Humans use stories to explain natural processes, to explore alternatives, to resolve issues, and to imagine different possibilities and futures. Stories are a fundamental way people connect to their natural surroundings. But are some stories better for this than others? This study uses an experimental design to explore the impact of three types of…

The pressing urgency of climate change calls for advancements in the way it is communicated. One communication option is the use of virtual reality (VR). The current research comprised two pilot studies to develop and test a virtual environment depicting proximal effects of climate change regarding the participant's location. In both studies, an…

Objective: Partnering with patients and staff to develop and evaluate falls prevention education could better enable patient learning and engagement. This study aimed to create a revised version of the Safe Recovery falls prevention education programme in partnership with older patients and hospital staff, to improve patient engagement in…

There is a growing consensus in early childhood education and care (ECEC) that intentional teaching is pivotal for deep level learning, especially when teaching scientific concepts. However, intentional teaching alone does not always account for how educators communicate their intentions with children. To bridge this gap, we explore the…

Widespread tropical deforestation and biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia due to the oil palm industry can be addressed by encouraging consumers to purchase sustainable palm oil (SPO). An online experiment was conducted to assess whether addressing barriers relating to education, motivation and product availability would increase purchasing of…

Background: To address concerns that healthy weight and lifestyle campaigns (HWLCs) could have unintended psychological or behavioral consequences, this study tested reactions to TV advertisements from two HWLCs--"LiveLighter"® (employs graphic health effects messaging) and "Swap It Don't Stop It" (employs animation and…

Purpose: This study aims to investigate whether the impact of effectiveness of diversity training on affective commitment is different for men versus women and whether affective commitment mediates the relationship between effectiveness of diversity training and employee outcomes of turnover intention and job satisfaction.…

Background: teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) is an Australian school-based universal program for grade 10 to 12 students. tMHFA teaches teens how to recognize and respond to a peer in crisis or experiencing mental health concerns. Methods: Schools implementing tMHFA in 2019 and 2020 were propensity score matched, yielding a sample of…

For Australian university students living out of reach of a campus and studying online, the growing presence of Regional University Centres (RUCs) is changing their student experience for the better. People from regional areas of Australia are historically under-represented at university. Those who begin university are at higher risk of not…

Objective: To determine the impact of a peer-led, school-based programme (Students As LifeStyle Activists; SALSA) on energy balance-related behaviours (EBRBs) in Grade 8 students, and the cost of implementing the programme. Design: Pre-post test Setting: High schools in New South Wales, Australia. Methods: Grade 10 students (15- to 16-year-olds)…

We describe a space industry work experience program and report on the design, implementation, and evaluation of this program, including its purposes, organisation, participants -- hosts and students -- and its outcomes. The program was a collaboration between the South Australian Department for Education, the South Australian Space Industry…

Introduction: Game On: Know Alcohol, a school-based alcohol education program, aimed to educate adolescents on the harmful effects of (excessive) alcohol consumption. The program included two user-centered serious educational games, Perfect Pour and Dumb Driver. Purpose: To evaluate the objective effect of playing Perfect Pour and Dumb Driver on…

The development of healthy eating habits in adolescents is challenging. Resultantly, health educators are turning to digital devices to engage young people in nutrition education. This paper focuses on the development and evaluation of a computer game (Test Game B) to support healthier food choices. Test Game B was developed at an Australian…

Nature-based tourism experiences have the potential to change the environmental knowledge, attitudes and behavior of visitors; but such experiences may be beyond the physical and/or financial reach of many people. To influence the conservation behavior of populations world-wide, a more accessible yet equally effective strategy is required. Using…

The community-managed mental health sector is facing a crisis. Funding is less certain, demand for services is increasing, and retaining a skilled and competent workforce is proving a challenge. In order to respond to this workforce crisis a literature review was conducted on the effectiveness of higher education scholarship programmes, as a…