Astrofest is an annual astronomy festival coordinated by the International Centre for Radioastron... more Astrofest is an annual astronomy festival coordinated by the International Centre for Radioastronomy Research (ICRAR). The event takes places on the grounds of Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia. The event is free and open to the public. Both indoor and outdoor activities are held, including solar observing, guest speakers, an astrophotography exhibition, stalls and a solar system walk. The event is popular, with over 4,000 people attending in 2014.
A case study evaluation was conducted of “The Clock”, an interactive theatre performance designed... more A case study evaluation was conducted of “The Clock”, an interactive theatre performance designed to engage regional Australian audiences with science in an accessible and entertaining way. “The Clock” intended to challenge perceptions of aging and the aged. Immediately after the performance, audience members were asked to complete a short survey about their experience. In total, 253 responses were received after five different performances. Responses indicate “The Clock” was well received; 89% of respondents indicated that they enjoyed the experience; 69% indicated they learned something new; 55% said they were more interested in the process of aging after the performance; 45% said they wanted to find out more about the process of aging after the performance; and 23% indicated that before viewing “The Clock”, they had not realised that science was relevant to their everyday lives. When asked what new information they had learned, common response themes included changed perceptions ...
A case study evaluation was conducted of “The Clock”, an interactive theatre performance designed... more A case study evaluation was conducted of “The Clock”, an interactive theatre performance designed to engage regional Australian audiences with science in an accessible and entertaining way. “The Clock” intended to challenge perceptions of aging and the aged. Immediately after the performance, audience members were asked to complete a short survey about their experience. In total, 253 responses were received after five different performances. Responses indicate “The Clock” was well received; 89% of respondents indicated that they enjoyed the experience; 69% indicated they learned something new; 55% said they were more interested in the process of aging after the performance; 45% said they wanted to find out more about the process of aging after the performance; and 23% indicated that before viewing “The Clock”, they had not realised that science was relevant to their everyday lives. When asked what new information they had learned, common response themes included changed perceptions ...
Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability
To gain employment and a fulfilling career, students need to understand the skills and knowledge ... more To gain employment and a fulfilling career, students need to understand the skills and knowledge that are important and how to articulate and evidence their employability. Here we report on research investigating science students’ priorities related to immediate employment vs. long-term employability and the factors that students perceive as important to these. We interviewed 138 science students from four Australian universities and found that they were most focused on immediate employment. Students were keen to participate in opportunities to ‘value add’ to their degree, especially those that might help them to gain relevant work experience and professional networks. However, students’ understanding of the relative importance of experiences and skills that would enhance their employability was variable, as was their understanding of the career pathways that they might pursue. Our analysis highlights the importance of explicitly designing curriculum to help students understand the ...
Open Oceans: Learning without borders. Proceedings ASCILITE 2018, 2018
Students who study wholly online have different expectations and face different challenges than s... more Students who study wholly online have different expectations and face different challenges than students studying on-campus. Similarly, the experience, capabilities and expectations of postgraduate students differ from those of undergraduate students, especially school-leavers. Both online and postgraduate cohorts exhibit high attrition rates, often linked to time constraints, poor preparation and dissatisfaction with learning experiences not tailored to their needs. Yet little attention has been paid to how orientation and transition support might be customised to better accommodate these cohorts. In this paper, we provide a rationale and case study for developing an online narrative-led orientation resource tailored to address issues of affiliation, connection and belonging, specific to postgraduate students.
Students who study entirely online have different expectations in regards to engaging with learni... more Students who study entirely online have different expectations in regards to engaging with learning and face different challenges to students studying on campus. Similarly, the experience, capabilities and expectations of postgraduate students differ from those of undergraduate students, especially school-leavers. Online and postgraduate cohorts both exhibit high attrition rates, often linked to poor preparation for study and dissatisfaction with learning experiences not tailored to their needs. Yet little attention has been paid to how orientation and transition support might be customised to better accommodate cohort differences. In this paper, we provide a rationale for tailoring resources and support to the unique circumstances of the students who will use them, and provide an example of an online orientation resource designed for postgraduate students studying entirely online.
