bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Information technology skills in the workplace: Implications for Bachelor of Arts degrees
Authors: Lawson Robyn , De Matos Christine
Published: April 2016

Changing work practices have increased demands for information technology (IT) skills within non-IT professions. Many employers want experience in desktop publishing, spreadsheets, and Internet skills, in addition to the 'traditional' areas of file management, word processing and databases. The demand for these skills was evident in our survey of Bachelor of Arts graduates with a Computing Studies major. However, whether workplace needs are being met by non-IT tertiary degrees, such as the BA, is open to investigation. Therefore this paper proposes a re-thinking of computer literacy in BA degrees to a two-tier competence. It also seeks to promote discussion and debate on the integration of advanced IT skills into higher education, with a particular emphasis on BA degrees. Barriers to effective IT integration include technical issues, lack of training and incentives for staff, students' unpredictable IT skill level on entry to tertiary education, and their access to resources. The discussion is limited to administrative and teaching careers, as these were the dominant non-IT career choices of BA graduates in our survey. However, the issues related to the integration of IT across discipline areas in higher education to satisfy the needs of the workplace are quite generic. If the IT skills demanded by employers are to be supplied, then a higher priority needs to be placed on IT skills of academic staff, and on integrating advanced IT skills across and within the teaching and learning framework for students in tertiary education.
"I hope this goes somewhere": Evaluation of an online discussion group
Authors: McKenzie Wendy , Murphy David
Published: April 2016

This article outlines the application of a particular model of content analysis (Henri, 1992; 1993) to the evaluation of an online discussion group. The discussion group was part of the learning environment for a subject of the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education offered by the Centre for Higher Education at Monash University, Australia. Henri's model focuses on the level of participation and interaction in the discussion group, as well analysing the content of the messages according to a cognitive view of learning. Overall, the analysis confirmed the success of the discussion group, and provided a useful conceptual lens with which to study the online environment.
"A website for my subject": The experiences of some academics' engagement with educational designers in a team based approach to developing online learning materials
Authors: Torrisi-Steele Geraldine , Davis Glenda
Published: April 2016

In recent years Australian universities have increased their focus on flexible delivery and online learning. Successful development of online teaching materials requires both knowledge of pedagogy as it applies to multimedia technologies as well as knowledge of the capabilities of current software and hardware. While academics are familiar with the skills and approaches required to operate in traditional environments they are often not equipped to meet the new demands of web authoring and online course design. Consequently, the potential of the online learning environment to improve the quality of the learning experience often remains unrealised.
To address this issue Griffith University, as part of its focus on flexible learning, has established campus based production centres. The centre offers academics the services of multimedia development teams. An educational designer is allocated to work collaboratively with the academic to assist with the design of the online materials and the integration of the online resources into courses.

This paper explores the expectations, experiences and perceptions taken from the perspective of ten lecturers within Griffith University, as they engage with the educational designer to develop online learning materials. Motivated by the authors' belief that the development of online learning materials is an endeavour aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning, this paper seeks to raise some of the issues and concerns which educational designers, as staff developers, need to consider in order to guide interactions with academic staff toward a more fruitful end.
Creating web-integrated learning environments: An analysis of WebCT authoring tools in respect to usability
Authors: Piguet Allison , Peraya Daniel
Published: April 2016

This study focuses on the creation of web-integrated learning environments, using WebCT[http://www.webct.com] More specifically, it targets the user, as a course designer, who interacts with several authoring tools in order to produce educational scenarios. Two factors were measured in terms of their significance within the user-interface interaction: user satisfaction and control. A positive linear dependence between users' perception of satisfaction and control was observed for a variety of WebCT tools. In conclusion, this positive correlation could be explained both quantitatively, and qualitatively in terms of a tool's perceived aspect of usability.
Computer mediated communication and collaborative learning in an undergraduate distance education environment
Authors: Graham Mary , Scarborough Helen
Published: April 2016

Deakin University has, over a number of years, committed resources to the development of communication technologies in all aspects of teaching and learning. In 1996, staff in the School of Economics decided to adopt the use of computer mediated communication (CMC) in both the teaching and assessment of the first year microeconomics and macroeconomics units to distance education students.
This paper reports on the use of CMC and collaborative learning among distance education students studying first year macroeconomics. Quantitative data is based on questionnaires completed by students over two semesters and qualitative analysis on the experience of both staff and students.

