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Win 1 of 5 amazing PADDINGTON prize packs

Sorry, this competition has closed.

Thanks to STUDIOCANAL we are giving away 5 PADDINGTON prize packs, each valued at $97.80.

Adapted from Michael Bond’s universally beloved books and from the producer of Harry Potter and Gravity, PADDINGTON follows the journey of an optimistic and polite young bear from darkest Peru who travels to London in search of a home and a family. When the Brown family invites him to stay with them, little do they realize how much comic mayhem one young bear will bring to their lives.

View trailer here.

IN CINEMAS December 11

The prize packs include:

A double in-season pass to PADDINGTON $38
Paddington Stationary Packs $9.95
Paddington drawstring Bag $9.95
Paddington watches $24.95
Paddington placemat $14.95

Competition details:

Prizes: 5 PADDINGTON prize packs, each valued at $97.80.
Who can enter? Members only
How often? Once a day
Promotion starts: 14/11/2014
Promotion ends: 28/11/2014

How to enter

Provided you are a Parenthub member (sign up here) and logged in, simply fill in and submit the form below.

Can’t see the form?

Then you forgot to log in or you’re not yet a member! Our competitions are only open to Parenthub members who are Australian residents. If you aren’t a member yet please sign up first. Membership is free and there are great offers and benefits! Then log in, come back to this page and fill out the form.

For your chance to win tell us your fastest easiest kid-friendly recipe (the less ingredients, the better). List the ingredients, measures and how you make it (bullet points).

[PHcompetition expire=”2014-11-28″ email=”sylvia@myvmc.com” subject=”PH Competition – PADDINGTON”]

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Participation in the Parenthub Competition (Competition) indicates your acceptance of the terms and conditions of entry set out below.

The Promoter is Virtual Medical Centre.com of Level 2, 541 Hay Street, Subiaco, Western Australia 6008. Postal address is PO Box 531, Subiaco WA 6904, Australia. ABN 12097593587. Phone: +61 (08) 9388 0344. Fax: +61 (08) 9388 0611. The prize is sponsored by STUDIOCANAL Pty Limited, Level 50, 680 George Street, Sydney, NSW 2000, AUSTRALIA.
Promotional Period. The Promotion will be open from 2pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on Friday 14 November 2014 until 2pm AEST on Friday 28 November 2014.
Eligible Entrants. Entry is open to all Australian residents, aged 15 years and over, who are new or existing members of Parenthub, except employees or contractors of the Promoter or prize sponsor, and members of their immediate families. Entrants under the age of 18 must obtain the prior permission of a parent or guardian to enter.
To enter you must:
a) be a new or current Parenthub member
b) submit an answer to the questions asked, and
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Prizes. There are 5 (five) prizes. Each consists of a PADDINGTON prize pack including a double in-season pass to PADDINGTON, a Paddington Stationary Pack, a Paddington drawstring Bag, Paddington watches, a Paddington placemat, all together valued at $97.80. Total prize pool RRP $489.
Tickets are valid from opening day at participating Hoyts Cinemas, Village Cinemas, Reading Cinemas, EVENT, Greater Union, Birch, Carroll & Coyle Cinemas, Australian Multiplex Cinemas, Wallis and participating independent cinemas. Not valid for Gold Class; Special Event sessions or VMAX at Village Cinemas. Not valid for Gold Class and VMAX at EVENT Cinemas. Not valid for Gold Class and VMAX at Greater Union and Birch Carroll & Coyle Cinemas. Not valid for La Premiere, Directors Suite, Bean Bag Cinema, Xtremescreen or IMAX at Hoyts Cinemas. Not valid at Gold Lounge or Titan XC at Reading Cinemas. Not valid for Regal Twin Graceville, Ace Gold Lounge Cinemas and Hayden Orpheum Cinemas. Not valid at Dendy Premium or Lounge Cinemas.
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Preterm, low birth-weight babies may need new hips in adulthood

Researchers from Monash University have found that low birth weight and preterm birth are linked to increased risk for osteoarthritis-related hip replacements in adulthood.

