The variability effect occurs when learners' exposure to highly variable tasks results in better learning. It was hypothesised that learners who studied high variability worked examples would obtain higher post-test scores compared to learners who studied low variability examples, and learners who self-generated problem solutions for the same high…

The purpose of this study is to describe the development and validation of a survey that examines science students' social media learning behaviours. Inherent in critiques regarding "digital natives" is a need to better understand what the current generation of learners actually do in their social media practices for…

This manual describes the theory behind the Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ) and explains what the subscale and scale scores mean. The SPQ is a 42-item self-report questionnaire used in Australia to assess the extent to which a tertiary student at a college or university endorses different approaches to learning and the motives and strategies…

Seven articles on higher education in Australia are presented, along with two review articles. "Operation Bootstrap--Reflections of a Staff Developer" (Colin Flood Page) offers views on various aspects of college learning and teaching. Findings of a study on student learning through essay-writing are presented in "Essay Planning and…

Contemporary understandings and practices of adult literacy and adult basic education need to reestablish a substantial connection with ancient rhetoric as at once a political tradition, a culture of language use, a storehouse of metalanguage, and as an ensemble of pedagogic strategies and exercises. Developed in ancient Greece, rhetoric was for…

A study used the standardized Group Embedded Figures Test to assess field dependence-field independence among groups of vocational education teachers of varied ages and teaching backgrounds. The sample consisted of 170 volunteers who were vocational education teachers and trainers in the process of completing the requirements for either a diploma…

This book consists of 18 selected papers that focus on the broad topic of the educational process. All the papers were originally presented at the Fourteenth Annual Conference of the Australian College of Education, which was held in May 1973. Titles of the papers include "The Educational Process: The Raw Material,""Towards a…

The factors that influence learning in workplaces were examined through a study of guided learning in five workplaces. Special attention was paid to the dual considerations of how workplaces afford opportunities for learning and how individuals elect to engage in activities and the guidance provided by the workplace. The readiness of the workplace…

The hypothesis that making judgments is the basis for workplace learning was examined by studying work in a range of occupations with a view to identifying and analyzing the main judgments involved in individuals' work performance. To test the hypothesis, six practicing professionals (three men and three women) were interviewed. Two of…

The development of Outward Bound, from the early beginnings in Britain through expansion in over 30 locations throughout the world, is outlined, and Outward Bound educational aspects are analyzed in terms of the Australian Outward Bound School. The concepts of experiential education, lifelong education, and the broader Australian educational scene…

Researchers examined the attitudes that Australian vocational education and training students and teachers hold about generic skills. Data were collected through interviews with 25 technical and further education (TAFE) senior managers and teachers from 4 states, 3 focus groups with a total of 25 TAFE students in Queensland, and surveys of…

The factors influencing active learning in small enterprises were examined. Data from earlier Australian studies were examined in an attempt to provide a framework that might inform the relationship between educational systems and small enterprises. Special attention was paid to a 1988 study of systematic differences between small businesses that…

The research implications of the concepts of working knowledge and work-based learning were examined. A research agenda for work-based learning arising from the analysis of "working knowledge" was presented. The agenda listed questions pertaining to the following areas: (1) the conditions bringing about work-based learning; (2) the…

A study investigated the perceptions of vocational education and training (VET) students and teachers from New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria about ways students engage in learning in VET, practices currently used by VET teachers, and factors shaping learning and teaching in initial VET. Data were collected from the following sources:…

A study researched the role of literacy, language, and numeracy as vehicles for learning in training packages delivered at South Australia industry sites. Data were gathered through onsite interviews or focus groups with trainees, workplace trainers, resource and training support persons, and managerial and supervisory persons, of their opinion of…