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Alive and kicking: the benefits of scuba diving leisure for older Australian women
No full textAs the number of older people in the developed world continues to rise, attention has turned to the contribution of leisure activities to quality of life. Leisure behaviour has been studied in numerous activities, including outdoor leisure. Scuba diving research has revealed the typical diver profile to be young and male. Yet with an active and ageing population, these stereotypes are being challenged. One notable group is the over 40s female diver. To understand more about leisure and older women, a qualitative study investigated the benefits scuba diving brings to a group of mature aged Australian women. Utilizing empirical research conducted in a beachside community, this research revealed the benefits older women gained from participation in diving activities and how diving activities contributed to their well-being. Findings contribute to the knowledge of serious leisure and continuation theory for adventurous older Australian women, an unexplored segment of the growing scuba diving community
Experiences and perceptions of residential and home care services among older lesbian women and gay men in Australia
No full textThe needs of older lesbian and gay people regarding access and use of aged-care services remain underresearched. This paper reports the findings of 33 qualitative interviews with older lesbian women and gay men about their perceptions and experiences of residential aged-care and home-based aged-care services in Australia. The focus of this paper is their preparedness for using aged-care services. The results highlight that participants had a number of concerns related to accessing residential-care services in particular, including perceptions of a lack of inclusivity and concerns of potential for discrimination and hostility, loss of access to community and partners, decreased autonomy and concerns relating to quality of care and the potential for elder abuse. Participants noted a number of strategies they employed in avoiding residential-care services, including the use of home-care services, renovating the home for increased mobility, moving to locations with greater access to outside home-care services, a preference for lesbian/gay-specific housing and residential-care options if available, and the option of voluntary euthanasia to ensure dignity and autonomy. Participants, on the whole, were hopeful that they would never require the use of residential-care services, with some believing that having current good health or the support of friends could prevent this from happening. The findings suggest that older lesbian and gay people have a variety of concerns with aged-care and may need additional support and education to improve their perceptions and experiences of services, whether these are needed presently or in the future
Defining the dynamic role of Australian academic skills advisors
No full textIn the Australian university context, Academic Language and Learning (ALL) entails advisors working with academics and students to enhance learning. It is a relatively new area, beginning around the mid-1980s, and ALL units developed within their respective institutions. Since early 2000s, there has been an increasing amount of literature discussing the work of these centres. Significantly though, academic support services remain on the periphery of higher education. This article seeks to define the dynamic role of academic skills advisors. In late 2016, we distributed a questionnaire to ALL unit managers at each of the 39 Australian universities, receiving 29 responses. Combining multiple-choice and open-ended questions, the survey investigated the location of the unit, the role of ALL advisors, the qualifications and experience asked for at recruitment, the training required, and pedagogy when working one-to-one with students. A consistent picture emerged in the responses. One key point is a growing demand for advisors with eLearning and eTeaching skills, indicative of broader changes in Australian universities. This article describes the unique set of professional and personal attributes that ALL advisors bring to the role. The survey results found that ALL advisors are responsive to change; broadly use constructivist approaches; have an extensive range of skills, experience and competencies; and are knowledgeable across a range of disciplines. Further investigation comparing the scope of work done in countries such as the UK, New Zealand and Canada could shape and define the changing role of ALL advisors in Australia
The visual diary, the conceptual framework, the practices, and the frames: pedagogical possibilities of the secondary visual arts curriculum in New South Wales, Australia
