1 / Veronica Coriano

Researchers and policy makers largely focus on gender-based violence (GBV) in eastern Congo’s conflict zones, leaving the remainder of the vast country understudied. Few in-depth studies exist regarding the nature and dynamics of gender-based violence that occurs in non-conflict zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or on a regular basis within households of eastern DRC. This study uses the 2014 DRC Demographic Health Survey (DHS) data to explore the key factors that are associated with all forms of violence against women and girls in the DRC and takes a more refined look at the association between conflict and GBV than any other empirical study to date. By using a multilevel modeling approach, the research examines key risk factors at the individual, community and province level that influence a woman’s exposure or not to physical and sexual violence in the DRC. By developing and including variables that quantify social norms and attitudes as well as spatially joining data from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Database, the study analyzes the role of individual and contextual factors and the relationship between gender-based violence and conflict. Findings highlight that a woman’s experience of intergenerational violence and patriarchal norms at the individual and community levels are among the strongest predictors of GBV in the DRC, and that intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most prevalent form of GBV, even in areas of conflict. Surprising results show that a woman is less likely to experience GBV in areas of higher armed conflict – even when considering non-husband violence. The results do not show higher levels of IPV in areas that experience higher instances of violent conflict, contradicting studies conducted in other contexts. One of the most striking results of this study is the significant and consistent role that community-level variables play in the models -- demonstrating the valuable contribution of multilevel analysis and use of contextual variables. This study underscores how critical the use of “neighborhood” variables is to understanding GBV risks and validates the use of the ecological theoretical framework, moving beyond only individual risk factors to explain GBV in the DRC context. / 1 / Monica Carlson

The dominant pedagogy for engineering educations still remains chalk and talk despite the large body of education research that demonstrates its ineffectiveness. Traditional approaches to structural engineering education place a heavy emphasis on lecture-based delivery of the theories of structural analysis and the behaviour of common constructions materials. Design projects are given varying emphasis at different institutions, but are frequently left to the final year of the course. Assessment weighting often heavily favours examinations over project work. In recent years, the engineering profession and the bodies responsible for accrediting engineering programs have called for change in assessment and teaching practices.This study proposed that the use of design projects in structural engineering is an effective method of learning that models industrial practice. Projects enable students to understand the synthesis of structural analysis, material behaviour and availability, constructability and economic reality that occurs in the professional practice of structural engineering. To examine effectiveness of project-based learning in structural engineering a case study was undertaken in a third year undergraduate course of a civil engineering program in South Australia.This thesis first provides some background to structural engineering and current practice in structural engineering education. Project-based learning as applied to engineering is also examined. The case study design and data collection are then discussed. The study was developed around a conceptual framework for educational evaluation that differentiates between the intended, implemented, perceived and achieved curriculum. The intended curriculum, defined as the original vision underlying a curriculum, was developed through a literature review that considered the requirements of industry and ++ / engineering accreditation bodies. The degree to which the intended curriculum was successfully implemented in the course was evaluated through video-tapes of lessons, journal records and interviews. The actual learning experiences as perceived or experienced by the students, was evaluated through student journals, interviews and two questionnaires, one of which was also administered to a senior structural engineering industry group to enable a comparison between the student and industry groups perceptions of the importance of certain skills in the engineering profession. The achieved curriculum, defined as the resulting learning outcomes of the students, was also examined. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the findings of the study as well as their significance and limitations and then considers the possible extensions of project-based learning to other areas of engineering and some of the issues that will need to be addressed for this to occur.

Previous research regarding the effectiveness of signalling via brand name has focused on when and how any brand-building cost incurred, will be rewarded by future profit. In contrast to this seller-incentive perspective, this study examines how the buyer interprets the signal via brand name, the effectiveness of signalling via brand name in terms of buyer value perspective, and how the buyer's reaction toward the signal impacts on the seller's decision to adopt the signalling strategy. Signalling theory and concepts from consumer-based branding research are used to suggest how to evaluate the effectiveness of signalling via brand name in the context of the consumer market, wherein information is asymmetric. Findings from online trading experiments, using the methodology of experimental economics, demonstrate that the function of brand fluctuates according to which market conditions prevail for brand and price, the extent of brand differentiation, and the magnitude of brand-building cost. This suggests an alternative way to measure the value of a brand to the buyer.

Global maritime education and training (MET) is currently subject to great change brought about by new international legislation, a dynamic shipping environment, the growing impact of technology, and the challenges maritime institutions face to survive in an uncertain market place.The aim of the research is to determine to what extent global MET institutions can enhance and enrich traditional practices through access to new technology and the use of innovative teaching and assessment methods' within a sustainable and achievable framework.The first Chapters of the study investigate the impact of change on the global MET scene by examining how international maritime legislation influences activities of maritime institutions. Ninety institutions from fifty-three countries responded to a survey that examines their intentions regarding the use of satellite communications, Information Technology, computing, multimedia, simulation and distance learning delivery methods. Shipboard operations that impact upon future training needs are also put under the spotlight.The study analyses the potential use of the Internet, e-mail, simulation and distance education services to determine how these elements can be used to advantage for the education and training of seafarers. An evaluation is made of the use of computers and marine simulators as assessment tools, in the light of international concerns about standards of competence.The study concludes that maritime institutions can benefit from the use of new technology, but only through rational planning and sustainable staged growth. A series of continua of technical development are provided to assist institutions, from to the largest, to plan for technical development and growth in a rational way.

Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) is an appealing technique for developing intelligent systems. Besides its psycho- logical plausibility and a substantial body of research during recent years, building a good CBR system remains still a difficult task. The main problems remaining are the development of suitable case retrieval and adaptation mechanisms for CBR. The major issues are how and when to capture the necessary knowledge for both of the above aspects. As a contribution to knowledge this thesis proposes a new approach to address the experienced difficulties. The basic framework of Ripple Down Rules (RDR) is extended to allow the incremental development of a knowledge base for each of the two functions: case retrieval and case adaptation, during the use of the system while solving actual problems. The proposed approach allows an expert-user to provide explanations of why, for a given problem, certain actions should be taken. Incrementally knowledge is acquired from the expert-user in which the expert refines a rule which performs unsatisfactorily for a current given problem. The approach facilitates both, the rule acquisition as well as its validation. As a result the knowledge maintenance task of a knowledge engineer is overcome. This approach is effective with respect to both, the development of highly tailored and complex retrieval and adaptation functions for CBR as well as the provision of an intuitive and feasible approach for the expert. The approach has been implemented in a CBR system named MIKAS (Menu Construction using Incre- mental Knowledge Acquisition Systems) for the design of menus (diets) according to dietary requirements. The experimental evidence indicates the suitability of the approach to address the retrieval and adaptation problems of the menu construction domain. The experimental evidence also indicates that the difficulties of developing retrieval and adaptation functions for CBR can be effectively overcome by the proposed new approach. It is expected that the approach is likely to be useful in other problem solving domains where expert intervention is Required to modify a solution.

The thesis that emerges from the publications nominated for examination, is that a holistic or integrated competency based approach to vocational education and training (VET) and professional education (both initial and continuing) has many advantages over traditional approaches: * It provides a curriculum framework which links practice to theory in more coherent ways than currently exist; * It potentially provides a way of breaking the old dichotomy between 'knowing that' and 'knowing how' which has characterised Anglo-Saxon education and which has resulted in the belief that education which is practical is both different from and inferior to that which is abstract; * It provides the basis for teaching and learning approaches which could enhance students' adaptability and flexibility over their lives; * It has the potential for developing in occupational education more valid assessment strategies than those traditionally used and also for reducing the deleterious effects on learning of measurement-based assessment approaches. In summary, it is argued that the integrated approach to competency-based education provides a conceptual base for the competency movement and a promising direction for educational reform for all levels of occupational education. It is further argued that competency standards developed through an integrated approach can facilitate the implementation of a number of other areas of social and economic policy, such as the recognition of qualifications of overseas professionals in Australia, and the internationalisation of professional services. Overview of the publications The publications span a six-year period from 1990 to 1996. The first of them was written at a time when there was very little literature in the area (and virtually none in Australia) and when there was a great deal of confusion about the nature of competency, how to develop competency standards and the implications of the competency approach for education and training. What literature did exist, was mostly twenty years old and was largely a reaction against educational curricula which, it was felt, had failed to adequately prepare students for occupations or for life more generally. In place of a curriculum based on the acquisition of knowledge most of the critics suggested that curriculum should be based on an analysis of what people needed to do. Conceptually, as Wolf (1995) and others have pointed out, it was based on a niave reductionism arising out of behaviourist approaches to education. This approach was quite powerful for a brief period in the 1970s in teacher education programs in the United States. However the challenge to behaviourism from cognitive and humanist approaches to learning seemed to undermine the conceptual basis of the competency movement and very little was written about competency approaches until the late 1980s. As Raven (1996) has recently pointed out, the literature on competency-based education which has appeared recently is also a reaction against 'something that is sensed to be wrong' (p.74). But what this is, what needs to be achieved and how this could be done is not clear. He suggests that the contemporary competency literature lacks a conceptual and analytical base and that there is little recognition of the need for a research program which develops a better understanding of the nature of competence, how it might be developed in individuals, how it might be assessed and what impact this would have on individuals, organisations and society generally. It is these issues that the publications submitted for examination have addressed. They have attempted to provide a conceptual base for competency-based education and a framework for how competency might be developed and assessed. Much of the recent literature in Australia has built on the approach which the publications originated. The publications can be divided into those dealing with the nature of competency, particularly the integrated model, (a, b, d, e) those dealing with curriculum and teaching issues (b, j) and those dealing with assessment of competence (c, f, h, i, k). The theme which unites them, is the integrated approach to competency and its capacity to provide a coherent framework for improved educational practices in all occupational education. Another possible way of categorising the publications would be by educational level. For reasons associated with the traditional division of labour in our workforces we tend to think about the differences between educational levels rather than the similarities. It is usual to think about higher education for example, even when it prepares people for occupations, as substantially different from other occupational education. This is underlined by the fact that there is no term, in common usage, to encompass both what is currently referred to as middle level or vocational education, and education for the professions. Despite its specific nature, professional education is often identified with academic and general education, while vocational education is identified with practical education and is assumed to be devoid of substantial theoretical content. In fact much of higher education for the professions is practical and much vocational education is grounded in theory, even if it is not always made explicit. A conclusion which I believe can be drawn from these publications as a whole is that the difference between higher education for the professions and vocational education for middle level occupations is one of degree rather than one of kind. Obviously most professional work is more complex than work at, say, trades level. But it is better to conceptualise these levels on a continuum rather than to see them as essentially different. There will be many instances when professionals need to do things which are routine where simple competencies are used. Conversely many tradespeople will need to use complex combinations of competencies to solve challenging problems. Hence, it is not useful to divide the publications into those dealing specifically with the professions (of which there are six- a, b, c, d, g, i) and those dealing with issues relevant to all sectors of education (of which there are five- e, f, h, j, k). What the publications have to say about the nature of competency, how to develop competency through curricula and teaching and how to assess it, is broadly applicable to all occupational education irrespective of the context in which it is discussed.

