- About
-
The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers
to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is
provided by the
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
Search results
Showing 51 to 60 of 61 (0.045 seconds)| 51 |
Learning strategies of a group of English as a second language adult male studentsFiedeldy, John, n/a January 2000 (has links)
This study examines the ways in which adult male students approach learning English as a
second language. A number of recent studies have indicated that many male learners
experience considerable difficulty participating in language classes. In particular several
studies have found that course failure rates of male language students were higher than
those of females. The objectives of the present study, therefore, are to: describe the
preferred strategies of a group of male students for approaching language learning;
describe the strategies they use when interacting in class discussion; and to examine the
relationship between learning strategies and ESL academic achievement.
This broad subject has been narrowed down to a specific focus on how male ESL
students develop oral and aural skills. The subjects are a small group of students of the
Adult Migrant English Service Program, Canberra. Data have been obtained through
questionnaires, interviews and observations in classroom settings. The questionnaires and
interviews aim to reveal how frequently, and in what situations, certain learning strategies
appear important to the male students' participation in language learning. These strategies
include those of memory, cognition, compensation, meta-cognition, social communication
and emotion. The observations examine patterns in interaction. Both the questionnaire
and observations provide the basis for statistical analysis.
Literature covering the role of strategies and styles in second language learning, the
characteristics of adult learners; and gender differences in the range of strategies used by
adult learners has been examined and used as a foundation for the present study.
Strategies for listening and speaking are often used without conscious attention given to
them. However, given the right learning environment, male students may develop a range
of strategies that may assist them in ESL learning. This environment exists both
informally, in the community, and in the ESL classroom. It was found that students who
used ESL frequently in community life, such as in a workplace setting, had developed a
"strategy awareness" and were able to call on a broad range of strategies to help them
when interacting with other speakers. Within the classroom, it was observed that
unstructured discussions using open-ended themes encouraged male students to use a
variety of strategies, such as asking questions, asking for clarification and expanding
ideas, to enable them to participate in the communication.
The findings of this study suggest that an awareness of and ability to apply appropriate
learning strategies have an important place in helping male students participate in selected
language learning activities and to develop their ESL skills. An examination of Australian
Second Language Proficiency Rating scores and the Certificate in Spoken and Written
English III results revealed that students who were successful in these assessment
measures, were those who were observed and who reported frequent awareness and
utilisation of the above mentioned strategies.
Finally, it can be suggested that because not all male students have equal opportunities to
use ESL in community life, the English language teacher is in an ideal position to develop
students' strategy awareness. For this to occur, the teacher also needs to create a learning
environment whereby students are encouraged to select from these strategies and to
utilise them in appropriate ways.
|
| 52 |
An Investigation of a Professional Development Scheme for teachers: work experience in industry and researchDyer, Barbara J, n/a January 1990 (has links)
n/a---Introduction--- This thesis deals with an investigation od a Professional Development Scheme which gave three Teaching Service teachers working experience in one of Australia's largest research organisations, a Canberra hotel, and an ACT office furniture business (one of the largest manufacturers of its kind within Australia) during the September school vacation of 1988.-----Aim----The aim of the thesis is to analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of the Professional Development Scheme in the context of the relationship between the school and the world of work.
|
| 53 |
An investigation of library literacy levels of flexible learners at the Canberra Institute of Technology: a pilot studyZobec, Helena, helena.zobec@canberra.edu.au January 1998 (has links)
The present study attempted to measure library literacy levels of open or flexible
learners at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) during the 1995 academic year,
and to investigate to what extent the information skills component of TAFE open
learning modules influence adult learners' library literacy levels.
To address these issues, a quasi-experimental research methodology was used to
measure library literacy levels at the beginning and, again, on or near course
completion to ascertain whether any change had occurred, through the administration
of a questionnaire. A number of participants were then interviewed to further validate
the responses fiom the questionnaires.
The study attempted to show that though courses claim to address key competencies
in a vocational education and training environment, one component of the key
competencies, the ability to collect, analyse and organise information, was not being
met. That one component was the ability to locate (or collect) information.
No strong correlations resulted fiom the library literacy levels measured and the
degree to which the key competency was addressed within course modules. No
statistical measures were possible due to the small sample population that eventuated,
though it was almost half the original targeted population. No real gain was achieved
in library literacy levels between the pretest and posttest stages of the research for
either the Experimental or Control groups. Though a highly suitable research
methodology, the quasi-experimental research design did have some limitations in this
piece of research. The CIT flexible learning environment at the time of the study
contributed to the limitations of the study.
However, a number of recommendations were made on the basis of the research
results, advocating some strategies that might be implemented to improve the library
literacy levels of learners undertaking open or flexible delivery courses within CIT,
and suggestions to change the research environment to avoid many of the problems
experienced.