No full textThis chapter focuses on the pedagogical interpretations of the visual arts secondary suite of syllabi in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. In order to contextualize this discussion, it is necessary to begin with an orientation to the curriculum and to the national art education contexts in contemporary Australia that have determined the NSWcurriculum’s endurance. Government vision and policy are seldom reflected in classroom pedagogy (Ashton 2002).This is particularly the case in NSW, where the accreditation authority, the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA), formerly known as the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES), has rehabilitated the newly minted national curriculum in all subjects implemented to date to align with state government and educational agendas and principles.This position of preeminence has been most acutely demonstrated in the abject rejection of the Australian Curriculum: The Arts by NSW, with schools being directly advised by its accreditation authority not to implement it (BOSTES 2014b). The national curriculum is therefore in partial implementation in Australia with only a few states taking up the call, since the choice of school curriculum is the purview of each individual state.Thus, the status quo in NSW remains with the existing NSWsyllabi offerings, and “national curriculum” is, in fact, a misnomer
The enduring politics of art education: the common European framework of reference for visual literacy − prototype
No full textThis article is a discussion that replies to a generous call from European colleagues to evaluate and respond from an Australian perspective, to a new Art1 education framework in the area of visual literacy. This call also asks whether such a framework is relevant to Art education in the Australian context. The initial impression of the framework from an Australian perspective is that it is a useful if not complex attempt to generate a common language and understandings in the domain of visual education across and through the multifarious linguistic and cultural entities that comprise the European continent. This is an ambitious undertaking and a courageous one, given the complexities of the domain of Art education, and one that is embedded in the on-going politics of contemporary education generally and contemporary Art education specifically. The structure of this essay will be to first explain and contextualize the framework as I have viewed it so that the reader is oriented to the discussion. This is followed by a dialogue on its relevance initially and philosophically to Art Education as a domain more generally, and then specifically towards Art education in the Australian context. Finally, I offer some humble comments upon possible further developmental elements of the Common European Framework of Reference for Visual Literacy (CEFR-VL)
Factors influencing roost selection by Australian tree cavity-roosting bats
No full textAnthropogenic activities impact the roost resource of tree cavity-roosting bats. Aspects of artificial and maternity tree roost use were investigated. Bat box design elements were shown to be important to influence box microclimates and species-specific box use. Woodcement was identified as an alternative long-lasting box material. Concerns are raised about the effectiveness of bat boxes to offset tree hollows. Creation of cavities into trees was shown to be an alternative artificial cavity provision technique. Research within timber production forest indicated that a ‘retention forestry’ approach is suitable to ensure habitat complexity and continuity to accommodate differences in maternity roost requirements among species
The digital age: a scoping review of nursing students\u27 perceptions of the use of online discussion boards
No full textAdoption and diffusion of technical capacity-building innovations by small-scale artisanal fishers in Fiji
No full textAdoption of innovations by farmers and fishers can depend on factors specific to both individuals and their social contexts. Research on the adoption and diffusion of innovations promoted through capacity-building training can provide lessons to support the design and implementation of future development programs. We assess the adoption, diffusion, and outcomes of a livelihoods training program focused on improving postharvest handling and processing of sea cucumbers in 29 coastal villages in Fiji. One year after delivery of the training program, we conducted interviews with sea cucumber fishers (n = 278) and commercial processors (n = 12), as well as focus group discussions (n = 27) with women to examine: (1) which modes of training (training video, manual, and workshops) were most useful; (2) individual- and community-scale characteristics related to adoption and knowledge sharing; (3) whether training produced long-term changes in processing methods used by fishers; and (4) perceived barriers to adoption. Among fishers who were exposed to two or more modes of training (n = 97), most (65%) reported the workshop and manual to be equally useful. Knowledge about the improved methods was shared by 71% of trained fishers and occurred more frequently among women (80%) than men (64%). Trained fishers used shorter, less variable first cooking durations than untrained fishers, and differences were significant for two of six sea cucumber species groups. Adoption and knowledge sharing was not significantly related to the multiscale characteristics examined (age, gender, education, resource dependence, village population size, market access). Some fishers could not access salt for processing, and others were constrained by patron-client relationships. Our study shows that technical capacity-building can benefit from complementary training modes, however other constraints on adoption (e.g., access to materials, patron-client relationships) may need to be addressed to achieve the full benefits of training programs