However, the findings published in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) journal, Arthritis Care & Research, also indicate that low birth weight and pre-term babies were not at greater risk of knee arthroplasty due to osteoarthritis as adults.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis range from mild to severe and include pain, stiffness, and swelling of joints. Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of disability, with medical evidence reporting osteoarthritis of the knees and hips totalling 71 million years lived with disability (2010)—a worldwide increase of 64 per cent since 1990.

Lead investigator, Professor Flavia Cicuttini in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine said: “Currently there are no disease-modifying medications available to treat osteoarthritis, which makes understanding the risk factors associated with osteoarthritis so important for improving prevention of this disabling disease.”

Previous research found that low birth weight and preterm birth have been linked to hypertension, cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and reduced bone mass in adulthood. With understanding of these adverse outcomes, the research team set out to investigate if low birth weight and preterm birth also played a role in increased risk of joint replacement surgery as adults.

The present study used data from 3,604 participants of the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study who 40 years-of-age or older at the time data of joint replacement surgeries were collected. Participants provided information about their weight at birth and if they were prematurely delivered. The participants’ records were then linked to knee and hip replacements due to osteoarthritis (2002-2011) data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry.

Of the participants, 116 had knee replacement surgery and 75 underwent hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis. Low birth weight and preterm birth were linked to increase incidence of hip arthroplasty independent of age, sex, body mass index (BMI), education level, hypertension, diabetes, smoking and physical activity. Researchers found no significant association between low birth weight or preterm birth and knee replacement surgery.

“Our findings suggest that individuals born prematurely or with low birth weight are more likely to need hip replacement surgery for osteoarthritis in adulthood,” Professor Cicuttini said.

“While further investigation is needed to confirm these findings, identifying those at greatest risk for hip osteoarthritis and providing early interventions may help reduce the incidence of this debilitating disease.”

(Source: Monash University, Arthritis Care & Research)

3D model skin burnt to find better bandages for child burns victims

Skin reconstructed in a laboratory will be burnt and then blasted by a new state-of-the-art laser in the search to improve bandaging for children’s burns, says leading burns and trauma researcher Dr Leila Cuttle.

Dr Cuttle is a senior research fellow at QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation and heads a team of researchers in collaboration with the Queensland Children’s Medical Research Institute.

“Silver dressings are standard care for children’s burn wounds to reduce bacterial infection while silicone dressings ameliorate the scarring after deep burn injuries,” she said.

“Little is known of how deeply their components penetrate the skin or how much silver and silicon remain behind in the skin.”

Dr Cuttle said the project should find answers as to where and why the products stayed in the skin tissue.

She said her research complemented a clinical trial at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane.

Almost 100 children who presented to the hospital with acute burns over a 12-month period were treated with silver bandaging and their progress was monitored.

“We want to understand what the active components of these dressings are doing to the tissue and how much of them remain behind after the dressing is removed,” Dr Cuttle said.

“We need to know if that can be detrimental to the skin, or if they are required to decrease scarring.”

Seven hundred children with new burns injuries are treated at the Royal Children’s Hospital each year and many require ongoing treatment for scarring throughout their lives, Dr Cuttle said.

The new project uses the latest technology from QUT’s Central Analytical Research Facility (CARF), including a laser which is coupled to a mass spectrometer.

Dr Charlotte Allen is a senior research fellow who will analyse the results with Dr Cuttle.

Dr Allen said the laser vaporised the skin and the mass spectrometer determined the concentrations of elements like silicon, calcium and silver.

“It uses mass spectroscopy to determine gradients in elemental concentration across very small distances,” Dr Allen said.

The project is overseen by QUT’s Tissue Repair and Regeneration Program led by Dr Tony Parker.

“This is the first time the instrument will be used on skin samples as it has previously been used to blast and analyse rocks and steel,” he said.

“For this experiment you burn the skin model and then use pieces of silver bandage on the model as a dressing.

“We look at whether the compounds are biologically active and whether they facilitate rapid or effective treatments and how long they remain in the skin cells and whether that may be harmful or not.”

QUT research associate Dr Jacqui McGovern will create the skin models using discarded skin from cosmetic surgery operations.

