Helen Bound - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Helen Bound
Of necessity, collaborative activity is increasing, but what do we know about learning and knowin... more Of necessity, collaborative activity is increasing, but what do we know about learning and knowing through collaborative activity? Further, what do we know about the influence of context on collaborative activity and learning? This paper draws on an almost completed PhD project. Using a case study of Tasmanian Information Technology institutions, the paper explores collaborative activity between these institutions, learning and context. Cultural historical activity theory is used as an analytical tool to identify phases of collaboration and to illustrate the embeddedness of context in collaborative activity.
Australian Journal of Public Administration, Dec 1, 2006
The deeply embedded nature of dominant assumptions creates an accepted language and way of thinki... more The deeply embedded nature of dominant assumptions creates an accepted language and way of thinking about ICT, leaving little space for alternative perspectives and ideologies. Policy directions link information technology, the information economy, innovation, competition and global markets. Innovation and information and communications technology constructs a particular application of innovation and directs funding accordingly. Given that policy is about how we categorise, about naming and naming shapes action, the question is what lenses do policy makers use to make choices in their synthesis of social, political and economic life? Using the Australian Information Communications and Technology (ICT) policy as a case study, this article will argue that policy reflects the economic, social and political ideologies of the decision makers. Despite opportunities for input into policy multiple perspectives are limited. Specifically the article looks at claims around consultation, the assumption that the information economy will benefit all Australians, the development of framework conditions for the information economy and the role of government.
Routledge eBooks, Jan 10, 2023
Vocations and Learning, Apr 20, 2013
ABSTRACT In this paper, we explore the relationship between differing conceptualisations of compe... more ABSTRACT In this paper, we explore the relationship between differing conceptualisations of competence, and the implications of these differences for the enacted workplace curriculum and its pedagogical epistemologies. We argue that when competence is understood as a set of stand-alone attributes that reside within an individual, it limits and over simplifies understandings of work, the context of the work, and the vocation of which that work is a part. We propose that instead of a static end product, competence should be viewed as a continuous process of development, of becoming, and of understanding the work individually and collectively. Drawing on an analysis of two workplace learning case studies, we illustrate the ways in which the work itself structures the enacted workplace curriculum and facilitates or constrains learning. The Singaporean case studies, one of trainee chefs in a high-end hotel and the other of trainee healthcare assistants in a nursing home, for the elderly provide sharp contrasts of differing conceptualisations of competence. Data was collected through analysing organisational policies on training and development semi-structured interviews with trainees and their workplace supervisors, unstructured, nonparticipant workplace observations of the trainees and supervisors as they carried out their daily work tasks.
Hungarian educational research journal, Nov 28, 2022
This thematic issue on workplace learning is an initiative of members of the Asia-Europe Educatio... more This thematic issue on workplace learning is an initiative of members of the Asia-Europe Education and Research Hub for Lifelong Learning (ASEMLLL) Research Network on Workplace Learning https://asemlllhub.org/. The issue highlights examples of current research and critical tendencies in the field, drawing on the ASEMLLL networks and engaging new generation scholars in the field. The research network on Workplace Learning directs itself to the task of decoding working places as lifelong learning spaces across Europe and Asia. Workplaces exist not simply in companies and public services, but equally across a wide range of organisational and social contexts, including in the Third sector (non-profit-making NGOs, voluntary work, etc.) and in diverse forms of self-employment, including under irregular and precarious conditions. They offer very different kinds of learning opportunitiessome are learning-friendly, others are less so; some provide structured work-related education and training for employees, whereas in others, learning is integrated into the flow of working processes. Therefore, the 'learning continuum' between formal, non-formal and informal learning is a key framework for understanding how opportunities for professional and personal development at work are distributed, structured, experienced and used. Concepts of knowledge economies and learning societies have come to dominate public debates about the effects of labour market changes on work organisations. All kinds of learning activities which are connected to developmental processes in economies, societies and personal lives have become more and more important and even have crucial roles. Learning and adaptation capabilities are increasingly recognised as key factors and means for achieving potential. At all life stages learning activities are important, and have special missions. But in the last three decades, as views on knowledge economies and learning societies have taken shape, learning in adulthood has become an inescapable necessity. Moreover, the impetus for expanding adult learning activities has often come from economic challenges. Notably,
Routledge eBooks, Jan 10, 2023
Australian Journal of Teacher Education, Dec 1, 2011
This paper presents a professional learning (PL) model that emerged from the authors' involvement... more This paper presents a professional learning (PL) model that emerged from the authors' involvement with PL processes in several rural and remote schools in the state of Tasmania. As is the case for rural areas generally, young people in rural areas of Tasmania have lower retention rates to Year 12 and lower participation rates in higher education than their urban peers. Schools in these regions typically have less experienced staff, higher staff turnover and reduced access to professional networks compared with urban schools. Four case studies are presented to illustrate the experiences that lead to the partnership model of PL and the authors' insights into the nature of collaborative partnerships in rural contexts are discussed The study makes a contribution to understanding of the development of effective PL partnerships in rural schools as well as contributing to broader debates about the nature of partnership between teachers and facilitators of PL.