Evidence suggests a positive response by students to the use of CMC in the teaching of economics using a collaborative learning approach. This supports the findings of previous studies that students' learning experiences are improved through collaborative learning.
Using online technologies to support problem based learning: Learners' responses and perceptions
Authors: Oliver Ron , Omari Arshad
Published: April 2016

This paper reports a study in which a form of online problem based learning was employed with a group of on campus students in an undergraduate university course. The paper explores the practical issues associated with teaching and learning in this fashion and describes the responses and perceptions of the learners. In the main, the students responded very positively to the changed learning environment despite the fact that it caused them to spend more time in these courses doing different things to which they were accustomed. In particular the students' perceived that the various problem based activities contributed substantially to their learning and enjoyment in the course. The results do, however, suggest some caution is necessary in the use of this approach. While the environment seems readily transferable to flexible and open learning settings, the students frequently indicated that they valued the input of the teacher and saw this component as a valuable part of teaching and learning. The results suggest the need to remember the important place of the teacher in any learning process and the need to ensure students have adequate access to, and lines of, communication with their teachers.
The anatomy of practice in the use of mailing lists: A case study
Authors: Wild Martyn
Published: April 2016

This paper reports the main findings from a study of two mailing lists or listservs: Oz-Teachers and UK-Schools[1], used by teachers in Australia and the United Kingdom to communicate electronically with each other. Typically, communications were characterised by text messages that posed questions or offered answers; by 'threads' of discussion based around single or combined themes; and by statements of information. The content of these messages was almost always either technical or educational, the former centred on hardware or software issues; the latter on concerns with the use of technologies in teaching and learning.
The study found that there is a possibility in the use of mailing lists, to create vital, energetic and occasional communities for professional development activities, building curriculum and information resource libraries and facilitating informal communicative networks, serving the social, professional and personal needs of teachers. The type of lists investigated here were unmoderated, self serving and self censoring, and they appeared to work well for a majority of the list membership. Topics of postings and the willingness to engage them fluctuated as the list communities matured. In particular, some dialogue displayed elements of a critical dimension - a necessary precursor to developing serious, reflective, engagement with practices, theory and research that should accompany any professional development process.
Using CD-ROMs in teaching science: Findings from a small scale study
Authors: Rodrigues Susan , Chittleborough G. , Gooding A. , Papadimitropoulos T. , Varughese V. K. , Kemp S. , Sadler J. , Gilmour M. , McKenna B. , Helme S.
Published: April 2016

This paper reports on data collected through 52 surveys investigating teachers' use of CD-ROMs. The paper indicates that while teachers are familiar with the commonly voiced potential of CD-ROMs and recognise CD-ROM features of merit, the majority of teachers have yet to realise CD-ROM potential in the reality of their classroom. For many teachers issues of access to hardware or software continue to dictate their practices, where location rather than resource levels have established use. Consequently CD-ROMs have been promoted in terms of individual student assignments and other strategies involving whole class or group work have not been implemented.
Learning about online learning: An approach to staff development for university teachers
Authors: Bennet Sue , Priest Ann-Marie , Macpherson Colin
Published: April 2016

At Central Queensland University (CQU), like many other universities, there is growing interest in using the Internet to deliver course materials and support student learning, especially for students learning at a distance. However, most staff have little experience of online learning environments and many feel they lack the background knowledge to participate in the formation of online teaching policies, or the skills to design and teach their own subjects online. In an attempt to address this situation, a team from CQU's Division of Distance and Continuing Education (DDCE) developed an online course on a topic that, it was assumed, would be of significant general interest, and invited staff to enrol as online students. The intention was to provide staff with an experience which would not only allow them to evaluate the pedagogical usefulness of this form of online teaching, but also provide a valuable starting point for more specialised training for those who wanted it. This paper discusses current staff development options for online teachers and presents a model in which a first hand experience of online learning becomes the basis upon which university teachers can build to form their own ideas about a particular approach to teaching and learning online.
The implications of the research literature on learning styles for the design of instructional material
Authors: McLoughlin Catherine
Published: April 2016

