This study investigates how academics are managing and being managed by the demands of their everyday work. Specifically, it sets out to examine how a small cohort of academics located in a former college of advanced education (CAE), now integrated as a Faculty in a traditional Australian university, negotiate the dominant discourses and power relations in this setting. It considers the role played by government policy directives in shaping this particular workplace and its inhabitants. It also explores the tactics and strategies academics employ to manoeuvre the complexities of their day-today work life, and how these practices of the everyday fashion academics in this setting. To date, few studies have explored the changing nature and intensification of contemporary academic work from the perspective of academics working in a former CAE. In taking up this focus, observing the historical and cultural legacy of the institution, the study provides a situated perspective about academic work: one located in a particular workplace, at a particular point in its history. It illustrates how the academic self is fashioned through and within the disciplinary technologies and power relations operating within the workplace setting: how different types of academic performances are taken up and/or valued in this context, and how these performances are then implicated in the production of academic subjects. The research data comprised historical and institutional documentation, as well as semi-structured conversations with academics. A range of related theoretical ideas and positions are used to analyse three specific perspectives about being an academic: work(ing) policies, work(ing) narratives, work(ing) practices. Personal writing about experiences as an insider/outsider in this research study further informs the discussion, with insights about doing academic work in this (and other) workplace settings, and the role of the doctoral process in the subjectification of the academic self highlighted. The thesis puts forward the argument that managing everyday work is a complex and (self) productive process: one situated in, and shaped by, the institutional spaces – textual, discursive and operational – within which work performances are enacted. It depicts how academics take up, negotiate and/or self-regulate their work practices within these institutional spaces. The process of managing academic work is thus represented as an interactive yet bounded practice, subject to and subjectified through the specificities of the workplace setting and its inhabitants, and the power relations and disciplinary forces operating on and within the institution. The thesis also demonstrates the fashioning of the academic self involves a set of practices of managing and making do. These practices of the self, which are shaped by the aspirations and positioning (personally, professionally and institutionally) of academics, and the past and current circumstances of the workplace setting, highlight the mutually constitutive nature of discipline and desire in shaping academic work in an institutional context.

This study investigates how academics are managing and being managed by the demands of their everyday work. Specifically, it sets out to examine how a small cohort of academics located in a former college of advanced education (CAE), now integrated as a Faculty in a traditional Australian university, negotiate the dominant discourses and power relations in this setting. It considers the role played by government policy directives in shaping this particular workplace and its inhabitants. It also explores the tactics and strategies academics employ to manoeuvre the complexities of their day-today work life, and how these practices of the everyday fashion academics in this setting. To date, few studies have explored the changing nature and intensification of contemporary academic work from the perspective of academics working in a former CAE. In taking up this focus, observing the historical and cultural legacy of the institution, the study provides a situated perspective about academic work: one located in a particular workplace, at a particular point in its history. It illustrates how the academic self is fashioned through and within the disciplinary technologies and power relations operating within the workplace setting: how different types of academic performances are taken up and/or valued in this context, and how these performances are then implicated in the production of academic subjects. The research data comprised historical and institutional documentation, as well as semi-structured conversations with academics. A range of related theoretical ideas and positions are used to analyse three specific perspectives about being an academic: work(ing) policies, work(ing) narratives, work(ing) practices. Personal writing about experiences as an insider/outsider in this research study further informs the discussion, with insights about doing academic work in this (and other) workplace settings, and the role of the doctoral process in the subjectification of the academic self highlighted. The thesis puts forward the argument that managing everyday work is a complex and (self) productive process: one situated in, and shaped by, the institutional spaces – textual, discursive and operational – within which work performances are enacted. It depicts how academics take up, negotiate and/or self-regulate their work practices within these institutional spaces. The process of managing academic work is thus represented as an interactive yet bounded practice, subject to and subjectified through the specificities of the workplace setting and its inhabitants, and the power relations and disciplinary forces operating on and within the institution. The thesis also demonstrates the fashioning of the academic self involves a set of practices of managing and making do. These practices of the self, which are shaped by the aspirations and positioning (personally, professionally and institutionally) of academics, and the past and current circumstances of the workplace setting, highlight the mutually constitutive nature of discipline and desire in shaping academic work in an institutional context.