Creating learning communities in seasonal industries.
In this paper we will present two powerful pedagogical ‘tools’ for learning; the dialogical inqui... more In this paper we will present two powerful pedagogical ‘tools’ for learning; the dialogical inquiry model and the ecology room. These tools, developed as part of the intervention in our Tools for Learning Design (TLD) research project, require deep engagement by learners, offer challenge, require learners to make sense and to share that sense making, ask learners to think in different ways and from different perspectives, develop their metacognitive and reflexive abilities and if used well, uncover deeply held assumptions. Our TLD project was designed to deepen the pedagogical understanding of our nine participants who held positions of authority in a range of Singaporean Continuing Education and Training providers from across different industry sectors. Participants undertook their own action or practitioner research projects and brought their findings back to the group over a period of four months. As a result of participating in this continuing professional development program, participants started to ask completely different questions about their practice. The extent of change was mediated by their work context, the practices of that workplace, their level of power and authority and their own sense of agency. The two tools are powerful pedagogical techniques for change that have multiple purposes and can be adapted for use in multiple settings.
Industry learning is a concept which arose from a scoping study of industry learning priorities c... more Industry learning is a concept which arose from a scoping study of industry learning priorities conducted by the Centre for Research and Learning in Regional Australia. This paper will address what industry stakeholders (national peak industry bodies, unions and Industry Training Advisory Boards) perceive their learning priorities to be, given the challenges and changes facing the participating industries. Assisting industries to grow and thrive is critical for all industry, but particularly so for rural and regional Australia. Our research indicated that industry learning is a potentially important factor in understanding about industry development and strengthening knowledge sharing within and across industries. The purpose of the paper will be to address the questions of better understanding industry learning and its implications for future policy direction.
Many industries that employ large numbers of people in rural and regional Australia employ casual... more Many industries that employ large numbers of people in rural and regional Australia employ casually on a seasonal basis, notably tourism, agriculture and food processing. Many of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable regions in Australia rely heavily on industries associated with seasonal work. Seasonal workers tend to fall through the training net. The industries they work in often have poor images, struggle to recruit workers, and have no training culture or expectations in relation to formal learning and training. The temporary ...
Identifying the characteristics of rural learning communities: implications for rural development.
Technical and vocational education and training, 2018
In 2015 policy changes in Singapore’s Continuing Education and Training (CET) sector (closely equ... more In 2015 policy changes in Singapore’s Continuing Education and Training (CET) sector (closely equivalent to vocational education and training (VET)) were introduced. These changes are creating spaces in the CET sector for different kinds of programmes and learning experiences, some remaining within a nationally recognised system and others specific to enterprise needs. This chapter provides two tales from the field illustrating the possibilities for the integration of learning experiences as part of work and for work. The first story, set in a retail setting, was enabled by the introduction of SkillsFuture and the Singapore Skills Framework. We do not comment on the specific policy changes except to explain their contribution to what is now a very different space for curriculum designers, training providers and employers than prior to 2015. Rather, our focus is on the integration of learning in and through different spaces and the intent, design and understanding of learning through and for work, evident not only in the retail setting but also in a course for leadership development for officer cadet firefighters. The authors use these stories to illustrate the possibilities afforded through and in different spaces of learning. With the policy shift, different purposes of learning, from a paper chase to developing ‘mastery’, a lifelong learning culture and empowering individuals to take charge of their careers (as stated in the SkillsFuture policy) requires different practices and understandings from CET practitioners.
The potential for online learning to enhance learning opportunities of those living in regional A... more The potential for online learning to enhance learning opportunities of those living in regional Australia cannot be over-emphasised. This chapter* describes a study where online delivery was mapped to determine 'what'is happening and 'why'. This enabled the benefits, barriers and 'promoters' of online learning to be identified. However, an important conclusion of this study is that there is a lack of consistent, comparable enrolment data relating to online learning, which obviously affects funding allocation decisions. To ensure high-quality ...