An enduring question for educational research is the effect of individual differences on the efficacy of learning. Aspects of individual differences that have been much explored relate to differences in learning styles, strategies and conceptions of learning. Such differences present a profound challenge for instructional designers, as research has shown that the quality of learning material is enhanced if the material is designed to take into account learners' individual learning styles (Rasmussen, 1998; Riding & Grimley, 1999). In the context of the present research, learning style is taken to mean a consistent or habitual of mode of acquiring or imparting knowledge through study, experience or teaching (Beishuizen & Stoutjesdijk, 1999). The purpose of this article is to propose ways in which individual differences can be accommodated when designing self-instructional learning materials in print for distance learners. It is advocated that instructional designers turn to research on learning styles to inform the design of adaptive learning material. Kolb's (1984) learning cycle and associated learning styles are described with a view to providing instructional design guidelines which accommodate (i) each stage of the learning cycle (ii) individual differences between learners in processing and presenting information. Examples of learning activities for each stage of the learning cycle are provided from a tertiary bridging course for adult learners. It is recommended that in designing for a diverse student body, the research literature on learning styles can provide insights that have the potential to improve instructional design.
New ways of learning to fight fires? Learning processes and contradictions in distance and on-campus firefighter training in Sweden
Authors: Holmgren Robert
Published: April 2016

This article reports on findings from a comparative study on firefighter students' learning processes in a technology-supported distance training course and a traditional campus training course in Sweden. Based on student interviews and observations of exercises, the article aims to describe and analyse the impact on learning processes when exercise-oriented teaching takes place in a technology-supported learning environment instead of face to face on campus. Drawing on the concept of contradiction in activity theory, the findings indicate that distance students encounter several dilemmas and conflicts related to low instructor presence, ambiguities regarding learning requirements and division of labor, as well as shortcomings in the technologies offered. However, the distance students tend to develop strategies for dealing with these contradictions, resulting in the development of self-directed learning and more learner-centered approaches, while the campus students rely to a greater extent on traditional, instructor-centered teaching. During the 2-year training course, however, it appears the established norms and conventions of teaching and learning which characterise the campus mode, counteract changes in the distance mode. The technology-supported learning process with its focus on exercise preparation is thus gradually normalised in the direction of the campus mode, and its face -to-face, instructor-led and exercise-oriented learning process.
Blending for student engagement: Lessons learned for MOOCs and beyond
Authors: Montgomery Amanda P. , Hayward Denyse V. , Dunn William , Carbonaro Mike , Amrhein Carl G.
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this ongoing, three-year action research study is to explore the digital challenges of student engagement in higher education within the experimental platform of blended learning. Research questions examine the role of digital innovation in supporting diverse learners, as well as building meaningful connections with technology for undergraduate teacher education students. Results from qualitative data collected through instructor journals and field notes and student mid-term and exit surveys during year one, indicate blended learning can be effective for modelling how to use technology to shift learners towards more active agency. The immediacy of the localised university classroom delivered a viable research setting for digital experimentation, while providing a significant lived experience for undergraduates to springboard their future technological practices with K–12 students. Four pedagogical opportunities for digital intentionality in virtual spaces emerged during data analysis and are shared as considerations for future innovation: (1) designing digital resources, (2) scaffolding student learning, (3) learner customisation, and (4) promoting the lived experience. Lessons learned could be effective in helping develop higher quality educational experiences for on-campus students, as well as scaffolding greater engagement in online formats involving more global populations (e.g., massive online open courses – MOOCs).
Learning to take the tablet: How pre-service teachers use iPads to facilitate their learning
Authors: Pegrum Mark , Howitt Christine , Striepe Michelle
Published: April 2016

Mobile handheld devices are spreading rapidly in education. iPads, especially, are increasingly being adopted by different educational sectors, but there is currently little empirical evidence on whether, or how, they facilitate student learning. This paper reports on how iPads contributed to pre-service teachers' learning, including their learning about teaching. Case studies of eight pre-service teachers were developed based on semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations to determine how they used the iPad 2 in their learning. Focus group interviews of the larger cohort were also used to support findings. It was found that iPads supported pre-service teachers' learning in four ways: developing understanding of content, developing understanding of pedagogy, staying connected, and staying organised. More broadly, iPads helped them develop a new sense of learning spaces and learning networks. Three types of obstacles to using iPads as learning tools were also identified: device limitations, time limitations, and attitudinal limitations. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for developing pedagogical best practice for the use of iPads. These recommendations are relevant to pre-service teacher education in particular but also to higher education in general.