The Unsettled Object is an installational art project that considers the instability of objects in regards to their assembly, classification, and presentation, underpinned by the context of the museum and supported by Michel Foucault’s notion of the classificatory grids he discusses in The Order of Things: an archaeology of the Human Sciences. (Foucault,1970) The artefacts are being fabricated as a response to the corporeal body-on-display; its surfaces, spaces and volumes. An underlying notion of temporality and mutability is indicated in the processes of making, the objects, material responsiveness and the devices employed in the presentation of the work.

Outcomes focused education is an educational reform movement that has influenced many countries, including Australia, in recent years. In this study the case of one primary school in Western Australia is examined. The study explores how this single school has implemented an outcomes approach within the context of large-scale jurisdictional change. The research design utilises the qualitative approaches of ethnography and phenomenology to develop a layered case study with the basic unit of analysis being the school site. A number of richly informative case studies, from within this single site, have been developed drawing on data from a broad range of stakeholders including teachers, students, parents and the school’s principal. Departmental and school based documents have also been utilised to inform and guide the development of each case study. Emergent themes with respect to the implementation of educational change have been identified and the implications of these are discussed. At the time of the study the school site was only in its fifth year of operation, and a variety of key factors were identified as having a significant impact on the level of success achieved in implementation. The change management model as used by the school is identified and described, and several critical areas of weakness are revealed. As a result, the study raises critical questions about the effectiveness of the model used by the school and therefore questions the potential for this model to be used successfully in other schools implementing similar pedagogical change.

[Abstract]: The vast majority of present legacy information systems were implemented using the traditional paradigm. The traditional paradigm consists of modeling techniques used by system analysts such as System Flow Charts and Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) to capture, during the analysis phase, the activities within a system.However, with recent developments, particularly trends towards e-Commerce applications, platform independence, reusability of pre-built components, capacity for reconfiguration and higher reliability, many organizations are realizing they will need to re-engineer their systems into new component based systems that meet thesetrends given the limitations of legacy systems to adapt to these new technical requirements.There is a high degree of interest and concern in establishing whether or not a full migration to a more portable and scalable component-based architecture will be able to represent the legacy business requirements in the underlying requirements model of the re-engineered information systems.As a result, this study poses the question: Is the resulting component-based requirements model ontological equivalent to the legacy requirements model whenshifting paradigms in the re-engineering process?After a literature review, the research study is justified given the differences in requirements modeling between component-based and traditional paradigms, whichgive an indication that the resulting component model might not represent the same business requirements represented in the legacy system requirements model.The study evaluated the requirements models generated by the component-based and traditional approaches when shifting paradigms in the re-engineering process inorder to verify that the re-engineered component-based requirements model was capable of representing the same business requirements of the legacy system. Design science and an ontological evaluation using the Bunge-Wand-Weber(BWW) model were the central research methodologies for this study.A legacy system was selected as part of the case study and re-engineered by using the component-based paradigm with the help of UML diagrams. The requirements model of the legacy system was recovered using reverse engineering and compared to the component-based requirements model using normalized reference models generated with the help of BWW transformation maps. These maps revealed that there-engineered requirements models were capable of representing the same business requirements of the legacy system. A set of rules was suggested when reengineeringlegacy into component-based information systems to ensure the same representation of legacy system’s requirements in the re-engineered requirements model.Finally, this research included directions of future research that put emphasis on the development of automated software tools for systems re-engineering that couldimplement the rules suggested in this study and the ontological methodology approach used.