Homework has been a tradition in education for decades. Recently, educators have begun to rethink the value of homework, particularly for primary and middle school aged children. Is homework useful? Should our children do homework at all? If so, what would constitute quality homework for children? Dr Tracey Smith from the Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Education will use the example of mathematics to address all of these questions at a public lecture at West Wyalong on Wednesday 29 August. It will explore perceptions about mathematics, how it is learned most effectively, how parents can help their children learn mathematics and how mathematics homework might be more meaningfully developed to enhance learning at home, rather than create a battle zone for parents and their children.

Five podiatry students from Charles Sturt University’s Albury-Wodonga Campus will this Sunday 12 August take on the mighty mass of runners in the Sydney City-to-Surf Fun Run. Local third year students and regular entrants in the local Nail Can Hill run, Brad White and Dominique Ferguson, will be joined by three second- and first-year students in the annual event. The students are being sponsored by the Podiatry Association of NSW, which gives the Albury-based students direct association with their professional body. “Podiatry has close contact with runners and sports groups and jobs are plentiful when we qualify,” said Mr White. Running partner Dominique Ferguson said “this event helps me combine my love for running with work in my chosen profession, and get paid for it when I qualify.”

The Vice-Chancellor and President of Charles Sturt University (CSU), Professor Ian Goulter, has announced the University’s new Head of Campus at Dubbo. Dr Beverley Moriarty, who is Associate Head of the School of Teacher Education at Dubbo, will take on the Head of Campus role for three years, effective from Wednesday 15 July. Professor Goulter welcomed Dr Moriarty’s appointment and looks forward to working closely with her to develop further the campus at Dubbo. Dr Moriarty said she was honoured to accept the new role. “These are exciting times for the higher education sector and I am delighted that I can contribute to realising the opportunities for Charles Sturt University as it moves ahead as the University of Inland Australia,” Dr Moriarty said. “I also want to acknowledge the contribution of my predecessor, Mr Gary Shipp who has taken on an important new role in the University as Special Adviser, Indigenous Affairs.”

A Charles Sturt University (CSU) PhD candidate is investigating ways to reduce costly water loss from irrigation canals through seepage and techniques that can be used to plug the leaks. Jacqueline Watt, through the International Centre of WATER located at the CSU Wagga Wagga Campus, has conducted extensive field work in the Coleambally Irrigation Area, in inland NSW and the Rechna Doab Irrigation Area, in Pakistan. In her studies, Ms Watt measured the resistance of the irrigation canal and took soil samples to determine the volume of water leaving the canal. Ms Watt says, “This will provide irrigators with the ability to quickly determine the cost and benefit of lining irrigation canals with different materials, and the length of canal that needs to be lined”.  Ms Watt expects her research will be of great benefit to Australian irrigation companies and hopes that her research in Pakistan will help the technology flow to other third world countries.

The first group of students from South Korea to study business courses with Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Faculty of Business in Albury-Wodonga will experience the sights of Albury and surrounding districts before they commence their studies. The students will be welcomed to Albury City by Deputy Mayor Alice Glachan on Monday 20 July before taking part in orientation activities, which will include introducing skills in learning, computing and the library as well as visits to local services and attractions. Associate Dean (Administration) with the Faculty of Business, Associate Professor John Atkinson said, “this is a very exciting time for CSU and the Albury-Wodonga community, as we welcome the first group of students from Dongguk University in Seoul, who are enrolled in the CSU Bachelor of Business”.

The Charles Sturt University (CSU) School of Human Movement Studies is hosting a three-day symposium in the NSW Blue Mountains for national and international experts in exercise and exercise rehabilitation. Professor Frank Marino, Head of the CSU School of Human Movement Studies at Bathurst, said The Future of Fatigue in Exercise: An International Symposium on the Limits to Exercise Performance, which runs from Monday 20 to Wednesday 22 July, is the first symposium of its kind in Australia. “The symposium provides an opportunity for leaders in the field from around Australia and the world to come together to discuss a range of issues related to exercise, rehabilitation, health and wellbeing. We expect it will advance our research and the way in which we work together to solve problems that affect many of us, particularly athletes, at some stage in our lives.” Presentations at the symposium include Anticipating fatigue during exercise by Professor Marino and Cancer-fatigue in exercise by CSU’s Dr Jack Canon.

As part of his visit to Australia hosted by Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) International Centre of Water for Food Security (IC WATER), a renowned Dutch hydrologist will present his ambitious plan to develop a model that displays the status of water on or under every hectare of the earth’s surface. Professor Nick van de Giesen, Chair of Water Resources Management at the Technical University of Delft (TUD) in the Netherlands, will discuss his ideas at a seminar at CSU at Wagga Wagga on Friday 24 July. Professor van de Giesen said the computational power needed to present the data at 15 minute intervals is relatively modest and although much scientific research is needed to make such a model a reality, prototypes already exist. IC WATER director Associate Professor Mohsin Hafeez said the long-term partnership between CSU and TUD will focus on establishing joint projects and building expertise in irrigation water management, water accounting and saving, climate change impact on water availability, land use and land cover change.

The Western Division of the Australian Dental Association’s (ADA) NSW branch will meet this week at the Charles Sturt University (CSU) Orange Campus where construction of one of the $64 million dentistry and oral health facilties is being completed. Meeting in the new lecture theatre at CSU at Orange on Friday 24 July, ADA divisional members will hear talks by CSU’s Professor of Dentistry, David Wilson, on oral pathology and oral medicine. Dr John Whitworth from Newcastle University in the UK will give a presentation on endodontics, or root canal surgery. Dr Peter Duckmanton, an endodontic specialist from Sydney and current president of the Australian Endodontic Society, will also give a short presentation on endodontics. “ADA divisional members are looking forward to seeing the CSU Orange Campus developments while discussing the latest technology and practice methods in dentistry and oral health,” says Dr Sabrina Manickam, CSU Senior Lecturer and External Relations Coordinator in Dentistry and Oral Health Therapy.

A visiting scholar at Charles Sturt University’s (CSU) Institute for Land, Water and Society (ILWS) will present a public seminar on water management and agricultural extension in India on Wednesday 12 August. Associate Professor Chandrasekaran Karthikeyan, from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in India, will present an overview of the social context of land, water resource management and agriculture in India, with special reference to water management and agricultural extension, as part of the CSU School of Environmental Science seminar series. Professor Karthikeyan is with the Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies, based in Coimbatore City, India. He is working with Professor Allan Curtis from ILWS and is an Endeavour Executive fellow based in Albury from June to October 2009. The seminar will be held at CSU’s Thurgoona site.