“The skin will be grown over two weeks and cut into squares two centimetres in size before it is burnt by a heated rod and dressed over a six-day period,” she said.

Dr Cuttle said silver and silicone dressings were generally effective treatments, but further improvements may be made as a result of more research.

“We are constantly striving to create better treatments for children with burn injuries to enable them to heal faster and with less scarring,” she said.

Dr Cuttle said preliminary results should be ready by the end of the year before the opening of the new Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital in Brisbane.

The research is funded by a recenlty announced 2014 Queensland Children’s Medical Research Institute and QUT Collaborative Seeding Grant.

(Source: Queensland University of Technology)

Year 9 NAPLAN scores predict University entry

A Year 9 student’s NAPLAN score is a strong predictor of the likeliness of attending University, more so than the student’s socio-economic status, University of Melbourne research has found.

More than 75% of students with high Year 9 NAPLAN scores (in the top 20%) received an ATAR score of over 70, which gives access to a wider range of University courses.

Professor Justman said that a student’s socio-economic background amplifies these effects and can make it difficult for students from more disadvantaged backgrounds to overcome educational setbacks.

“Academically weak students, with year 9 results in the bottom 25% of their cohort, who also come from a low socio-economic background, have less than a 5% chance of achieving an ATAR of 50 or above, while students with similar year 9 results from a strong socio-economic background have more than a 25% chance,” Professor Justman said.

“Year 9 NAPLAN scores provide valuable information for teachers, parents and students for planning education and career paths,” he said.

“Based on NAPLAN results, teachers, parents and the students themselves can recognise the level of effort that will be needed for them to achieve access to different university programs and pursue a chosen career path.”

The Melbourne Institute study used data from over 65,000 year 9 students in Victoria in 2008, then cross-referenced these results with the ATAR scores of the same student cohort. University admission is benchmarked by ATAR scores.

The research also shows that whole school success rates measured by high ATAR results are determined to a very large degree by students’ year 9 NAPLAN scores.

Student scores and basic demographic characteristics account significantly (over 80%) for the differences in whole school NAPLAN statistics.

(Source: The University of Melbourne)

Exams

Transcript

Exam time can be stressful for students and for parents as well. But it doesn’t have to be.

Hi, I’m Doctor Joe.

It’s amazing how quickly the years go by and suddenly we find ourselves at exam season for high school and those completing their secondary education and of course people at university as well. And really since exams have come in, it can be stressful in the lead up to them. Have I done enough work, am I prepared, you know, what do I need to do?

Alright, there’s some very basic non-medical things and the first one of course is being steady with your work throughout the year so by the time you do reach exam time you have done most of the work and we’re not, hopefully, cramming at the last minute. And I suppose these days also the way marks are calculated there is more value placed on what you do through the year.

So then what can you then do in the lead up to and during exam periods? In this situation, it’s often sporting analogies that can be helpful. If you want to be at your best on grand final day or on a major sports day, you need to have had adequate rest, you need to have done your training, you need to be eating the right sorts of foods and you need some discipline.

The same principles apply in exam preparation. You want to be at your best on exam day so you need to have done the training or study before. You also need to be eating a sensible diet, so that means fruits and vegetables, high quality proteins, some whole grains, plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. You probably don’t want to be living on fast foods and sugary snacks. It’s just not good brain food. So we need a sensible diet.

We also need to be doing some regular exercise because we know that that’s good for stress management. We also know that breaks from study help the brain digest what we’ve studied. So there’s some work that shows that if we do study in blocks, so maybe for an hour or a couple of hours, maybe have a half hour break, come back maybe do another couple of hours, it is actually better than doing four hours straight.

It’s also been shown that doing a little bit of every subject everyday may be helpful. The brain starts to recognise material as important if it’s repeated. So if you’re doing maths on Monday, English on a Tuesday and say science on a Wednesday, it’s not quite as good as doing a little bit of each subject every day because the brain starts to think, “Oh this must be important, we did it yesterday and the day before, we’re doing it again today, I probably need to remember this.

Okay, that may sound a little bit trite but the principle is there, that repetition helps. I think advertisers have known that for years and we know that if things are repeated we tend to remember them. So keeping at it matters.

