Using diagnostic tests in science as formative assessment to enhance teaching and learning. The success and continuation of science programs in upper secondary school and university is dependent on foundational improvements in science education in lower secondary schools. This proposal is designed to address this national concern by fostering talent in science and encouraging more students to study and enjoy science in a meaningful way. Through planned formative assessment, teachers will enable ....Using diagnostic tests in science as formative assessment to enhance teaching and learning. The success and continuation of science programs in upper secondary school and university is dependent on foundational improvements in science education in lower secondary schools. This proposal is designed to address this national concern by fostering talent in science and encouraging more students to study and enjoy science in a meaningful way. Through planned formative assessment, teachers will enable students in Years 8-10 to think about the science concepts and consider alternative explanations rather than memorise basic facts for a test or examination which are then forgotten. Practical benefits are a large range of valid and reliable tests and a range of teaching approaches for diagnosing student learning difficulties.Read moreRead less
Expectations and commitments in the Australia-USA alliance. This project aims to investigate the gap between the high expectations of mutual support and the lack of detailed security commitments in the Australia-US Alliance. The project intends to use a focused approach that captures thematic aspects of the alliance through project frames and historical slices across time. Expected outcomes can advance understanding of how alliances operate as security institutions. The outcomes can help to prom ....Expectations and commitments in the Australia-USA alliance. This project aims to investigate the gap between the high expectations of mutual support and the lack of detailed security commitments in the Australia-US Alliance. The project intends to use a focused approach that captures thematic aspects of the alliance through project frames and historical slices across time. Expected outcomes can advance understanding of how alliances operate as security institutions. The outcomes can help to promote a more informed national conversation about the costs and benefits of Australia's security relationship with the United States of America (USA) and contribute to debates over the future of the Australia-USA Alliance during a period of strategic uncertainty.Read moreRead less
Using explanatory frameworks to enhance students' metacognitive capabilities in science. The success and continuation of science programs in secondary schools and universities is dependent on foundational improvements in teaching and learning. This proposal is designed to address this national concern by fostering potential science talent by encouraging more students to study and enjoy science in a meaningful way. Through the development of carefully analysed explanatory frameworks, science teac ....Using explanatory frameworks to enhance students' metacognitive capabilities in science. The success and continuation of science programs in secondary schools and universities is dependent on foundational improvements in teaching and learning. This proposal is designed to address this national concern by fostering potential science talent by encouraging more students to study and enjoy science in a meaningful way. Through the development of carefully analysed explanatory frameworks, science teachers and university lecturers will enable students to develop their metacognitive capabilities so that they are able to think logically about science concepts rather than memorise basic facts which are easily forgotten. Expected practical benefits are students who are better able to learn and communicate, especially in science.Read moreRead less
Thinking Australia: A cognitive acceleration program to raise high school students' achievement in science. The outcome of the Thinking Australia project will be a cognitive acceleration program consistent with the national science curriculum, contextualised in cutting edge science and delivered with modern technologies. The program will be theory driven, evidence based and consistent with neuroscience research. The national benefit will include improved outcomes on international tests, improved ....Thinking Australia: A cognitive acceleration program to raise high school students' achievement in science. The outcome of the Thinking Australia project will be a cognitive acceleration program consistent with the national science curriculum, contextualised in cutting edge science and delivered with modern technologies. The program will be theory driven, evidence based and consistent with neuroscience research. The national benefit will include improved outcomes on international tests, improved quality of science education and thinking skills for Australia's future scientists and citizens, improved student attitudes, and increased enrolments in school science. Developing and fostering human talent is essential to promoting an innovative culture and economy.Read moreRead less
Examining scientific, philosophical, and folk perspectives on time=. This project aims to consider three very different physical theories, each of which reconciles quantum mechanics and general and special relativity in a different way. While science is more accessible than ever, we are increasingly faced with a scientific world-view that is antithetical to the way we see the world and experience ourselves in it. This project will consider the tension between the scientific picture of the world ....Examining scientific, philosophical, and folk perspectives on time=. This project aims to consider three very different physical theories, each of which reconciles quantum mechanics and general and special relativity in a different way. While science is more accessible than ever, we are increasingly faced with a scientific world-view that is antithetical to the way we see the world and experience ourselves in it. This project will consider the tension between the scientific picture of the world and our experience of the world, and aims to reconcile the two by bridging the gap between lived experience and scientific findings. The project will provide a range of ways of bridging the tension between these physical theories with our lived experience.Read moreRead less