The study was concerned with the variable of staging which is a component of text structure. Staging is known to affect the comprehension process of proficient readers. Two passages developed and analysed for staging by Clements (1976) were used in this study to investigate the effects staging has on the readers' comprehension of the passages. The two passages were identical in content and different only in the staging level at which information occurred. Ten experimental texts were developed from Clements' two passages. The texts enabled (i) the comparison of the effects of supplying high, medium or low staged information to the readers on their ability to replace cloze deletions in the rest of the text: and (ii) the comparison of the effects of supplying intact the staging categories Old Topic, New Topic, Old Comment, or New Comment on the readers' ability to replace cloze deletions in the rest of the text. The cloze replacement scores were taken as measures of the readers' comprehension of the text. The subjects used in this study were a mixture of male and female, undergraduate and postgraduate students at Riverina College of Advanced Education. The height of staged information and the staging category of the information were found to have no significant affect upon the readers' comprehension of the texts. However, it is suggested 111 that this may be an artifact of the use of cloze procedure as the measure of comprehension. Suggestions are made for further research to clarify the usefulness of cloze as a research tool in this area and to support or reject the conclusion of this study.

Many students undertaking courses at tertiary institutions find that lack of basic mathematical skills, or lack of confidence in these skills, is impeding their progress. This can arise with students in science, administration, geography, nursing, computing, education and many other courses. The problem can be anticipated with mature age students who are often admitted to courses lacking formal entry qualifications, but younger students are increasingly involved. The problem is not a static one but has been developing rapidly in recent years. This Field Study commenced by analysing the extent of the problem at CCAE, its past development and possible further developments in the near future. A search was then undertaken for instances of recognition of, and response to, the problem in other institutions. Instances of responses elsewhere, and of theory relating to adult learning and mathematical learning, were assessed for relevance to the CCAE situation. A response appropriate to the CCAE situation was designed, implemented, and its initial success evaluated. This response was based upon an individualised approach, involving diagnosis of individual problems and needs, self-learning materials in modular form, one-to-one tutorial assistance in a "Maths Lab", self-paced learning, testing for mastery of modules using criterion referenced tests. The evaluation undertaken indicates that this response is basically successful in the CCAE situation. However, some recommendations for the future development of the response follow from the evaluation; the most important of these involves a requirement upon students with weaknesses in their basic mathematics, to use the Lab.

In 1983 a programme was initiated by the School of Education, Canberra College of Advanced Education (CCAE) and the Australian Schools Commission to enable parents to assist their own children in literacy. The children had previously been identified as experiencing difficulties in acquiring the skills of literacy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the parents' intervention on the children's achievements in literacy, and to assess the quality of the programme by examining particular subskills taught in the course. The methods of assessment were also evaluated for their appropriateness for the circumstances. The thirty nine children in the study were the sample of fifty two children for whom there was complete information. Parents of these children began the programme in July 1985 or in March 1986. They attended a course of ten sessions over thirteen weeks in a semester. The following semester they were allocated to a teacher who was a post graduate or fourth year degree student in education, and given individual assistance from six to ten sessions, and longer if necessary. Aspects of oral reading, comprehension, writing and spelling were tested at the beginning of the programme and again in November 1986, and the results compared. Observational records were also kept and changes evaluated. In addition, oral reading was measured at the end of the parents' course, and before individual assistance commenced. Case studies were built up for every child, and the findings grouped to observe the effect of the intervention on the population. The results showed that the programme achieved its aim of giving parents the skills to assist; their own children in the acquisition of literacy. The content of the course and the subskills taught were also justified by the outcomes. Furthermore, the method of evaluation revealed specific and succinct information on which to base the intervention and to monitor progress. The research took place over 18 months, during which time teaching and progress were continual. A longitudinal study over several years would confirm the results of the research.

External Studies has been in operation at Goulburn College of Advanced Education for ten years (1970 - 1980). During this time nearly 1,800 students have been involved in the external programmes. Over half of these students have not completed their studies. This field-study is an attempt to document the actual drop-out rates for the various programmes and to compare the results obtained with statistics available from other tertiary institutions in Australia and overseas. Factors such as student age and sex as related to achievement and time of withdrawal are investigated. The statistics are largely drawn from student files and a questionnaire distributed to a sample of external students. The main thrust of the study is to ascertain the reasons for student withdrawal in an attempt to reduce the attrition rates in the future. Drop-out was found to be the result of a number of contributing factors rather than deriving from any particular reason. The field-study shows that drop-out rates at Goulburn are somewhat similar to those experienced by other tertiary institutions, but that the attrition rate during the first semester of study is excessive.

