Science graduates need to be effective communicators. Improvement in communication skills may also improve general learning outcomes by enhancing critical thinking ability and understanding of the subject material. It is generally acknowledged that students acquire communication skills most effectively when they are explicitly taught and embedded within the science curriculum. Our faculty-wide project has developed a program that provides all science, engineering and technology students with appropriate instruction in discipline specific tertiary literacy skills. At the core of the project is a web-based resource that is accessible by all students and all academics of the faculty. This interactive instructional resource supports the development of academic writing skills, essay and report writing, and oral communication skills. The resource contains discipline-specific material that may be used by students individually or incorporated into classroom activities. The resource also contains teaching and assessment tools to help staff integrate communication skills into their own curriculum. The impact of the project upon learning outcomes for students across the faculty is being assessed throughout 2003. This paper describes the development of the resource, and illustrates ways in which it is being incorporated into teaching.

The 2010-2011 Learning and Teaching Academic Standards (LTAS) project for Science defined a set of nationally agreed Threshold Learning Outcomes (TLOs) for Australian graduates of bachelor level science degrees. We report on a project undertaken in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology that aimed to map the current UTAS Bachelor of Science (BSc) against the Science TLOs. The project has been undertaken at the level of the major: thus, the mapping considered each unit within the major and mapping its learning outcomes to the Science TLOs. A proforma was developed for doing this, which was adapted in the form of a web-based Tool. Output from the tool is colour-coded to quickly inform users of the level of agreement between graduate TLOs and assessment tasks of each unit within a major. The majority of units offered in the BSc have now been mapped and consolidated output has been provided to schools that show how their major maps to the Science TLOs. This mapping has highlighted areas in which we could improve our students' overall learning experience, or, in contrast, identified areas of overlaps where teaching could be reduced. The results will inform a major curriculum review in the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology that will be initiated later in 2012.

Graduate destination survey data from the University of Tasmania (UTas 2005a) underscore the reality that a large proportion — at one extreme 79.4% from the Bachelor of Science in 2003 — of students undertaking undergraduate degrees in the sciences do not enter the workforce upon graduation. Science degrees lead to further study at Honours, Masters, and PhD level. Thus undergraduate degrees in science are a foundation for research careers and should contain a greater proportion of research-oriented knowledge and practice than most other undergraduate degrees. At the University of Tasmania, a project was initiated in 2004 to emphasise this reliance upon research skills in the undergraduate curricula and to highlight the nexus that exists between teaching and research that is so critical to scientific scholarship and student development. The project is the first such project undertaken within Australia. This paper describes the project, which, because of its successful introduction is now an annual undertaking. The aims of the project are to provide a model and a means of consolidating, integrating, and promoting the teaching- research nexus within the undergraduate science curriculum at the University of Tasmania. The project seeks to develop a model that encourages academics to incorporate learning outcomes related to information literacy, research methodology, and the effective communication of scientific research into their undergraduate units, and, to establish a journal (entitled nexus) that showcases the research undertaken by our undergraduate students. In the paper we present the methodology developed for the embedding of the journal's requirements within the undergraduate curricula, the novel use of mentors to aid the students in their writing, the infrastructure developed to sustain the project into the future, and insights into pitfalls and their avoidance. We highlight the success of the project, describe the learning outcomes engendered directly and indirectly by the project, and indicate critical factors for ongoing success. Finally, we present preliminary results of an evaluation of the project from the three perspectives of Editorial Committee, academic staff, and students.

Authentic learning describes an educational approach in which students are presented with problems of real-world relevance within an environment that mirrors professional practice. (Herrington and Herrington 2006). There is substantial evidence that authentic learning is a powerful tool with which to encourage deeper learning and improve learning outcomes (Newmann et al. 1995). Our project aims to improve student learning outcomes and engagement by embedding authentic learning practice into the curriculum across our large and diverse faculty. We are employing a hub and spoke model of project management: the project team forms the hub, with discipline participants as the spokes, firmly connected to the rim of school-based colleagues. We have devised checklists that allow evaluation of units or learning activities against the principles of authentic learning articulated by Herrington and Herrington (2006). To date, we have run two workshops with discipline participants, who have received peer feedback on teaching initiatives they will trial in semester 2, 2010. In addition, we have initiated a faculty-wide scan for examples of good practice in authentic learning. Outcomes of this project include: broad dissemination of the concept of authentic learning; a web-based resource of exemplars of authentic learning activities; and increased engagement of our students.

