A5068552301- Online and Blended Learning
- Digital Games and Media
- Education Systems and Policy
- Educational Games and Gamification
- Technology Use by Older Adults
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts
- Digital Storytelling and Education
- Youth Education and Societal Dynamics
- Child Development and Digital Technology
- Innovative Education and Learning Practices
- Memory, Trauma, and Commemoration
- Online Learning and Analytics
- Cultural Industries and Urban Development
- Assistive Technology in Communication and Mobility
- Public Spaces through Art
- Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Photography and Visual Culture
- 3D Surveying and Cultural Heritage
- Family and Disability Support Research
- Knowledge Management and Technology
- Global Educational Policies and Reforms
- Innovative Teaching Methodologies in Social Sciences
- Multimedia Communication and Technology
- Social Work Education and Practice
La Trobe University
2020
Melbourne Polytechnic
2018
Victoria University
2007-2017
Footscray Hospital
2013-2017
Victoria School of Management
2011-2016
RMIT University
2008
A growing proportion of human-computer interaction research now takes place in sensitive settings with participants who might be considered vulnerable, such as the chronically ill, older adults, and people living mental health issues. Alongside this move into complex "real life" there is interest ethical challenges HCI researchers encounter, emotional impact can have on researchers, risk that new technologies exacerbate, rather than ameliorate, existing vulnerabilities. Some authors called...
Over the past decade, teaching and learning in virtual worlds has been at forefront of many higher education institutions around world. The DEHub Virtual Worlds Working Group (VWWG) consisting Australian New Zealand academics was formed 2009. These educators are investigating role that play future actively changing direction their own practice curricula. 47 reporting on 28 present an overview how they have changed directions through effective use for diverse activities such as business...
Training deficits in 'soft skills' - personal or non-technical skills have long been lamented by educators and employers despite longstanding evidence of their importance. Virtual environments, combined with online learning management reporting platforms, offer potential for addressing this gap through affordable scalable simulations. This paper aims to summarise virtual work undertaken date, explore practical issues encountered development teams working area. The first section provides...
Positive social and emotional wellbeing are essential for peoples' general health quality of life. This workshop will bring together an inter-disciplinary community researchers, designers practitioners to explore how digital technology can increase by enabling users develop new skills, build on existing personal strengths or support, promote self-efficacy more generally. We jointly reach a better understanding the opportunities that skills development across broad range contexts. Our aim is...
Virtual worlds (VWs) continue to be used extensively in Australia and New Zealand higher education institutions although the tendency towards making unrealistic claims of efficacy popularity appears over. Some educators at use VWs same way as they have done past; others are exploring a range different or using them new ways; whilst some opting out altogether. This paper presents an overview how 46 from 26 see opportunity sustain education. The positives negatives discussed.
Virtual or “Synthetic” worlds such as “Second Life”, and online games “World of Warcraft” open up the possibility for new enriching experiences both an entertainment educational medium. For educators Worlds have potential to extend boundaries when, where how learning can happen beyond realm traditional classroom. Presently, these virtual are being widely adopted by corporate interests military do business simulate war. It is our view that need re-think their position on place this type...
In this paper we describe the knowledge building process involved in creating The Lab, a technology-enabled 'learning community' of young people with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) and High-Functioning Autism (HFA), their parents. We use Vygotsky's (1978) cultural-historical approach to analyse social engagement through material, individual, interactions emergence 'third space' (Gutierrez, 1999 & 2008) as particular kind 'zone proximal development' developing an effective learning environment....
Can a sense of ownership over constantly changing urban places be generated through pedestrian exploration and everyday digital media practice? This paper begins with the author's visit to city Adelaide, where chance encounter – an intriguing sign painted on wall building led hunt for ghost signs, remnants old hand-painted advertisements. spontaneous activity, combined online image sharing that followed, renewed feeling connection to, over, erstwhile familiar locale. The experience is...
Student voice has played a big role in shaping the development and measure of success/failure virtual worlds education. Data on past ongoing educational uses contexts use associated student feedback was gathered via survey researchers specialising worlds. Introduced are range specific that provide source context for feedback. Ten major themes emerged from voices highlight strengths weakness point way forward both educators students themselves. Positive highlighted experiences pedagogical...
The authors’ team has been working with virtual worlds since 2006, deploying them in diverse contexts including secondary schools, special vocational education and training, higher the community sector. Here authors outline their operational experience of complex web interrelated factors involved running world projects. discuss project development models, institutional politics, activity types teachers students. They conclude that embedding can be rewarding but also difficult at times,...
The Keepers of Ghosts project began when 10,000 records from a former sign-painting company were rescued demolition site in Melbourne’s west. Beginning with the creation an online archive, has since developed into experimental research program community outreach involving sign writers, shopkeepers, local history aficionados and people interested ‘ghost signs’, or remains painted advertising signs. Here we discuss project’s investigation use digital media to informally document share...
Technology-based interventions for young people diagnosed with autism have focused largely on individual use. Yet research into use of technology 'in the wild' emphasises value computer-mediated social interaction. In this paper we HCI to examine success a program premised in safe offline spaces. Participants typically go through stages object-centred and communication before engaging face-to-face We concepts third place, distance ticket-to-talk explain how hybrid space helps 'Aspies' engage...
This article reports on a 2016 pilot of video-based technology mentoring program undertaken with young Australians high functioning autism who are socially and geographically isolated. Many people live deep social isolation due to their difficulties in mixing easily others; this is further exacerbated for those living remote areas. These subject acute forms exclusion, yet have long tended be highly adept at the use technology. The Online Lab based Lab, national network face-to-face clubs...
There continues to be strong interest among established, experienced academic users of 3D virtual environments for their sustained educational use. Consistent with global trends, they plan further develop and optimise existing applications, reuse skills experiences gained new share resources. This is against a background varied support from institutions, colleagues, students, funding bodies also changing understanding awareness reality by the general community as result consumer developments...
In this paper we present the technical obstacles encountered by a project team seeking to embed virtual world-based activities in government high school. doing so outline number of broader issues connected with working proprietary technologies, access and equity, IT bureaucracies systems, engaging disadvantaged young people.
This paper focuses on the Small Histories research project, a multi-user, database-powered online system for uploading, storage, display and juxtaposition of multiple individuals' life histories. It discusses issues encountered in project's initial interface design testing stage, particularly around users' stories, use metadata choices web technologies. The also explores broader connected with creation narratives via system.