Academic literature on the topic 'Community and school Australian Capital Territory'

This paper is a partial report of an investigation into the integration program at two A.C.T. special schools catering for moderately and severely intellectually handicapped children. Teachers and parents of the children at the special schools completed questionnaires concerning the conduct and outcomes of the program. The opinions of teachers at the regular schools were obtained by personal interview.Overall there were positive attitudes expressed towards the program. Areas of concern include the level of support required for the regular class teacher, the level of preparation the handicapped children required before integration commenced, a worry of parents that handicapped children may be exposed to unnecessary pressures in the regular school system, and the fact that mere exposure of a handicapped child to a regular school environment may not lead to effective integration in the larger community.

Issues pertaining to religion and Australian schools have generated a significant amount of controversy and scholarly attention in recent years, and much of the attention in the religion and schools debate has focused on Muslim and non-religious children’s experiences (Erebus International, 2006; Halafoff, 2013). This article, by contrast, explores the manifestations of antisemitism as experienced by Jewish children and youth in Canberra schools. It considers the characteristics of antisemitism; when and why it occurs; its impact on the Jewish children and young people; and also the responses to it by them, the schools and the Jewish community. Based on focus groups with the Jewish students and their parents, the study reveals that antisemitism is common in Canberra schools, as almost all Jewish children and youth in this study have experienced it. The findings from this study suggest that there is a need for more anti-racism education. Specifically there is an urgent need for educational intervention about antisemitism, alongside education about religions and beliefs in general, to counter antisemitism more effectively and religious discrimination more broadly in Australian schools.

This paper argues that Australia is lagging behind in recognising the important role social workers and other human services workers can play in schools to improve social and educational outcomes for students. It reports on a small, school-based, human services program, the Schools as Communities program, located in the Australian Capital Territory, and outlines key themes that emerged in interviews with principals and other school staff about the program's effectiveness. The program's outreach workers, who were mostly social workers, had a dual role working with individual families and facilitating community development initiatives of benefit to the school community. Case studies demonstrate how their presence contributed to earlier involvement and support of vulnerable families. They also illustrate that the school setting enabled social workers to work more effectively to build social inclusion in local communities. The paper argues the case for using a wider range of human services professionals from the school base and calls upon education and human services systems to create more effective governance arrangements to make this possible. An expansion of the traditional disciplinary base of education to incorporate social workers and other human services professionals who are skilled at working across multiple domains is essential if schools are to maximise the impact of early intervention and prevention in working towards a more socially inclusive society.

Background: A strong association between persistent infection with oncogenic types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer is well established. Small numbers of international studies examining adolescent HPV infection and the risk factors associated are published, but there is currently no evidence on the prevalence and risk factors for HPV in an Australian, sexually active female adolescent population. Methods: To provide prevalence and risk factors for HPV in a female sexually active, senior high school population in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), a convenience sample of 161, 16–19-year-old females attending a senior high school was evaluated. The sample formed part of a larger sample recruited for a study of sexually transmitted infections and blood-borne viruses in senior high school students. A clinical record was used to collect information about sexual and other risk behaviours, while self-collected vaginal swabs were tested for HPV DNA detection and genotyping using polymerase chain reaction. Results: The prevalence of HPV DNA in this sample overall was 11.2%, with multiple genotypes in 38%. No statistically significant associations were found between HPV DNA and the number of male partners, age of coitarche, time since first sexually active, condom use, smoking or alcohol intake. Conclusions: This is the first Australian study that has examined the prevalence and risk factors for genital HPV in this demographic group. The prevalence of HPV infection is slightly lower than reported in similar age groups overseas and is lower than other Australian studies in older women and those attending sexual health centres. Of HPV-positive young women, high-risk genotypes were found in over half, with more than one-third of HPV existing as multiple genotypes. Large community-based prevalence studies are needed to guide the development of recommendations for the vaccination of young women against HPV and to support other health promotion initiatives.