Of necessity, collaborative activity is increasing, but what do we know about learning and knowin... more Of necessity, collaborative activity is increasing, but what do we know about learning and knowing through collaborative activity? Further, what do we know about the influence of context on collaborative activity and learning? This paper draws on an almost completed PhD project. Using a case study of Tasmanian Information Technology institutions, the paper explores collaborative activity between these institutions, learning and context. Cultural historical activity theory is used as an analytical tool to identify phases of collaboration and to illustrate the embeddedness of context in collaborative activity.
Australian Journal of Public Administration, Dec 1, 2006
The deeply embedded nature of dominant assumptions creates an accepted language and way of thinki... more The deeply embedded nature of dominant assumptions creates an accepted language and way of thinking about ICT, leaving little space for alternative perspectives and ideologies. Policy directions link information technology, the information economy, innovation, competition and global markets. Innovation and information and communications technology constructs a particular application of innovation and directs funding accordingly. Given that policy is about how we categorise, about naming and naming shapes action, the question is what lenses do policy makers use to make choices in their synthesis of social, political and economic life? Using the Australian Information Communications and Technology (ICT) policy as a case study, this article will argue that policy reflects the economic, social and political ideologies of the decision makers. Despite opportunities for input into policy multiple perspectives are limited. Specifically the article looks at claims around consultation, the assumption that the information economy will benefit all Australians, the development of framework conditions for the information economy and the role of government.
Routledge eBooks, Jan 10, 2023
Vocations and Learning, Apr 20, 2013
ABSTRACT In this paper, we explore the relationship between differing conceptualisations of compe... more ABSTRACT In this paper, we explore the relationship between differing conceptualisations of competence, and the implications of these differences for the enacted workplace curriculum and its pedagogical epistemologies. We argue that when competence is understood as a set of stand-alone attributes that reside within an individual, it limits and over simplifies understandings of work, the context of the work, and the vocation of which that work is a part. We propose that instead of a static end product, competence should be viewed as a continuous process of development, of becoming, and of understanding the work individually and collectively. Drawing on an analysis of two workplace learning case studies, we illustrate the ways in which the work itself structures the enacted workplace curriculum and facilitates or constrains learning. The Singaporean case studies, one of trainee chefs in a high-end hotel and the other of trainee healthcare assistants in a nursing home, for the elderly provide sharp contrasts of differing conceptualisations of competence. Data was collected through analysing organisational policies on training and development semi-structured interviews with trainees and their workplace supervisors, unstructured, nonparticipant workplace observations of the trainees and supervisors as they carried out their daily work tasks.
Hungarian educational research journal, Nov 28, 2022
This thematic issue on workplace learning is an initiative of members of the Asia-Europe Educatio... more This thematic issue on workplace learning is an initiative of members of the Asia-Europe Education and Research Hub for Lifelong Learning (ASEMLLL) Research Network on Workplace Learning https://asemlllhub.org/. The issue highlights examples of current research and critical tendencies in the field, drawing on the ASEMLLL networks and engaging new generation scholars in the field. The research network on Workplace Learning directs itself to the task of decoding working places as lifelong learning spaces across Europe and Asia. Workplaces exist not simply in companies and public services, but equally across a wide range of organisational and social contexts, including in the Third sector (non-profit-making NGOs, voluntary work, etc.) and in diverse forms of self-employment, including under irregular and precarious conditions. They offer very different kinds of learning opportunitiessome are learning-friendly, others are less so; some provide structured work-related education and training for employees, whereas in others, learning is integrated into the flow of working processes. Therefore, the 'learning continuum' between formal, non-formal and informal learning is a key framework for understanding how opportunities for professional and personal development at work are distributed, structured, experienced and used. Concepts of knowledge economies and learning societies have come to dominate public debates about the effects of labour market changes on work organisations. All kinds of learning activities which are connected to developmental processes in economies, societies and personal lives have become more and more important and even have crucial roles. Learning and adaptation capabilities are increasingly recognised as key factors and means for achieving potential. At all life stages learning activities are important, and have special missions. But in the last three decades, as views on knowledge economies and learning societies have taken shape, learning in adulthood has become an inescapable necessity. Moreover, the impetus for expanding adult learning activities has often come from economic challenges. Notably,
Routledge eBooks, Jan 10, 2023
Australian Journal of Teacher Education, Dec 1, 2011
This paper presents a professional learning (PL) model that emerged from the authors' involvement... more This paper presents a professional learning (PL) model that emerged from the authors' involvement with PL processes in several rural and remote schools in the state of Tasmania. As is the case for rural areas generally, young people in rural areas of Tasmania have lower retention rates to Year 12 and lower participation rates in higher education than their urban peers. Schools in these regions typically have less experienced staff, higher staff turnover and reduced access to professional networks compared with urban schools. Four case studies are presented to illustrate the experiences that lead to the partnership model of PL and the authors' insights into the nature of collaborative partnerships in rural contexts are discussed The study makes a contribution to understanding of the development of effective PL partnerships in rural schools as well as contributing to broader debates about the nature of partnership between teachers and facilitators of PL.
