Transforming academic work: Communities of practice in Australian universities

Abstract

This article explores the model of communities of practice as an alternative to the competitive, corporatised model of universities prescribed in current Australian federal government policies and described in the document Universities: Backing Australia's Future (2003) and associated papers. The article argues that the federal government's policies, which include the proposal to create niche Australian universities, with specific purposes such as teaching-only, will reduce intra-institutional plurality and interdisciplinary activities. This represents a significant shift for most Australian tertiary institutions which have, over the past two decades, invested significant resources addressing disparate agendas of an increasing range of stakeholders. The current policies, with their emphasis on individualism and competition, have been criticised as demonstrating a poor understanding of academic work (Murray and Dollery 2005). The authors concur with this criticism and suggest that intra-institutional plurality, which may be reduced by the proposed changes, is more conducive to creative academic work. We argue that a government-regulated environment will limit the opportunity for collaborative and scholarly ways of doing academic work, such as the natural formation of communities of practice (Lave and Wenger 1991). The article suggests that the communities of practice model can offer a transformative approach to the organisation of academic work, by recognising and building on diversity, promoting collaboration and encouraging interdisciplinary research.     

Evaluating and improving prevention programs: a strategy from drug abuse.

This paper describes a methodology used to overcome the difficulties in evaluating and improving prevention programs. The methodology was applied in this case to a drug abuse prevention program. The methodology includes using health-oriented rather than pathology-oriented outcome measures, random assignment to groups, multiple settings, multiple outcome measures, goal-free evaluation, and the recording of process variables. The first year results showed program effectiveness in one setting and not in the other. Process analyses pointed toward improvements that could be made. Those improvements were implemented and led to greater program effectiveness in the second year.     

美国"新形式主义"诗歌的起源

"新形式主义"在美国20世纪后半期兴起的诸多诗歌流派中,影响最大、争议最多。本文针对美国诗歌批评界对"新形式主义"的攻击,分析了这一颇具影响力的诗歌流派的起源,在对"新形式主义"与20世纪五六十年代格律诗的比较的基础上,肯定了它作为一个独特的文学现象所具备的美学价值。     

建设中国的新歌(舞)剧--论京剧改革的田汉模式

在上个世纪的戏剧发展史上,以田汉为代表的新文化人对以京剧为代表的传统戏剧进行了卓有成效的改革,其特色在于注重以现代文化眼光对传统京剧的思想内容进行改造,同时注意尊重、利用传统京剧的技艺形式,走出了一条文化创新之路。这条道路可称为“田汉模式”。通过对田汉个人的思想、创作的发展过程的研究,可以对这一模式予以总结。     

从《四书》学看北宋理学、荆公新学、苏氏蜀学的异同

从《四书》学的角度,对北宋中后期活跃于学术舞台的理学、荆公新学与苏氏蜀学进行了比较分析,认为在治学方法和理论特点上三者有较多的相同之处,都注重阐发经典精义、关注天道心性问题、自出义理、发挥己意,但在三派学术的具体内容特别是对《四书》思想资料的阐述和发挥方面又存在较大差异,各具特色。     

欧洲新法西斯主义与新平民主义比较研究

新法西斯主义和新平民主义是欧洲极右翼势力中主要的两类政党,在反对现行体制、主张集权的特点上有其相似性,在历史渊源、意识形态、政治主张和选举基础上有其差异性。新法西斯主义是法西斯主义的继续,但它得到的支持非常有限,欧洲也没有法西斯卷土重来的土壤。新平民主义以“代表平民利益”为旗号,以反对腐败的传统政党政治为卖点,它具有改变政党系统的潜力,同时也暗示欧洲社会的深刻变化。     

论吴宓对五四新文化运动的保守回应--以《吴宓日记》为中心

十多年来,吴宓研究有日渐升温之势.<吴宓日记>的整理出版,为正确评价吴宓与五四新文化运动的关系提供了可能.吴宓痛恨五四新思潮提倡者的言论,常常是恶语相加,是一种典型的非理性式的批判.他反对新文化运动的"不正确"做法,但并不反对新文化,也不反对引进西学,而是主张新文化建设要探本求源、融会古今中西.我们不能简单地把吴宓视作顽固、守旧的反动文人,他的学养足以使他具有了与新派人物对话的可能,可惜的是对话没有成为现实,教训是十分深刻的.     

《催醒术》:1909年发表的"狂人日记"--兼谈"名报人"陈景韩在早期启蒙时段的文学成就

陈景韩主编的<新新小说>以"新新不已"为追求目标,不赞成梁启超的改良立宪模式,而要利用小说的社会作用建立一种"侠主义"."侠主义"有三个层次的含义第一层次为设立一种无视当时政府的权力系统,第二层次是介绍外国的革命精神、反抗侵略与压迫的精神,第三个层次是传统的"劫富济贫".1909年10月,陈景韩与包天笑共同主编的<小说时报>创刊号的首篇是陈景韩的<催醒术>,与鲁迅的<狂人日记>相比虽然有很大差距,但这篇小说表明了陈景韩的思想站在时代的前列.我们应该承认,中国的"狂人世家"是有一个发展谱系的,同时应该认识到,中国文学的现代化进程早在19世纪与20世纪之交就开始了,陈景韩的作品可以为证.从<新新小说>到<小说时报>,陈景韩对中国文学的现代化作出了贡献.     

论盛、中唐转折时期的著名诗人元结

以安史之乱为分界线的唐代文学,经历了由理想主义向现实主义的重大转变。这个变化在诗歌上的一个显著标志,即以元结为代表的写社会人生、写生民疾苦创作倾向的出现。元结这种创作倾向表现出不同于盛唐诗坛的特点,而对中唐的新乐府运动起到开启和示范作用。元结也因此成为盛、中唐转折时期一位具有鲜明过渡特色的诗人。     

从《三国志演义》看罗贯中的创新思维

罗贯中的《三国志演义》,创造性地吸收和改建《世说新语》、《容斋随笔》等古籍和诸多民间传说的史实素为人们所忽略。作者或增添细节,或转换角度,或改变事件性质,使作品成为表述民心、申张正义、传授知识的教科书,从而提升了民间文学品位,增强了文学的社会功能。罗贯中第一个开拓了长篇小说新文体,为以后的毛宗岗父子更为成功的长篇"章回小说"打下基础,这都是罗贯中创新思维对中国小说史的贡献。