Showcase ABSTRACTS
All presentations between 1 and 4pm
Exact times and room links available closer to Showcase day
PRESENTERS
Choeda Lynda Grasshopper Anne Hellwig Hussain Hussaini Junjie Liu Xin Meng Robin Nagy Lauren Renshaw Fievel Tong Jodie Torrington Annette Turney Ruth Winfield Anthony Wotring
Choeda Lynda Grasshopper Anne Hellwig Hussain Hussaini Junjie Liu Xin Meng Robin Nagy Lauren Renshaw Fievel Tong Jodie Torrington Annette Turney Ruth Winfield Anthony Wotring
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Choeda
University of Technology Sydney Smartphone supported teaching and learning in Bhutan: Preliminary findings |
Though Bhutan has embraced Information and communication technologies (ICT) in the form of radio communication since the early 1960s, the advanced form of ICT such as computers and mobile phones are recent phenomena in the country. However, within a few decades a significant progress was made in the development of ICT when Bhutan was ranked 117th among 175 nations in the ICT development index in 2016. The government has recognised ICT as an important component in all spheres of development, including education. Since ICT is identified as a tool to improve and transform the education system in the country, it is relevant to explore how the smartphone as an ICT tool affects the delivery of quality education. For the research, a phenomenological case study was conducted at Samtse College of Education in Bhutan with 26 research participants, including lecturers, students, and college management. The study employed the following methods: document analysis, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, non-participant video-recorded classroom observation, and sense-making interviews. The interpretive Phenomenology Analysis framework (Smith et al., 2009), the seven-step process of Creswell and Poth (2018), and the thematic analysis framework of Braun et al. (2016) were used to analyse the data. In the preliminary analysis, three themes have emerged on the use of smartphone: the opportunity for co-construction of language, the opportunity of greater student participation and the opportunity for real-time feedback.
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Lynda Grasshopper
University of Technology Sydney Applying Dialogical Self Theory to the study of the language journey of people seeking asylum |
People seeking asylum in Australia have been denied access to government-supported English classes on arrival. Not-for-profit organisations offer free classes but participation is often brief and erratic. This research investigates the perspective of people seeking asylum on the place of English in their lives, what they gain from the available language classes, and how this compares with the perspective of the providers. Many challenges affecting asylum seekers are already well known. The aim is to look not just at attendance issues, but at how English features in their lives as they develop new identities and make sense of their lives in limbo. Language is strongly connected to the development of new identities and belonging, yet without a clear hope for the future, the work of building identity is more difficult. Dialogical Self Theory provides a way to understand engagement with oneself and others, past and present, looking at the dialogue between the many voices involved as people negotiate their way through life. Narrative style interviews and drawings will be used, involving 4 organisations with different program focus, a couple of teachers up to 6 language learners at each organisation. Some who chose not to attend classes will also be interviewed. Analysis of the data, including discussion of the drawings, will follow a three-step process for analysing multivoicedness, devised by Aveling et al. (2015). This presentation outlines Dialogical Self Theory, the operation of different I-positions in internal and external dialogues, and the method chosen for analysing these voices.
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Anne Hellwig
University of Wollongong Digital, multimodal composing in English for Architecture and Civil Engineering |
The applied disciplines of architecture and civil engineering (A&CE) require students to communicate multimodally and to manipulate meaning across media and modes. In their disciplinary studies for example, students must be able to transform the language of lectures and textbooks into diagrams; in their future workplaces, to transform reports into floor plans and 3D models. Such multimodal literacy, however, is not typically reflected in their related subject-specific English language courses. To better address the demands placed upon them, students in two university courses of English for A&CE were tasked with creating digital, multimodal artefacts to explain a concept from either of these fields to a lay audience. These artefacts, and subsequent interviews with the students as both composers and audience members, were examined through the lens of Systemic Functional Semiotics. Three main results have emerged, firstly, that multimodal assessment tasks such as these promote the communication of technical concepts, encourage opportunities for language development and also develop the students as social agents. Secondly, that A&CE models occurred frequently in the dataset, suggesting that models make meaning within a system of signs and have specific affordances which are observable when students ‘transduce’ between modes. Lastly, that interpersonal meaning was surprisingly important to the students, with 78% of artefacts featuring some kind of ‘mediated focalisation’, a framing technique more common to narrative than to the genres of the applied sciences. These three emergent directions have profound implications for educators wishing to incorporate digital, multimodal composing, especially in English for Special Purposes classrooms.
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Junjie Liu
Macquarie University Impacts of COVID-19 Restrictions on Young Children's Outdoor Activity: A Systematic Review |
The study seeks to examine whether early childhood educators from Australia and China changed their practices relating to outdoor play in response to health advice to limit the spread of COVID-19. This presentation focuses on a systematic review to examine international research on the impact of OVID-19 restrictions on outdoor activity. We sought to identify and synthesize available evidence to aid the understanding of the impact COVID-19 restrictions had on the outdoor activity of children birth to 12 years. Seven databases (Education Research Complete, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection, WHO COVID-19 Database) were searched for relevant journal articles in English published from 2020 on. Four qualitative and eleven quantitative studies were included after screening. JBI’s Critical Appraisal Tools were used for quality assessment. All qualitative studies showed an increase in outdoor activity. Less than half of the quantitative studies indicated an increase. Family demography, home characteristics, access to outdoor spaces, and parental support/encouragement/co-play were influential factors. The evidence also supports the recommendation for educators to increase children’s outdoor play time to adhere to the physical distancing guidance and sanitization requirements. Limited evidence suggests that when COVID-19 restrictions led to decreased outdoor activity, there was associated with less peer socialization. We identified significant gaps in understanding of the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on young children’s outdoor activity.
