The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) invites you to participate in a short survey about your
interaction with the ARDC and use of our national research infrastructure and services. The survey will take
approximately 5 minutes and is anonymous. It’s open to anyone who uses our digital research infrastructure
services including Reasearch Link Australia.
We will use the information you provide to improve the national research infrastructure and services we
deliver and to report on user satisfaction to the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research
Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) program.
Please take a few minutes to provide your input. The survey closes COB Friday 29 May 2026.
Complete the 5 min survey now by clicking on the link below.
A cross-national study of the relative impact of an oral component on PhD examination quality, language and practice. High quality doctoral degrees call for the most effective forms of assessment. This project investigates the role of oral examination in PhD assessment, common internationally but not in Australia, and is the first to compare the relative impact of oral and 'no oral' models on examination quality, language and practice.
Authentic digital representation of creative works in education: addressing the challenges of digitisation and assessment. This project will investigate the digitisation and marking of portfolios for the purposes of summative assessment in the visual arts and design senior secondary school courses. The aim is to enhance moderation, compare between media and course contexts, compare methods of marking, and generally increase the authenticity of the assessment.
Intercultural understanding in primary and secondary schools. What facilitates or impedes intercultural understanding in children, adolescents and schools? How can this be addressed? How can we know what makes a difference? This project answers these questions at the individual, school and national level using a novel cultural systems approach and methodological and technological innovations.
STEM education: Student attitudes, teacher relationships & emotional climate. This project aims to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outcomes in schools, especially among females. This study will develop and validate a questionnaire to assess classroom emotional climate and investigate its mediating influence on teacher-student interactions and students’ effective outcomes. Focus groups will provide input into the interpretation and triangulation of questionnaire f ....STEM education: Student attitudes, teacher relationships & emotional climate. This project aims to improve science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outcomes in schools, especially among females. This study will develop and validate a questionnaire to assess classroom emotional climate and investigate its mediating influence on teacher-student interactions and students’ effective outcomes. Focus groups will provide input into the interpretation and triangulation of questionnaire findings and permit causal inferences. Expected outcomes include practical, research-based guidance to teachers for enhancing classroom emotional climate and motivating further study in STEM disciplines.Read moreRead less
Building the numeracy and information and communication technology capability of students with intellectual disabilities. This project investigates strategies to build numeracy and information and communication technology capability among students with intellectual disabilities. It aims to support teachers in mainstream and special education schools as they plan and monitor personalised instruction for their students. The research combines disciplines of special schools, the state Education Depa ....Building the numeracy and information and communication technology capability of students with intellectual disabilities. This project investigates strategies to build numeracy and information and communication technology capability among students with intellectual disabilities. It aims to support teachers in mainstream and special education schools as they plan and monitor personalised instruction for their students. The research combines disciplines of special schools, the state Education Department’s Student Inclusion and Wellbeing Division, and the Assessment Research Centre. The expected outcome is an integrated program of assessment, reporting, curriculum, and instructional advice that promotes inclusive educational practices and seeks to ensure all children have improved opportunities to participate in a technology driven, emerging knowledge economy.Read moreRead less
PhD ASSESSMENT: AN INVESTIGATION OF EXAMINATION PROCESS, EXAMINER CONSISTENCY AND FACTORS THAT IDENTIFY THESIS QUALITY ACROSS DISCIPLINES. Doctoral research is a significant component of research activity in Australian higher education and effective research student supervision and high quality research are key goals. The main control over quality is the thesis examination, but there is no systematic study of examiner consistency or application of standards within and across disciplines. Drawing ....PhD ASSESSMENT: AN INVESTIGATION OF EXAMINATION PROCESS, EXAMINER CONSISTENCY AND FACTORS THAT IDENTIFY THESIS QUALITY ACROSS DISCIPLINES. Doctoral research is a significant component of research activity in Australian higher education and effective research student supervision and high quality research are key goals. The main control over quality is the thesis examination, but there is no systematic study of examiner consistency or application of standards within and across disciplines. Drawing on candidature history, examiner reports and ratings, this cross-institutional study responds to the need for foundational research into the area. The study will ascertain assessment processes, assessment criteria and factors that identify highly rated theses. The ultimate aim is to improve the quality of doctoral education practices.Read moreRead less
