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This paper analyses data collected from 20 early childhood undergraduate students at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. The students were asked to 'care for' a travel buddy which took the form of a female marionette. Students' reflections on their experiences and its relevance to undergraduate preparation for an early childhood environment are discussed. Their reflections are reported in the form of a collective narrative. This paper draws together the experiences over 1 academic semester. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a doctoral study that explored the nature of pedagogic connectedness and revealed the ways in which teachers experience this phenomenon. Pedagogic connectedness is defined as the engagements between teacher and student that impact on student learning. In this study, twenty teachers in an independent college in South-East Queensland, Australia, were interviewed and the interview transcripts analysed iteratively. Five qualitatively different ways of experiencing pedagogic connectedness emerged from the data. The findings of this phenomenographic-related study are instructive in developing a framework for changes to teachers' pedagogic practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging technologies (Tablet PC and Clickers) were introduced in the delivery of first-year Agricultural Mathematics course at the University of Queensland Gatton Campus, Australia. The digital ink pen and the screen of the Tablet PC were used to develop mathematical concepts in lectures and foster interactive teaching and learning. Ten 'Bonus Mark Sessions' were also conducted during the semester where students were asked to solve an analytical problem based on the week's topic. The student with the first correct solution was awarded a bonus mark after he/she explained the solution to the rest of the class using the Tablet PC. This activity had the effect of gaining students' undivided attention during the lecture, promoting student engagement and developing graduate attributes like communication and presentation skills. The 'delivered' lectures were saved in the form of PowerPoint slides and uploaded on the course Blackboard site for online viewing by internal as well as external students. Clickers were used for collaborative assessment during the mid-semester examination. The impact of these technologies on student engagement and learning was assessed by using the standard university Teaching Evaluation survey and a specific survey developed for this course. The innovative use of Tablet PC was very well received by the students. However, there were mixed reactions to the use of Clickers for assessment. The instant feedback on exam results was appreciated by the students but the inability to change their answers during the examination was cited as the major limitation of the Clickers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]