 
Students’ perspectives of using cooperative learning in a flipped statistics classroom
Authors: Chen Liwen , Chen Tung-Liang , Chen Nian-Shing
Published: April 2016

Statistics has been recognised as one of the most anxiety-provoking subjects to learn in the higher education context. Educators have continuously endeavoured to find ways to integrate digital technologies and innovative pedagogies in the classroom to eliminate the fear of statistics. The purpose of this study is to systematically identify students’ perspective of using cooperative learning in a flipped statistics classroom by utilising Q-methodology, which is a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. Forty-five students who had participated in a 16 week course were interviewed and asked to rank 30 statements according to their relative importance. Three distinctly different factors that represented groups of participants with similar views were extracted. All groups identified cooperative learning as an effective instructional strategy in flipped classrooms. It is concluded that students’ concerns were reflected in these multiple perspectives; therefore, individual levels of support should be provided.
Editorial 30(2)
Authors: Dalgarno Barney , Bennett Sue , Kennedy Gregor
Published: April 2016

In this editorial we would like to discuss and comment on some of the some of the recent international developments in open access publishing as well as welcome the new members of our editorial board. As a journal with a long history of free open access with no charges for authors or readers, we have been able to avoid some of the complex decisions and trade-offs that authors, readers and institutions now have to make in choosing where to publish their work. Nevertheless, we feel that it would be valuable to explore some of the terminology around open access publishing to help readers and authors navigate the territory. In writing this editorial we have drawn upon some recent work undertaken by Laura Czerniewicz of the University of Cape Town, one of the new members of AJET’s Editorial Board (see below). Czerniewicz and Goodier (in press) undertook a case study of the practices of authors at one institution, along with the practices of the leading journals that these authors published in, with a focus on the consequences of the emergence of various open access publishing models.
Information communication technology in the form of an expert system shell as a cognitive tool to facilitate higher-order thinking
Authors: Collins Gary W. , Knoetze Johan G.
Published: April 2016

Information communication technology is capable of contributing supplementary teaching and learning strategies that can be used to address various educational challenges faced by higher education. Students who enter South African higher education institutions are often academically under-prepared and have not developed the cognitive skills required to engage in meaningful learning. When students build expert systems they are required to demonstrate the reasoning of an expert and to exhibit an understanding of causal relationships and procedural knowledge. This study formulated design principles in the form of conjectures and principles related to a learning environment that uses technology as a cognitive tool in the form of an expert system shell to promote higher-order thinking skills. The conjectures and principles formulated during this study are expressed in terms of the characteristics, procedures and arguments associated with a learning environment that uses technology in the form of an expert system shell to facilitate higher-order thinking. These conjectures and principles were separated into seven interrelated clusters: initial exposure, guided discovery learning, designing the expert system on paper, creating domain awareness, linking conceptual understanding to a representation of that understanding, hands-on development, and problem engagement.

 
Understanding technology acceptance in pre-service teachers of primary mathematics in Hong Kong
Authors: Wong Gary K. W.
Published: April 2016

The adoption of educational technology in teaching depends on how well a teacher accepts it. This paper draws on a technology acceptance survey of pre-service primary mathematics teachers in Hong Kong to study the factors influencing their technology acceptance. This work adopted a mixed method approach, in which quantitative data were collected through questionnaire survey from 234 pre-service teachers, where the data were analysed using structural equation modelling with a customised technology acceptance model. The qualitative data were also collected from 14 of these pre-service teachers through interviews, and analysed using the iterative coding process. The results show an overall positive attitude towards the use of educational technology, while perceived usefulness is more influential than perceived ease of use. Perceived ease of use is found to rely heavily on facilitating conditions rather than computer self-efficacy. We also found that subjective norms have an indirect influence on the usage and adoption in our context. Explanations for these findings are discussed, together with implications of the results. Our findings are intended to provide insights to policy makers about how to design teacher education programmes that address the demands of learning and teaching with educational technologies in Hong Kong and related contexts.
WWW support of student learning: A case study
Authors: Greening Tony
Published: April 2016