The link between adequate nutrition and quality of life for older persons is well established. With the proportion of older adults increasing, policy regarding support and care for the ageing has shifted emphasis to keeping older adults in their homes for as long as possible. Risk of malnutrition is an issue of importance for this population and, while this risk is well researched within the hospital setting, it is still relatively under-researched within the community-dwelling elderly, particularly with respect to the lived experience. This qualitative study (underpinned by interpretative phenomenology philosophy) explores how the lived experiences of community-dwelling older people living in one-person households in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) influences dietary patterns, food choices and perceptions about food availability. Using purposeful and snowballing sampling, older people (65 years and over) living alone in the community participated in focus group discussions triangulated with their family/carers. Data were thematically analysed using a previously established approach. Participants (n = 22) were interviewed in three focus groups. Three themes were identified: active and meaningful community connectedness; eating well and behaviours to promote dietary resilience. Of these, community connectedness was pivotal in driving food patterns and choices and was a central component influencing behaviours to eating well and maintaining dietary resilience.

This paper presents an outline of the socio-demographic features of the Australian Capital Territory (the ACT) and of its health care system. I describe how health care resources are allocated in the government sector, present a moredetailed description of the way that hospital services are purchased, and summarise the government's policy directions for health. I argue that the main directions are sensible, and particularly those that support more integrated care that is largely based in the community. There appear to be no major weaknesses in the budget-share output-based funding model used in the purchase of hospital services, although the rationale for some of the components might be clarified.In total, the ACT government appears to be on the right track. However, I argue that more rapid progress might bepossible if there were greater collaboration between the Territory health authority and the relatively powerful private medical profession.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to reflect upon the rationale, design and development of the Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine curriculum at the Australian National University Medical School, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Conclusions: We conclude that the development of the fourth-year curriculum of a four-year graduate medical degree was a complex evolutionary process.

This decade has seen an increasing awareness by the Commonwealth Schools Commission, the ACT Schools Authority, educators and members of the community of students who are gifted in a diversity of areas. A number of programs designed to meet the special needs of gifted students have been developed in some primary schools in the A.C.T. and it is timely that the attitudes of principals, teachers and parents were assessed. To assess the attitudes of the three populations (principals, teachers and parents) toward general attitudes about gifted students, key aspects of planning and organisation of gifted programs, classroom teachers and their knowledge and need of assistance in gifted education; and to explore whether the three populations held different attitudes toward gifted students and the provision of specific programs to meet their special needs, the Field Study candidate developed and administered a questionnaire to members of the A.C.T. Association for Gifted and Talented Children, together with principals, teachers and parents in nineprimary schools in the A.C.T. The results of the questionnaire indicated that all three groups agreed with the proposition that every child was entitled to an educational program that would assist the child to develop to his / her fullest potential. Appropriate extension programs should be run for gifted students in the local primary school, with the involvement of the resource teacher and the assistance of personnel and locations outside of the local school when it was appropriate. Some reservations were expressed toward the level of parent participation in the identification procedure, program planning and program evaluation, and classroom teachers were seen to require assistance in the areas of identification, program planning and the evaluation of programs designed to meet the special needs of gifted students. The Field Study concludes that local A.C.T. primary schools could meet the special needs of gifted students. This could be achieved by principals, teachers and members of the School Board developing and implementing special educational programs by utilising Special Project funding, additional staff and professional development opportunities which are currently available in limited amounts through the ACT Schools Authority and the Commonwealth Schools Commission.