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Xin Meng
University of Sydney Chinese EFL Students’ Self-Regulated Learning Through WeChat – a case study in a university. |
This study aims to explore EFL (English as a foreign language) students’ self-regulated learning (SRL) in the context of social media in mainland China. Informed broadly by Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural theory, the current study is framed by four theoretical constructs: SRL, Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Vygotsky, 1978), scaffolding (Dabbagh, 2003; De Guerrero & Villamil, 2000), and interaction (Van Lier, 2014). Underpinned by this theoretical framework, an intervention case study design is adopted to examine a group of EFL students from a Chinese university to explore how learners engage in English learning through WeChat (a Chinese social media). Specifically, this study focuses on participants’ perceptions of SRL, their employment of SRL strategies while learning via WeChat; and factors impacting their SRL in the context of WeChat. This study aims to answer the following questions:
Q1: What are students’ perceptions of SRL and English learning via WeChat? Q2: How do EFL students engage in SRL via WeChat? Q3: What are the factors impacting EFL students’ SRL in context of WeChat? Data were collected from questionnaires, discussion records and files on WeChat, and semi-structured focus group interviews. Quantitative data from questionnaires were analysed manually with the help of an EXCEL spreadsheet extracted from REDCap. Qualitative data were categorised and coded following a process of successive approximation (Neuman, 2014). This study will contribute to the research literature on SRL via social media in China. This research will provide pedagogical implications for the effective use of social media to enhance EFL learning in a self-regulated mode in similar contexts. |
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Robin Nagy
University of New South Wales An Investigation into Students’ Effort and Achievement Gains |
Students’ effort represents a largely unexplored area of research that has the potential to have significant impacts on academic (and other) outcomes, due to its considerable malleability at both student- and classroom-levels. This study examined different student and classroom effort profiles, among a sample of 1,859 students and 134 teachers, from 9 schools, nested within 114 mathematics and 114 English classrooms. The students were from years 7 to 10, and a mixture of boys (56%) and girls (44%) from single-sex and coeducational schools. Latent profile analyses were employed at Level 1 (student) and Level 2 (classroom), to determine prominent student and classroom effort profiles in mathematics and English. Effort was measured from both student and teacher perspectives using a novel multidimensional (operative, cognitive and social-emotional) Effort Scale. Results revealed six distinct student effort profiles and two distinct classroom effort profiles in each subject, that had unique associations with academic outcomes in these subject areas. This presentation presents an overview of these results and some of their implications for classroom practice.
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Lauren Renshaw
University of New South Wales Navigating academic transitions: Examining the role of need-supporting and need-thwarting practices on student academic and wellbeing outcomes |
There is a well-evidenced decrease in student motivation—specifically, self-efficacy and valuing—during academic transitions (e.g., entering high-school, post-school) that is associated with negative academic and wellbeing outcomes. Emerging evidence also shows an increase in academic strain, specifically academic anxiety and school-related stress, during these key academic transition points. Using job demands-resources theory (Bakker & Demerouti, 2017), and traversing childhood to early adulthood, the proposed investigation examines two key academic transitions: the transition from primary school to secondary school, and then from secondary school to post-school education and work. The overall aim of this proposed investigation is to examine the extent to which several different teaching and parenting/caregiver practices are associated with students' academic motivation and strain and, in turn, their school and post-school outcomes across the two transitions. This investigation comprises two studies. Study 1 examines the role of teaching and parenting practices in primary school (Year 6) in relation to academic motivation (i.e., self-efficacy and valuing) and academic strain in secondary school (Year 7), and the role of motivation and strain on academic wellbeing outcomes also in Year 7. Study 2 investigates associations that teaching and parenting practices, academic motivation (self-efficacy and valuing) and academic strain in secondary school have with academic, employment and personal wellbeing outcomes in early adulthood. Together, findings will reveal practices that can be harnessed to better support students during key academic transitions.
