Environmental Interpretation: Towards a globally relevant model for communicating with tourists from culturally diverse backgrounds. Environmental interpretation, a widely accepted approach to communicating with tourists in North America, Latin America and the U.K., is based on communication research undertaken mainly by researchers in western cultures or focused on Anglo-Saxon audiences. This project advances theory and practice by critically examining the relevance of this model for communic ....Environmental Interpretation: Towards a globally relevant model for communicating with tourists from culturally diverse backgrounds. Environmental interpretation, a widely accepted approach to communicating with tourists in North America, Latin America and the U.K., is based on communication research undertaken mainly by researchers in western cultures or focused on Anglo-Saxon audiences. This project advances theory and practice by critically examining the relevance of this model for communicating with visitors from a range of cultural backgrounds. Environmental messages, communication media and the application of environmental interpretation principles are experimentally manipulated to evaluate their relative effectiveness in communicating with international and domestic visitors from culturally and ethnically diverse backgrounds, as a basis for refining the model for wider application.Read moreRead less
Enhancing the National Benefit of Volunteers through Career Development in Community Organisations: A Case Study of Senior Volunteers. This project aims to determine the benefits of career development in enhancing volunteer performance and volunteer retention, with particular attention to the needs of senior volunteers. Research concerning career development is fundamentally important in the paid workforce; little investigation has occurred in the economically important and parallel area of volu ....Enhancing the National Benefit of Volunteers through Career Development in Community Organisations: A Case Study of Senior Volunteers. This project aims to determine the benefits of career development in enhancing volunteer performance and volunteer retention, with particular attention to the needs of senior volunteers. Research concerning career development is fundamentally important in the paid workforce; little investigation has occurred in the economically important and parallel area of volunteer development. The project will build on preliminary research by the Chief Investigators by developing and testing a research instrument underpinned by career development theory. The anticipated outcomes will be (a) an improved understanding of volunteer needs within an organisation through career matching and development, (b) a generic "tool kit" for organisations wishing to develop and maintain volunteers, particularly their more experienced and senior ones and (c) a benefit to the emotional and physical well-being of the community in general and volunteers in particular.Read moreRead less
Museum of New and Old Art (MONA) and the social and cultural coordinates of urban regeneration through arts tourism. This project will analyse the extraordinary success of MONA (Museum of New and Old Art) as an art gallery and use this information to identify, stimulate and sustain innovative collaborations between MONA, the cities of Hobart and Glenorchy, and the state of Tasmania, aimed at maximising visitor numbers to the state from art related tourism.
Transforming Tourists' Antarctic Experience. With the Antarctic tourist industry currently growing and diversifying, the project aims to discover how cruise operators can foster positive and culturally informed relationships with the region among visitors of different national backgrounds. Through extensive in-situ fieldwork with partner Intrepid Travel, the project expects to generate new understandings of how operators' active mediating role combines with multisensory experience of Antarctica ....Transforming Tourists' Antarctic Experience. With the Antarctic tourist industry currently growing and diversifying, the project aims to discover how cruise operators can foster positive and culturally informed relationships with the region among visitors of different national backgrounds. Through extensive in-situ fieldwork with partner Intrepid Travel, the project expects to generate new understandings of how operators' active mediating role combines with multisensory experience of Antarctica to forge human connections with this extreme but fragile place. Anticipated outcomes include protocols for best practice in designing and implementing tourist experiences. By encouraging diverse visitors to value Antarctica, the project should benefit both operators and the polar environment.Read moreRead less
Rebuilding Sustainable Communities: Assessing Post-Tsunami Resettlement Projects in Sri Lanka and India. It is in the interests of Australia and nations in our regions to improve strategic responses to natural disasters. In addition to their catastrophic short-term effects, disasters sharply reduce employment and output and strain limited state capacity, increasing poverty and inhibiting the prospects for longer-term economic growth and social stability. The development of measures which suppor ....Rebuilding Sustainable Communities: Assessing Post-Tsunami Resettlement Projects in Sri Lanka and India. It is in the interests of Australia and nations in our regions to improve strategic responses to natural disasters. In addition to their catastrophic short-term effects, disasters sharply reduce employment and output and strain limited state capacity, increasing poverty and inhibiting the prospects for longer-term economic growth and social stability. The development of measures which support the effective rebuilding of social structures and economic activity is key to minimising adverse outcomes. By enriching our understanding of how best to support sustainable resettlement programs, the study responds to the national research priority goal of 'Safeguarding Australia: understanding our region and the world'. Read moreRead less
The early communicative environment prior to and following cochlear implants: impact on children's early communicative and cognitive development. This research with children with cochlear implants will examine the effect on language development of being in an oral environment or one that also includes sign language. The outcomes will provide information for parents and professionals enabling informed decision about the management of the children to promote the best possible outcomes.