This thesis investigates the views of principals in government schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) regarding school based management (SBM). School based management is defined as the delegation of certain decision making functions from central bureaucratic control to a group of personnel located at the school site. In the case of the ACT, delegation of decision making to school sites began in 1974. An additional set of responsibilities was delegated in the 1997/98 period. This study concentrates on the latter period but also takes the extended period of devolution into account. This investigation is based on qualitative and quantitative methods of enquiry and data collection to investigate principals' perceptions of SBM, particularly in relation to the demographic variables of the schools, and selected personal and professional characteristics of the principals. Initially twenty six semi-structured interviews were conducted with principals to determine a framework of seven constructs in relation to SBM. Qualitative data are reported by drawing on the extensive unabridged transcripts of the interviews. The data arising from the interview stage formed the basis for construction of a questionnaire administered to the total population of ninety seven principals in government schools in the ACT. The questionnaire consists of demographic, personal and professional items concerning the school and the principal, items related to the impact of SBM, questions regarding the principals' perceptions of satisfaction with their work, and the importance principals place on selected aspects of their role, particularly following the extension of SBM. Results of the questionnaire are reported using frequency distribution for each of the items in the questionnaire, followed by factor analysis and analysis of variance to test significant differences in the principals' views at the 0.05 or greater level. Results of these analyses show that principals have common perceptions in general about the nature and impact of SBM. Principals' perceptions are however, mediated by a number of independent variables. These are gender of the principal, experience of more than one year's work outside the field of education, the sector of their school, ie primary, high school or college, and the geographic location of the school. Their participation in SBM training programs, bureaucratic support to assist them in implementing SBM, and their expressed need for continued professional development are additional independent variables where statistically significant differences are apparent. Principals in this study view the extension of SBM responsibilities more as an administrative function, than an opportunity to engage in restructuring the school. They see that their role has expanded to place strong emphasis on business management and they consider that they are now working in a market oriented climate where competition for students is a real issue. Hours of work have increased, and maintenance of a balance between work and personal life is a growing concern. Despite this they do not want to return to the former arrangements and continue to express satisfaction with the intrinsic rewards of their profession such as contact with students, colleagues and the community. These results provide important insights into the type of SBM evident in ACT government schools at the time of this study. A number of recommendations for future research and practice are presented related to the findings and linked to the key themes arising in the literature.These suggest ways that SBM can and might be used as a catalyst for development of a new paradigm for education, which will meet the needs of a 'knowledge society' (Drucker, 1995) and engage schools in moving 'beyond the self managing school', (Caldwell and Spinks, 1998).

This thesis has as its origins a desire by the Ministerial Advisory Council on Adult and Community Education in the Australian Capital Territory to learn more about the sector with whom they interact. There was a clear perception that, due to its diversity, a strong reliance on volunteers and an underlying mistrust of beaurocracy, the sector was quite poorly delineated. If this was in fact the case, then the capacity of the Council to support the sector - for example through the grants scheme - was being greatly handicapped. In the case of grants, it was known that requests commonly outnumbered available grant funds by three or four to one. What was not known was the extent of other worthwhile ACE activity that was either electing not to apply for funding or was simply unaware that the facility even existed. The research, based on the results of a broad ranging questionnaire distributed to all known ACE providers in the ACT, has furthered the level of understanding of the sector. The research approach was modeled on the South Australian Pathfinder Project (1996). Key findings include that: ? the ACE sector is extremely diverse and active in the ACT; ? it is client focussed in that it develops its programs in response to the identified needs of its target group(s); ? in the twelve months covered by the survey there were over 190 000 attendees in ACE programs; ? a range of programs are available to most community groups; ? there is a strong reliance on volunteers; ? the sector generally feels that there is a demand for even more programs than are currently offered; ? many individual providers do not see themselves as part of the overall ACE sector. While there are some marked similarities between the ACT ACE sector and the South Australian findings, there also some clear differences. For example, many of the factors that restrict access to ACE in other parts of Australia are less relevant to the ACT. An example of this is that travel distances/times for participants to access programs are generally less of a problem in the ACT than in some other jurisdictions due to the small area and the concentration of population in the ACT.

In the western world the Protestant Christian Day School Movement is now a recognised element in education systems. It is a movement which has had phenomenal growth over the past twenty years and it continues to grow. Mostly, the parents of children who attend these schools were educated in a government school. This thesis seeks to find the reasons why parents are choosing Christian Schools and not government ones as they themselves attended. A variety of values are examined ; religious, academic and pastoral, and as the reader will discover, while it is not easy always to make a clear distinction between these values, some trends are so strong that the researcher believes that some valid conclusions may be drawn. A considerable amount of data was collected by the use of two surveys done at the Trinity Christian School at Wanniassa,and one survey conducted among parents of the O'Connor Christian School at Lyneham. The Biblical Values Survey provides an interesting over-view of the perceived achievement of a Christian School while the Choosing a School Survey clearly shows why these parents are dissatisfied with government schools and what they expect their child will gain from a Christian School experience. A computer analysis was done on one block of data which highlights the need for Christian School administrators to be aware of the various priority areas which do exist in the minds of the parents of their students.

