Copyright (c) 2010 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr Recent documents in Mark Bahr en-us Tue, 21 Sep 2010 00:00:09 PDT 3600 http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/11 http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/11 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 19:31:44 PDT Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) provide great promise for the future of education. In the Asia-Pacific region, many nations have started working towards the comprehensive development of infrastructure to enable the development of strong networked educational systems. In Queensland there have been significant initiatives in the past decade to support the integration of technology in classrooms and to set the conditions for the enhancement of teaching and learning with technology. One of the great challenges is to develop our classrooms to make the most of these technologies for the benefit of student learning. Recent research and theory into cognitive load, suggests that complex information environments may well impose a barrier on student learning. Further, it suggests that teachers have the capacity to mitigate against cognitive load through the way they prepare and support students engaging with complex information environments. This chapter compares student learning at different levels of cognitive load to show that learning is enhanced when integrating pedagogies are employed to mitigate against high-load information environments. This suggests that a mature policy framework for ICTs in education needs to consider carefully the development of professional capacities to effectively design and integrate technologies for learning. Mark Bahr http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/10 http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/10 Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:06:44 PST Stress levels are said to be rising in many different occupations but one problem for cross-occupation comparison purposes is that different questionnaires have been used in different studies - often specially designed questionnaires for the occupation under study. The Occupational Stress Inventory-Revised (OSI-R) is one questionnaire that may help assess the same stress-related variables across different occupational groups. The OSI-R model is theory-based and assesses the effects on the individual of three ‘factors’ (occupational roles, psychological strain and coping resources) across fourteen dimensions. This current study reports the findings of a re-analysis of the original Manual data of 983 mixed occupational respondents of the OSI-R, using confirmatory factor analyses of the inter-correlations given of the 14 dimensions. The findings show that the three-factor solution is not optimal (though two of the three original factors are accurately reproduced) and that a four-factor solution better fits the responses, but with more error than desirable in both solutions. This finding is consistent with an earlier confirmatory factor analysis of the responses of 141 teachers which suggested that a four-factor rather than three-factor solution was preferred. Implications for use of the OSI-R and for further research are drawn. Richard Hicks Psychological Health http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/9 http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/9 Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:59:20 PST Vocational education and training (VET) policy is increasingly focused on the importance of quality in each VET institution's capacity to deliver effective programs. This report addresses institutional-level monitoring and evaluation of performance and provides a comprehensive model which institutes can use for this purpose. The model draws on background theory and practice and identifies a range of relevant indices across three dimensions: inputs, processes, and outputs/outcomes. The results are an important first step to an improved and empirically based understanding of the factors that contribute to successful outcomes from VET providers. © Copyright Australian National Training Authority, 2004 Graham Maxwell http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/8 http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/8 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:20:46 PDT The Report, Beyond the Middle: A Report about Literacy and Numeracy Development of a Target Group Students in the Middle Years of Schooling, provides a useful national coverage of approaches assisting the literacy and numeracy development of Australian students in Years 5 to 10. The work was undertaken by a research team headed by Professor Allan Luke and Professor John Elkins from the School of Education, University of Queensland and is a study of the efficacy of middle years programmes in all States and Territories for improving teaching and learning, and student outcomes in literacy and numeracy. The project involved large scale national and international literature reviews on Australian and international middle years approaches as well as an analysis of key literacy and/or numeracy teaching and learning strategies being used. Conclusions are drawn in relation to different approaches to middle year policy and frameworks and the need for more coherent approaches to curriculum assessment. © Copyright Commonwealth of Australia, 2003 Allan Luke http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/7 http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/7 Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:41:36 PDT In English-speaking, Western-Anglo countries, where smoking has become stigmatized in recent decades as a result of widespread anti-smoking campaigns, smokers commonly report poorer psychological health on average than non-smokers do. This may be indirectly related to the strong pressures to quit in such countries, as poorer psychological health is associated with a reduced likelihood of quitting, thus leading to a selection bias for smokers with relatively poorer psychological health. In the present study, 147 smoker and non-smoker participants either came from Western-Anglo countries where smoking has become stigmatized (Australia, Canada, U.S.) or countries in regions where smoking remains relatively more accepted (Asia, Latin America, Europe). Smokers and non-smokers were assessed on a widely used self-report measure of anxiety, depression, and stress. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant interaction between smoker status (smoker, non-smoker) and country of origin (Western-Anglo, Other) on psychological health ratings, with univariate analysis showing a significant interaction on anxiety scores. Among those from Western- Anglo countries, smokers reported significantly higher levels of anxiety than non-smokers did, whereas there was no difference in anxiety between smokers and non-smokers from other countries. There was no difference in number of cigarettes smoked per day between the samples of smokers, indicating very similar levels of nicotine intake in the two groups. The findings support the notion that a selection bias for smokers with relatively poorer psychological health is occurring in Western-Anglo countries. Michael Lyvers Psychological Health http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/6 http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/6 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:28:44 PST The impact of detention on psychological status, and quality of life was examined in a sample of 150 former refugee detainees from the Woomera Detention Centre now living in the Australian community. Detainees completed a Psychological status inventory including the Truncated Firestone Assessment of Self-destructive Thoughts (T-FAST),the Quality of Life Inventory, the Suicidal Ideation Scale, and the Profile of Mood States,. Former detainees reported their current status; and retrospectively reported their status while detained. The psychological health of refugee detainees improved significantly following their release into the Australian community. Self-reported levels of suicidal ideation, self-destructive thoughts and negative mood states were elevated significantly and quality of life was significantly reduced while being held in detention as compared with when the asylum seekers were living in the broader community. Mandatory incarceration in Australian detention centres of refugees appears to contribute to severe psychological distress. Farahnaz Sobhanian http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/4 http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/4 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:28:43 PST Assessing teacher stress has been a difficult and complex process, especially when comparisons across different professions have been considered. The Occupational Stress Inventory- Revised (OSI-R) offers a means of making such comparisons. The OSI-R model is theory-based and assesses the effects on the individual of three areas: occupational roles, psychological strain and coping resources. This current study reports the findings of confirmatory factor analyses of the three-factor stress model of the OSI-R, using a sample of 141 Australian teachers. It also reports the findings for a four-factor solution – with results demonstrating the four-factor model better fits the responses in the teacher sample but with more error than desirable. Further research is ongoing. Richard Hicks http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/5 http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/5 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:28:43 PST Quantitative behaviour analysis requires the classification of behaviour to produce the basic data. In practice, much of this work will be performed by multiple observers, and maximising inter-observer consistency is of particular importance. Another discipline where consistency in classification is vital is biological taxonomy. A classification tool of great utility, the binary key, is designed to simplify the classification decision process and ensure consistent identification of proper categories. We show how this same decision-making tool - the binary key - can be used to promote consistency in the classification of behaviour. The construction of a binary key also ensures that the categories in which behaviour is classified are complete and non-overlapping. We discuss the general principles of design of binary keys, and illustrate their construction and use with a practical example from education research. Mark Bahr http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/3 http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/3 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:28:42 PST Most advanced musicians are able to identify and label a heard pitch if given an opportunity to compare it to a known reference note. This is called ‘relative pitch’ (RP). A much rarer skill is the ability to identify and label a heard pitch without the need for a reference. This is colloquially referred to as ‘perfect pitch’, but appears in the academic literature as ‘absolute pitch’ (AP). AP is considered by many as a remarkable skill. As people do not seem able to develop it intentionally, it is generally regarded as innate. It is often seen as a unitary skill and that a set of identifiable criteria can distinguish those who possess the skill from those who do not. However, few studies have interrogated these notions. The present study developed and applied an interactive computer program to map pitch-labelling responses to various tonal stimuli without a known reference tone available to participants. This approach enabled the identification of the elements of sound that impacted on AP. Pitch-labelling responses of 14 participants with AP were recorded for their accuracy. Each participant’s response to the stimuli was unique. Their accuracy of labelling varied across dimensions such as timbre, range and tonality. The diversity of performance between individuals appeared to reflect their personal musical experience histories. Mark Bahr http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/1 http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/1 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:28:42 PST Informed by a literature review, this report, based on case studies of schools and survey data, has provided an analysis of the work of research in addressing the educational needs of boys. The report examined how systemic factors affect the educational performance and outcomes of boys and how these can be addressed in the school context. These systemic factors included family, school and community environments, peer culture, student-teacher relationships, and teacher classroom practices. The authors sought to understand how these variables affect the educational experiences and achievement of boys and girls from different socio-economic status backgrounds and to determine which school and classroom strategies ensure the best academic and social outcomes for all students. Mark Bahr http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/2 http://works.bepress.com/mark_bahr/2 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 11:28:42 PST For over seventy years science fiction authors have prognosticated about the impact of technology on society. These authors have had a remarkable degree of accuracy in describing some technologies, and even some social changes. H.G. Wells (1935), predicted the impact of technology on warfare at the turn of the century with remarkable accuracy. Aldous Huxley (1932) foresaw a Brave New World of bio-technology, teaching machines, and social engineering. More recently, Arthur C. Clarke accurately predicted the role of satellites in mass communication. Others have predicted the credit card, the cashless society, the subdermal i.d.'s, artificial organs, the hole in the ozone layer, and global climate change. Even Dick Tracey's wristwatch telephone is now available. Mark Bahr