The World Wide Web (WWW) is achieving a place of prominence in educational practice. However, the benefits of using the Web to support learning are not always apparent. The most prominent public feature of the Internet is the multitude of possibilities that it presents for information retrieval. This is widely believed to offer educational advantage, although the means by which that advantage are realised are typically not well specified. The paper discusses the role of information retrieval opportunities presented by the Internet, and suggests that it requires a new model of information access best supported by a reconsideration of educational philosophy. The constructivist position is favoured. The paper also discusses issues in using the Internet to deliver courses, arguing that the delivery model does not take full advantage of the new possibilities offered by the technology. It then presents a case study of the use of the Web in a first year computer science course, offered in a Problem Based Learning (PBL) mode. The focus is on the appropriate use of the technology as a pedagogical tool in higher education. In the case of a curriculum clearly founded on constructivist principles an important factor in the appropriateness of the supporting technology was that it did not encourage staff and students to adopt more familiar, instructivist patterns of behaviour. In this sense, the role of the Internet within the curriculum needed to be different to those roles that currently tend to typify it.
Quality evaluation of educational multimedia systems
Authors: Pham Binh
Published: April 2016

Much effort has been spent on developing and producing multimedia systems, with insufficient attention to ensure their quality This paper discusses different aspects of quality evaluation of multimedia systems, covering both cognitive and technical issues. The evaluation is viewed from three main perspectives: the product itself, how the product is used and the impacts of the product. Some relevant evaluation models for effective learning - in particular, objective-based, decision-based, value-based and naturalistic approaches - are examined and adapted for the purpose.
Flexibility in access, interaction and assessment: The case for web-based teaching programs
Authors: Freeman Mark
Published: April 2016

Potential benefits in re-engineering higher education using Internet-based programs appear promising (Hicks 1997, Geoghegan 1996). The objective of this paper is to report the outcomes of a web-based teaching program trial involving 550 undergraduate business students. The program, called TopClass, provides for private email, public conference discussions, easy and consistent delivery of resources and progress testing via the WWW. Prior Internet experience was very low. Students reported the program provided increased support for their learning, improved access and interactivity. 94% of students felt it would have a positive impact on their grade and 72% would like many or all aspects of the program used in other subjects. Academics seeking to utilise web-based teaching technology to enhance the teaching and learning environment would find these results helpful.
Preparatory IT practices and skills of transition Business students (1997)
Authors: Stein Andrew , Craig Annemieke , Scollary Angela
Published: April 2016

Transition students come to universities with a need to be information competent but typically lack basic information literacy skills. This research report presents the findings of a study of the IT profile of transition students within the Faculty of Business at Victoria University of Technology. Two definitions were used to categorise information technology usage. General IT practices looked at the availability of IT to the student, including home and work access, usage at home, previous information systems courses studied and computer competency. Specific IT skills referred to the use of business information technology, including word processing, spreadsheet and database as well as Internet, email and multimedia packages. Major findings showed that home access to a computer has peaked, access to a work related computer is increasing, and gender and student geography seem to have an effect upon the students IT practices and skills. Use of the Internet and multimedia is increasing in transition students.
Development and evaluation of a computer-based learning pilot project for the teaching of holistic accounting concepts
Authors: Tam Maureen , Wedd Stephen , McKerchar Margaret
Published: April 2016

This paper reports on the development and evaluation of a computer-based self-instructional program for teaching holistic accounting concepts. It is the aim of the program to focus on the pedagogical use of CBL (computer-based learning) to improve conceptual understanding of accounting principles and to develop higher order thinking skills such as synthesis of information, evaluation and inferential judgements. The project was conducted in two phases, involving firstly the development of a CBL pilot program to present and simulate the linkages and impact of individual business decisions or transactions on the accounting system; and secondly an evaluation of the program to prove that the instructional strategies had led to a better conceptual understanding of accounting principles and greater student motivation. Evaluation results showed that students of the CBL group had a more favourable attitude to learning and their test scores were appreciably better.
Designing for learning: What are the essential features of an effective online course?
Authors: Brown Allison
Published: April 2016

How do online courses differ from traditional university courses? What are the new learning demands made on students in online courses? Which particular design features optimise the teaching and learning process in an online delivery mode?
These were the questions explored in a collaborative course design project involving an economics lecturer and the instructional designer at Murdoch University. Emerging from the project is the fully online course Economic Thought and Controversy, together with an instructional design template. This template is now being applied to other courses in the discipline with the aim of transferring the whole economics programme to online delivery in 1998.