An aspect of Australian education is the continued presence of the Catholic schools including those in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn. They have continued to be a significant part of Australian education after decades of ups and downs. The question today is not whether Catholic schools will survive but rather how effective they will be despite the changes which have taken place over the last few decades. Catholic schools still aim to provide all the elements of a State education, and in addition, to offer them within a Catholic setting. They have tried to create an environment that will continue to reflect the cultural values of its members. The Theses is on Catholic Education in Practice: A Case Study of a Catholic High School in the A.C.T. The Theses is based on historical and analytical approach. The results of a case study involving random sampled students, their parents/guardians and teachers in a Catholic High School in the A.C.T. sets out to investigate what factors still attract them to the Catholic school despite the significant changes that have taken place since Catholic education was introduced into Australia. By examining these three groups of people who are directly involved in Catholic schools, it is hoped that a more balanced assessment of the extent to which ideals and practices of Catholic education have been retained. The results show that students attend Catholic schools for a variety of reasons including academic and religious and because of the traditional approach to areas such as discipline. The religious values continue to be an important part of the school which makes it distinctively Catholic, but the integration is not as pervasive as previous due to the change in the nature of staff and students at the school.

This study examines teachers' perceptions of the work of School Counsellors within government schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Data were drawn from questionnaires returned by a representative sample of 279 teachers and principals, from 16 primary and 8 high schools. The purpose of the study was to: (i) partially replicate a study by Leach (1989) of Western Australian teachers' perceptions; and (ii) investigate whether or not teachers could be considered to be supportive of a general trend towards a broadening role for school psychologists which is evident in the literature. This trend suggests that practitioners of applied psychology in schools may prefer an expanded role which encompasses indirect service delivery in addition to the more traditional, child centred role. Respondents were asked to indicate their perceptions of the frequency of 65 tasks performed by School Counsellors, the competence with which those tasks were performed and the usefulness of those tasks. Also examined were perceptions of the process and quality of service delivery, and of actual and preferred qualifications and experience of School Counsellors. These results were compared with those of Leach (1989). Respondents were invited to prioritise service delivery in light of their professional needs. A factor analysis of respondents' perceptions of School Counsellors was undertaken. The results were similar to Leach's (1989) findings and indicated a general endorsement of the current work of School Counsellors, with traditional, direct service delivery tasks generally perceived as being performed more frequently and with more competence than the more innovative, indirect types of service delivery. There was a strong indication that respondents would like more of both types of service delivery, particularly indirect services, made possible through increased resourcing. Increases in respondents' classification level positively correlated with increased perceptions of task frequency and competence with which tasks were performed. A positive correlation was also found between the frequency of professional contact that respondents perceived they had with School Counsellors and their perceptions of the process and quality of service delivered by these practitioners. In relation to the process and quality of service delivery, few teachers perceived that School Counsellors communicated clearly about the services they offer, procedures used or results gained. This concern with communication was reinforced through examination of the factors underlying teachers' perceptions of both the frequency and usefulness of tasks. This study suggests that ACT teachers and principals are, to some extent, already experiencing and valuing some aspects of the trend in service delivery reflected in the literature. Discussion highlights the important role communication plays in indirect service delivery, and links it with the findings of this study, particularly as it relates to teachers' and administrators' apparent lack of knowledge of the qualifications and experience of School Counsellors.

