Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Information technology Victoria Melbourne'

This thesis examines the perceptions of lecturers, graduates and employers of personal and interpersonal skills development in an accounting degree at Victoria University. The development of personal and interpersonal skills in students in higher education has been the focus of discussion amongst accounting educators, accounting practitioners and the accounting profession for many years. There is a general consensus on what skills are necessarily sought to ensure success within the accountancy profession but very few previous studies on how those personal and interpersonal skills are being developed. This research study presents a research framework which emphasises the complex interrelationships between an accounting curriculum, accounting lecturers, accounting graduates and employers of graduate accountants and their perceptions of how personal and interpersonal skills are developed. A case study approach, combining archival, qualitative and quantitative methods, is used to investigate how a Bachelor of Business Accounting degree in one Australian university facilitates personal and interpersonal skills development. The case study results indicate that the curriculum, as the vector for skills development, has both explicit and implicit references to skills outcomes. Graduates� perceptions of many of the personal and interpersonal skills considered in this study are closely related to the curriculum findings. However, there appears to be a lack of convergence between lecturers� perceptions, the curriculum and graduates� perceptions. Employers generally agree that graduates display most of the personal and interpersonal skills, albeit at a low level, in the workplace. There are curriculum implications arising from the results of this research for accounting academics who design and develop accounting programs where the value of graduates� personal and interpersonal skills are acknowledged. As a first step, academics need to improve accounting curricula by explicitly integrating personal and interpersonal skills in their subjects. Communicating to students the explicit nature of personal and interpersonal skills development and making them aware is the next step.

As the new millennium begins, networked information technology systems are progressively more essential to the success of an organization (Turban, McLean & Wetherbe, 2001). With the steady growth of computer power and ever-increasing access to communications networks, digital information is an increasingly important resource (Li, Wang, & Wiederhold, 2000). As the information technology has changed, so too has the implementation of that technology changed. The changing digital information era presents significant challenges to organizations because there is a growing interdependence between organizational management methods and procedures on one side and information technology and communications on the other (Laudon & Laudon, 2001). A change in anyone of the components often requires changes in other components (Laudon & Laudon, 2001). The changes and challenges to organizations brought about by information technology apply to governmental entities such as local police departments. The widespread use of computers and the rapidly developing technology of communications have combined to dramatically increase the volume and complexity of digital information resources available for criminal investigations and criminal-related research (Freeh, 2000). Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, emphasis has been placed on using networked information resources as a means to identify people and determine associated criminal histories. This single case study investigated the implementation of a networked information technology system operating in the real-world setting of a local police department. The objective of this study was to examine information technology successfully implemented as an investigative resource for law enforcers. This included reviewing criminal justice information resources that became available between 1999 and 2001, and reviewing the impact of the September 11, 2001 events on information technology implementation for criminal investigation and research. It also includes the examination of theories taken from recent literature from the period 1998 to 2002, regarding methods of successful system implementation. The major contribution of the study is that it provides a broad comprehensive analysis of a mixed mode wireless and wireline networked information technology system implemented to support criminal investigations and criminal-related research. The study presents a timely model of technology implementation, following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and passage of the USA PATRIOT Act. Other police departments and criminal justice agencies can use the study model to implement similar networked information systems. Results of the study indicated that the implementation of the information technology was successful because the implementation followed accepted theories in recent literature, and has had a consistent positive impact on the Melbourne Police Department. Positive and significant productivity results were achieved via the implementation processes utilized by the police department. Lastly, the study provides recommendations to local police departments and criminal justice agencies on whether continued implementation of information technology developed under current theories is warranted.

The research project was framed around the need to convert a static page web site into a database driven web site using Microsoft technologies Active Server Pages and SQL server 7. The methodology used for the software development was the object oriented use case approach of Jacobson. Although a single software application was originally thought to be the best design strategy, the solution which emerged as being the preferred framework resulted in two software applications being developed. Thus, the JIPAM Web Site Dynamic Database System is comprised of an application developed in ASP to allow online access to the journal and a second application to maintain the contents of the database which was developed in C++.