The current high rates of lamb mortality pose both economic and social risks for the Australian s... more The current high rates of lamb mortality pose both economic and social risks for the Australian sheep industry. Research has shown that certain practices, such as the provision of shelter, focus-feeding and selection for temperament, can reduce lamb mortality rates by up to 50% but adoption of these strategies by producers has been low. This study used the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a framework to explore producers' beliefs, attitudes, social norms and perceptions of control about lamb mortality and the strategies designed to improve lamb survival rates. We found that, although producers expressed positive beliefs and attitudes towards improving lamb survival rates, they had mixed beliefs and attitudes towards individual improvement strategies. Social norms and perceptions of control appeared to play an important role in determining behaviour. Enterprise factors, such as goals and the primacy of sheep, appeared influence producers' attitudes towards lamb survival and the strategies designed to improve it.
Educatiing for Sustainability: Proceedings of the Teaching and Learning Forum 2010, 2010
There have been recent moves to replace the use of animals in teaching with interactive computer ... more There have been recent moves to replace the use of animals in teaching with interactive computer programs and simulations. However, it is important to understand student attitudes towards non-animal alternatives to the use of animals to ensure that students receive a valuable ...
Despite increasing recognition of the importance of work-integrated learning (WIL) in developing ... more Despite increasing recognition of the importance of work-integrated learning (WIL) in developing work-ready graduates, science students participate in WIL less than students in other disciplines. We spoke to science students at four Australian universities to investigate their experience and perceptions of WIL. Students perceived WIL as most valuable when it was contextualised to their career ambitions and located in a workplace, but they also valued other contextualised experiences on campus. They suggested that all students should have access to WIL, especially placements, but their own access to opportunities had been variable. Students suggested that embedding WIL opportunities early in degrees would increase awareness of, and access to, WIL. Further, they recommended that all degrees should include the opportunity to participate in a placement, although there was disagreement on whether those opportunities should be optional or compulsory. Our findings suggest that limited awareness and opportunities to engage in WIL are responsible for reduced participation, rather than disinterest. Our findings highlight the importance of building explicit WIL into degree programs to ensure greater access and understanding. Providing some experiences early, is also important to raising awareness in time for students to seek additional opportunities relevant to their career ambitions.
Astrofest is an annual astronomy festival coordinated by the International Centre for Radioastron... more Astrofest is an annual astronomy festival coordinated by the International Centre for Radioastronomy Research (ICRAR). The event takes places on the grounds of Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia. The event is free and open to the public. Both indoor and outdoor activities are held, including solar observing, guest speakers, an astrophotography exhibition, stalls and a solar system walk. The event is popular, with over 4,000 people attending in 2014.
A case study evaluation was conducted of “The Clock”, an interactive theatre performance designed... more A case study evaluation was conducted of “The Clock”, an interactive theatre performance designed to engage regional Australian audiences with science in an accessible and entertaining way. “The Clock” intended to challenge perceptions of aging and the aged. Immediately after the performance, audience members were asked to complete a short survey about their experience. In total, 253 responses were received after five different performances. Responses indicate “The Clock” was well received; 89% of respondents indicated that they enjoyed the experience; 69% indicated they learned something new; 55% said they were more interested in the process of aging after the performance; 45% said they wanted to find out more about the process of aging after the performance; and 23% indicated that before viewing “The Clock”, they had not realised that science was relevant to their everyday lives. When asked what new information they had learned, common response themes included changed perceptions ...
A case study evaluation was conducted of “The Clock”, an interactive theatre performance designed... more A case study evaluation was conducted of “The Clock”, an interactive theatre performance designed to engage regional Australian audiences with science in an accessible and entertaining way. “The Clock” intended to challenge perceptions of aging and the aged. Immediately after the performance, audience members were asked to complete a short survey about their experience. In total, 253 responses were received after five different performances. Responses indicate “The Clock” was well received; 89% of respondents indicated that they enjoyed the experience; 69% indicated they learned something new; 55% said they were more interested in the process of aging after the performance; 45% said they wanted to find out more about the process of aging after the performance; and 23% indicated that before viewing “The Clock”, they had not realised that science was relevant to their everyday lives. When asked what new information they had learned, common response themes included changed perceptions ...
Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability
To gain employment and a fulfilling career, students need to understand the skills and knowledge ... more To gain employment and a fulfilling career, students need to understand the skills and knowledge that are important and how to articulate and evidence their employability. Here we report on research investigating science students’ priorities related to immediate employment vs. long-term employability and the factors that students perceive as important to these. We interviewed 138 science students from four Australian universities and found that they were most focused on immediate employment. Students were keen to participate in opportunities to ‘value add’ to their degree, especially those that might help them to gain relevant work experience and professional networks. However, students’ understanding of the relative importance of experiences and skills that would enhance their employability was variable, as was their understanding of the career pathways that they might pursue. Our analysis highlights the importance of explicitly designing curriculum to help students understand the ...
Open Oceans: Learning without borders. Proceedings ASCILITE 2018, 2018
Students who study wholly online have different expectations and face different challenges than s... more Students who study wholly online have different expectations and face different challenges than students studying on-campus. Similarly, the experience, capabilities and expectations of postgraduate students differ from those of undergraduate students, especially school-leavers. Both online and postgraduate cohorts exhibit high attrition rates, often linked to time constraints, poor preparation and dissatisfaction with learning experiences not tailored to their needs. Yet little attention has been paid to how orientation and transition support might be customised to better accommodate these cohorts. In this paper, we provide a rationale and case study for developing an online narrative-led orientation resource tailored to address issues of affiliation, connection and belonging, specific to postgraduate students.
Students who study entirely online have different expectations in regards to engaging with learni... more Students who study entirely online have different expectations in regards to engaging with learning and face different challenges to students studying on campus. Similarly, the experience, capabilities and expectations of postgraduate students differ from those of undergraduate students, especially school-leavers. Online and postgraduate cohorts both exhibit high attrition rates, often linked to poor preparation for study and dissatisfaction with learning experiences not tailored to their needs. Yet little attention has been paid to how orientation and transition support might be customised to better accommodate cohort differences. In this paper, we provide a rationale for tailoring resources and support to the unique circumstances of the students who will use them, and provide an example of an online orientation resource designed for postgraduate students studying entirely online.
The current high rates of lamb mortality pose both economic and social risks for the Australian s... more The current high rates of lamb mortality pose both economic and social risks for the Australian sheep industry. Research has shown that certain practices, such as the provision of shelter, focus-feeding and selection for temperament, can reduce lamb mortality rates by up to 50% but adoption of these strategies by producers has been low. This study used the Theory of Planned Behaviour as a framework to explore producers' beliefs, attitudes, social norms and perceptions of control about lamb mortality and the strategies designed to improve lamb survival rates. We found that, although producers expressed positive beliefs and attitudes towards improving lamb survival rates, they had mixed beliefs and attitudes towards individual improvement strategies. Social norms and perceptions of control appeared to play an important role in determining behaviour. Enterprise factors, such as goals and the primacy of sheep, appeared influence producers' attitudes towards lamb survival and the strategies designed to improve it.
Educatiing for Sustainability: Proceedings of the Teaching and Learning Forum 2010, 2010
There have been recent moves to replace the use of animals in teaching with interactive computer ... more There have been recent moves to replace the use of animals in teaching with interactive computer programs and simulations. However, it is important to understand student attitudes towards non-animal alternatives to the use of animals to ensure that students receive a valuable ...
Despite increasing recognition of the importance of work-integrated learning (WIL) in developing ... more Despite increasing recognition of the importance of work-integrated learning (WIL) in developing work-ready graduates, science students participate in WIL less than students in other disciplines. We spoke to science students at four Australian universities to investigate their experience and perceptions of WIL. Students perceived WIL as most valuable when it was contextualised to their career ambitions and located in a workplace, but they also valued other contextualised experiences on campus. They suggested that all students should have access to WIL, especially placements, but their own access to opportunities had been variable. Students suggested that embedding WIL opportunities early in degrees would increase awareness of, and access to, WIL. Further, they recommended that all degrees should include the opportunity to participate in a placement, although there was disagreement on whether those opportunities should be optional or compulsory. Our findings suggest that limited awareness and opportunities to engage in WIL are responsible for reduced participation, rather than disinterest. Our findings highlight the importance of building explicit WIL into degree programs to ensure greater access and understanding. Providing some experiences early, is also important to raising awareness in time for students to seek additional opportunities relevant to their career ambitions.
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Papers by Joanne Elliott