This study is about the risk of youth unemployment in Canberra. It applies the perspective of Giddens and others on risk communication to how the hazards of self identity and self esteem, coping ability, the work ethic, family support and level of education, the ability to enjoy spare time, drugs and alcohol use, poverty and suicide affect young people's ability to cope. The study's communication perspective also integates political with organizational, interpersonal and network as well as mass media communication. The study also draws from scholars who write from a sociological and psychological viewpoint and are frequently cited in communication sources. The loss of traditional work opportunities in the Public Service in Canberra is a significant barrier to a young person's integration into the community. Other barriers are the reduced work opportunities for young unskilled workers in a fledgling private market, the lack of adequate social and transport facilities, and family breakdown that can leave young Canberrans abandoned. The added factor of a global decline in participation in work in the last two decades has resulted in the general collapse in the full time jobs market, a growth of part time and casual employment, multiple job holding, and non-standard hours of work. Using historical research, participant observation, interview data and newspaper content analysis the study shows that the risk of unemployment for young people remains high notwithstanding the reduction in the overall unemployment rate. The media has played a significant role in forming community attitudes since the 1974 recession to the new millennium - a time of increasing government hardline policies towards welfare reform. Such policies have resulted in semi-privatisation of the employment services and tightening of welfare eligibility. Poor communication of these policies and coordination of their service delivery has resulted in public confusion about accessing these services. This is exacerbated in varying ways at the individual level depending on the extent that young people are affected by the hazards of unemployment. The government's answer to the problem of youth unemployment seeks to force young people to return to school and the family home. The outcomes of other reforms, such as the mutual obligation component of work for the dole, are yet to be determined. Young people want to work. However, the consequences of the present government reforms for young people are that they are 'parked' in education, denied access to full time employment and the privileges of adult status. All of these issues are reflected in the findings of the five research questions posed in the study detailed as follows: Research Question 1: What role does interpersonal communication play in the construction of a positive sense of self-concept among young unemployed people? Findings: Young people are vulnerable to social change. At the individual level, the risk of unemployment and its associated hazards is heightened when an individual's sense of self and identity is not properly developed and they are unable to forge a sense of belonging with society. Reduced job opportunities, lack of trust despite the strong will do to the 'right thing' have prevailed amongst the young. For some access to choice is exciting. For others who are overwhelmed or have dropped out the world can be a bleak place. For an increasing number of young people the absence of family support and education impinges on their interpersonal communication skills in developing coping strategies in their day-to-day existence outside society's norms of acceptance. Research Question la: How important is a positive sense of self-concept for young unemployed people in communicating with community support organizations? Findings: A positive sense of self-concept is paramount for young people communicating with Centrelink and the Job Network organizations in an environment where they are required to contribute extra effort in finding work, reduce their use of social assistance, adopt compliant behaviours towards the government's welfare reforms and meet raised expectations in finding employment. Research Question 2: How do young unemployed people differently experience their primary and secondary social support networks? Findings: Family support as well as education increases the ability of young unemployed people to interact with their primary and secondary social support networks. Consequently, a poor experience of primary support leads to eventual confusion when dealing with organizations that deliver employment services. The replacement of family support by a friendship group can nevertheless be empowering in these circumstances. Research Question 2a: How does young people's ability to access secondary support networks affect their experience of unemployment? Findings: The lack of family support and education increases the chances of having low resilience, low trust in organizations and other people and an inability to cope. These are all significant barriers to communicating successfully with secondary support networks that provide assistance with employment opportunities. Staying in education is a safety net against youth unemployment. The feeling of connectedness with the community is difficult because of the loss of identity and the absence of identity recognition for young unemployed people through discrimination. The maintenance of the work ethic in the main stems from the desire to accrue material benefits. Research Question 3: What is the role of community and organizational support for young people experiencing the hazards of unemployment? Findings: The findings of the study highlight the vulnerability of young unemployed people accessing organizational support with the hazards stated in the study being the intervening variables. It was found that reforms linking markets and networks make increasing demands on the unemployed and their families. Poor communication within Centrelink, interorganizationally with the Job Network providers and in public communication informing about such reforms has resulted in confusion amongst young unemployed people. The new market driven environment has had detrimental effects on clients because of the lack of integrated programs and has generated a lack of trust in organizational providers. Research Question 4: What is the role of the media and public opinion polls informing community perceptions about youth unemployment? Findings: Media agenda setting provides the cues setting the standards by which the public evaluates government and attributes responsibility for societal problems. Public opinion is formed when media reports on public affairs. People talk to one another about the topic and consequently public opinion is formed. In the 1970s the media framed unemployed youth as 'dole bludgers' and the polls reflected public attitudes that unemployment was due to people not wanting to work. Media framing in the 1990s contrasted with the 1970s view. Such indications included that it now considered that young people were priced out of a job whilst showing cynicism of governments to improve the situation. It did not use the 'dole bludger' tag. Although the salience of youth unemployment in the opinion polls had diminished, it was still a dominant consideration. Sympathy for young unemployed people who are seen as victims of social change by the media has maintained into the new millennium with media criticism aimed at the government's punitive approach to youth unemployment. Research Question 5: How are policies about youth unemployment communicated to the community? Findings: Following Foucault the study found that government is a broader process involving more than the state. From depth interviews with organizational representatives it was found that formulation of policy for youth and unemployment should be bottom up - community, state, federal - before Cabinet consideration. Political and economic ideologies currently precede pragmatism and there is a diminished voice of those representing youth policy. These findings contribute to building on understandings of the phenomenon of youth unemployment at the community level in Australia and inform about the various individuals, groups, organizations including the media that contribute to shaping the discourse in and around youth and youth unemployment.

