Education for Australia's information future

Digital disruption and an increasingly networked society drive rapid change in many professions and a corresponding need for change in tertiary education. Across the world, information education has, to date, prepared graduates for employment in discrete professions, such as librarianship, records management, archives and teacher librarianship. However, contemporary information practices are less defined and are demanding of new professional skill-sets and understandings. This paper reports a study that consulted Australia's tertiary academics about the current circumstances of information education in the academy and elicited a vision and a concern for future directions in Australian information education.     

Transformative Learning Theory in Gerontology: Nontraditional Students

Mezirow (1978) applied and used Transformative Learning Theoretical (TLT) processes while studying women who reentered academics during the 1970s. Similar to Mezirow's original 1975 Mezirow , J. ( 1975 ). Education for perspective transformation: women's reentry programs in community colleges . New York , NY : Center for Adult Education, Teachers College, Columbia University . [Google Scholar] work, we identify “factors that impeded or facilitated” participants' progress to obtain their undergraduate degree during the traditional student time, but then returned later in life, after age 40, to pursue their doctorate. Through semistructured interviews, eight women describe their life course of education through the TLT phases of realization—or in Mezirow's terms, justification, critical reflection, and exploring rational discourse. The women discuss their concerns on technological challenges, rationalization to self and others concerning a return to school, and reactions of family, friends, peers, and professors, including ageist comments. As more women return to the educational system to pursue advanced degrees, specifically within gerontology or aging studies, this research is key to understanding the various events and meaning ascribed to their journey. Data analysis reveals overlapping thoughts to frames of reference in their meaning perspectives and themes when discussing their transformative process to new status as a PhD.     

Recreating blood-brain barrier physiology and structure on chip: A novel neurovascular microfluidic bioreactor

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a critical structure that serves as the gatekeeper between the central nervous system and the rest of the body. It is the responsibility of the BBB to facilitate the entry of required nutrients into the brain and to exclude potentially harmful compounds; however, this complex structure has remained difficult to model faithfully in vitro. Accurate in vitro models are necessary for understanding how the BBB forms and functions, as well as for evaluating drug and toxin penetration across the barrier. Many previous models have failed to support all the cell types involved in the BBB formation and/or lacked the flow-created shear forces needed for mature tight junction formation. To address these issues and to help establish a more faithful in vitro model of the BBB, we have designed and fabricated a microfluidic device that is comprised of both a vascular chamber and a brain chamber separated by a porous membrane. This design allows for cell-to-cell communication between endothelial cells, astrocytes, and pericytes and independent perfusion of both compartments separated by the membrane. This NeuroVascular Unit (NVU) represents approximately one-millionth of the human brain, and hence, has sufficient cell mass to support a breadth of analytical measurements. The NVU has been validated with both fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-dextran diffusion and transendothelial electrical resistance. The NVU has enabled in vitro modeling of the BBB using all human cell types and sampling effluent from both sides of the barrier.     

The effect of a cadence retraining protocol on running biomechanics and efficiency: a pilot study

Many studies have documented the association between mechanical deviations from normal and the presence or risk of injury. Some runners attempt to change mechanics by increasing running cadence. Previous work documented that increasing running cadence reduces deviations in mechanics tied to injury. The long-term effect of a cadence retraining intervention on running mechanics and energy expenditure is unknown. This study aimed to determine if increasing running cadence by 10% decreases running efficiency and changes kinematics and kinetics to make them less similar to those associated with injury. Additionally, this study aimed to determine if, after 6 weeks of cadence retraining, there would be carryover in kinematic and kinetic changes from an increased cadence state to a runner’s preferred running cadence without decreased running efficiency. We measured oxygen uptake, kinematic and kinetic data on six uninjured participants before and after a 6-week intervention. Increasing cadence did not result in decreased running efficiency but did result in decreases in stride length, hip adduction angle and hip abductor moment. Carryover was observed in runners’ post-intervention preferred running form as decreased hip adduction angle and vertical loading rate.     

The use of motivation theory in engineering education research: a systematic review of literature

Motivation is frequently studied in the context of engineering education. However, the use of the term motivation can be inconsistent, both in how clearly it is defined and in how it is implemented in research designs and practice. This systematic literature review investigates the use of motivation across recent engineering education publications. Results show that the majority of engineering education publications referencing motivation as a concept do not provide a clear definition for the term, nor do they draw upon the existing body of literature surrounding motivation. Within the publications that do draw upon motivation literature, we found that a small number of frameworks were most prominent. We believe that both of these factors potentially inhibit the understanding of motivation in engineering education. Therefore, we provide a number of suggestions for how researchers and practitioners can work to rectify these trends.     

Academics on Non-Standard Contracts in UK Universities: Portfolio Work, Choice and Compulsion

This paper analyses the profile and motivation of over 1,300 academics employed on part‐time, fixed term or temporary contracts at 10 post‐1992 UK universities, whom it categorises as ‘non‐standard academics’. Based on a questionnaire survey, it investigates their demographic background, including age, gender and ethnic background, as well as the factors behind acceptance of their current employment status. It reveals that six out of ten chose their status and correspond in some ways to the profile of ‘portfolio worker’ (high level of qualifications, multiple job holding and sense of independence). This tends to correct the perception of them as mainly ‘casual’. However, commitment to their current employment status is less clear, with over one‐third stating that they would accept a permanent job on their current hours. There are, therefore, signs of adaptation to certain forms of non‐standard status (hours) but not to others (impermanence). Such uncertainty illustrates the hazy boundaries between casual and portfolio status.