Analysis and interpretation of the cultural and environmental landscape of the nationally significant Mt. Eccles lava flow: a GIS approach. The project focuses on analysis and interpretation of Digital Terrain Models, using Geographical Information Systems, produced from high resolution aerial photography of the globally significant Mt Eccles lava flow, Southwest Victoria. Via predictive modelling, we will identify the extent and status of archaeologically significant Indigenous eel aquaculture ....Analysis and interpretation of the cultural and environmental landscape of the nationally significant Mt. Eccles lava flow: a GIS approach. The project focuses on analysis and interpretation of Digital Terrain Models, using Geographical Information Systems, produced from high resolution aerial photography of the globally significant Mt Eccles lava flow, Southwest Victoria. Via predictive modelling, we will identify the extent and status of archaeologically significant Indigenous eel aquaculture systems and dwellings; investigate land modification through simulation of past water flows; design protective measures for ecological/cultural heritage; provide a database for eco/cultural tourism and educational interpretation and ongoing archaeological and palaeoenvironmental research. The resulting information will be incorporated into management plans forming the basis of sustainable land/wetland projects and World Heritage nomination.projects and World Heritage nomination.Read moreRead less
Globalizing Indigeneity: Indigenous Cultural Festivals and Wellbeing in Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Indigenous communities in Australia (and elsewhere) suffer from extreme disadvantage. Northern Australia and many other places in the region, face a demographic time-bomb of alienated, self-destructive and culturally-disoriented youth. This manifests as violence in places like Wadeye, Palm Island and Port Moresby. Cultural festivals are one of the few consistently positive spaces for indigenou ....Globalizing Indigeneity: Indigenous Cultural Festivals and Wellbeing in Australia and the Asia-Pacific. Indigenous communities in Australia (and elsewhere) suffer from extreme disadvantage. Northern Australia and many other places in the region, face a demographic time-bomb of alienated, self-destructive and culturally-disoriented youth. This manifests as violence in places like Wadeye, Palm Island and Port Moresby. Cultural festivals are one of the few consistently positive spaces for indigenous communities to assert a more constructive view of themselves both intergenerationally, and as part of their struggle for respect as distinct cultures in the broader national community. Cultural festivals also provide a rare space for novel intercultural accommodations to be negotiated on indigenous terrain.Read moreRead less
Incentivising On Country Aboriginal Employment: Anangu Futures. . This project aims to investigate the changing face of cultural tourism in central Australia and examine pathways towards sustainable aboriginal employment in and around Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The project is significant because it brings together Aboriginal community members, industry and government stakeholders to identify micro-business opportunities, youth training initiatives, better relations across cultural divides, ....Incentivising On Country Aboriginal Employment: Anangu Futures. . This project aims to investigate the changing face of cultural tourism in central Australia and examine pathways towards sustainable aboriginal employment in and around Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The project is significant because it brings together Aboriginal community members, industry and government stakeholders to identify micro-business opportunities, youth training initiatives, better relations across cultural divides, and the economic value of Aboriginal knowledge. Outcomes include a model for sustainable Aboriginal employment in remote and very remote contexts, and the development of culturally relevant and sustainable governing guidelines for regional investment. Benefits include more sustainable jobs for Aboriginal people.Read moreRead less
Understanding and preventing injury in the Australian led outdoor activity domain: a theory driven approach to injury surveillance and prevention. This project will develop, trial and validate an injury surveillance system for the Australian led outdoor activity industry. An in-depth injury incident study will then be conducted and a model of led outdoor activity injury incident causation produced. This will be used to inform future injury prevention efforts and reduce injury in this domain.