This study researched three major areas of the school Principalship within the Australian Capital Territory government school system. The three major areas of research concern related to school Principalship were: 1. Changes in the role and responsibilities of the Principal 2. Skills Principals require to perform effectively within the role and responsibility. 3. How the education department may best facilitate and support effective performance of its Principals. An outline of the history of administrative and organisational restructuring within the A.C.T. government education system during the past two decades has been presented to provide the context of the study. A review of the literature also contributed to the contextual understanding of the study by examining specific issues and understandings within the literature. The specific issues and understandings related to: context and the role of the Principal concept of the role of the Principal instructional leadership and the role of the Principal administrative and organisational devolution and the role of the Principal The research methodology used to examine the issues central to this study is qualitative or descriptive in nature, reflecting a phenomenological perspective. The data was collected through personal interviews conducted with senior administrators of the A.C.T. government school system and written questionnaires completed by Principals of the A.C.T. government school system. The data comprises the perceptions, ideas and beliefs of the two defined groups targeted in the study. The analysis of responses presented the major findings regarding the perceptions, ideas and beliefs of the Principals and senior administrators of the A.C.T. government school system relating to the key research areas of this study. The major findings show that the role of the school Principal has changed, with Principals requiring a broader array of skills to effectively meet the challenges of the new role. The major findings discuss how the education department may best facilitate and support effective performance in the Principalship. The conclusions of the study discuss how changes to the role of the Principal have increased the Principal's workload, with Principals now required to utilise a broader scope of often new skills to effectively perform their changed role and responsibilities. The Principal respondents and senior administrator respondents suggest best ways that the education department may facilitate and support effective performance of the Principalship. It was also suggested that the amount of professional development and training was inadequate to facilitate the performance of effective Principalship. Respondents indicated that incentives such as sabbatical leave for Principals be facilitated by the education department to ensure Principals' professional renewal. Finally, the implications of the conclusions of the study address the ways in which the education department may best assist Principals to acquire the necessary new skills to effectively perform their changed role. The implications of the conclusions of the study also address the ways in which the education department may best facilitate and support Principals' professional renewal. The implications of the conclusions of the study state that the responsibility for Principals' professional development and renewal should be a shared responsibility between the school Principal and the education department.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the implementation of curriculum policy regarding eight key learning areas in ACT government high schools with particular analysis concerning the Arts. The study sought to identify the discrepance between school curriculum policy and timetable allocation to the mandated curriculum areas. Analysis of time allocation to learning areas as defined by the timetable allocation of time was considered to be an appropriate method of examining curriculum practice in ACT government high schools. Fifteen ACT government high school timetables were analysed in conjunction with school curriculum documentation. Mandatory time requirements for the eight key learning areas was identified. Timetable structures were analysed in terms of allocation of time to key learning areas, pastoral care, assemblies, activities and electives. Formulae were developed in order to make comparisons between schools possible. Results indicated that disparities existed between time allocation to key learning areas within key learning areas and mandatory time (i.e. minimum guaranteed access time) requirements for key learning areas.