The CIT pilot study was the first known formally documented study of library literacy
levels in an Australian TAFE environment of its kind. The study reflects the literature
published at the time of the study. At that time, the research in this field was minimal.
Many publications and research have emerged since 1995 when this study was
conducted, indicating this is an area of great interest.
|
| 54 |
School based management: the Principals' perspectiveHanks, Jennifer A, n/a January 1993 (has links)
This study details the background to the establishment
of Parish School Boards in the Archdiocese of Canberra and
Goulburn, and reports and analyses the perceptions of all
ACT Catholic, systemic, primary school Principals who
operated with a Parish School Board in 1993.
The movement towards Parish School Boards finds its
genesis in the Second Vatican Council where the Church was
invited to collaborate in decision-making based on the
belief that all the faithful have gifts, knowledge and a
share of the wisdom to bring to the building of the Church.
The nature and structure of Catholic education was seen as a
suitable vehicle for encouraging communities to engage in
shared decision-making and in participatory democracy under
the Church model of subsidiarity, collegiality and
collaboration.
The introduction of Parish School Boards into the
Archdiocese can be seen as the implementation of a radical
change to the educational mission of the Church and the
educational leadership of the faith community. Reflecting
'new management theory' in both the secular and Church
worlds, a key stakeholder is the school Principal whose role
and relationships change as he or she learns to work within
a team, sharing leadership.
This study examines the responses of nineteen
Principals who were interviewed by the researcher in order
to determine how they work with a Parish School Board and
what effects the board has on their work.
Research studies in the area of School-Based
Management and Shared Decision-Making have informed the
review, and the Principals' responses from this study have
been analysed in the light of secular and Church literature
on leadership, devolution and change.
The respondents of this study, the school Principals,
report the benefits of collegiality and collaboration but
their unresolved tensions relate to work overload, lack of
clarity of the roles and responsibilities of the various
local level decision-making groups, increased administrative
complexity, community demand for ever widening consultation
and the challenge of consensus decision-making.
All Principals report an urgent need for professional
development for themselves and for the system to provide a
more explicit focus on parish and community formation with
the commitment of the necessary resources to sustain this
radical change.
|
| 55 |
Promoting critical thinking in language learning through computer-mediated collaborative learning: a preliminary investigationThadphoothon, Janpha, n/a January 2005 (has links)
This thesis proposed a framework for conceptualizing critical thinking in language
learning. A learning environment where collaborative learning and network
technology were combined − computer-mediated collaborative learning (CMCL) −
was set up. The main aim was to study the potential of the learning environment in
promoting critical thinking (CT) in language learning. The proposed framework of
CT in language learning had three aspects: (1) communication, (2) reasoning, and
(3) self-reflection.
The study was a qualitative one that took place between June 2003 and January
2004. Three case studies were undertaken that involved up to 90 participants,
comprising students, teachers, volunteers, and the researcher. All were members of
an online learning community, the Bamboo Enterprise. Students worked in groups
that investigated environmental problems. The student projects were grouped into
three case studies: (1) Using Collaborative Environmental Projects to Promote
Communicative Language Learning and Computer Skills, (2) Using Environmental
Themes in Computer-Supported Cooperative Learning to Prepare ESL Students for
Academic Study in the Australian University Environment, (3) Promoting
Communicative Language Learning Through Computer-Supported Cooperative
Learning. Findings were based on analyses of five sources of data: (1) interviews
with the student participants; (2) teachers comments and opinions; (3)
questionnaires; (4) students overall group work; and (5) online discussions.
The investigation found that, overall, the CMCL environment with its particular
framework had the potential to promote CT in language learning. However, it had
both strengths and weaknesses. The strengths were that it promoted the
communicative use of English, encouraged critical thinking in action, and extended
the students potential to learn a second language. It also encouraged the appropriate
use of technology. More importantly, this CMCL environment showed itself to be a
viable method of learning and one in which both students and teachers can be
empowered. However, along with these advantages, some avenues for improvement
were evident. The study found that the students grammatical accuracy was low,
despite their rich vocabulary and ability to use complex language structures. Some
students found working in groups challenging and some never acquired the
necessary web skills. Access to the Internet was not always adequate for this type of
project. In sum, the students needed more support, especially at the task level, when
using this method of language learning.
|
| 56 |
Carnap Visits Canberra: Updating the Logical Positivist Criteria of Cognitive SignificanceMagrath, Andrew Whiteley 11 April 2012 (has links)
No description available.