Creating learning communities in seasonal industries.
In this paper we will present two powerful pedagogical ‘tools’ for learning; the dialogical inqui... more In this paper we will present two powerful pedagogical ‘tools’ for learning; the dialogical inquiry model and the ecology room. These tools, developed as part of the intervention in our Tools for Learning Design (TLD) research project, require deep engagement by learners, offer challenge, require learners to make sense and to share that sense making, ask learners to think in different ways and from different perspectives, develop their metacognitive and reflexive abilities and if used well, uncover deeply held assumptions. Our TLD project was designed to deepen the pedagogical understanding of our nine participants who held positions of authority in a range of Singaporean Continuing Education and Training providers from across different industry sectors. Participants undertook their own action or practitioner research projects and brought their findings back to the group over a period of four months. As a result of participating in this continuing professional development program, participants started to ask completely different questions about their practice. The extent of change was mediated by their work context, the practices of that workplace, their level of power and authority and their own sense of agency. The two tools are powerful pedagogical techniques for change that have multiple purposes and can be adapted for use in multiple settings.
Industry learning is a concept which arose from a scoping study of industry learning priorities c... more Industry learning is a concept which arose from a scoping study of industry learning priorities conducted by the Centre for Research and Learning in Regional Australia. This paper will address what industry stakeholders (national peak industry bodies, unions and Industry Training Advisory Boards) perceive their learning priorities to be, given the challenges and changes facing the participating industries. Assisting industries to grow and thrive is critical for all industry, but particularly so for rural and regional Australia. Our research indicated that industry learning is a potentially important factor in understanding about industry development and strengthening knowledge sharing within and across industries. The purpose of the paper will be to address the questions of better understanding industry learning and its implications for future policy direction.
Many industries that employ large numbers of people in rural and regional Australia employ casual... more Many industries that employ large numbers of people in rural and regional Australia employ casually on a seasonal basis, notably tourism, agriculture and food processing. Many of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable regions in Australia rely heavily on industries associated with seasonal work. Seasonal workers tend to fall through the training net. The industries they work in often have poor images, struggle to recruit workers, and have no training culture or expectations in relation to formal learning and training. The temporary ...
Identifying the characteristics of rural learning communities: implications for rural development.
Technical and vocational education and training, 2018
In 2015 policy changes in Singapore’s Continuing Education and Training (CET) sector (closely equ... more In 2015 policy changes in Singapore’s Continuing Education and Training (CET) sector (closely equivalent to vocational education and training (VET)) were introduced. These changes are creating spaces in the CET sector for different kinds of programmes and learning experiences, some remaining within a nationally recognised system and others specific to enterprise needs. This chapter provides two tales from the field illustrating the possibilities for the integration of learning experiences as part of work and for work. The first story, set in a retail setting, was enabled by the introduction of SkillsFuture and the Singapore Skills Framework. We do not comment on the specific policy changes except to explain their contribution to what is now a very different space for curriculum designers, training providers and employers than prior to 2015. Rather, our focus is on the integration of learning in and through different spaces and the intent, design and understanding of learning through and for work, evident not only in the retail setting but also in a course for leadership development for officer cadet firefighters. The authors use these stories to illustrate the possibilities afforded through and in different spaces of learning. With the policy shift, different purposes of learning, from a paper chase to developing ‘mastery’, a lifelong learning culture and empowering individuals to take charge of their careers (as stated in the SkillsFuture policy) requires different practices and understandings from CET practitioners.
The potential for online learning to enhance learning opportunities of those living in regional A... more The potential for online learning to enhance learning opportunities of those living in regional Australia cannot be over-emphasised. This chapter* describes a study where online delivery was mapped to determine 'what'is happening and 'why'. This enabled the benefits, barriers and 'promoters' of online learning to be identified. However, an important conclusion of this study is that there is a lack of consistent, comparable enrolment data relating to online learning, which obviously affects funding allocation decisions. To ensure high-quality ...