Andrea Crampton

IPODS AREN'T JUST FOR TUNES: Exploring podcasting as a socio-cultural technology facilitating student experiences of higher education in rural Australia

New communication technologies are bringing about social, as well as technical, changes in learning environments. This study explores the impact one new communication technology, podcasting, has had on students’ educational experiences at a rural Australian university. Contextualized in a broader social environment, where it is critically theorized that institutions of higher education sell knowledge as a commercial good, this study uses qualitative survey data of distant and internal student experiences to present student expectations and cultural norms. Findings reveal that the majority of student comments reflect support for podcasting as a learning tool and as a means to personalize distance education which for some, and particularly rural students, can be an isolating experience. Additionally, commentary reflects that education in an increasing commodified culture brings heightened consumer expectations for equity in educational experience and delivery services, as well as student-driven assessment of educational products’ quality and authenticity.

Social network perspectives reveal strength of academic developers as weak ties

Social network perspectives acknowledge the influence of disciplinary cultures on academics’ teaching beliefs and practices with implications for academic developers. The contribution of academic developers in 18 scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) projects situated in the sciences are explored by drawing on data from a two-year national project in Australia within a case study research design. The application of a social network lens illuminated the contribution of eight academic developers as weak ties who infused SoTL knowledge within teams. Two heuristic cases of academic developers who also linked across networks are presented. Implications of social network perspective are discussed.

Perceived agricultural runoff impact on drinking water.

Agricultural runoff into surface water is a problem in Australia, as it is in arguably all agriculturally active countries. While farm practices and resource management measures are employed to reduce downstream effects, they are often either technically insufficient or practically unsustainable. Therefore, consumers may still be exposed to agrichemicals whenever they turn on the tap. For rural residents surrounded by agriculture, the link between agriculture and water quality is easy to make and thus informed decisions about water consumption are possible. Urban residents, however, are removed from agricultural activity and indeed drinking water sources. Urban and rural residents were interviewed to identify perceptions of agricultures impact on drinking water. Rural residents thought agriculture could impact their water quality and, in many cases, actively avoided it, often preferring tank to surface water sources. Urban residents generally did not perceive agriculture to pose health risks to their drinking water. Although there are more agricultural contaminants recognised in the latest Australian Drinking Water Guidelines than previously, we argue this is insufficient to enhance consumer protection. Health authorities may better serve the public by improving their proactivity and providing communities and water utilities with the capacity to effectively monitor and address agricultural runoff.

My Water's Fine, Isn't It? An Exploration of the Gendered Perception of Water Quality and Security in Australia

Abstract Drinking water is one of the most vital elements to the well-being of all species on earth, yet is something many humans in developed nations take for granted. Drawing from face-to-face interviews with 169 Australian residents in four capital cities (Brisbane, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney) and rural locations (Wagga Wagga and other localities), we present findings on men and women’s perceptions and concerns about their drinking water, including contamination by agriculture and terrorism. Findings show variation by gender, location, urbanisation, and the type and quantity of concerns, with the majority of the sample having limited concerns about their drinking water despite media and scientific evidence of contamination events in Australia. Finally, we propose in light of the limited legislative protection of water quality in Australia and the reality of monitoring inequity between urban and rural locations, more research is needed to ensure the limited perception of risks identified in this study matches the true risks posed to consumers.

Sense of Connection, Identity, and Academic Success in Distance Education: Sociologically Exploring Online Learning Environments

ABSTRACT Online learning increasingly embodies distance education as a flexible delivery mode in higher education in Australia and beyond. Attractive to adult learners, among others, its market advantages are well-documented, as are its challenges which vary by degree and technological delivery style. Nevertheless, for geographical reasons, notably rurality/remoteness, and caring responsibilities, for many students, it remains the only option for career change/progression as online degrees are increasingly marketed and pursued for employment reasons. Despite increasing popularity, online study is characterised by high attrition rates. “Sense of connection” is one way to identify if students feel isolated or connected to others sharing/delivering their higher education experience – classmates and lecturers – while self-identifying as a university student generally or part of one’s course specifically may help further knowledge of the complex relationship self- and social-identity play in the process of achieving academic success. Quantitative and qualitative data generated from telephone interviews with 122 undergraduates enrolled in arts, paramedics, policing and science courses at a rural-regional Australian university are presented to reveal if and how identity and perceived sense-of-connection affected student experiences.

Environmental campaign awareness, participation, and media visibility

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Implementing and investigating distributed leadership in a national university network – SaMnet

ABSTRACT The literature suggests that collaborative approaches to leadership, such as distributed leadership, are essential for supporting educational innovators in leading change in teaching in universities. This paper briefly describes the array of activities, processes and resources to support distributed leadership in the implementation of a network, the Science and Mathematics Network of Australian University Educators – SaMnet. The research study investigated participating educational innovators’ experiences of distributed leadership using a mixed method approach after 2 years of immersion in SaMnet. Fifty innovators from 100 were surveyed and data analysed to obtain influences of the teams, the institution and SaMnet. Focus groups were used to extract rich descriptions of the experiences of the innovators. The study suggests that distributed leadership as the approach underpinning SaMnet cultivated leadership helping to complement team and institutional influences in a measurable way and to support educational innovators in leading change in university science and mathematics teaching.