|
| 57 |
Reframing the dynamics: a case study of the interaction between architectural computing and relationship-based procurement at the National Museum of Australia.Swift, John Paul January 2006 (has links)
The National Museum of Australia (NMA) (1997- 2001) by architects Ashton Raggatt McDougall (ARM) in association with Robert Peck von Hartel Trethowan was commissioned by the Australian Commonwealth Government for the Centenary of Federation in 2001. It was conceived as a gift to the people of Australia and now stands on Acton Peninsula in Canberra, the nation's Capital. It is a visually complex manifestation of the design architects' (ARM) dialogue with the ambiguities of Australian history and national identity. The architectural realisation of these complexities was facilitated through advances in computer technologies and a complementary non-traditional procurement method, both at the leading edge of Australian architectural practice of the time. Completed three years earlier was probably the most debated work of architecture of the 1990s, the Guggenheim Museum (GMB) (1991-98) in Bilbao, Spain, by Frank O. Gehry and Associates (FOG&A). This satellite museum of the Guggenheim Foundation of New York was heralded as the quintessential example of a kind of architecture only possible because of advances in computer technologies. Both visually complex museums were conceived as flagship projects and consequently share many political, functional, and cultural expectations. Both were procured outside the usual adversarial designer/builder paradigm of western architecture and featured the innovative use of three-dimensional (CAD) software for design, documentation and analysis. The NMA project used a government instigated procurement method which was embraced by a group of design and construction companies who formed a joint venture known as the Acton Peninsula Alliance. This non-traditional or relationship-based procurement method required ARM to reassess their approach to generate and disseminate design data and their traditional relationship with other design and construction professionals. As part of this process, ARM were required to devolve some of their design authority to a project delivery team via a Design Integrity Panel and an Independent Quality Panel; both innovations integral to the Acton Peninsula Alliance. The NMA project reframed many of the enduring professional relationships of Australian architecture and in so doing extended the skill set and expectations of the architects and others to include a more substantial engagement with 3D CAD and a procurement system which was less subject to many of the common impediments inherent in the more traditional processes. Through a series of interviews with the architects and other stakeholders, a qualitative methodology was used to investigate the NMA as a case study which uses the GMB as an internationally recognised comparison. This thesis examines how these two projects have been successfully completed within time and budgetary constraints in an environment where flagship projects have had a history of highly publicised difficulties. It reveals that the successful realisation of the NMA was due to the relationships built or reframed as a result of this cooperative approach in conjunction with high levels of engagement with computer technologies. This is in contrast to the seamless flow of data and high levels of prefabrication integral to the success of the GMB. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1255317 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, 2006.
|
| 58 |
Reframing the dynamics: a case study of the interaction between architectural computing and relationship-based procurement at the National Museum of Australia.Swift, John Paul January 2006 (has links)
The National Museum of Australia (NMA) (1997- 2001) by architects Ashton Raggatt McDougall (ARM) in association with Robert Peck von Hartel Trethowan was commissioned by the Australian Commonwealth Government for the Centenary of Federation in 2001. It was conceived as a gift to the people of Australia and now stands on Acton Peninsula in Canberra, the nation's Capital. It is a visually complex manifestation of the design architects' (ARM) dialogue with the ambiguities of Australian history and national identity. The architectural realisation of these complexities was facilitated through advances in computer technologies and a complementary non-traditional procurement method, both at the leading edge of Australian architectural practice of the time. Completed three years earlier was probably the most debated work of architecture of the 1990s, the Guggenheim Museum (GMB) (1991-98) in Bilbao, Spain, by Frank O. Gehry and Associates (FOG&A). This satellite museum of the Guggenheim Foundation of New York was heralded as the quintessential example of a kind of architecture only possible because of advances in computer technologies. Both visually complex museums were conceived as flagship projects and consequently share many political, functional, and cultural expectations. Both were procured outside the usual adversarial designer/builder paradigm of western architecture and featured the innovative use of three-dimensional (CAD) software for design, documentation and analysis. The NMA project used a government instigated procurement method which was embraced by a group of design and construction companies who formed a joint venture known as the Acton Peninsula Alliance. This non-traditional or relationship-based procurement method required ARM to reassess their approach to generate and disseminate design data and their traditional relationship with other design and construction professionals. As part of this process, ARM were required to devolve some of their design authority to a project delivery team via a Design Integrity Panel and an Independent Quality Panel; both innovations integral to the Acton Peninsula Alliance. The NMA project reframed many of the enduring professional relationships of Australian architecture and in so doing extended the skill set and expectations of the architects and others to include a more substantial engagement with 3D CAD and a procurement system which was less subject to many of the common impediments inherent in the more traditional processes. Through a series of interviews with the architects and other stakeholders, a qualitative methodology was used to investigate the NMA as a case study which uses the GMB as an internationally recognised comparison. This thesis examines how these two projects have been successfully completed within time and budgetary constraints in an environment where flagship projects have had a history of highly publicised difficulties. It reveals that the successful realisation of the NMA was due to the relationships built or reframed as a result of this cooperative approach in conjunction with high levels of engagement with computer technologies. This is in contrast to the seamless flow of data and high levels of prefabrication integral to the success of the GMB. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1255317 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, 2006.