This paper describes the pedagogical rationale of the design template.
Multimedia, magic and the way students respond to a situated learning environment
Authors: Herrington Jan , Oliver Ron
Published: April 2016

Interactive multimedia is a relatively new educational innovation in primary, secondary and tertiary level classrooms. While the educational community has enthusiastically embraced its potential, relatively little is known about how students learn from multimedia, and the design features of the software itself that promote effective learning. This article describes results associated with a qualitative study into how students use an interactive multimedia program designed according to a situated learning model.
The effect of students’ perceptions of Internet information quality on their use of Internet information in inquiry-based learning
Authors: Pow Jacky , Li Sandy C
Published: April 2016

In Web 2.0 environments, the quality of published information can vary significantly and much of the information on the Internet is unproven. This unverified information hinders rather than facilitates student learning, especially among undergraduate students who depend heavily on Internet resources for their studies. Currently, we do not have clear understanding of how students assess information quality and how this process affects their learning. This study argues that students’ perceptions of Internet information quality influence their use of Internet information in their learning. The objectives of this research were to improve our understanding of how students evaluate Internet information by examining their perceptions of information quality and their use of information in learning, and to develop an information acceptance model that effectively measures and predicts students’ use of Internet information. The study participants were undergraduate students at a Hong Kong university (n=299). We used confirmatory factor analysis and structured equation models to develop an information acceptance model based on Klein’s (2002) 15 information quality dimensions. Our results suggested that 8 out of the 15 information quality dimensions were significant in predicting students’ use of Internet information in their academic work.
Supporting new students from vocational education and training: Finding a reusable solution to address recurring learning difficulties in e-learning
Authors: Yang Dai Fei , Catterall Janice , Davis Janelle
Published: April 2016

This paper reports on a project that investigated the first year, online experiences of vocational education and training (VET) pathway students studying at university. It was found that, although some students embraced online learning, more than twenty percent of new VET students suffered from high levels of anxiety and frustration when learning online and more than 40% of students also reported difficulties in balancing work and study. In order to address these problems, this paper presents a reusable solution by introducing these new students to an education technology preparation (ETP) program. Student feedback on the ETP program shows a significant improvement in confidence and attitudes towards learning online. We suggest that online learning offers greater flexibility to time-poor students but only if they are confident and competent users of the online systems. We argue that it is dangerous to assume that all new students have the necessary online skills to study effectively in their first year at university. This leads to two implications. Firstly, in practice, it is crucial to provide new students from the VET sector with a well-designed online learning support program. Secondly, in institutional policy, it is imperative to ensure that such support is adequately resourced.

 
Task selection, task switching and multitasking during computer-based independent study
Authors: Judd Terry
Published: April 2016

Detailed logs of students’ computer use, during independent study sessions, were captured in an open-access computer laboratory. Each log consisted of a chronological sequence of tasks representing either the application or the Internet domain displayed in the workstation’s active window. Each task was classified using a three-tier schema according to its likely context of use: The top-level categories being Academic, Communication, Information, Recreation and Applications. Students switched tasks frequently – median task duration was only 31 seconds. Approximately 30% of all tasks were Academic with the majority of these involving the university’s learning management system. Communication and Recreation tasks accounted for 18% and 9% of tasks respectively. Up to one half of all tasks were not related to study. Multitasking was very common during independent study sessions, particularly when Communication tasks were active. This study confirms that students are likely to regularly switch tasks, attend to distracting tasks, and multitask during independent study. Each one of these behaviours has the potential to negatively impact on students’ learning, and when combined they indicate that students are relatively inefficient at managing competing tasks and their time when studying.
Editorial 30(3)
Authors: Dalgarno Barney , Kennedy Gregor , Bennett Sue
Published: April 2016

In this editorial we take the opportunity provided by the release of the 2014 Google Scholar Journal Metrics to explain the various journal metrics, how they are calculated and how AJET rates against other Educational Technology journals.  Journal metrics broadly refer to the various measures of quality or impact of a journal, largely based on the number of articles published in the journal itself and citations in other journals to articles published in the journal. As well as being used to rank the journals themselves, metrics are often used as a proxy measure of the quality of articles in a particular journal, and thus individual researchers’ publication lists. The three most well known journal metric sources are the Thomson Routers Journal Citation Reports (previously known as the ISI Journal Citation Reports), Google Scholar Metrics, and Scopus Journal Analyser. Each of these sources includes a number of metrics or indices that use specific algorithms drawing on data within their own databases of journals, articles and citations. This editorial explains the key metrics used by these sources.
Interactive multimedia learning in physics
Authors: Bennett Susan J. , Brennan Michael J.
Published: April 2016

