Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences
Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work

UniSA home

Directory

Email

myUniSA

Library

About UniSA

Study at UniSA

Research

Community

• CREEW Homepage
  • About CREEW
  • Member directory
  • Events
    • Events 2004
    • Events 2005
    • Events 2006
    • Events 2007
    • Events 2008
    • Events 2009
  • Research support
    • Postgraduates
    • Graduates
  • Publications
  • Projects
    • Educational Policy
    • Learning/Teaching/Curriculum
    • Professional development
    • Workplace/Change/Innovation
    • Completed projects
  • CREEW's News
  • HRI
  • School of Education
  • Division of EASS
  • Links

CREEW'S News

November 2005

Hello everybody

Welcome to the last CREEW's News of the year - a bumper crop as expected.  Please continue to send in news of your activities and interests, as they happen.  Have a wonderful, productive, relaxing, enjoyable summer (southern hemisphere members) and winter (northern hemisphere members) and very best wishes for the new year from all at CREEW!

• Research News
• Publications
• Conferences and presentations
• Awards
• Professional Practice
• Seminar Program
• Centre News
• Meet the CREEW
• Future CREEW's News

---

Research News

• Denise Macgregor recently won a University Commissioned Teaching grant ($16,000) to explore the assessment strategies implemented in the TAFE Courses offered in the LBDT program with a view developing collaborative assessment strategies between the sectors.

• Three CREEW members have won international Grants from the Hawke Institute, to commence in November:
  Peter Willis for 'The contribution of adult and vocational education to social sustainability'
  Elaine Butler for 'Unsettling pedagogy and knowing', and
  Robert Hattam for 'Reconciliation Pedagogies'.

• Peter writes about his project: The planned project explores existing and possible contributions of Adult and vocational Education (AVE) to social sustainability in parts of Australia, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. Under the influence of rapid global and local change particularly in areas concerned with production, ecology and social relationships, Adult and vocational Education has increasingly become necessary for societies to safeguard and increase their sustainability. Adult and vocational education is one of the major ways in which societies, under pressures of such social and technological change, seek to upgrade the skills, knowledge and understandings of their adult citizens. A society seeking to remain sustainable requires the development within its working citizens (both paid and unpaid) of new knowledge and skills. This project contributes towards the development within the Hawke Research Institute of a major intellectual focus in what is now recognised as an area of global importance. The declaration from an experts meeting on VET for Sustainability in Bonn in October 2004, under the aegis of UNEVOC, stated that technical and vocational education and training must be the master key that can alleviate poverty, promote peace, conserve the environment, improve the quality of life for all and help achieve sustainable development. This project therefore, may well present opportunities in the near future with such significant international bodies as UNESCO/UNEVOC. The accompanying action plan to the above declaration noted the growing need for practical research and that UNESCO will be seeking out international centres of excellence in this field in the next three to five years.

top^

 

Publications

• Clayton, B & Harris, R (2005) Visions for Australian VET, The Australian TAFE Teacher, vol. 39, no. 3, October, p. 16-17.

• Lawless A, Tonkin A, Leaton T & Ozolins I. 2005, November. 'Integrating gender and culture into medical curricula: putting principles into practice.', in Diversity in Health and Social Care Journal', Nov 2005, Vol 2, No 2, pp 1430150 (8).

• Rogers G, Barton C, Pekarsky B, Lawless A, Oddy J, Hepworth R, and Beilby J. 'Caring for a marginalised community: the costs of engaging with culture and complexity'. Medical Journal Australia Supplement October, 2005 (In Press).

• Gary Rogers, Michael Curry, Chris Barton, Brita Pekarsky, Ann Lawless, Joy Oddy, Justin Beilby. 'Primary Health Care for homosexually active men: Successful but no more costly'. Public Health Association of Australia Annual Conference, 2005.

• Lawless A. 2005. Book Review of K P King's 'Bringing Transformative Learning to Life', Australian Journal of Adult Education, vol 45 no 3, October 2005 (pending).

• Lawless A. September 2005. 'Demanding Choices', MP Feminist Journal Online. Vol 1, Issue 3 September 27th 2005.

• Lawless, A. Editors desk, Australian Journal of Adult Learning, vol 45, no 2, July 2005.

• Le Cornu, R. (2005) Peer Mentoring: engaging pre-service teachers in mentoring each other, Mentoring and Tutoring, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 355-366.

