Seven experiments examined phonological word-form learning (i.e., the learning of novel wordlike sound patterns) after differing types of training. In each case, learning at the end of training was assessed via stem-completion ability. Experiment 1 presented participants with 11 epochs of listening and repeating (incidental learning) and found significant stem-completion ability. The results of Experiment 2 showed greater stem-completion ability after 11 epochs of listening, repeating, and stem-completion testing (deliberate learning). Experiment 3 replicated results from Experiments 1 and 2 in a within-subject design and demonstrated that learning of both types is item-specific and not merely the result of generalized task facilitation. Experiment 4 measured stem-completion ability after 100 epochs of incidental learning and found that it remained lower than after only 11 blocks of deliberate learning in Experiments 2 and 3. Experiments 4, 5, and 6 utilized monosyllabic nonword stimuli, in contrast to the disyllabic nonword stimuli utilized in the first four experiments, and replicated results from Experiments 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Taken together, these results suggest that incidental learning does not yield full mastery of phonological word-forms.

Work in organisations is a shared and joint endeavour often accomplished by groups, teams or other collectives. Yet groups at work do not always learn at work, limiting an organisation’s capability to thrive in knowledge economies. Research investigating collective learning at work continues to place the analytic focus on entities or abstractions representing the collective. For example, culture, power, group membership, group structure, group communications, motivations and skills are often examined to explain why groups learn or not in organisations. In contrast, this thesis investigates what it means to learn together when people act, talk and judge at work through their relational and responsive interactions. This relational orientation conceptualises learning as emerging from patterns of interactions that are responsive to local contexts and shaped by practical sensemaking that occurs in the everyday practice of work life. Specifically in the case study interpretive tradition, I investigate the relational practices of dyads and small groups in three disparate organisational contexts and professions. The organisational, group and individual characteristics differ widely for musicians in an orchestra, apprentice chefs in a commercial kitchen and rehabilitation staff in a corrections centre. Yet these three groups shared relational similarities in learning how to weave ways of acting, talking and judging together to make their work ‘work’. Such weaving together is enabled by shifting conceptually from notions of context as descriptive setting or situatedness to the notion of groups contextualising together. This thesis contributes to collective learning research by highlighting the significance of patterns of interactions and the dynamics of practice. The findings enhance existing collective learning theory by including spatio-temporal concepts from theories of organisational change and complexity. The findings have implications for guiding the learning of commencing practitioners into professions as well as for generating modes of transdisciplinary learning across professions. Re-viewing collective learning in relational ways recognises that learning is an emergent phenomenon, each time practised anew from interactions between people and the possibilities that lie within. The Latin prefix con means with. It seems appropriate that concerts performed by musicians, condiments added to dishes by chefs and the consequences of behaviours by corrections staff across diverse contexts of work can provide practical insights for better understanding how groups learn collectively at work.

Work in organisations is a shared and joint endeavour often accomplished by groups, teams or other collectives. Yet groups at work do not always learn at work, limiting an organisation’s capability to thrive in knowledge economies. Research investigating collective learning at work continues to place the analytic focus on entities or abstractions representing the collective. For example, culture, power, group membership, group structure, group communications, motivations and skills are often examined to explain why groups learn or not in organisations. In contrast, this thesis investigates what it means to learn together when people act, talk and judge at work through their relational and responsive interactions. This relational orientation conceptualises learning as emerging from patterns of interactions that are responsive to local contexts and shaped by practical sensemaking that occurs in the everyday practice of work life. Specifically in the case study interpretive tradition, I investigate the relational practices of dyads and small groups in three disparate organisational contexts and professions. The organisational, group and individual characteristics differ widely for musicians in an orchestra, apprentice chefs in a commercial kitchen and rehabilitation staff in a corrections centre. Yet these three groups shared relational similarities in learning how to weave ways of acting, talking and judging together to make their work ‘work’. Such weaving together is enabled by shifting conceptually from notions of context as descriptive setting or situatedness to the notion of groups contextualising together. This thesis contributes to collective learning research by highlighting the significance of patterns of interactions and the dynamics of practice. The findings enhance existing collective learning theory by including spatio-temporal concepts from theories of organisational change and complexity. The findings have implications for guiding the learning of commencing practitioners into professions as well as for generating modes of transdisciplinary learning across professions. Re-viewing collective learning in relational ways recognises that learning is an emergent phenomenon, each time practised anew from interactions between people and the possibilities that lie within. The Latin prefix con means with. It seems appropriate that concerts performed by musicians, condiments added to dishes by chefs and the consequences of behaviours by corrections staff across diverse contexts of work can provide practical insights for better understanding how groups learn collectively at work.