The potential importance of interactive multimedia in the tertiary environment and in physics education is well recognised world wide, with development projects being funded by universities and government bodies. To date, however, there have been few opportunities to critically assess the importance, acceptability and suitability of these new techniques to physics education. Our study evaluated an interactive tutorial, developed at the Australian National University, covering the photoelectric effect and related material targeted at first and second year students. Pre- and post-test questionnaires using scaled and open answers, observations by teaching staff and informal discussions, were conducted with 35 students in the Department of Physics and Theoretical Physics. Results from an independent survey of the course were also obtained. Our principal conclusion is that while interactive multimedia shows a high degree of acceptability with our study group, any practical application must have a meaningful assessable component and be fully integrated into the lecture series, as opposed to being offered as a study resource alone.
Education, media and the locus of control
Authors: Blakey Peter
Published: April 2016

I would like to present some thoughts based largely on my experiences as a long term student and a minor technocrat. I would like to discuss the nature of who controls what, in the presentation and by implication the content of what is learned, and how this will effect the nature and content of learning, given the increase in technological activity in this field.
Strategies employed by users of a Japanese computer assisted language learning (CALL) program
Authors: Vincent Elizabeth , Hah Maureen
Published: April 2016

Significant use of Computer Assisted Language Learning CALL began in the 1960s. Since then development of CALL software has followed the changes in teaching methodologies. As teaching methods changed to audio-lingual and communicative approaches, CALL software included simulations and more interactive programs. Research has shown that learning strategies employed in CALL can affect the quality of learning in the language. A case study approach was used to investigate the language learning strategies employed by students using the NihingoWare I software for the learning of Japanese. The participants studied at Monash University in the Department of Japanese Studies. Investigation of the strategies used showed that there were special Program Use Strategies which have not previously been noted in language learning. In addition, language using strategies which are commonly used in non-computer learning situations were not employed by the participants. This suggests that computer software designers need to be aware of language learning strategies for effective design of CALL to enhance learning.
Managing the development and production of interactive multimedia courseware in education
Authors: Nicholson Annie Y. W. , Ngai Johnson Y. K.
Published: April 2016

Multimedia technology has advanced significantly in the past few years. Graphic, animation, audio and video data can be stored and processed efficiently in personal computer systems. CD-ROM technology has also matured over the years and it provides an economical and convenient means for storing a large amount of digital information. With careful designing and authoring, interactive multimedia courseware, in CD-ROM format, can be developed and produced for effective learning.
In developing interactive multimedia courseware for teaching and learning, instructional design (ID) and management are two crucial aspects for successful products. Based on the authors' experiences in developing multimedia projects in areas (a) curriculum information system, (b) interactive desktop video and (c) video CD-ROM courseware, a design model for managing interactive multimedia courseware production has been proposed

This paper will present and discuss the model which includes 5 phases, namely (1) analysis (2) development, (3) production, (4) evaluation, and(5) implementation.
Creating an online teaching space
Authors: Hart Graeme
Published: April 2016

In the same way that good classroom teaching uses a variety of techniques to maintain interest and to cater for different student approaches to learning, so too does a good online teaching space require a variety of approaches. A classroom teacher develops teaching strategies both through training and experience. The development of online teaching spaces comes through a knowledge of what the technology can do and experience in how students and teachers react most positively to the technology. This paper reflects on the development of an online web-based teaching site and reports on the stages of development from early beginnings on a local area network to a suggested model online teaching space.
Development of a model using information technology for support of rural Aboriginal students off-campus learning
Authors: Grant Mary
Published: April 2016

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Designing accessible learning materials for learners with disabilities and learning difficulties
Authors: MacCann Ann
Published: April 2016

What do designers of learning materials need to consider in designing learning materials which may be used by learners who have physical, intellectual, vision, hearing, psychological or neurological disabilities, such as low literacy and numeracy levels? How can these materials be made more accessible for such learners? This article explains how the Open Training and Education Network has addressed this issue.
Using Facebook as an e-portfolio in enhancing pre-service teachers’ professional development
Authors: Kabilan Muhammad Kamarul
Published: April 2016