• Helen Raduntz reports:
  It may not be widely known but the internet book seller Amazon, at both www.amazon.co.uk and www.amazon.com makes provision under their book titles for anyone to attach a review. Its a good way for authors to get friends and supporters to promote their books.  And so it was that I entered a review of Ruth Rikowskis book: Globalisation, Information And Libraries: The Implications of the World Trade Organisation's GATS And TRIPS Agreements.  The book is relevant to educators and others as well. It is also an informative read and a copy is in the UniSA library.
  Review: 
  Outside the legal profession and the sphere of economics Ruth Rikowskis book is a refreshing attempt to critically address and explain to information professionals and to the general public the implications of the World Trade Organizations GATS and TRIPS agreements with regard to the free flow of ideas, access to information, and effects on information services.
  One of the distinctive features of Rikowskis book, which I found extremely thought provoking and useful, is her open Marxist theoretical perspective. It is an approach which, by drawing on Marxs labour theory of value, enables her to demonstrate how in an information based and globalising economy the GATS and TRIPS agreements make it possible for the value of intellectual labour, embedded in information processes and products, to be converted into capital and transferred into the hands of those in big business who seek to augment their already massive capital assets at the expense of the interests of the general public.
  Although the subject matter is by nature somewhat technical, nevertheless the book is based on thorough research and is highly accessible and informative.It is for all these reasons that I highly recommend Rikowskis book to readers.

• Reid, A (2005) Creating an Educational Crisis, in the Independent Weekly, 9 October, 2005

top^

 

Conferences and presentations

• Sue Gelade was one of the participants presenting their perspectives at a multi-disciplinary seminar later in August ,Neocolonialism and critical transformation: exploring perspectives on internationalisation in higher education.  The seminar was part of a Big Thinkers symposium on Judith Butler, following a symposium with Judith in Sydney, which was attended by several of our researchers and postgraduate members.

• Roger Harris presented 'Pathways or crazy paving?  Students moving between VET and higher education sectors' at the annual Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association's (AVETRA) OctoberVET2005 Conference 'VET pathways, Programs and career development', in Adelaide on 21 October. This presentation reported on two CREEW projects: 'Student Traffic' and 'Stepping Stones'.

• Roger Harris presented a seminar on CREEW and its research to GREWC (Group for Research in Employment and Workplace Change) in the UniSA Business Division on 20 October.

• Rob Hattam gave a keynote lecture at the Australian Guidance and Counselling Association Conference in Adelaide, 29 September entitled: 'The (im)possibility of listening to early school leavers: implications for middle schooling'.

• Steve Keirl presented two refereed papers at the recent Australian Curriculum Studies Association Biennial Conference held at the University of the Sunshine Coast: 'Australia expectsskills, creativity, innovation and Nelsonian broadsides - Design and Technology Education and blurry curriculum visions', and 'Critiquing, Designing and Making in the Middle Years in Design and Technology Education a commentary on the interplay'.

• Le Cornu, R. & White, B. (2005), 'A Pedagogical partnership approach to Professional experience', paper presented at the British Educational Research Association conference, 14 -17 Sept., University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd.

• Le Cornu, R., Peters, J., Foster, M., Barrett, R. & Stratfold, J. (2005), 'What constitutes significant change in reforming schools?', paper presented at the British Educational Research Association conference, 14 -17 Sept., University of Glamorgan, Pontypridd.

• Linda Rainey presented 'Evaluating career development services' at the annual Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association's (AVETRA) OctoberVET2005 Conference 'VET pathways, Programs and career development', in Adelaide on 21 October.  This presentation reported on two CREEW projects: 'Stepping Stones' and 'Choosing VET'.

• Alan Reid presented a keynote address: Public education: Whither or wither? at the annual conference of the Australian Council of State School Organisations (ACSSO), at the Chifley Hotel, Canberra, ACT, on 18 October, 2005.

• Alan Reid presented an invited seminar on Research and the SACE Review to staff at Flinders University, on Friday 21 October

top^

 

Awards

Jane Connell, a CREEW PhD candidate and Professor of Problem Centred Studies in the School of Arts and Community Studies at Cape Breton University, received the 'Cape Breton University Award for Instructional Leadership' at the President's Dinner during Convocation in May.
'This award recognizes substantial contributions to the development of the teaching and learning community at Cape Breton University. This award is meant to recognize a broad range of contributions, including, but not limited to, the creation of new courses and programs, devising and implementing innovative strategies for instruction, making contributions to faculty development, and conducting research on teaching and learning issues. While all of these thinks naturally connect to teaching itself, this award is aimed at acknowledging the important work that happens outside the classroom.'
Among other reasons, Jane's thesis research was one reason she received this award. She conducted a workshop for the university on "Barriers to Participation" and presented at various teaching and learning conferences.
Jane's thesis is 'Adult Learner Barriers In Problem-Based Learning: A Holistic Approach'. The focus of this research is a holistic analysis of adult learner barriers and strategies in an undergraduate, problem-based university program. Utilizing Crosss Chain-of-Response (COR) model for participation in adult education, this research explores adult learner barriers and strategies from multiple perspectives. The research is taking place at Cape Breton University within the Bachelor of Arts Community Studies program and specifically with the Problem Centered Studies students. This research examines the barriers faced by adult learners in problem-based learning courses in an attempt to understand the challenges that adult learners experience, as determined by their lifestyle, family, and work environments. Additionally, the research explores the strategies adult learners employ to address these barriers in order to deepen understanding of these strategies. The research includes multiple perspectives and a holistic approach by studying: lifestyle, family, work, and academics. Ultimately, each of these areas is inextricably linked.
Congratulations Jane!

top^

 

Professional Practice

• Michael ODonoghue has been elected President of  the Australian Association for the Study of Religion . Congratulations Michael!