Stress management is important as well. A little bit of stress and a little bit of adrenalin will get us out of bed in the morning and be a motivator but too much stress is counter-productive. So simple things, some guided meditations or deep breathing, some relaxation techniques, maybe yoga or tai chi for those who are into that are simple things to help with stress management.

Going for a walk in the park, sitting at the beach for a little while, don’t get burnt of course, but just simple things to give your mind a break.

Again, the sporting analogy, you need to be training if you’re playing in a match but you can’t be training all the time, your body also needs a break. Same principles apply.

And lastly, getting enough sleep is important. We all know that we’re not going to function well if we don’t get much sleep. So staying up the night before until 3am might seem like you’re cramming at the last minute but it’s not going to make nearly as much difference as what you think, if at all. So you’re probably going to be better off making sure that you’re getting enough sleep.

So in some respects, managing your health through an exam period is not that much different to what you would do on a normal basis. Sensible diet, a little bit of regular exercise, some stress management and having enough sleep. Keep the basics right and you won’t go too far wrong.

Baby sleep

Transcript

There are around seven billion people in the world and there are probably the same number around the same number of opinions on babies and sleeping.

Hi, I’m Doctor Joe.

For something that is so innate to humans which is sleep, it’s surprising how many opinions and different views there are on a very basic subject. And there’s a lot of mythology too and a lot of scare stories.

So let’s wind it all back. Essentially babies sleep for most of the day. Not always the hours that you would like, but a newborn may sleep, anything between eighteen and twenty hours a day and obviously that lessens as months and then years go by.

There’s a lot of concern about how a baby should sleep and we know in terms of trying to prevent SIDS which is sudden infant death syndrome that sleeping on the back is one of the most useful ways of preventing it. It’s not a guarantee but we do know that that reduces the likelihood.

And also not being too hot. Now again we always worry about babies not being too cold and that’s not good either, but being overly wrapped up, particularly in the summer months, is also thought to be a risk factor for SIDS. So again, common sense does apply.

A question that’s often asked is about whether you should sleep with your baby or not and that term is called co-sleeping. I think just a simpler term is should you have the baby in the bed with you. There is no absolute answer to that question either; there is a school of thought that says it’s not a good idea, there’s a school of thought that says it is a good idea. Historically we probably didn’t have much choice and even today there would be a lot of places in the world where we don’t all have separate bedrooms so it’s not really an option. Fortunately in western countries like Australia it is.

So there are three I suppose possibilities. One is to have the baby in the bed with you, and I think it’s fair to say that’s not broadly recommended but some people find that it works for them and that’s the key thing, it’s what works for you and your baby. The other is to have the bassinette perhaps in your bedroom. And the third option obviously is to have the baby in his or her own bedroom.

There’s no right or wrong and sometimes it’s a gradual process. There are families where perhaps for the first couple of weeks may want to have the baby in the bed with them. Most won’t but some do. They may then find, “well, yes, I’d like to have the baby in the same room as me,” so if you need to get up, and in the early days, you know, that’s pretty likely to happen. Then you don’t have to go quite as far. Then maybe at two, three, four, whatever month mark you feel is appropriate you can move the baby into their own room.

So it becomes a gradual transition and that works for people.

Some people prefer to have the baby in their own room at the start and have a monitor, so again you’re not having to listen out for a scream, you’ve got a monitor and you can see what’s going on. So that’s another option as well.

I do stress that there are lots and lots of opinions. It really comes down to what works for individuals.

A common question is, should one do demand feeding or scheduled feeding, particularly overnight. Once again, some people have very, very fixed opinions on these things. My view would be, what works for you and your baby.

Now there’s no particular law that says babies have to feed at a particular time and again, the fact that we do things during the day and sleep during the night is a cultural thing so a baby doesn’t innately know that. But babies like the rest of us will become creatures of habit. So if you get them used to having three feeds at night time, they will tend to expect that and wake up for it.