|
| 59 |
Reframing the dynamics: a case study of the interaction between architectural computing and relationship-based procurement at the National Museum of Australia.Swift, John Paul January 2006 (has links)
The National Museum of Australia (NMA) (1997- 2001) by architects Ashton Raggatt McDougall (ARM) in association with Robert Peck von Hartel Trethowan was commissioned by the Australian Commonwealth Government for the Centenary of Federation in 2001. It was conceived as a gift to the people of Australia and now stands on Acton Peninsula in Canberra, the nation's Capital. It is a visually complex manifestation of the design architects' (ARM) dialogue with the ambiguities of Australian history and national identity. The architectural realisation of these complexities was facilitated through advances in computer technologies and a complementary non-traditional procurement method, both at the leading edge of Australian architectural practice of the time. Completed three years earlier was probably the most debated work of architecture of the 1990s, the Guggenheim Museum (GMB) (1991-98) in Bilbao, Spain, by Frank O. Gehry and Associates (FOG&A). This satellite museum of the Guggenheim Foundation of New York was heralded as the quintessential example of a kind of architecture only possible because of advances in computer technologies. Both visually complex museums were conceived as flagship projects and consequently share many political, functional, and cultural expectations. Both were procured outside the usual adversarial designer/builder paradigm of western architecture and featured the innovative use of three-dimensional (CAD) software for design, documentation and analysis. The NMA project used a government instigated procurement method which was embraced by a group of design and construction companies who formed a joint venture known as the Acton Peninsula Alliance. This non-traditional or relationship-based procurement method required ARM to reassess their approach to generate and disseminate design data and their traditional relationship with other design and construction professionals. As part of this process, ARM were required to devolve some of their design authority to a project delivery team via a Design Integrity Panel and an Independent Quality Panel; both innovations integral to the Acton Peninsula Alliance. The NMA project reframed many of the enduring professional relationships of Australian architecture and in so doing extended the skill set and expectations of the architects and others to include a more substantial engagement with 3D CAD and a procurement system which was less subject to many of the common impediments inherent in the more traditional processes. Through a series of interviews with the architects and other stakeholders, a qualitative methodology was used to investigate the NMA as a case study which uses the GMB as an internationally recognised comparison. This thesis examines how these two projects have been successfully completed within time and budgetary constraints in an environment where flagship projects have had a history of highly publicised difficulties. It reveals that the successful realisation of the NMA was due to the relationships built or reframed as a result of this cooperative approach in conjunction with high levels of engagement with computer technologies. This is in contrast to the seamless flow of data and high levels of prefabrication integral to the success of the GMB. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1255317 / Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, 2006.
|
| 60 |
An investigation into the integration of qualitative and quantitative techniques for addressing systemic complexity in the context of organisational strategic decision-makingMcLucas, Alan Charles, Civil Engineering, Australian Defence Force Academy, UNSW January 2001 (has links)
System dynamics modelling has been used for around 40 years to address complex, systemic, dynamic problems, those often described as wicked. But, system dynamics modelling is not an exact science and arguments about the most suitable techniques to use in which circumstances, continues. The nature of these wicked problems is investigated through a series of case studies where poor situational awareness among stakeholders was identified. This was found to be an underlying cause for management failure, suggesting need for better ways of recognising and managing wicked problem situations. Human cognition is considered both as a limitation and enabler to decision-making in wicked problem environments. Naturalistic and deliberate decision-making are reviewed. The thesis identifies the need for integration of qualitative and quantitative techniques. Case study results and a review of the literature led to identification of a set of principles of method to be applied in an integrated framework, the aim being to develop an improved way of addressing wicked problems. These principles were applied to a series of cases in an action research setting. However, organisational and political barriers were encountered. This limited the exploitation and investigation of cases to varying degrees. In response to a need identified in the literature review and the case studies, a tool is designed to facilitate analysis of multi-factorial, non-linear causality. This unique tool and its use to assist in problem conceptualisation, and as an aid to testing alternate strategies, are demonstrated. Further investigation is needed in relation to the veracity of combining causal influences using this tool and system dynamics, broadly. System dynamics modelling was found to have utility needed to support analysis of wicked problems. However, failure in a particular modelling project occurred when it was found necessary to rely on human judgement in estimating values to be input into the models. This was found to be problematic and unacceptably risky for sponsors of the modelling effort. Finally, this work has also identified that further study is required into: the use of human judgement in decision-making and the validity of system dynamics models that rely on the quantification of human judgement.
|
Page generated in 0.0555 seconds