Associations between research and teaching in Australian higher education

This article describes results of an empirical investigation of the relationship between research and undergraduate teaching in Australian higher education. Two research indexes (weighted number of publications, and number of research activities) were used. Scores on a Likert-type scale of reported commitment to teaching undergraduate students formed the main criterion of teaching effectiveness. This was supplemented by student ratings in one of the aggregate-level analyses. The results revealed typically no relation or a negative relation between teaching and research at the level of the individual and at the level of the department, across all subject areas. The only exceptions concerned one group of former colleges of education. Further analysis by staff self-rating of academic quality showed that there existed one group of staff, mainly in the universities, who were committed to teaching and highly active researchers. However, the data did not support a causal interpretation of the association. It is concluded that there is no evidence in these results to indicate the existence of a simple functional association between high research output and the effectiveness of undergraduate teaching. Some implications for policy and student course choice are discussed.     

History of Space Age Earthlings

The Space Age demands a new approach in the teaching of history according to a history professor (B.A., New School for Social Research; M.A., Columbia; Ph.D., New York University of Bronx Community College.     

Social Welfare,the Neo‐conservative Turn and Educational Opportunity

This essay examines the educational opportunities of people in poverty who receive social welfare assistance. The dominant political theory underlying social policy (including education policy) in the United States has evolved from 1960s and 1970s welfare liberalism into 1980s and 1990s style neo‐conservatism—a theory that embraces principles of the market and individual liberty as paramount social values. Against this backdrop, I review two recent books that provide compelling evidence for this turn and I call for increased understanding of the relationship between social welfare policies and higher education opportunities for those in poverty.     

Culture and country choice of international students: evidence from Ghana

ABSTRACT

This study seeks to examine the influence of the cultural elements on international students’ country choice. It also examines whether individual values moderate the influence of cultural elements on the country choice of international students. Drawing upon a sample size of 223, the data was analysed using structural equation modelling technique. Among the five cultural elements, education, language and social institutions were found to have a positive significant influence on the international student’s country choice. When moderated by individual values education was found to be the only key significant value to international students when selecting a country to further their education. The cultural elements should be given much attention by marketers, government and managers of academic institutions. An improvement in the standards of education in developing countries would attract more students from developed countries.     

Improving mobile learning with enhanced Shih＇s model of mobile learning

More recent motivational research focuses on the identification of effective techniques for enhancing instructional design and meeting the needs of diverse student populations （Wlodkowski R. J., 1981）. Learning-motivation researchers are applying some of the same theories and concepts found to be effective in industry to the development of motivational models that enhance the teaching-learning environment. One of such models is the Attention Relevance Confidence Satisfaction （ARCS） model of motivational design developed by John M. Keller （Small Ruth V., 2007）. The continuous improvement in handheld devices technologies has led to a new learning paradigm called mobile learning which involves the delivery of learning contents to learners utilizing mobile computing devices. Handheld devices, however, have constraints which limit their use for effective learning. Towards improving the effectiveness of mobile learning is a new mobile learning model proposed by Shih on which instructional designs for mobile learning can be based to facilitate mobile learning design and to achieve better mobile learning outcomes （Yushin E. Shih ＆ Dennis Mills, 2007）. Shih＇s model is based on Graphical User Interface （GUI）. This paper presents an enhanced Shih＇s model for effective mobile learning outcome in a university environment by making provision for instructional design to include online library search for both e-books and audio books using collaborative filtering algorithm to aid the search and posting and reading of testimonials about positive mobile learning outcomes so as to encourage other mobile learners. It also incorporates the use of Voice User Interface （VUI） to access the learning portal in order to overcome mobile devices interface limitations in addition to Graphical User Interface （GUI） proposed by Shih, so as to cater for the learning needs of the blind and the visually impaired.     

ENHANCING QUALITY - TENSIONS AND TENDENCIES IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES

Presenting the comprehensive quality control measures which have been taken in Australian higher education in recent years, the author argues that the way they have been imposed from top down without proper consultations with the faculty/staff members of the institutions concerned have led to their being discredited at this level. She proposes ways in which evaluation and awards systems might be introduced through proper consultations with staff/faculty members in ways which engage the support of the latter and are then conducted with their co‐operation and collaboration. In particular, she describes how the Guidelines for Effective University Teaching were developed by the Australian Vice‐Chancellors Committee and are now being introduced into the various Australian higher education institutions as the basis of an effective teaching evaluation and improvement system.     

Individual differences in inhibitory control and children's theory of mind

This research examined the relation between individual differences in inhibitory control (IC; a central component of executive functioning) and theory-of-mind (ToM) performance in preschool-age children. Across two sessions, 3- and 4-year-old children (N = 107) were given multitask batteries measuring IC and ToM. Inhibitory control was strongly related to ToM, r = .66, p < .001. This relation remained significant controlling for age, gender, verbal ability, motor sequencing, family size, and performance on pretend-action and mental state control tasks. Inhibitory tasks requiring a novel response in the face of a conflicting prepotent response (Conflict scale) and those requiring the delay of a prepotent response (Delay scale) were significantly related to ToM. The Conflict scale, however, significantly predicted ToM performance over and above the Delay scale and control measures, whereas the Delay scale was not significant in a corresponding analysis. These findings suggest that IC may be a crucial enabling factor for ToM development, possibly affecting both the emergence and expression of mental state knowledge. The implications of the findings for a variety of executive accounts of ToM are discussed.