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This project aimed to demonstrate that a commitment by a community to improve access to lifelong learning opportunities as a Learning City enhances the quality of life of its citizens and improves its economic conditions through a more creative, stable and adaptable community. In May 2000, the newly elected Labor Government in Victoria launched the Victorian 'Learning Towns' Program. Based on a United Kingdom (UK) model that had been developing since 1995 with demonstrable success, the nine (and later, ten) rural and regional cities and towns in the Victorian pilot program were the first in Australia to receive funding to support lifelong learning as an approach towards achieving sustainable economic development and social inclusiveness. This research focused on the practice and progress of SmartGeelong - The Leaming City, one of the pilot programs. It presented an opportunity to evaluate the economic and social development of a community that has declared itself a Learning City by posing the following research questions: 1. What are the key characteristics of a Leaming City and what determines these? 2. What are the value added outcomes? How can the depth and breadth of participation be entrenched? 3. What are the indicators of success and effectiveness in a Leaming City? Having made this observation however, the capacity for the cultural change in an ACE driven learning community to be sustainable is likely to be limited unless it engages local government in meaningful ways to ensure that those changes are long term. Currently, the contribution by local government to learning communities in Australia is varied and can be erratic. The experience in the UK supports the observation in Australian learning communities that where there is a commitment that is understood by local government, it is possible to improve social inclusion and local economic performance. This research has concluded that its most significant finding is the effectiveness of the neutral space that a concept such as the Leaming City provides. By providing a conceptual space that is non threatening, non competitive and belongs to the whole community rather than any one organisation, it is possible to develop cross sectoral partnerships among organisations that may be competitors in other environments, that add value to communities, overcome barriers and develop creative responses that address local issues and build community capacity. The research describes the experience of building a learning community, of lessons learned and insights gained. Through example, it provides a foundation for other communities that may be interested in pursuing this concept. However, while it is possible to develop a learning community through the commitment and initiative of local leaders, it is made more difficult in the absence of a national policy commitment to lifelong learning. Despite this, the research concludes that through the careful development and nurturing of all partners, the process of developing a learning community is effective, sustainable and makes a positive impact.

In a global economy and a world of increasing polarisation and unsustainable development, learning is critical to change. With most of the world's population in cities and the region increasingly the focus of measures to improve prospects, the learning region concept integrates the conflicting, diverse and complex issues of development. This thesis examines learning in networks and further develops the theory of the learning region through a case study in Melbourne, Australia. It begins with a case study of an industry network which was part of a research project - City Regions, Intelligent Territories, Innovation Competitiveness and Learning (CRITICAL). The CRITICAL research project examined learning processes in five cities and developed theory and tools to support learning regions. In this thesis the study of the industry network became the first step in a case study of the northern metropolitan regional economic development project. The study of the region demonstrated that there existed a strategic regional approach supporting local learning and action developed through projects based on local research and collaboration. The theories of 'communities of practice and 'architectures of learning' (Wenger 1998) provided the conceptual framework for the case study and proved to be a novel way to discern how learning was supported. A key finding in this thesis was how learning in networks was supported and that this led to organisational change, innovation and learning across differ ent sectors and organisations. Data was analysed using a typology of the learning region developed in the CRITICAL project and the region was found to have characteristics of a learning region although without wider connectivity across the city could only be considered a sub region. The study contributes to the body of work which demonstrates that the university can play a significant role in supporting the learning region and local engagement of key organisations, enterprises and government, and in the understanding of policy and programs to develop learning regions. The findings also contribute to innovation theory particularly with regard to networks and small to medium enterprises in manufacturing. Findings support the development of frameworks for urban regional development with the partnering of different levels of government to create new ways of operating and learning in the emerging mode of local governance partnerships and highlight the need to develop ways of measuring and understanding success or failure which capture the social, economic, cultural and environmental priorities of society.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1991. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 96-105). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1970. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (DClinPsychol)-Salomons Centre. BLDSC no.DX241597.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1969. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.