Improving teacher assessment using exemplars and online moderation. This project aims to assess the dependability of teacher judgement using psychometric scaling and online moderation. The project will use an innovative approach to connect achievement standards and judgement-practice for middle-year students in Australian education system. Expected outcomes of the project include the development of scaled work samples exemplifying A-E standards of achievement, refined methods for the consistency ....Improving teacher assessment using exemplars and online moderation. This project aims to assess the dependability of teacher judgement using psychometric scaling and online moderation. The project will use an innovative approach to connect achievement standards and judgement-practice for middle-year students in Australian education system. Expected outcomes of the project include the development of scaled work samples exemplifying A-E standards of achievement, refined methods for the consistency and comparability of assessment decisions, and a new approach to moderating teacher judgements. This project should provide significant benefits in building teachers’ assessment capabilities, shaping policy and teacher preparation.Read moreRead less
Effective Teacher-Based Assessment Adjustments for Students with Disability. The Australian Curriculum and Disability Standards for Education create high expectations for education of students with disabilities. Teachers are to address the diversity of student learning needs in their classes, and make adjustments to school-based assessments that enable students with disabilities to demonstrate their learning. Recent reports identify inconsistent practice in schools and the need for evidence-base ....Effective Teacher-Based Assessment Adjustments for Students with Disability. The Australian Curriculum and Disability Standards for Education create high expectations for education of students with disabilities. Teachers are to address the diversity of student learning needs in their classes, and make adjustments to school-based assessments that enable students with disabilities to demonstrate their learning. Recent reports identify inconsistent practice in schools and the need for evidence-based guidance to inform these adjustments. This longitudinal project involves researcher-teacher collaboration and aims to identify effective assessment adjustments for secondary school students with disabilities, develop system-level protocols for adjustments, and meet national goals of improved education outcomes for these students.Read moreRead less
Modelling and validating an approach to maximise consistency in research thesis examination. Australia seeks to be a world leader in research activity including research education and training. This is evident in the establishment of National Research Priorities, the Research Quality Framework and $577m currently invested annually in research training. Thesis quality is a critical indicator of success, but universities globally have been grappling with ways to discriminate fairly and effectively ....Modelling and validating an approach to maximise consistency in research thesis examination. Australia seeks to be a world leader in research activity including research education and training. This is evident in the establishment of National Research Priorities, the Research Quality Framework and $577m currently invested annually in research training. Thesis quality is a critical indicator of success, but universities globally have been grappling with ways to discriminate fairly and effectively between different levels and types of research theses. This study rises to the challenge and will lead in building, refining and testing a framework for reporting thesis quality that will enhance our own system of research training and model best practice internationally.Read moreRead less
Influences of metacognitive beliefs on success in PhD candidature. In a knowledge-fuelled world our dependence on professionals is acute. There is an imperative to gain fundamental information about how adult learners approach and surmount obstacles to learning in complex situations. Persistence of major gaps in our knowledge about professional learning is a concern particularly in high stakes research degrees such as the PhD. Drawing on candidates from Australia and overseas this project will s ....Influences of metacognitive beliefs on success in PhD candidature. In a knowledge-fuelled world our dependence on professionals is acute. There is an imperative to gain fundamental information about how adult learners approach and surmount obstacles to learning in complex situations. Persistence of major gaps in our knowledge about professional learning is a concern particularly in high stakes research degrees such as the PhD. Drawing on candidates from Australia and overseas this project will shed light on what until now have been the 'invisible processes' that have led to the visible results of both successful and problematic doctoral candidature. The findings will provide direction for stakeholders, impact on global debates about doctoral quality, and enhance research capacity.Read moreRead less