This study examined studies focusing on student engagement in distance education using a trend analysis technique. 154 studies published in web of science database were included in the study. Analysis showed that there is an increasing effort to understand student engagement. Researchers are mostly focusing on instructional design and educational…

Twenty-first century transformations have taken place within the framework of globalisation of the economy, the spread of information technology and global migration resulting in increased cultural diversity in many societies. This qualitative study investigated perspective transformation in 18 research students, from Australia, Hong Kong SAR, and…

This research explores the perceptions of facilitators in asynchronous online discussion to improve practice and student engagement in Higher Education. Traditional didactic delivery of learning content may fail the expectations of student and academic stakeholders. The pressure to teach within constrained resources presents challenges, but also…

Despite a significant body of literature espousing the transformative impacts of Australian Indigenous Studies curriculum upon students, there remains a limited body of work related to how these students experience and learn within this complex environment. This is particularly notable for research aligned with Mezirow's transformative learning…

Supervisors are often reluctant to make an adverse assessment of the student's performance during work placements, which leads to a phenomenon known as "failure to fail". This Australian study evaluated resources designed to enhance the management of students who fail to meet the required standard of performance during work placements.…

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…

This paper presents findings from a qualitative study of ePortfolio experiences among health professions students at a major Australasian research-intensive university. This exploratory study of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) aims to understand the experiences and perspectives of students introduced to program-level ePortfolios…

Curtin University introduced an interprofessional first year curriculum in the Faculty of Health Sciences in 2011. This curriculum, now delivered to over 3,300 first year health science students annually, consists of five common compulsory units, eight optional units (specific to several courses) and one discipline specific unit for each course.…

This article details reflections of an interdisciplinary team of educators working with groups of health sciences students in preparing them for working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The first-year common core unit discussed here is one attempt to equip future health practitioners with skills and knowledges to work adequately…

Health indicators for rural populations in Australia continue to lag behind those of urban populations and particularly for Indigenous populations who make up a large proportion of people living in rural and remote Australia. Preparation of health practitioners who are adequately prepared to face the "messy swamps" of rural health…

The implementation of a Post Entrance Numeracy Assessment (PENA) program at the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) Fremantle campus, demonstrated that many Health Science students had inadequate mathematical skills on entry. The development of a support course, offered as a "strongly encouraged" option, resulted in only 4% of…

While educational design research promotes closer links between practice and theory, reporting its outcomes from iterations across multiple contexts is often constrained by the volumes of data generated, and the context bound nature of the research outcomes. Reports tend to focus on a single iteration of implementation without further research to…

There is increasing recognition of the role eHealth will play in the effective and efficient delivery of healthcare. This research challenges the assumption that students enter university as digital natives, able to confidently and competently adapt their use of information and communication technology (ICT) to new contexts. This study explored…

In response to staff concerns about literacy and numeracy standards of commencing students, the School of Health Sciences at the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) Fremantle campus worked with academic support staff from the University's Academic Enabling and Support Centre (AESC) to develop a Post Entrance Numeracy Assessment (PENA). The…

Despite calls for better preparation of students and supervisors for clinical placement, few dedicated pre-placement resources have been developed. The aim of this project was to design, pilot, and evaluate an online resource to prepare health students and supervisors for clinical placements. Development of an online resource was informed by the…