And also, you learn very quickly, not in a conscious remembering sense, but you know, subconsciously, that if you get a feed at 2am and another one at 4am, well you probably won’t have a big feed at two because you know more is coming at four. If after a week or so of not getting a feed say at four, you’d probably figure out that you need to get a little bit more at two. It’s a trite example but it makes the point.

So a mix of demand and schedule is fine. One does not have to be fixed or religious about this and by the time the baby is getting to three to four months or so there is no particular need to feed during the night unless you want to. It’s okay to do it, but it is also quite okay maybe to expect a baby to feed maybe at ten, eleven at night and then get through until six o’clock. There is no baby that is going to starve to death doing this.

So if you’d like to feed at night time and some women do and they find it quite peaceful because the world is quiet and there’s nobody else around, then by all means. But if you don’t want to don’t feel pressured to do it. And above all else don’t feel pressured to do things somebody else’s way. Do things your own way and be guided by what works for you and what works for your baby. If you do that, you won’t go too far wrong.

Mobile phone use in kids

A lot of you probably watching this video grew up without mobile phones. And there’s a very simple reason for that. Hi, I’m Doctor Joe. Anybody probably who is older than twenty five is actually older than mobile phones. Mobile phones came to Australia in the very late eighties, but really didn’t take off until the mid to late nineties and smart phones following, you know, even later behind. So really in one and a bit generations we’ve gone from really not having phones to, if you look around today, particularly amongst teenagers, it is pretty much living with their phone. It’s sort of almost become like a third arm. So the question arises at what age, as parents, should you let your child have a mobile phone? And it’s a little bit like how long is a piece of string. There is no absolute right answer to that. It does depend upon your family situation, it does depend upon the maturity of the child and also the purpose for having it. For example perhaps, often in families where perhaps parents have separated, those children may get a phone at a younger age, because they may need to be in contact with one or other parent, particularly trying to sort out, you know, who is going to be picking me up, those sorts of things. But even so, it still gets back to the functions of the phone and what you can do. So having a phone so you can ring mum or dad is quite different to having a phone where you can get onto Facebook, Twitter and the internet. So again, phones these days often do just about everything but call people. For a child at an age where parents think it can be helpful and appropriate for them to be able to ring, get them what we might call in this day and age, a “dumb phone”. And that way at least you know maybe they can ring you, maybe send a text but they’re not going to be getting on to the internet. In terms of the smart phones, again there is no set age but probably into teenage years is when it’s more likely the case, so when children start high school which is going to be invariably twelve or thirteen, that may be a time. Peer pressure may start to arise at that point. Bullying can be a problem in the cyber world; and in the non-cyber world what used to be sort of whispers and passing of notes can now be sending of texts and postings on Facebook. Again, make sure you keep open lines of communication with your child at any age, so that you can help them through this and of course help is available and don’t hesitate to get it if you need it. Sexting is also a topic that might come up and we can’t go into the legalities in a video like this, but again, educating your child about the fact that anything they put into cyberspace can be there permanently is sort of a conversation that you need to have. So in other words if you wouldn’t do what you’re about to do in the middle of a mall, then maybe you shouldn’t put it online either. And we know that even famous celebrities have had their accounts hacked and pictures appeared that they preferred not to appear. And that can happen to anybody. So just knowing that anything you do online or through the phone may be seen by anybody, even people you don’t like, is an important conversation to have. But again I really do want to stress that it is an individual decision for the parents and the child, and then again the type of phone so when we’re saying phone, there’s differences in capabilities, so when you’re giving a child a smart phone, you’re giving them something quite different to a non-smart phone. Okay, again, with any technology or any tool it’s in helping your child to work through it and understand how to use it. There’s an age at which you won’t let your child cross the road by themselves in fact you’ll carry them, then there’s an age that you’ll cross their hand as they cross the road and then there’s an age when they’re allowed to cross the road by themselves. Same with technologies. In providing it you probably do need to supervise their utilisation and you do need to watch their usage and that’s on the internet as well as with phones. As they get more used to it and as they get older, much like crossing the road, you can relax and loosen the reigns and look, I think I’m not saying anything that parents don’t know, the fair likelihood is that a teenager will know more about it than you and will probably outsmart you with it. But even knowing that is still helpful. What really matters I that you’re teaching them how to use it responsibly and that they’re learning to do that and that what they’re doing is, if you like, age appropriate and specific. But also keep in mind that we all have to learn and that teenagers with mobile phones may make mistakes, that’s life, we don’t want to get too upset about it, we want to encourage responsible usage of technology, we can’t stop the march of technology.

