Please note: For technical reasons the unit /subject descriptions in this Handbook are no longer available. Please consult the hard-copy version of the 2002 Handbook available either at Student Administration or in the University Library.
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The LifeLong Learning Network, University of Canberra, was established in December 1998 to promote policy research into post-compulsory education and training.
The LifeLong Learning Network aims to: Produce high quality policy research; promote cross-sectoral research activities; provide a hub for information-sharing and dialogue on policy and research; build links between policy makers and researchers in education and training.
Director: Dr Louise Watson, (02) 6201 5357 e-mail: louisew@comedu.canberra.edu.au
The Institute for Regional Community Development was developed to meet the emerging needs for partnership research in regional community development within the ACT and surrounding rural areas of NSW. A social change agenda is evident in the charter of the Institute, as is strength through partnership with rural industries, local government and community groups. The Institute is a permeable structure enabling groups of people to come together for specific projects. Related areas of possible collaboration include Sustainable Tourism, Economics, Civics and Social Capital, Public Policy, Local Government, Communication and Change, Health Promotion and Information Technology. Trans-disciplinary teams are built around specific issues and projects.
Aims The Institute aims through partnerships with regional and community groups and institutions to provide research and professional development which contributes to sustainable social, cultural and economic development.
Postgraduate students are encouraged to work as research associates in the Institute and to develop thesis topics from current projects.
Goals of the Institute o to assist community and regional groups to build sustainable environmental, social, cultural and economic capacity in the region through partnership in research and development; o to develop strategies for change in response to changing environmental, social, cultural and economic contexts; o to identify needs and capacities in local context using processes which respect action learning and collaboration; o to provide opportunities for regional and community leadership through participatory research and professional development; o to build professional networks that contribute to sustainable and cooperative endeavors in communities and in the region.
Director: Associate Professor Barbara Chambers
e-mail: barbc@comedu.canberra.edu.au
web: http://
www.canberra.edu.au/uc/ircd
Ordinary and partial differential equations provide the mathematical framework for modelling physical processes involving change. Mathematical research in the Centre focuses on differential equations, both on specific problems arising in applications such as modelling planetary and satellite dynamics and GPS; theoretical and numerical studies of gravitational waves and the Einstein equations; sedimentation flow in stream-beds; and on developing techniques for studying the solutions of the equations.
Although the techniques being employed are diverse, ranging from numerical solutions using PCs and/or supercomputers to studying the symmetry properties of the space of all solutions, they share a common emphasis on understanding and exploiting the geometric structures inherent in the equations.
The Statistics Program within the centre carries out theoretical studies in several areas, including mixed models, statistical computation, scoring systems and spline methods. Statistics consulting is also an important part of work of the centre.
Recent projects have included the logistic regression analysis of survey data on the effects of conflicts on large information technology projects, and a study of inventory management for aircraft maintenance and repair.
Director: Professor Robert Bartnik, (02) 6201 2619, fax (02) 6201 2683 e-mail: Robert.Bartnik@canberra.edu.au
The Human-Computer Communication (HCC) Laboratory comprises staff from the Schools of Computing, and Mathematics and Statistics in the Division of Management and Technology, and from the School of Human and Biomedical Sciences in the Division of Science and Design. The Laboratory engages in research in a range of areas of human-computer communication which include the modalities of speech and natural language; typing, pointing and writing; audio, video and audiovisual channels, as well as combinations of such modalities. The research is concerned both with the algorithmic and implementational issues, and with usability and acceptability problems of human-computer communications.
Projects in the Laboratory are centred around speech, audiovisual, typing, pointing and writing based human-computer communication as well as computer supported collabortive work. Current research activity in the Laboratory includes work in automatic speech recognition and speech understanding systems; speaker verification and identification; computer user authentication using speaking, typing, pointing and writing characteristics; audiovisual user authentication; speech synthesis and text-to-speech systems; human-robot communication; usability of human-computer communication systems; digital signal processing; hidden Markov models; artificial neural networks, fuzzy and evolutionary algorithms; artificial intelligence and natural language processing; human-computer dialogue modelling; adaptive logic networks in pattern recognition; computer suppport for collaborative; graphic visualisation and animation; and computer music interfaces.
Director: Professor Michael Wagner (02) 6201 2153 e-mail: miw@hccl.canberra.edu.au
The Survey Laboratory undertakes research and project work associated with the Global Positioning System (GPS), and the levels of phosphorus and other algae-supporting nutrients in fresh water and in raw and treated sewage. These apparently quite different areas are linked by the need for similar analysis tools, high speed numerical computing and the need to work over a wide spatial domain.
GPS projects cover the full spectrum of activities from navigational GPS, for example the best path for taxis and emergency vehicles as a function of traffic conditions, to high precision studies in which surface subsidence and change is correlated with changes in the Antarctic ice mass balance and ocean tide heights. Changes in both of these quantities reflect changes in the global climate which may or may not be accelerating.
Water and phosphorus projects involve the level and availability of phosphorus as a nutrient. Current studies are showing a clear link between laundry habits with detergents utilising phosphorus as the principal softening agent. Advertising and other campaigns advocating non-phosphorus based activity result in lower levels of phosphorus reaching our inland waterways. Studies cover a wide range of conditions from highly controlled trials in a small neighbourhood with phosphorus free detergents to large catchments such as the heavily contaminated Hawkesbury-Nepean system.
The Survey Laboratory is an open environment with strong national and international connections. Nationally, it is in contact with most State and Federal surveying and mapping organisations. Through the CRC for Freshwater Ecology it has strong contacts with the water industry in eastern Australia.
Internationally, the Laboratory has strong connections with several other universities including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Institute of Technology, Bandung. The Laboratory acts as a beta test site for MIT's GAMIT GPS package which it supports with workshops and other activities throughout South-East Asia.
Director: Associate Professor Peter Morgan (02) 6201 2557/2417 e-mail: Peter.Morgan@canberra.edu.au
Latest update: 18/03/03