Objectives: Recent advances in digital photogrammetry have enabled a new approach to high resolution mapping of tooth surfaces. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy and the precision of a new system using automatic digital stereo -photogrammetry combined with an experimental casting material and to measure tooth surface loss in a non-carious cervical lesion.Methods: A test object and tooth replicas incorporating optical texture obtained at baseline, one and 2 years were imaged with a pre-calibrated stereocamera. The stereoimagery was then processed with digital photogrammetric software to automatically generate digital surface models. Test object models were analysed for accuracy and precision and tooth surface models were aligned with point cloud analysis software and tooth surface loss determined.Results: Replicas were mapped to an accuracy of (6 +/- 13) mu m. The sensitivity of change detection on tooth replicas was 40 mu m with change ranging from 40 to 70 mu m per annum in a discrete part of the lesion.Conclusions: In the case examined, the change detection data were of sufficient accuracy and resolution to draw meaningful conclusions about the spatial distribution and quantum of tooth hard tissue loss. The results of this investigation suggest that annual change detection studies will provide a clearer picture of the pattern of tooth surface loss and, in combination with other analytical techniques, a more detailed explanation of the natural history of these lesions. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Our project took a faculty-wide approach to mapping the teaching of GAs across the Schools contributing to the BSc. An initiative at the School of Music at the University of Queensland demonstrates the power of such an approach for improving students’ learning outcomes (Bath, Smith, Stein and Swann 2004). That School went beyond the required mapping and embedding of their university’s graduate attributes to an on-going cycle of review, reflection and renewal of their graduate attributes curriculum based on evidence from student and staff surveys. However, many of the perceived barriers to implementation of a generic attributes curriculum, such as questions of duplication of teaching, need to be addressed across programs rather than within disciplines. Our project aims were: • to develop Faculty-specific exemplars for the University’s GAs; • to facilitate School-level reflection on how the University’s GAs could be interpreted in a discipline-specific context, and thus, • to develop discipline-specific exemplars of the generic GAs; • to develop a GA curriculum for each discipline/major; and • to map current teaching against that curriculum as a basis for curriculum review.

A digital camera and fixed lens has been used to obtain convergent stereo-pairs of a test object prepared from an experimental material containing optical texture. This is part of a project developing a stereophotogrammetric technique for mapping individual human teeth. VirtuoZo (v3.3) photogrammetric workstation was used to process images with convergent geometries of 2 to 25 degrees and to generate DEMs. The precision of DEMs was typically around 10 μm for convergences of 4 to 25 degrees, decreasing to over 20 μm for convergence below 4 degrees. Relatively constant precision at the different convergence angles was attributed to improved image point measurement precision with decreasing convergence, with measurement precision estimated to be 0.6 μm (0.08 pixels) at 4 degrees and 2.8 μm (0.38 pixels) at 25 degrees. Photogrammetric solutions were not highly stable, with successive solutions at all convergence angles showing small variations in exterior orientation parameters. These variations in exterior orientation parameters were associated with systematic model height errors of up to 80 μm. It was concluded that the single camera and imaging geometry used was not reliably forming models of a tooth sized object given a need to achieve sub-30μm accuracy, intended for the monitoring of tooth surface loss.

Constructing realistic energy budgets for Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba , is hampered by the lack of data on the metabolic costs associated with swimming. In this study respiration rates and pleopod beating rates were measured at six current speeds. Pleopod beating rates increased linearly with current speed, reaching a maximum of 6 beats s −1 at 17 cm s −1 . There was a concomitant linear increase in respiration rate, from 1.8 mg O 2 g D −1 h −1 at 3 cm s −1 to 8.0 mg O 2 g D −1 h −1 at 17 cm s −1 . The size of the group tested (50, 100 and 300 krill) did not have a significant effect on pleopod beating rates or oxygen consumption (ANCOVA, F =0.264; P >0.05). The cost of transport reached a maximum of 75 J g −1 km −1 at 5 cm s −1 , and then decreased with increasing current speed to 29 J g −1 km −1 . When considered in light of energy budgets for E. superba , these data indicate that the cost of swimming could account for up to 73% of total daily metabolic expenditure during early summer.

