Doing relevant,funded mass media research

Motivations for conducting relevant communication research are discussed and examples provided of advantages and pitfalls of seeking funding from government and media institutions.     

Self-Determination and Student Transition Planning Knowledge and Skills: Predicting Involvement

Abstract

Promoting active student involvement in transition planning has become best practice in promoting self-determination. This study examined the contribution of self-determination to transition planning knowledge and skills for 180 students with disabilities. Utilizing multiple regression analyses, the study found that global self-determination was a significant predictor of overall transition planning knowledge and skills, as well as of transition planning factors related to knowledge and skills about the individualized education program team process, goals, and decision making. Furthermore, when self-determination was broken into its component elements and included in the analyses, those elements, particularly self-regulation and self-awareness/self-knowledge, became the sole predictors of transition planning knowledge and skills.     

Doing relevant, funded mass media research

Motivations for conducting relevant communication research are discussed and examples provided of advantages and pitfalls of seeking funding from government and media institutions.     

Re-engineering the curriculum for the 21st century

Engineering lies at the interface between science on the one hand and society on the other. It is concerned with the systematic application of scientific and mathematical principles towards practical ends for the benefit of people. Traditionally the emphasis in engineering education has been on the scientific side, with students given a thorough grounding in the basic scientific and mathematical principles underpinning their discipline. However, the constraints on engineering problem-solving today are increasingly not technical, but rather lie on the societal and human side of engineering practice. These changes require new approaches within the curriculum and by promoting active learning and encouraging students to experiment and be more creative, eLearning is one of an important number of strategies for achieving the paradigm shift that is required.     

Professional Development at Distance as an Information‐technology Enterprise

This paper considers the issues involved in the delivery of professional development to teachers across Australia using information technology. A DEET‐funded pilot project to provide professional development in statistics education using satellite television is the basis for the discussion. Aspects of the project include the procedures followed in setting up and implementing the programme, the difficulties encountered, the evaluation of the various participants and products, the future plans arising from the project, and the possible transfer of lessons learned to other subject areas.