In essence, the following thesis examines the development of high technology industry (HTI) in metropolitan Melbourne. The thesis focuses on an assessment of the Victorian Government's spatially-focussed HTI development policy known as the 'Technology Precincts Policy" (TPP) which was adopted in 1988. Under this policy, five technology precincts have been established in Melbourne to encourage the development of HTI. Two main approaches were employed to evaluate the TPP, namely, a review of relevant literature and an analysis of unpublished data obtained from and produced by the ABS specifically for this thesis. The primary analysis involved determining the geographical orientation and locational preferences of HTI in Melbourne compared to the location of the five designated technology precincts. From the findings of the two research approaches, it is concluded that the TPP is not relevant, accurate or successful policy in terms of the development of HTI in Melbourne. This is primarily because the policy is too spatially-focussed and the designated technology precincts do not reflect the actual factors that influence the location and development of HTI in Melbourne. Given the thesis findings, an alternative HTI development policy for Melbourne is recommended. The recommended policy focuses on the Melbourne metropolitan area as a whole and would involve a range of integrated and co-ordinated State Government initiatives and measures. Its goal would be an economic and urban environment in Melbourne which encourages innovation and HTI development throughout the metropolis, rather than seek a specific outcome in a particular spatial order.

As disclosed by the Port of Melbourne Corporation in 2015, full import containers significantly outnumber full export containers in the port of Melbourne, indicating that the port has become a major import container location experiencing acute pressures to manage the disequilibrium in trade flows. The report further points to increased container volumes through the port of Melbourne over the decade 2005-2015 – an increase of 650,000 twenty-foot containers. This growth in port-related containerised volumes creates capacity constraints in landside transport infrastructures and container parks’ facilities resulting from increased truck movements in and around the port of Melbourne. As specified by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in 2011, these capacity constraints at container parks resulted from random truck arrivals patterns, which caused depots to alternate periods of low truck traffic activity with periods of excess demand that generated major delays. Also, transport carriers often arrived at container parks to be notified of the unavailability of stocks to attend to empty collections, that is, futile trips occurred on a regular basis. In this line, previous industry studies had noted in as early as 2004 and 2005 the need to implement a vehicle booking system with a view to deliver superior visibility and thus operational gains for the empty-container supply chain in an effort to address the capacity challenges already experienced in and around the port of Melbourne. This thesis examines the proposition that the adoption of information technology is central in integrating and thus streamlining container chain operations resulting in superior supply chain efficiency. For this purpose this research will explore, in a detailed case study, the adoption of the Containerchain portal by some of the empty-container parks in the port of Melbourne. In particular, this thesis seeks to shed light on the impacts this web-based application is having on the integration of chain activities and operational chain efficiency given differentiated empty-container parks and empty-container chains.

This thesis examines economic growth and change across the city of Melbourne over the 2000s. In the late 1970s to early 1980s, and again in the early 1990s, Melbourne was seen as having a bleak future, as a consequence of the deindustrialisation occurring in the city throughout the late twentieth century. However, Melbourne grew rapidly at the start of the twenty-first century, renewing its profile globally and attracting population. This thesis examines the factors behind the rise of Greater Melbourne over the 2000s, and specifically the rapid revival of the central city area of Melbourne. The study assesses the relevance of economic geography theories (the Global Cities hypothesis, the World City Network (WCN) and agglomeration economies) in relation to Melbourne’s economic growth. Globalisation related theories concerning knowledge cities and workers are also considered.

Chronic diseases have increased dramatically in Australia and around the world over the past decade, causing pain, suffering, disability, psychosocial problems, early mortality and economic and public health crisis. However, many chronic diseases and conditions could be prevented with better evidence based and community based health promotion strategies. Guided by a philosophy of idealism, the aim of this thesis was to develop a community centred health promotion strategy to assist the improvement of health and the prevention of chronic disease in an Australian context. More specifically, the research was concerned with exploring the potentiality of statistical or epidemiological evidence and community collaboration as pathways to chronic disease prevention and improvement of health at an individual, community and system level. The research utilised a praxis paradigm and action research design over three stages. Stage One included in depth quantitative analysis of health and epidemiological data and addressed the question: What is the current evidence/knowledge about health status, determinants and inequalities in Victorian communities and the broader Victorian and Australian context? Stage Two involved qualitative participatory action research methods to engage a small group of community members from the Brimbank region of Melbourne (Victoria, Australia) in the community governance of health promotion and disease prevention. The questions addressed were: What are the benefits of community based health promotion and prevention? What ideas for health promotion action does the community have to offer? Stage Three involved a minor evaluation of the strategy as a whole and addressed the question: In what ways, can health evidence and community involvement in health promotion contribute to better health outcomes? Stage One identified various determinants that impact on health status and result in inequalities. Stage Two revealed six major benefits for community based health promotion and prevention and generated a number of useful ideas for health promotion action in the community. Stage Three showed positive evaluations by the participants and identified numerous indicators of success of the health promotion strategy as a whole.

This thesis seeks to make a contribution to the debate about the role of ICT in education, by exploring schooling and pedagogical perspectives, identifying elements demanding systemic attention and defining a vision that is relevant and challenging to Australian education. Examining the notion of what e-confidence means for students, teachers, school leaders and schools enables a consideration of what strategies can be deployed for achieving this in all Australian schools.