This study aims to determine if Facebook, when used as an online teacher portfolio (OTP), could contribute meaningfully to pre-service teachers’ professional development (PD) and in what ways the OTP can be meaningful. Pre-service teachers (n = 91) were asked to develop OTP using Facebook and engage in learning and professional development (PD) activities for 14 weeks. Questionnaires, open-ended items and reflective reports were used to collect data and it was found that many of the pre-service teachers benefitted quite significantly in terms of their development as future teachers through these five facets: (i) community of practice; (ii) professional learning and identity; (iii) relevant skills; (iv) resources; and (v) confidence.
Teaching students using technology: Facilitating success for students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds in Australian universities
Authors: Devlin Marcia , McKay Jade
Published: April 2016

Australian higher education has adopted a widening participation agenda with a focus on the participation of disadvantaged students, particularly those from low socioeconomic status (LSES) backgrounds. As these students begin to enter university in greater number and proportion than ever before, there is increasing interest in how best to facilitate their success. A recent national study employed semi-structured interviews to ask 89 successful LSES students what had helped them succeed. Twenty-six staff experienced in effectively teaching and supporting LSES students were also interviewed about what approaches they used in their work. Analysis of the study’s findings indicates a strong theme related to the use of technology in effectively teaching and supporting LSES students. In particular, the use of a range of resources and media, facilitating interactive and connected learning, enabling personalised learning and assuring high academic standards were found to contribute to student success. The implications of these findings are discussed with a specific focus on promoting effective teaching practice and informing related policy. At a time when the diversity of the student cohort in Australian higher education institutions is increasing, the findings reported in this paper are both timely and critical for educators and institutions.
Definitions of instructional control in learning environments
Authors: Naidu Som
Published: April 2016

A fundamental question in the design of learning environments is determining the nature of instructional control which will facilitate optimal learning outcomes. The assumptions that increased control in the hands of learners will produce enhanced learning outcomes is untenable. This short paper reviews a select body of research with varying types and levels of control in learning environments and presents a summary of operational definitions of control applied in those studies. Analysis of these definitions revealed variations in the amount of control allowed which is most meaningful if represented on a continuum ranging from maximum program control on the one hand, to maximum learner control on the other. The impacts of control in learning environments is briefly discussed.
How successful is "Successmaker"? Issues arising from an evaluation of computer assisted learning in a secondary school
Authors: Parr Judy M.
Published: April 2016

The paper discusses issues arising from the year long evaluation of the use of the computer assisted learning (CAL) package "Successmaker" in a secondary school (Years 8-12). All students in Year 8 (n=199) and Year 9 (n=180) had equal access to the computer assisted learning lab for an hour session a week. Specialised groups like learning support, special education and ESL also used the lab for blocks of time. Multiple sources of data were used to assess the process and outcomes of introducing CAL. Issues arising include whether the rationale for such a program is well founded; its effectiveness, including cost effectiveness and generalisability of learning, and the question of educational integrity in terms of curriculum and pedagogical appropriateness.
Design issues in computer-based education
Authors: Rees Keith
Published: April 2016

The merits and demerits of computer multimedia within the domain of CBE is a topical discussion point. Dan Ellis has recently argued a case for 'barefoot multimedia' based on his experience developing CBE at Queensland University of Technology (Ellis, 1994). The following article briefly relates some of the CBE development work taking place at Deakin University and takes issue with some of the points made by Ellis.
Database education: Problems for business students
Authors: Gould Edward
Published: April 2016

The teaching of relational database design to business students poses many problems. This paper looks at these problems and outlines an integrated approach which addresses the piecemeal and disjointed procedures common in many textbooks. A number of strategies for dealing with other problem areas of the topic are also described from the perspective of the prevailing business environment.
Do vendor/consultant services affect small business' IT course requirements?
Authors: MacGregor R. C. , Bunker D. J. , Cocks R. S. , Pierson J. K. , Forcht K. A.
Published: April 2016

This paper compares two studies carried out in the area of small business in Australia. The first of these studies examined one branch of the 'scientific' small business community, veterinary practitioners. In particular, the study examined the computer training required by the city-based and country-based veterinarians. The second study examined the computer training needs of general small business managers in a city-based environment. Not only did both studies attempt to determine specific curricula needs, both examined the effect of vendor/consultant services on those curricular choices. The paper begins by briefly describing the nature of both the veterinary profession and small business in Australia. The paper then presents details of each of the studies. Finally the paper compares the findings of each of the studies, highlighting similarities as well as differences in the small business types.