Distance Education in Australia

Distance education in Australia has been an important part of the development of the nation's social, cultural and economic infrastructure since the beginning of this century. This article outlines some of the main features of distance education in Australia from the earliest forms of correspondence education, through to contemporary distance education.     

Effects of increasing and decreasing physiological arousal on anticipation timing performance during competition and practice

The aim of this study was to investigate if the effects of changes in physiological arousal on timing performance can be accurately predicted by the catastrophe model. Eighteen young adults (8 males, 10 females) volunteered to participate in the study following ethical approval. After familiarisation, coincidence anticipation was measured using the Bassin Anticipation Timer under four incremental exercise conditions: Increasing exercise intensity and low cognitive anxiety, increasing exercise intensity and high cognitive anxiety, decreasing exercise intensity and low cognitive anxiety and decreasing exercise intensity and high cognitive anxiety. Incremental exercise was performed on a treadmill at intensities of 30%, 50%, 70% and 90% heart rate reserve (HRR) respectively. Ratings of cognitive anxiety were taken at each intensity using the Mental Readiness Form 3 (MRF3) followed by performance of coincidence anticipation trials at speeds of 3 and 8 mph. Results indicated significant condition × intensity interactions for absolute error (AE; p = .0001) and MRF cognitive anxiety intensity scores (p = .05). Post hoc analysis indicated that there were no statistically significant differences in AE across exercise intensities in low–cognitive anxiety conditions. In high–cognitive anxiety conditions, timing performance AE was significantly poorer and cognitive anxiety higher at 90% HRR, compared to the other exercise intensities. There was no difference in timing responses at 90% HRR during competitive trials, irrespective of whether exercise intensity was increasing or decreasing. This study suggests that anticipation timing performance is negatively affected when physiological arousal and cognitive anxiety are high.     

Computer‐based Learning in a Primary School: Differences between the early and later years of primary schooling

There have been increasing expectations that all primary school students and teachers actively use information and communications technologies (ICT) in their learning. In order to achieve this it is important that appropriate environments are set up to support the varying needs and potential of the different groups within the school context. However, in case studies of primary schools undertaken as part of the study Enhancing Learning Using New Technologies, also known as the E.ffects Project, our research indicated that the ICT learning environments established within schools often favoured the later primary year levels over the early primary school years. This paper will present illustrative evidence of this inequity using data extracted from the E.ffects Project case studies. It also discusses observed differences in approaches between early primary school years and later primary programs from the perspective of early childhood philosophies that underpin the first years of school.     

Globalisation,post‐Fordism and open and distance education

Post‐Fordism and globalisation are interrelated contemporary features of social and economic development. Open and distance education are reflexively engaged with post‐Fordism and globalisation and this raises issues for policymakers and practitioners in open and distance education alike. Drawing on recent work by the author (Evans 1995a, 1995b) this article discusses some individual, social and educational issues concerned with globalisation, especially in relation to the emerging post‐Fordist forms and practices of open and distance education, and to the cross‐cultural contexts involved.     

Undergraduate Biotechnology Students’ Views of Science Communication

Despite rapid growth of the biotechnology industry worldwide, a number of public concerns about the application of biotechnology and its regulation remain. In response to these concerns, greater emphasis has been placed on promoting biotechnologists’ public engagement. As tertiary science degree programmes form the foundation of the biotechnology sector by providing a pipeline of university graduates entering into the profession, it has been proposed that formal science communication training be introduced at this early stage of career development. The aim of the present study was to examine the views of biotechnology students towards science communication and science communication training. Using an Australian biotechnology degree programme as a case study, 69 undergraduates from all three years of the programme were administered a questionnaire that asked them to rank the importance of 12 components of a biotechnology curriculum, including two science communication items. The results were compared to the responses of 274 students enrolled in other science programmes. Additional questions were provided to the second year biotechnology undergraduates and semi‐structured interviews were undertaken with 13 of these students to further examine their views of this area. The results of this study suggest that the biotechnology students surveyed do not value communication with non‐scientists nor science communication training. The implications of these findings for the reform of undergraduate biotechnology courses yet to integrate science communication training into their science curriculum are discussed.     

Determining Differences Between Archival Staff and Restorers Ranking of Training Topics for Disaster Restoration Projects

In the pursuit of new and actionable knowledge, the author conducted fieldwork in New Orleans four years following Hurricane Katrina. Since archival staff and restorers can be involved in moderate to major catastrophic disasters in archival institutions, differences in priorities between archival staff and restorers provide insight into each group's procedural preferences for ranking training topics. When 185 archival staff and 52 restorer respondents ranked training topics for importance, statistically significant differences were exhibited in five out of twenty-one training topics (α = .05). Since both groups have different job-specific skills, there exist reasons for differences in training topic rankings.