Surrogacy

Transcript

Surrogacy is a really good example of how technologies and a shrinking world have gotten way ahead of, I suppose our capacity to regulate and monitor these sorts of developments.

Hi, I’m Doctor Joe.

We hear a lot about surrogacy these days in the paper and there’s a lot of argument about the morals and the rights or wrongs. The purpose of this video is not to enter that but perhaps distil a little bit of mythology and just give us a few facts to work with.

When we talk about surrogacy, we’re essentially saying that another woman will be carrying the baby on behalf of a woman. So this is obviously for women who are not able to get pregnant.

Now there are different forms of surrogacy. There is a type where the woman who wants to get pregnant or the couple who are seeking to get pregnant may have a fertilised egg that they have provided and that will be implanted into the surrogate carrier who will carry the baby to delivery and then obviously hand that baby to the couple.

There is another form of surrogacy where a third party may be involved and that the egg may be provided not by the mother who will bring up the child but by a third party. Again a fertilised egg can be implanted in the uterus of the surrogate who carries the baby as we said before and then at the time of birth passes it across.

You could argue in some respects it’s a form of adoption that occurs before birth. Historically adoption was done after birth; the baby is born and then passed across to another couple to bring up the baby.

In different states in Australia the laws are different. Different jurisdictions have different rules about whether surrogacy is allowed and then separate issues around whether it can be paid for. So in some states it is illegal to be a surrogate mother. In other states it’s legal but no payment is allowed. Now offshore, particularly in some south-east Asian countries and some other countries as well, it is legal, or if it isn’t, rightly or wrongly seems to be a little bit easy for people to work their way around and hence this is where a lot of moral arguments come in and that’s something probably for philosophers to start to solve.

Ultimately this does all come about because we do, in the words of the six million dollar man, we do have the technology. It is possible to implant embryos into surrogate partners, it is possible to fertilise eggs outside the body, all of this can be done, the science has really run away with us, but the laws and how we look at these things probably haven’t kept pace. And as the next so many years go by they will need to because there have been well reported cases where perhaps problems have arisen.

That said, it’s also fair to say that despite the laws, this hasn’t stopped people seeking to get surrogate babies for themselves and this really goes back to the basic human desire to want to have a family and I suppose doing it in a way in the 21^st century where it’s possible, where in previous centuries it hasn’t.

So a real conundrum in some respects, scientifically and technically, relatively straight forward. If you like, morally and emotionally everyone will have their own opinions but what we do probably need to do is understand the basics and it really does come from a desire to have children. And that is human nature.

Physical and mental health the key to exam success

As thousands of high school students prepare for the commencement of WACE examinations on 3 November 2014, The University of Notre Dame Australia encourages young people to achieve their potential but work within their physical capabilities.

According to Andrew Duirs, Counselling Coordinator, Student Counselling Service, at the University’s Fremantle Campus, remaining physically and mentally healthy during the exam period is key to surviving exam stress.

“When students are healthy and relaxed they cope better with the extra demands experienced during the exam period,” Mr Duirs said.

“Strategies include getting enough sleep, daily exercise, healthy diet and regular relaxation. Other key areas include utilising techniques for addressing procrastination and stress management along with a sound study plan.”

Roselynn Lang, Coordinator of Academic Support Programs at the University’s Academic Enabling and Support Centre, Fremantle, agrees that balancing study periods with periods of rest, exercise and good nutrition is important to manage the stress of exams. She also recommends developing a plan for sitting your exams.

“During the exam, manage your time carefully, allocating it according to the marks for each question and plan your responses in advance,” Ms Lang said.

“Once you have your plan, try to keep to your schedule. Answer your favourite questions first but make sure that you attempt all questions. Most importantly, be sure to answer all aspects of the question including key ideas and terms. Leave some space in your answer booklet so that you can add further detail when you come back to re-read and evaluate your response.”