The political-economy of Australia-China relations. This project will analyse the bilateral economic relationship between Australia and China. The principal focus will be on how economic relations have been conditioned by distinctive patterns of economic and political organisation in each country. The approach will draw on and extend the Varieties of Capitalism literature to provide a detailed analysis of the institutional features of the Chinese and Australian economies, and how these instituti ....The political-economy of Australia-China relations. This project will analyse the bilateral economic relationship between Australia and China. The principal focus will be on how economic relations have been conditioned by distinctive patterns of economic and political organisation in each country. The approach will draw on and extend the Varieties of Capitalism literature to provide a detailed analysis of the institutional features of the Chinese and Australian economies, and how these institutions condition the economic relationship between the two. By analysing the different policymaking traditions and business structures the project aims to explain the challenges facing Australia-China economic ties, particularly over the minerals industry, foreign investment and free trade agreement negotiations.Read moreRead less
Designing and Evaluating Biodiversity Conservation Policies for the Future. Biodiversity loss is a concern worldwide, especially in Australia with one of the world's 25 biodiversity "hot spots". Poor translation of ecology into policy and an absence of policy design principles are significantly impeding our ability to arrest these losses. This project aims to translate current developments in ecological theory into information useful for policy makers, develop and apply an evaluation framework t ....Designing and Evaluating Biodiversity Conservation Policies for the Future. Biodiversity loss is a concern worldwide, especially in Australia with one of the world's 25 biodiversity "hot spots". Poor translation of ecology into policy and an absence of policy design principles are significantly impeding our ability to arrest these losses. This project aims to translate current developments in ecological theory into information useful for policy makers, develop and apply an evaluation framework to current biodiversity policies using this new information, and develop policy design principles based on this evaluation. The project's expected outcomes - a clear translation of ecological theory for policy makers, and evaluation criteria and design principles for biodiversity policies - will contribute to conserving biodiversity. Read moreRead less
Contestation or Regulation - New Politics in Southeast Asia. By providing a greater understanding of the region's polities and societies the study can enhance all forms of Australian engagement with Southeast Asia. It offers insights into differential intra-regional capacities and orientations of political systems to absorb diverse social forces into the political process. This knowledge provides a basis for strategies to promote effective governance reform and other Australian aid programs. It ....Contestation or Regulation - New Politics in Southeast Asia. By providing a greater understanding of the region's polities and societies the study can enhance all forms of Australian engagement with Southeast Asia. It offers insights into differential intra-regional capacities and orientations of political systems to absorb diverse social forces into the political process. This knowledge provides a basis for strategies to promote effective governance reform and other Australian aid programs. It will also assist policymakers seeking to influence the management of, or resolution to, conflicts threatening stability in the region. Read moreRead less
Goal pursuit decisions under environmental and social uncertainty. This project aims to develop an integrative computational model that explains how people prioritise the allocation of resources to different goals in the face of uncertainty. The project seeks to test a new theory through a series of experiments in which participants pursue goals by themselves in unpredictable environments, or in competition against an opponent. Expected outcomes include an integrated theory that accounts for the ....Goal pursuit decisions under environmental and social uncertainty. This project aims to develop an integrative computational model that explains how people prioritise the allocation of resources to different goals in the face of uncertainty. The project seeks to test a new theory through a series of experiments in which participants pursue goals by themselves in unpredictable environments, or in competition against an opponent. Expected outcomes include an integrated theory that accounts for the effects of both environmental and social uncertainty in the pursuit of multiple goals. Intended benefits include the development of computational models that can simulate human decision making in complex environments, analyse new concepts of operation, redesign work roles, and identify factors that reduce risk in decision-making.Read moreRead less
A biography of Sir Paul Hasluck (1905-1993). Paul Hasluck is one of the most significant figures in post-war Australian history. This project will make use of a large body of archival sources, previously unavailable and unexamined, to evaluate Hasluck's roles as politician, diplomat, governor-general, historian, poet, commentator and policymaker. The expected outcome will be a nuanced political biography and an unusual and important case study of a conservative intellectual in Australian politic ....A biography of Sir Paul Hasluck (1905-1993). Paul Hasluck is one of the most significant figures in post-war Australian history. This project will make use of a large body of archival sources, previously unavailable and unexamined, to evaluate Hasluck's roles as politician, diplomat, governor-general, historian, poet, commentator and policymaker. The expected outcome will be a nuanced political biography and an unusual and important case study of a conservative intellectual in Australian politics. Completion will coincide with the centenary of Hasluck's birth in 2005.Read moreRead less