Assessment is a key learning tool to drive deep and sustained learning and develop lifelong learning skills. Individually, continuous assessments and adaptive assessments have demonstrated potential to positively impact learning. An opportunity to combine continuous and adaptive assessment to enhance learning potential within a physiotherapy…

Cultural competency, in increasingly globalized and cosmopolitan societies, is key to allied health graduate employability. Internationalization at Home initiatives that use virtual technologies have potential to facilitate transformative intercultural learning experiences and build cultural competency. The purpose of this study was to trial a…

Background: Whilst e-Portfolios have been used in a variety of learning contexts, disciplines and academic levels, its effectiveness amongst tertiary health science students in Australia has yet to be explored. Investigating students' development of reflexivity through an individually assessed e-Portfolio will produce more information about how…

In this paper, we examine workplace educators' interpretations of their assessment practices. We draw on a critical practice lens to conceptualise assessment practice as a social, relational and situated practice that becomes critical through critique and emancipation. We conducted semi-structured interviews followed by roundtable discussions with…

Assessment in work integrated learning (WIL) programs typically involves workplace supervisors rating student performance against criteria based on employability skills. Yet investigations of differences in employer ratings that may impact on student outcomes are rare. This paper reports on a pilot study that examined supervisor evaluations of the…

A sound knowledge of pathological disease processes is required for professional practice within health professions. The project described in this paper reviewed the resources currently available for the delivery of systematic pathology tutorials. Additional complementary resources were developed and the inclusion of these additional learning…

This paper reports on the experiences gathered as a result of the foundation, implementation and on-going development of an interprofessional course for undergraduate health science students in The School of Health Sciences (SHS) at The University of Newcastle. The purpose of the course was to provide commencing students (n=600) with a…

Background: Workplace-based learning is a critical component of professional preparation in speech pathology. A validated assessment of this learning is seen to be "the gold standard", but it is difficult to develop because of design and validation issues. These issues include the role and nature of judgement in assessment, challenges in…

An assessment task in which clerical occupations students prepare a report on setting up an office aligns with Australia's competency-based curriculum and national assessments of competence. In this holistic approach, learners research and discuss the problem and draw on personal experience as well as classroom learning. (SK)

The impact of the transition to training packages (TPs) on institutionally based training in Australia was examined. Information was gathered from 14 case studies of registered trade organizations (RTOs) delivering qualifications to institutionally based students in TPs in the following areas: administration, beauty therapy, community services,…

The implementation of training packages (TPs) in Australian workplaces was examined through case studies of the use of TPs in nontraditional trade areas by six innovative registered training organizations (RTOs) across Australia. The study focused on the extent to which new and flexible approaches to learning, training delivery, and assessment…

This document presents 10 case studies of adult community education programs (ACE) in the state of Victoria, Australia, in the mid 1990s, that were identified as exemplifying the following principles of good practice in ACE: expansiveness, integration, responsiveness, innovation, belonging, explicitness, autonomy, accessibility, synthesis, and…

A project in a health sciences department of one Australian university, designed to encourage faculty collaboration on student assessment issues, became a program of personal and collective review giving insight into the processes and dynamics of curriculum and professional development. The project, its processes and products, and implications…

This paper offers a brief overview of the Australian education system and compares it with the United States system of education. The Australian economy presents no threat to U.S. hegemony, but its education system presents an interesting contrast. The paper describes the following features of the Australian education system: governance; school…

Discussion of issues in the implementation of a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum at the University of Queensland (Australia) dental school looks at the role of the faculty member in PBL, good problem design, group learning processes, appropriate assessment approaches and techniques, the role of evaluation in improving instruction, student…