, die bewertung und die auswertung von DL nur pragmatisch, nicht theoriegestützt, eher auf ‘historischer’ praxis als auf gewissenhafter analyse beruhend. Die analyse von DL im rahmen von paradigmen sollte jedoch ein hauptansatz sein, um design und distributionssysteme zu entwickeln, die das lernen in DLsituationen erklären und fördern.     

Individual differences in children''s and adults'' suggestibility and false event memory

In this article, we provide an overview of the emerging area of research concerning individual differences in children's memory, suggestibility, and false event reports. We begin with a discussion of recent research on children's false event memories. We then review research and theory concerning sources of individual differences in children's memory and suggestibility, including both cognitive (e.g., understanding of dual representations, source monitoring, imaginativeness, and event knowledge), and social-personality (e.g., attachment styles and temperament, parent-child communication, and sequelae of maltreatment) influences, and we highlight implications of these sources for children's false event reports. Finally, we examine how individual-difference factors proposed to mediate adults' false memories relate to those that may mediate children's false memories.