The Australian Catholic University (ACU National at www.acu.edu.au) is a public university funded by the Australian Government. There are six campuses across the country, located in Brisbane, Queensland; North Sydney, New South Wales; Strathfield, New South Wales; Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT); Ballarat, Victoria; and Melbourne, Victoria. The university serves a total of approximately 27,000 students, including both full- and part-time students, and those enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate studies. Through fostering and advancing knowledge in education, health, commerce, the humanities, science and technology, and the creative arts, ACU National seeks to make specific and targeted contributions to its local, national, and international communities. The university explicitly engages the social, ethical, and religious dimensions of the questions it faces in teaching, research, and service. In its endeavors, it is guided by a fundamental concern for social justice, equity, and inclusivity. The university is open to all, irrespective of religious belief or background. ACU National opened its doors in 1991 following the amalgamation of four Catholic tertiary institutions in eastern Australia. The institutions that merged to form the university had their origins in the mid-17th century when religious orders and institutes became involved in the preparation of teachers for Catholic schools and, later, nurses for Catholic hospitals. As a result of a series of amalgamations, relocations, transfers of responsibilities, and diocesan initiatives, more than twenty historical entities have contributed to the creation of ACU National. Today, ACU National operates within a rapidly changing educational and industrial context. Student numbers are increasing, areas of teaching and learning have changed and expanded, e-learning plays an important role, and there is greater emphasis on research. In its 2005–2009 Strategic Plan, the university commits to the adoption of quality teaching, an internationalized curriculum, as well as the cultivation of generic skills in students, to meet the challenges of the dynamic university and information environment (ACU National, 2008). The Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) Program at ACU Canberra Situated in Australia’s capital city, the Canberra campus is one of the smallest campuses of ACU National, where there are approximately 800 undergraduate and 200 postgraduate students studying to be primary or secondary school teachers through the School of Education (ACT). Other programs offered at this campus include nursing, theology, social work, arts, and religious education. A new model of pre-service secondary teacher education commenced with the introduction of the Graduate Diploma of Education (Secondary) program at this campus in 2005. It marked an innovative collaboration between the university and a cohort of experienced secondary school teachers in the ACT and its surrounding region. This partnership was forged to allow student teachers undertaking the program to be inducted into the teaching profession with the cooperation of leading practitioners from schools in and around the ACT. In the preparation of novices for the teaching profession, an enduring challenge is to create learning experiences capable of transforming practice, and to instill in the novices an array of professional skills, attributes, and competencies (Putnam & Borko, 2000). Another dimension of the beginning teacher experience is the need to bridge theory and practice, and to apply pedagogical content knowledge in real-life classroom practice. During the one-year Graduate Diploma program, the student teachers undertake two four-week block practicum placements, during which they have the opportunity to observe exemplary lessons, as well as to commence teaching. The goals of the practicum include improving participants’ access to innovative pedagogy and educational theory, helping them situate their own prior knowledge regarding pedagogy, and assisting them in reflecting on and evaluating their own practice. Each student teacher is paired with a more experienced teacher based at the school where he/she is placed, who serves as a supervisor and mentor. In 2007, a new dimension to the teaching practicum was added to facilitate online peer mentoring among the pre-service teachers at the Canberra campus of ACU National, and provide them with opportunities to reflect on teaching prior to entering full-time employment at a school. The creation of an online community to facilitate this mentorship and professional development process forms the context for the present case study. While on their practicum, students used social software in the form of collaborative web logging (blogging) and threaded voice discussion tools that were integrated into the university’s course management system (CMS), to share and reflect on their experiences, identify critical incidents, and invite comment on their responses and reactions from peers.

The positive and negative aspects of using Facebook© as a crucial communication tool between Aboriginal academics and their Aboriginal students will be discussed within this chapter. Initially, the authors’ use of Facebook © was to provide support for our Australian Aboriginal students within their own communities. The original intention was to supplement existing electronic forums provided by the University to maintain contact with students between study blocks, encourage reluctant technology users to interact online, and build links to the students’ own communities and families. In 2009, the authors’ students were involved in a research project (Milton, Gruppetta, Vozzo & Mason, 2009) and their use of Facebook © to interact with students was recognised as innovative and the authors were encouraged to investigate the potential within another research project (Vozzo, et al., 2011). From a peripheral practice conducted by two Australian Aboriginal academics, the importance of utilizing Facebook © to build social capital and support an Indigenous Academic community has become crucial to the success and retention of our Aboriginal tertiary students. The authors’ most recent research project relies heavily on Facebook © as the main communication tool due to the vast distances between Aboriginal communities in Australia and the variety of technology provided by each state/territory.