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Cultural dimensions of Indigenous participation in vocational education and training: new perspectives by Alfred Michael Dockery, Centre for Labour Market Research and Curtin University This report provides new evidence on the interrelationships between Indigenous Australians' affiliation with their traditional culture and the nature of their engagement with vocational education and training (VET). It aims to enhance our understanding of the causal channels through which culture shapes VET participation and outcomes, and vice versa, and builds on previous work presented in the author's 2009 publication, Cultural dimensions of Indigenous participation in education and training, in a number of ways. Most importantly, richer measures of culture are developed which capture separate elements of the broader concept of 'cultural attachment'. Using these measures and more recent data, previous findings relating to past educational attainment and participation in training are reassessed. Evidence is also presented on the links between cultural attachment and current participation in education and on the benefits Indigenous Australians derive from education and training, conditional upon remoteness and cultural attachment.

The use of e-assessment is increasing rapidly in the vocational education and training(VET) sector in Australia. Recent national benchmarking surveys, conducted by the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework), revealed that over forty per cent of Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) and more than sixty per cent of teachers and trainers are using some form of e-assessment (Australian Flexible Learning Framework 2010).The most common form of e-assessment appears to be the online quiz (Callan and Clayton, 2010). However the consultations conducted during the development of these guidelines revealed that assessors are using a wide range of e-assessment strategies to collect evidence, provide feedback and record and report assessment outcomes. Both the Framework and the former National Quality Council have been keen to promote e-assessment and to ensure that e-assessment materials and practices are consistent with the principles of good assessment that are embedded in the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF).To this end, the Council and the Framework commissioned the development of this set of guidelines. These are designed to: promote quality e-assessment materials and practices that are consistent with the (AQTF), ensure that e-assessment materials are readily accessible across the VET system,and  encourage further innovation in the design and deployment of e-assessment materials and systems.It is envisaged that a range of stakeholders will use the guidelines. For example: enterprise and industry organisations may use the guidelines to check that eassessment materials meet the relevant competency standards, are accessible to all employees and are deployed in the most efficient manner. RTOs may use the guidelines to inform decisions about the acquisition or development of e-assessment materials and systems.  assessors may apply the guidelines in deciding how e-assessment materials and systems may be used to enha

The ability to access information and communication technologies (ICTs), particularly via the Internet and mobile phones, is increasingly vital to full participation in economic, social, and political life.

By analysing topics of interest and concern to Australians the researchers have been able to build a 'network map' [of Twitter users] showing the connections between different issues and areas. "Just as newspapers have circulation reports and TV has its ratings, it is important to understand the role which new media are playing in our society," they say.

Australian researchers have found that women who experience gender-based violence have a higher prevalence of mental health disorders.

The architect of early intervention in Australian psychiatry, Patrick McGorry, has abandoned the idea pre-psychosis should be listed as a new psychiatric disorder.

There are plenty of sites dealing with the use of the apostrophe in English, but many people just want a quick answer to a question that arises in the course of their work.  The following examples show correct usage for questions that arise frequently, and apply equally to British English, American English, Australian English and New Zealand English. A general tip for checking that your use of apostrophes is correct is to change the phrase around so that the part before the apostrophe becomes the last word.  If it still has the same meaning, the apostrophe was correct.

Great page with quick references and easy to follow.

This page is great because it's Australian.

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Family Studies

Article behind a paywall, but info worth knowing. No mention of the report itself of course! INDIGENOUS employment statistics are not just bleak, they're opaque and often out of date, making it harder to develop a coherent policy response to the problem. This concern, raised in research to be published today, has prompted key Aboriginal employment groups to call on the federal government to change its approach to collecting employment data for indigenous Australians.

This booklet outlines the results of research the Frameworkcommissioned into how e-learning innovations can be sustained withinorganisations, available athttp://flexiblelearning.net.au/content/benchmarking-and-researchpublications.The research identifies what Australian organisations just like yours, aredoing to build e-learning into how they deliver training now and in thefuture. Their experiences provide some valuable lessons to save yourorganisation time and money in developing more flexible staff trainingsolutions.The booklet summarises the:* evidence for the uptake of e-learning in the delivery of training* benefits of e-learning for employees, employers and training organisations* findings from the Framework funded research into practices that sustain the use of e-learning in training* guidelines around e-learning good practice.

This report addresses two critical questions: Q1. What is the evidence around how Australian RTOs are sustaining e-learning?  Q2. Going forward, what factors might guide the achievement of more sustainable  e-learning innovations in the future? 

Wikis in education 12 April, 2012 | Interactive web services at the turn of the 21st century spawned a number of new alluring ways to use online services writes Gerry White in DERN.

Mobile learning is not pervasive in higher education and yet its potential is enormous. This paper describes a project to instigate mobile learning in a School of Education using a wholeof- school approach to technological literacy and professional learning among academic staff.

Aimed at school classrooms but relevant for all classrooms. Report on how today's educators are personalising the leraning process for students.