Commercial digital photogrammetric software has been applied to convergent stereoscopic photography of human tooth replicas prepared to exhibit optical texture resulting in successful generation of 3D coordinate data. Tooth replicas were imaged using a semi-metric 35 mm camera and f= 100 mm macro lens on extension bellows. Model precision was within acceptable limits of 12 Inn or better for manual target matching and 21 mu m or better for automatic image matching. Further improvement in optical texture is required to achieve automatic image matching precision comparable to that of manual target matching. Small errors in interior orientation parameters attributed to instability in the bellows as well as small errors in the relative orientation resulted in some systematic errors. The use of a fixed camera lens system is expected to reduce these errors. When combined with commercially available, moderately priced, digital SLR cameras this brings 3D model generation closer to everyday clinical dental practice.

Motivated by an interest to know more about the impact of assessment on the teaching and learning process this paper describes the reflective practice of an eclectic group of colleagues working together for constructive change. Collegial decision making and actionresearch methods to improve teaching and learning outcomes were the strategies used. Broad questions asked in survey questionnaires distributed to students enrolled in such disparate disciplines as Geography, Engineering, Aboriginal Studies, Surveying and Education were: How do we find out what students learn? Do they learn a greater or less amount about something, or do they understand about something in different ways? What can students do with what they learn? What can we do to improve their learning? In this paper we describe outcomes from the first two of three questionnaire rounds conducted during one semester within all these disciplines. We consider the approach taken is innovative for several reasons. First, phenomenographic techniques to code responses provided invaluable formative feedback for students and staff. Second, designed to make the teaching content including assessment an authentic learning experience large numbers of students were invited to contribute to the course development as it happened. Third, colleagues met regularly during the process to reflect upon their own teaching and contribute to an ongoing conversation on improvements not necessarily linked to their specific content domain.

When feeding on mysid swarms (Paramesopodopsis rufa), juvenile Australian salmon (Arripis trutta) had higher rates of successful attacks when foraging in a group of six fish (55% total advances) than when foraging alone (39% total advances). Six schooling fish had lower approach rates than solitary fish (25% and 37% of total advances, respectively). This result indicated that schooling fish were better at reducing the confusion effect of swarming prey, resulting in more efficient feeding. In larger areas, schools achieved higher rates of successful attacks (19 prey/fish in the large tank, compared with 11 prey/fish in the smaller tank). There was no influence on the feeding success of individual fish when changes were made to the number of prey presented to each fish. Nearest neighbour distances were smallest in the absence of prey, and increased with the introduction of prey and again in an attack sequence. Six fish schooled more cohesively than three fish, indicating increased benefits of schooling in larger groups that contribute to advanced vigilance and foraging techniques.

The need for CPD and the principles upon which programmes should be designed are well documented, however cost remains a barrier to implementation. A solution may be to provide CPD using the methods of flexible delivery, resourced through partnerships between professional institutions, universities, and other stakeholders.

Using video and image analysis techniques we analysed the response of swarms of the mysid Paramesopodopsis rufa to food and predatory attack. After food was added to the tank, mysid aggregations initially (up to 45 s) increased in volume. Subsequently volume decreased significantly until it was smaller than the initial level. After a period of ~12 h during which no food was added, the swarm expanded to near its original volume. These changes are interpreted as resulting from a need by individuals to optimize food capture and protection. The pattern of volume changes in response to food was independent of aquarium size but the magnitude of the changes was reduced in a smaller tank.Predatory attacks on mysid swarms were simulated using a model fish which ‘swam’ a single pass along the tank driven by an electric motor. Models (latex-covered real preserved fish), represented two different attack styles: ambush (seahorse Hippocampus abdominalis); and lunging (Australian salmon Arripis trutta). ‘Swimming’ speeds resembled those measured for real fish i.e. 0·5–2·0 cm s-1 for seahorse and 15 cm s-1 for salmon. Again changes in swarm volume were recorded. No obvious response by the swarm to the approaching seahorse was apparent; the aggregation simply parted to allow the fish through. No tailflips were seen among the mysids. The swarm resumed the original volume rapidly after the fish had passed. Approach of the salmon was evidently detected from further away, escape reactions were frequent and energetic, and tailflipping was common. After the fish had passed, it took longer for the original swarm volume to be restored. These results suggest that seahorse ambush techniques have evolved to minimize warning of the predator's approach. When the salmon ‘menaced’ the swarm at seahorse speeds, it appeared the mysids still reacted as though it was a ‘normal’ salmon attack so the fright response was not just a function of speed of attack.Dynamic changes in swarm volume seem to be a useful simple index of motivational state of individuals.