The research aims to provide an understanding of local governance in an outer metropolitan area of Melbourne. Through the examination of the policy framework that has established and maintained community governance in Victoria by the State Government from the period of local government amalgamations in 1994 to the present day and the use of a case study, Hume City Council, the thesis has descriptive and analytical elements drawing on empirical inquiry using case study methodology. The case study method has been chosen because it is most suitable for discovering how the community participants perceive their level of governance and their desires for future governance structures. Since the dramatic reforms of local government in Victoria, there have only been two governance reviews; at Hume City Council in 2000 and at Delatite Shire in 2002. In addition, minor boundary realignments were made to the Cities of Melbourne and Moonee Valley in 2007. These are the only attempts at a review of the structure of local Understanding Outer-Urban Governance: A case study of local government in Victoria since the Kennett Government reforms. This thesis reaches the conclusion that the concept of wicked problems is applicable to the management of the case study and other complex problems created as a result of amalgamation. The wicked problem context of this thesis cites decision making as the major focus. Through decisions about authority, governance, identity and community consultation the key concept of trust is questioned which has led to the inherent unsatisfactory resolution of the selected local government wicked problems.

As power industry enters the new century, powerful driving forces, uncertainties and new functions are compelling electric utilities to make dramatic changes in their information communication infrastructure. Expanding network services such as real time measurement and monitoring are also driving the need for more bandwidth in the communication network and reliable communication infrastructure. These needs will grow further as new remote real-time protection and control applications become more feasible and pervasive. Information embedded power system via wide area network (IEPS-W) is the solution to accommodate the growing demand of wide area monitoring, protection and control. IEPS-W is an extension of traditional power systems with added monitoring, control and telecommunications facilities. Various power system communication protocols are being used within IEPS-W to transmit critical data in real time along with decades old Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA). Most of the protocol in used are not originally developed to use in wide area computer network (WACN) environment. However, protocol developers upgrade their protocols and use it in WACN. This requires experimental investigation of various power system communication protocols before employing it on the power grid. An experimental platform was set up at Victorian Network Switching Centre owned by SP AusNet PTY LTD (an Australian Transmission and Distribution company based in Victoria) in order to experimentally analyse the performance characteristic of Distributed Network Protocol (DNP3) over wide area network (WAN). In this experiment, real time data were sent from Intelligent Electronic Devices to utility control center using WAN. Experimental work reveal that measurement delays associated with DNP3 over WAN is high, as this type of network is much more complex due to the added complexities of routing and switching. This requires further development of DNP3 protocol to be reliably used in IEPS-W. Hence, DNP3 was further developed using Optimized Network Engineering Tools (OPNET). OPNET is the industry‘s leading simulator specialized for network research and development. Finally, a new protocol has been developed based on DNP3 protocol to reliably and securely transmit power system data for IEPS-W.

The primary objective of this thesis was to improve the learning experience and academic outcomes in Victoria University’s first-year introductory accounting unit; specifically in relation to the use of technology to augment traditional modes of teaching and learning. To achieve this, the Blended Learning Assessment Framework was devised and tested in the first year accounting unit. The application of this conceptual framework identified the extent to which e-Learning is currently used in this unit and its effectiveness in supporting the diverse needs of this student cohort.

Updating knowledge and learning of new skill is an essential part of the formal cycle of training in the organisation. It is crucial too as it allows for the learners to be aware of the recent developments and to use evidence-based practice in practice, all employees must be regularly trained regarding the new updates, evidence and other important information that can help them discharge their duties adequately. Therefore, to streamline learning amongst employees the LMS (learning management system) is being implemented by organisations across the globe. The LMS originates from the e- Learning system that was in use in the past. However today LMS has already been deployed in colleges and universities and many organisations also use LMS to train their employees and even help them be updated regarding the latest requirements, policies, and procedures. Learning Management Systems (LMSs) are an essential medium for facilitating learning activities in organisations. They offer several features, functionalities and are used in different organisational settings. The proposed study will examine the factors of usability that support effectiveness and learnability of LMS in a Victorian prison. The second objective of the research is to identify the users’ perception of flexibility and acceptability of LMS. The research methodology comprises of four stages process that adopts Design science research method. A case study design aligning with the qualitative approach is used to explore the usability factors in Victorian Prison. Semi-structured and focus group questionnaire is developed for the Prison’s staff in which the perceived usefulness and level of acceptance are analysed in case of the workplace. Data collection methods comprise of the past systematic review, semi-structured interviews and focus groups while thematic analysis approach is used to analyse data with the help of NVIVO 11. The four factors of usability- effectiveness, learnability, flexibility, and acceptability have been explored to evaluate the LMS usability in Victorian Prison. The administrators, Correctional officers and Managers are the main participants to evaluate the current training system. The research identifies the barriers to LMS implementation as Lack of communication, lack of knowledge, lack of technical support, lack of flexibility and overloaded irrelevant information. These results feed into the development of the Learning Model with the help of the Learning Grid. The contribution to research knowledge includes the creation of learning DSR Model findings derived from Round A, B and C analysis processes. The study has provided some initial insights to other researchers to conduct more studies which will be useful to not only the prisons that are being studied but also to others here in Australia and globally as it could make training systems more effective. This study also makes recommendations to the business on improvements of their current LMS.