• Rosemary Badenoch provided one of the eulogies at the funeral of Grace Tombil on Tuesday 18 October.  Grace, a curriculum officer with PNG Education Department, came to work with the School of Education for a major curriculum reform project. The School will explore ways to support Graces children in education. Staff of EDS, and partner education organisations in South Australia, including DECS and CEASA, along with local PNG nationals attended .

top^

 

Seminar Program

• October saw a full CREEW seminar program with presentations from:
  Colleen McLaughlin: Spectators in school bullying
  Rebecca Spence (UNE): Building relationships across deep divisions: the challenge of achieving social sustainability in war torn societies
  Dieter Sczesny: Learning in the pub
  21 Tom Short (Uni of Auckland): Aligning workplace learning with business strategy: a fanciful dream of HRD professionals or absolute reality?

 

top^

 

Centre News

There have been some changes to the CREEW website, to bring it up to date and to align it with web sites of other research concentrations at the Hawke Research Institute, as follows:

• the most recent Activity Report has been linked to the web page 'About CREEW';

• 2005 research projects have been added to the four quartiles - members are invited to check their entries and to supply descriptions for their projects, where these are lacking;

• a new page  'Publications 2005'  is under development - at present it contains a rough listing of publications reported in previous editions of CREEW's News (except this November edition), by author - please check your entries are correctly listed here;

• a new page 'Research Support' contains the following sections: Services for members; Seminar programs/events; Practicum scholarships; Postgraduates group; and Services for the educational profession. 

• The 'Postgraduate group' page will be further developed with suggestions from postgrads.  It is suggested it contain the following: name, thesis title, supervisor, a short profile, a picture.  It will also contain details about the postgraduate reading group.

• Further work on the website will entail presenting it under the Hawke Research Institute banner.

 

top^

 

Meet the CREEW

Ann Lawson writes:

'I joined CREEW as a PhD candidate this year, looking into the radical wisdom of change-agents and activists in the higher education sector. I used an early edition of CREEW newsletter to introduce myself to other CREEW people. Perhaps now is a good time to reflect with you on my experience this year. I also hold down several jobs at the University of Adelaide mainly within the Medical School where I work as the Clinical Skills Coordinator for third year medicine but also as a diversity consultant on several research projects, including a national collaboration of medical schools and also a HIV-AIDS research project; and as a Cross-cultural Trainer for the University of Adelaides Centre for Learning and Professional Development.

With that mad pastiche of part-time and fractional time short-term jobs, and the PhD study at Mawson Lakes, it is sometimes difficult to discern between the capacity building I do in one role and in another. Equity, social justice and diversity issues have threaded through all of my work throughout my career but especially this year, and that too is the core of my PhD. I have done thirteen publications and presentations this year, from a chapter in a book on whiteness (which will be launched in December, my very first chapter and I am very excited about it too!), five conference abstracts and presentations, several journal articles, a guest editorial, a book review, a report to Office Status Women, in-house publications for the Medical School and even a poem (for a feminist online journal which I heard about through the Hawke Centres wonderful email broadcasts to students and staff).

As a member of the general staff at Adelaide Uni it is not as relevant to my career path to get published as it would be for my academic colleagues, and on reflection most of my motivation has been dissemination of research and ideas but also another motivation has been exploring the interconnections between my multiple jobs and the PhD research that by working so hard on publications, I have moved forward in thinking, reading and conversing about the PhD research topic.

I am very grateful to the research students and staff of CREEW and of the School of Education who have been so positive and supportive of my first year as an internal PhD student. Their collegiality and relationship-building has enriched my life and my study, and shown me what a research culture can be like. Sometime soon I hope to come up for air and not be quiet so obsessed with juggling work and study, and desperately seeking the work-study-life balance. A learning goal is to sit back and enjoy the long bus-ride from city to Mawson Lakes without scrambling for reading materials and wildly scribbling notes it is rather daunting to think that I barely know the view, given how deeply I love looking around and just being'.

top^

 

Future CREEW's News

This newsletter will doubless be the last for 2005, with the summer break looming.  However please continue to send in news about your activities  and interests as they occur. 

top^