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Fievel Tong
University of Technology Sydney Going further: Continuing learning and education for people with Down syndrome aged 16–45 |
People with Down syndrome can, and do, participate in further education, even though their experiences are relatively under-researched. Inclusive post-secondary education for people with Down syndrome (or intellectual disability more generally) is still quite a new field, especially in Australia (Rillotta, et al., 2020). My research investigates people’s goals for further education, their pathways towards, and experiences of, post-secondary education (TAFE and/or university), as well as the outcomes of their learning. Interviews were conducted with people with Down syndrome aged 16–45 and their parents/carers. A total of 11 participants from six different families have been interviewed. The research included people with and without post-secondary education experience. Importantly, several inclusive research practices were used to make the study more accessible. An Easy Read information sheet and interview guide were shared with the participants prior to the interviews. Visual research methods were also used, allowing participants to share photographs to further support and enrich their responses. Whilst data analysis is still being undertaken, some preliminary findings are noted. The pathway into further education is often facilitated by existing relationships with stakeholders and the advocacy and support of parents/carers. People with Down syndrome tend to access further education opportunities aligned with their interests and skills. They enjoy the opportunity to make new relationships and to develop new skills, even though the learning can be challenging. Fundamentally, people with Down syndrome can, and do, participate successfully in post-secondary education. It is, therefore, vital to increase such opportunities, and to make further education more inclusive and accessible for all learners.
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Jodie Torrington
Macquarie University What self-regulation strategies do primary school students utilise while learning online? |
Little is known about the strategies primary school students use to self-regulate their learning while in a hypermedia environment. This exploratory study investigated the self-regulatory strategies that young students (N=48, Mage=10.75) utilised while individually completing a 20-min online research task about space. Video data was coded using Azevedo et al.’s (2004) established coding scheme for analysing self-regulatory behaviour in hypermedia environments. Results showed that young students spent the majority of their time using cognitive strategies (M=75.26%) to read and summarise information to complete the task. Little time was taken to plan (M=6.99%) or monitor (M=5.92%) their work or learning processes, which are key attributes of effective self-regulation. The study reveals the disparity between the ability to navigate within a hypermedia environment and utilising planning and monitoring processes to enhance learning while using digital tools. This study highlights the need for the explicit teaching of planning and monitoring strategies in order for young students to develop the full range of self-regulation skills they need when using technology, for instance while learning from home during COVID-19.
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Annette Turney
University of Wollongong Characterising deep and superficial learning in science: a case study of preservice teachers’ knowledge building in a multimodal assessment task |
Calls for students to develop ‘deep subject knowledge’ are widespread. However, little empirical work exists on what this means, and in particular, how this might be recognised when presented multimodally in dynamic digital media. In this presentation, I consider a case study involving an assessment task in a preservice primary teachers’ science subject. The assessment task involved students creating a digital product (short video) that explained a scientific concept to young learners. Using analytical tools derived from Systemic Functional Semiotics, I examine the student-made products to characterise the ‘deep’ and ‘superficial’ learning of scientific concepts that eventuated as the students completed this task. This characterisation lays the groundwork for supporting students to foster ‘deep’ understanding and to become effective digital media makers in science
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Ruth Winfield
University of New England Did the introduction of an Enterprise Skills Course improve student engagement and teaching practice in high school? |
Student engagement has become increasingly relevant during the last few years. Teachers want each student to be motivated and active throughout the learning process to develop knowledge and skills. Clearly the synergy between teachers and students in a learning environment can lead to student engagement or student disengagement. Student engagement has been described as a broad construct consisting of three interdependent categories: emotional, behavioural and intellectual engagement (Fredericks, Blumenfeld and Paris, 2004). More recently, increased understanding of learners having an active role in these experiences have led to considerations about the contribution of student motivation and agency to student engagement (Cantwell and Andrews, 2010; Gray and Hackling, 2009; Hafen et al 2012; Ryan and Deci, 2017; Sullivan et al 2009). Set in a high school context, a team of four teachers designed a course for a cohort of 134 Year 8 students based on the principles of Enterprise Learning. The participant-researcher used a mixed methods action research approach to explore the factors that contributed to student engagement in this course and the school. Initial results showed the motivation of teachers and students increased through the course. Teaching practices to achieve this included reflective practice, collaboration, strategies that taught students to persist in their learning and making connections between real life experiences and learning.
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Anthony Wotring
University of Wollongong Centring talk in research and for the classroom: Contextualising dialogic teaching principles in an English language learning course |
A persistent challenge for language teachers is translating theoretical conceptions of language into curricula and pedagogies that meet learners’ contextual needs. In classrooms where talk is effectively dominated by teachers research frequently advocates for teaching approaches where students play a more communicative role in the classroom talk. One such approach, dialogic teaching, features a principled understanding of how to affectively and academically support classroom talk. Nascent findings on the adoption of dialogic teaching in English Language Teaching [ELT] report mixed results in teacher and student uptake. However, these early studies often share the characteristic of a lone teacher-researcher implementing this approach on students and risk fundamentally misconstruing this principled understanding of talk as both a semiotic and pedagogical tool.
This presentation reports on the findings from my PhD research project aimed at contextualising dialogic teaching principles in a South Korean university’s English as a foreign language (EFL) course. At its core, this project explores the process of connecting theoretical teaching principles to real-world application through an iterative process of collaborative curriculum design. Data collected teacher consultations, student focus groups, syllabus document analysis, and a research reflective journal. Findings will be briefly discussed on the contextual curricular challenges, developments in student talk repertoires, and the impact this process had on teacher practices and their own roles. This presentation closes with a discussion on how teachers can engage with theoretical principles by centring talk amongst themselves, in the classroom, and in the curriculum. |
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