Teaching effective 3D authoring in the middle school years: Multimedia grammatical design and multimedia authoring pedagogy. This project addresses the National Research Priorities goal 'promoting an innovative culture and economy'. It provides radical re-thinking of literacy pedagogy essential in globalised knowledge-based economies mediated by digital multimedia literacies. 3D multimedia authoring pedagogy, emphasizing playful innovation and explicit knowledge of multimedia design, will increa ....Teaching effective 3D authoring in the middle school years: Multimedia grammatical design and multimedia authoring pedagogy. This project addresses the National Research Priorities goal 'promoting an innovative culture and economy'. It provides radical re-thinking of literacy pedagogy essential in globalised knowledge-based economies mediated by digital multimedia literacies. 3D multimedia authoring pedagogy, emphasizing playful innovation and explicit knowledge of multimedia design, will increase digital-age student engagement in learning. The Australian Children's Television Foundations' Kahootz is uniquely effective, highly motivating authoring software for schools. What is needed is a thoroughly researched multimedia authoring pedagogy to fully realise Australian leadership potential in renovating literacy pedagogy for the digital multimedia age. Read moreRead less
New Dimensions of Group Literacy Tests for Schools: Multimodal reading comprehension in conventional and computer-based formats. Today's texts require readers to comprehend information from an extensive range of images integrated with print material. No assessment currently exists to test what new reading strategies students require to interpret the meanings made jointly through images and print in contemporary texts. To address this problem, this research will develop a model of image/text rel ....New Dimensions of Group Literacy Tests for Schools: Multimodal reading comprehension in conventional and computer-based formats. Today's texts require readers to comprehend information from an extensive range of images integrated with print material. No assessment currently exists to test what new reading strategies students require to interpret the meanings made jointly through images and print in contemporary texts. To address this problem, this research will develop a model of image/text relations. Such a model is foundational to the development of effective assessment tools, particularly group tests. For the first time, such tests will incorporate the comprehension strategies that students require to understand conventional and computer-based texts with their increased integration of images and print.Read moreRead less
Participation in the administration of justice: deaf citizens as jurors. This project will pioneer international research on legal signed language interpreting and jury service; the results are likely to innovate law reform. The expected outcome will be to overturn previously held common law that deaf people cannot serve as jurors due to having an interpreter as the 13th person in the jury room as well as confidentiality issues.
Improving student outcomes: coaching teachers in the power of feedback. This project aims to investigate how student outcomes can be augmented through coaching teachers in effective feedback practice. The project addresses a critical problem of stagnating levels of student achievement in Australian schools with the innovative research design combining evidence-based, pedagogies of feedback, formative assessment and instructional coaching to improve teacher practice and ultimately raise student a ....Improving student outcomes: coaching teachers in the power of feedback. This project aims to investigate how student outcomes can be augmented through coaching teachers in effective feedback practice. The project addresses a critical problem of stagnating levels of student achievement in Australian schools with the innovative research design combining evidence-based, pedagogies of feedback, formative assessment and instructional coaching to improve teacher practice and ultimately raise student achievement levels. The project aims to guide policy implementation in pedagogy to raise the quality of teaching standards and to improve learning outcomes for Australian students. Ultimately, outcomes from the research will help close the gap for low achieving students, and challenge and extend those who may already be meeting required benchmarks. Read moreRead less
Speaking Hmong in diaspora: language contact, resilience, and change. The project aims to investigate the how the Hmong language survives in the diaspora, with special focus on how the language transforms itself depending on the environment it finds itself in. We focus on the structure and maintenance of Hmong within the immigrant community in North Queensland across several generations of speakers, within the context of multilingual repertoires involving Australian English and Lao. The outcomes ....Speaking Hmong in diaspora: language contact, resilience, and change. The project aims to investigate the how the Hmong language survives in the diaspora, with special focus on how the language transforms itself depending on the environment it finds itself in. We focus on the structure and maintenance of Hmong within the immigrant community in North Queensland across several generations of speakers, within the context of multilingual repertoires involving Australian English and Lao. The outcomes will reveal the processes and results of language change such as the emergence of a new blend of Green and White Hmong. The project will provide significant benefits for the maintenance of diasporic Hmong within a larger context of multilingual immigrant communities.Read moreRead less
Educational leadership and turnaround literacy pedagogy. This project will provide new ways of thinking about school reform for improving literacy achievement in high poverty contexts. The project will examine the ways in which new forms of educational leadership are developing in South Australian public schools and its effects on school culture, pedagogy and student literacy learning.
Developing the multimodal language of emotions of low SES primary students. This project plans to broaden the range of resources for students to communicate emotions through speech, writing and images. Such communication is important for social and economic success, particularly for disadvantaged students, and it is now part of the Australian curriculum. However, research shows that teachers are not equipped to teach these new curriculum requirements. The project unites a consortium of schools, ....Developing the multimodal language of emotions of low SES primary students. This project plans to broaden the range of resources for students to communicate emotions through speech, writing and images. Such communication is important for social and economic success, particularly for disadvantaged students, and it is now part of the Australian curriculum. However, research shows that teachers are not equipped to teach these new curriculum requirements. The project unites a consortium of schools, visual media experts and policy makers to address this problem. The outcomes are expected to include innovative approaches to strengthen students' language skills for emotional expression and wellbeing, and e-learning resources for both teachers and students.Read moreRead less
Bridging the gap for at-risk readers: reading theory into classroom practice. This project will merge theoretical and practical aspects of teaching reading through assimilating research with teachers' pedagogical knowledge and experiences to ensure sustainable, differentiated classroom reading interventions for all P-3 (preparatory year to year three) readers, particularly at-risk students.
Peopling educational policy: realising the new Australian English and mathematics curricula. Implementation of Australian curricula in English and mathematics provides an opportunity for school systems to re-examine practice. This project will identify resources and teacher learning opportunities needed to facilitate implementation of these curricula and use findings to develop interventions identified as likely to optimise implementation.
Improving children's language, literacy and mental health: evaluating the impact of the classroom promotion of oral language (CPOL) approach. As spoken communication and literacy are major influences on children's developmental pathways and life success, this project will determine whether improving teacher knowledge and practice relating to teaching oral language improves primary school students' achievements in oral language and literacy, and improves their social and emotional wellbeing.