While Notre Dame wishes all students preparing for WACE exams the very best of luck, the University provides flexible learning pathways for students who do not achieve the results they had been hoping for.

Notre Dame’s unique admissions process considers the whole person and not just a student’s exam results. Admissions take into account the personal qualities, motivation to study, experience, knowledge and skills of a prospective student. A range of alternative entry pathways that help ease the transition into university study are also available to prospective students on the Fremantle, Sydney and Broome campuses.

A final word of advice from Ms Lang is that you are more than your ATAR score and there are many alternative pathways to reach your goal.

“For students who didn’t achieve their ideal ATAR, the Academic Enabling and Support Centre’s Foundation Year Summer Intensive program could be the answer to put them back on track to start their undergraduate studies in Semester 1 2015.

“Other students may benefit from the Foundation Year program, with a semester-long program before commencing their undergraduate study in Semester 2 2015. Low-cost Primer courses are also available two weeks before the start of the academic year to assist all students make a successful start to their university study.”

For more information visit: http://www.nd.edu.au/fremantle/alt-entry

(Source: The University of Notre Dame)

Kids and smartphones – what's the risk?

A new European study examining the risks in children using smartphones to access the internet is a warning for Australian parents.
Professor Lelia Green from the School of Communications and Arts is a co-author of the EU Kids Online report Online on the Mobile: Internet use on smartphones and associated risks among youth in Europe.
This research is important for Australia as there is no up-to-date data available about Australian children’s experiences. However, earlier studies have shown that a greater proportion of Australian kids are using smartphones than their European counterparts.
Professor Green said there has been a dramatic increase in European children aged between nine and 16 using the internet on smartphones.
“Four years ago only 12 per cent of European children aged nine to 16 had access to a smart handheld device. Now, over 60% of 13 – 16 year-olds and 28% of children aged nine to 12 are connecting to the internet via smartphones,” Professor Green said.
“Our research looked at whether accessing the internet this way exposed children to more risk or harm.”
Smartphones not just for rich kids
Professor Green said historically children using smartphones came from richer, more privileged backgrounds.
“But now most 13 to 16 year-olds have smartphones. Along with being exposed to extra risk, children with smartphones access the internet more often and engage in a greater range of activities,” she said.
Parents be vigilant
While younger European children are less likely than older children to encounter online risks, Professor Green said they are more likely to be affected by the risks they experience.
“Parents of younger children with smartphones should actively regulate their child’s internet use. The younger the child, the more their parents should involve themselves,” she said.
“Children’s risk varies with gender and age. However, smart media introduces new risks to children such as geo-locational data and apps which connect mobile users with strangers.”
More and more
Professor Green said EU Kids Online researchers have shown that opportunity for kids to connect online and their exposure to risk go hand in hand.
“Children connecting to the internet via mobile devices have more access, more often, using more devices, with more risk,” she said.
Professor Green urges software developers, technology companies and service providers to prioritise the development of a suite of consistent easy-to-use handset controls which parents can use to support and monitor their children’s safe mobile internet use.
Information about the project and survey:
· Professor Lelia Green of ECU’s School of Communications and Arts leads the Australian partner research. She serves on the EU Kids Online International Advisory Panel and is currently a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
· Australian partner research referenced in Figure 1 gratefully acknowledges the use of EU Kids Online materials and processes. Their project was funded by the Australian Research Council’s Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation and supported by Edith Cowan University.
· The EU Kids Online project aims to enhance knowledge of European children’s and parents’ experiences and practices regarding risky and safer use of the internet and new online technologies, and thereby to inform the promotion of a safer online environment for children. The project is funded by the EC Safer Internet Programme (SI-2010-TN-4201001).
· This report uses the findings from EU Kids Online II (2010-2011). Countries included are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and the UK.
· It also references the Net Children Go Mobile project (2013-14). Countries included are: Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania and the UK. Net Children Go Mobile is also funded by the EC Safer Internet Programme.
· For more findings, other reports and technical survey details please see www.eukidsonline.net.
(Source: Edith Cowan University)

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