Optimising students’ academic trajectories: The role of growth (‘personal best’) goals. Too many students fail to reach their academic potential and, as a result, they risk being systematically denied a sense of academic ‘success’ and progress. Through a focus on academic growth (and ‘personal bests’), this research project traverses complex terrain to identify the role of growth goals and growth goal setting in students’ academic trajectories. It also tackles methodological challenges that have ....Optimising students’ academic trajectories: The role of growth (‘personal best’) goals. Too many students fail to reach their academic potential and, as a result, they risk being systematically denied a sense of academic ‘success’ and progress. Through a focus on academic growth (and ‘personal bests’), this research project traverses complex terrain to identify the role of growth goals and growth goal setting in students’ academic trajectories. It also tackles methodological challenges that have impeded research progress in this compelling area. Through strategic international and institutional links, the research program will identify innovative approaches to academic growth and growth goals that will significantly assist pedagogy and psychology aimed at optimising students’ academic potential.Read moreRead less
Giving instructional animations a helping hand. Computer-based instructional animations have not produced the positive learning outcomes that might be expected considering the advances in technology. The project will demonstrate that animations can be highly effective when learning about human movement and further enhanced by the inclusion of human gestures. It will directly investigate how learning is supported when humans observe manual actions, make gestures, or both. The project will identif ....Giving instructional animations a helping hand. Computer-based instructional animations have not produced the positive learning outcomes that might be expected considering the advances in technology. The project will demonstrate that animations can be highly effective when learning about human movement and further enhanced by the inclusion of human gestures. It will directly investigate how learning is supported when humans observe manual actions, make gestures, or both. The project will identify some key conditions under which animations may facilitate effective learning of both mechanical and human movement knowledge, and will develop principles for the design of best-practice instructional materials in e-learning environments.Read moreRead less
How many types of reasoning are there and how do they develop? This project will identify the fundamental components of human reasoning and examine how they change during the primary and junior high school years. It lays the foundation for the development of better methods for teaching children and adults how to reason.
Memory consolidation - Integrating cognitive science and neuroscience approaches to how we remember and how we forget. How can we forget what happened yesterday, but vividly remember our first kiss? Neuroscientists think the brain has a special mechanism to strengthen memories with time, but many psychologists disagree. The project aims to bring the brain and the mind closer together, using the cutting-edge combination of brain imaging and psychological modelling.
Ready, steady, go: Infant motor development and cognition. This project aims to examine the changes in and relationships between cognition and motoric abilities during infancy. The project will utilise well-established and innovative measures of memory flexibility and motor development to generate new knowledge about the complex relationship between action, perception, and cognition. The expected outcomes will provide significant benefits such as increased scientific and public knowledge on earl ....Ready, steady, go: Infant motor development and cognition. This project aims to examine the changes in and relationships between cognition and motoric abilities during infancy. The project will utilise well-established and innovative measures of memory flexibility and motor development to generate new knowledge about the complex relationship between action, perception, and cognition. The expected outcomes will provide significant benefits such as increased scientific and public knowledge on early development and an evidence base on the normal stages of infant development, relevant for health policy.Read moreRead less
A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. This project aims to determine the best and most cost-effective way to help 12–15 year olds re-engage with school when they become at-risk for dropping out, by conducting a gold-standard randomized-control trial. 20% of Australians fail to attain a Year 12 or equivalent certificate, often for preventable reasons. Dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, have psychological ....A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. A RCT of an education reengagement program for at-risk youth. This project aims to determine the best and most cost-effective way to help 12–15 year olds re-engage with school when they become at-risk for dropping out, by conducting a gold-standard randomized-control trial. 20% of Australians fail to attain a Year 12 or equivalent certificate, often for preventable reasons. Dropouts are more likely to be unemployed, have psychological, social, and health problems, and end up in prison. This project could influence implementation of programmes and policy related to youth dropout, promote youth economic, social and physical wellbeing, and decrease their chance of committing crimes and becoming a social burden.Read moreRead less
Making Australia internationally competitive: driving educational attainment by academic motivation, self-concept, engagement and aspirations. This project will extend and test predictions from motivation theory about educational choice and attainment, using multiple large national/international databases and new statistical models. This will result in better strategies to meet government targets of increasing tertiary enrolments, particularly for disadvantaged students.
Development of a computational model for the prediction of mental workload in air traffic control. The aim of the project is to develop a computational model that can measure the flow of traffic through an air sector, and predict the level of workload that an air traffic controller will experience, as well as the overall risk of breakdowns in separation between aircaft. The purpose is to develop a tool that can be used for the purposes of risk analysis and scenario planning. This is a multidisci ....Development of a computational model for the prediction of mental workload in air traffic control. The aim of the project is to develop a computational model that can measure the flow of traffic through an air sector, and predict the level of workload that an air traffic controller will experience, as well as the overall risk of breakdowns in separation between aircaft. The purpose is to develop a tool that can be used for the purposes of risk analysis and scenario planning. This is a multidisciplinary project, integrating recent models of human memory and reasoning, with formal methods for the analysis of human-computer systems. The project will advance our understanding of human memory and reasoning in complex real-world systems.Read moreRead less
Participation in mathematics and science careers: longitudinal study of motivational and contextual predictors. Australia faces escalating shortages of suitably qualified individuals in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, negatively impacting economic and national wellbeing. Why young people are losing interest and not pursuing these fields will be determined in three complementary longitudinal studies spanning ages 12 up to their early 30's.
The role of social-emotional learning in attaining literacy and numeracy. This project aims to characterise variability in developmental pathways to literacy and numeracy, and the factors that contribute to this variation, utilising innovative analytical approaches and population data. This project expects to generate new knowledge regarding the role of school-based social-emotional learning programs in supporting children’s achievement of literacy and numeracy. Expected outcomes of the project ....The role of social-emotional learning in attaining literacy and numeracy. This project aims to characterise variability in developmental pathways to literacy and numeracy, and the factors that contribute to this variation, utilising innovative analytical approaches and population data. This project expects to generate new knowledge regarding the role of school-based social-emotional learning programs in supporting children’s achievement of literacy and numeracy. Expected outcomes of the project include enhanced collaboration with government to deliver policy-relevant information on the most effective targets and timing for delivering social-emotional programs that maximise academic learning. This should assist policy makers to develop better strategies to support every child’s academic achievement.Read moreRead less