The use of group work projects is common in introductory statistics courses, including projects where students collect their own data. However, the COVID-induced lockdown at the start of 2020 meant that data collection was compromised. In this study, we examine a situation where students were permitted to use artificial (made-up) data for their…

National testing and reform agendas, with their focus on school improvement, has led to increased collection and scrutiny of student data. The analysis of these data usually occurs at a school level, often by school leaders. What is less common is the opportunity for students to scrutinise their individual data and take ownership over the results…

Authentic student-led inquiry and exposure to scientific research impact students' science career choices. Given Australian students decline in STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] skills, knowledge of whether such programmes impact student learning is critical. This research examined the short-term impact of an authentic,…

This paper focuses on our experience of researching the influence of ResourceSmart Schools, a sustainable schools programme in Victoria, Australia. Drawing on ideas from programme theory and realist synthesis, we illustrate and reflect upon our approach to conceptualising, investigating and generating evidence about the programme's…

A "citizen science" outreach program was aimed at high school students in Western Australia with a focus on agricultural sciences. The program had two main objectives: the collection of samples and the mapping of the distribution of the leaf disease powdery mildew of barley across the state; and support for the teaching and learning of…

This article reports on the development and implementation of the Student Success Program, a strategic, University-wide, consistent approach to increasing the success and retention of first year students, during 2014. To this end, a centrally coordinated process integrated historic student, application, enrolment, academic performance and learning…

This study analyses the theoretical cost-savings that might flow from a merger of three of Western Australia's five universities. The results of the study show that an amalgamation would not only reduce costs of operation, but also improve non-current asset use and accountability. Combination reporting also allows the key stakeholders to appraise…

This article reflects on evidence drawn from an evaluation of the impact of a scholarship programme for students from disadvantaged backgrounds at Macquarie University, Sydney. In addition to evidence of improved retention rates, the article suggests that qualitative data derived from a number of interviews with scholarship recipients highlight…

The Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth (LSAY) program studies the progress of several groups of young Australians as they move from school into post-secondary education and work. This technical paper contains the frequency tables for the LSAY 2009 cohort Wave 2 (2010) data set.

Almost half of all gifted students do not achieve according to their exceptional potential. Though significant research has investigated identifying characteristics of underachieving gifted students, current research is yet to fully employ the established theoretical knowledge to determine practical strategies for the reversal and remediation of…

For those receiving funding from the UK HEFCE-funded Open Educational Resource Programme (2009-2012), the sustainability of project outputs was one of a number of essential goals. Our approach for the hosting and distribution of health and life science open educational resources (OER) was based on the utilisation of the WordPress.org blogging…

This paper presents findings from a 2010 evaluation of Victoria University's Student Rover program, an on-campus work-based learning program in which mobile student mentors are employed and deployed within the university's Learning Commons to provide "just-in-time" and "just-in-place" learning support to other students. Student…

The paper questions the prevalence of "green students" and their impact on decision-making in sustainability programmes in Australian universities. While the universities studied provide numerous opportunities for student involvement in sustainability programmes, comparatively few students actually become involved, making student impact…

This study served as a pilot evaluation of the efficacy of the 1-2-3 Magic Program (Phelan, 2003) as a brief parenting intervention for families with a school-aged child. Nine Australian families assigned to either a wait-listed control group (n = 4) or to one that received immediate intervention (n = 5), participated in a randomized controlled…

The purpose of this paper is to study the effectiveness of oral presentation as an assessment tool in a Finance subject. Assessment data collected from a postgraduate Finance subject in an Australian university over a period of five years from 2005 to 2009 was analysed statistically to determine the relation between students' performance in oral…