This Field Study centered on the preparation, presentation and evaluation of an introductory course in educational media for first year teacher education students. The introduction provides the rationale (theoretical and practical) for such a course and outlines the nature and purpose of the project. The approach used is clarified and justified. Basically the approach is on formal, traditional lines with regard to curriculum development; but the intention is to provide the first detailed written account of such proceedings in the educational media field. Necessary terms (educational media, multi-media, older and newer media) are defined and general aims and objectives are developed taking into account the usual constraints as well as the results of classroom surveys, consultations and case studies. Appropriate reviews of literature and previous research which are relevant to the topic are dealt with under the following headings: the need for the course; the operation of equipment; selection and production of materials; application to the classroom; the place of media in the curriculum; theory, background and attitudes. The plan follows systematic lines along the model provided in Teaching and Media. A Systematic Approach, (Gerlach and Ely: 1971:7). This involves providing the detailed objectives, specifying content, assessing time and space, selecting resources, evaluating performance and finally analysing feedback. Experiments conducted fall into three categories. Firstly, students were evaluated by means of a multi-media kit of materials, ability to operate equipment and a multi-choice test. Secondly, the course itself was evaluated by means of a questionnaire given to the students. This questionnaire was subsequently rewritten to eliminate the predictability of some of the responses. The third experiment involved two classroom surveys on media use (details included in the introduction). These provided useful evidence in connection with the project. Findings and recommendations for better practice are provided under the following headings: General Objectives of Course and Content of the Course Strategy Time for Course Resources Evaluation Location of Course Staff Education.

Thesis (MEd in Human Resources Studies) --University of South Australia, 1991

Fifty years ago there were no stored-program electronic computers in the world. Even thirty years ago a computer was something that few organisations could afford, and few people could use. Suddenly, in the 1960s and 70s, everything changed and computers began to become accessible. Today* the need for education in Business Computing is generally acknowledged, with each of Victoria's seven universities offering courses of this type. What happened to promote the extremely rapid adoption of such courses is the subject of this thesis. I will argue that although Computer Science began in Australia's universities of the 1950s, courses in Business Computing commenced in the 1960s due to the requirement of the Commonwealth Government for computing professionals to fulfil its growing administrative needs. The Commonwealth developed Programmer-in-Training courses were later devolved to the new Colleges of Advanced Education. The movement of several key figures from the Commonwealth Public Service to take up positions in Victorian CAEs was significant, and the courses they subsequently developed became the model for many future courses in Business Computing. The reluctance of the universities to become involved in what they saw as little more than vocational training, opened the way for the CAEs to develop this curriculum area.

This study was designed to ascertain, analyse and compare the perceptions of College Librarians and their associates about the role responsibility which College Librarians in libraries in New South Wales Colleges of Advanced Education (CAEs) were actually assuming and ideally should be assuming as part of their role as library managers. Using as its basis a theoretical framework of role and role-related concepts, as developed by social psychologists such as Kahn et al. (1964), a role set group of Principals, Registrars and Senior Library Staff was identified as the survey population. A review of the literature about CAEs and their libraries and overseas studies about the role of library managers assisted with the development of a role responsibility questionnaire. Data from the questionnaire was analysed in respect of actual and ideal role responsibility and any gaps between actual and ideal role responsibility. Gaps between perceptions of actual and ideal role responsibility between College Librarians and associates may indicate a potential for role conflict for persons enacting the role of College Librarian. This study found statistically significant results in respect of both actual and ideal role responsibility between College Librarians and Senior Library Staff, which indicated that there was not clear agreement between the two groups about either the role responsibility currently assumed by College Librarians and that which ideally should be assumed. In respect of the gap between actual and ideal role responsibility, however, there was no statistically significant result between College Librarians and associates, indicating that the potential for role conflict resulting from divergent perceptions between role set groups was not evident. This does not preclude the potential for role conflict from other sources.