The issue of graduate employment has long been a focus in research, particularly in accounting education. Increasingly, higher education institutions promote this aspect to help them attract and retain high-quality students and maintain their competitive advantage in the market place. Given its importance, the present research analyses the association between the three self-efficacy factors of the general self-efficacy scale (GSES): initiative, effort and persistence on accounting near-graduate employment outcomes. Currently, no studies in accounting education have analysed this association in this context, so this research constitutes a contribution to the literature. Furthermore, there is limited research on the association of overall general self-efficacy (GSE) with accounting student employment outcomes. In addition to the three-factor GSES structure, the present study also includes students’ individual characteristics (i.e., gender, age, residency, study mode and language), and WIL participation as potential factors impacting near-graduate accounting students’ employment outcomes. Furthermore, the study also examines the potential association between the three factors of the GSES with students’ participation in WIL programs during their degree course. The three-factor self-efficacy construct, based on a trait-like method, was adopted instead of the overall GSES structure, as the former approach enables a deeper analysis of the GSE concept via the employment of separate independent variables. Consequently, the importance of the individual factors and their impact on employment and WIL participation is clearly and distinctively revealed. The study sample consisted of 337 near-graduate accounting students from Victoria University and Swinburne University of Technology, both based in Melbourne, Australia. The research employed logistic regression, as well as Lasso and R-glmulti statistical techniques, to examine the main research questions. In addition, Mann-Whitney U tests and Pearson chi-square tests were conducted to examine the association between accounting students’ individual characteristics (gender, age, residency, study mode and language) and the three factors of GSES (initiative, effort and persistence). The study results indicate that two out of the three GSES factors (specifically, initiative and persistence) showed a significant relationship with the employment outcomes of near-graduate accounting students. The study results also confirmed prior research findings, which found that individual characteristics (i.e., language, study mode, residency and age) were significantly associated with employment outcomes. Furthermore, the results showed no significant association between the three self-efficacy factors and students’ WIL participation. The results of this study provide some important implications for accounting higher education with regard to improving the employment outcomes of accounting near-graduates. These include: (i) developing closer links with industry to improve student familiarity with workplace requirements; (ii) incorporating WIL programs into the accounting curriculum, such as in a professional degree program; (iii) tailoring parts of the curriculum, where possible, in order to improve student self-efficacy; (iv) promoting WIL and providingwider opportunities to access the program; and (v) examining the need for higher education reform to improve international student access to WIL participation during degree courses.

This thesis investigates the impact of ICT on the learning outcomes for Learning Disabilities (LD) or special needs students, in a special school setting. The literature reported a significant prevalence of LD universally, ranging from physical and mild to extreme disabilities. It highlighted that there are a significant number of students with learning disabilities who require assistance and support in their learning. Assistive technology plays a significant role for educators and students with learning disabilities in facilitating the learning outcomes. The Internet and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) play a major part in shaping the knowledge and skills of LD students. Assistive technology has introduced awareness for both educators and students and, for the past decade, there has been a growing effort in designing and developing ICT based platforms to enhance the learning outcomes of these students. With the emergence of new technologies like Web 2.0, the need to design appropriate tools and provide an environment that is conducive to successful learning is stronger. This thesis examines the various teaching methodologies and ICT innovation in a holistic way. The literature shows that although there are some studies that investigate the impact of technology on the learning for special needs students, most of the data are second source. This study presents results from participant observations in two outer suburban special schools with students aged between 14-18 years, and in addition, examines the role and impact of Education Department policies on the schools‘ ICT environment. These observations are compared with a study based on an individual case of a student from Prep to Year 12 and TAFE. This study identified different categories of special needs students who were catered for in these special schools. These ranged from students with physical or cognitive disabilities, to mainstream students placed temporarily in a hospital. The latter group received ICT support to continue their studies which is now facilitated through a virtual classroom environment.