Dr Kirsty Young

Kearney, M.D., Young, K.A. & Prescott, A.E. 2009, 'Investigating Prospective Teachers as Learning Design Authors' in Lori Lockyer, Sue Bennett, Shirley Agostinho, Barry Harper, University of Wollongong, Australia (eds), Handbook of Research on Learning Design and Learning Objects: Issues, Applications, and Technologies, IGI Global, Hershey, USA, pp. 263-281.
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This chapter reports on findings from a recent project situated in the area of preservice teacher education. The project investigated prospective teachers authoring and using their own contextualised learning designs. The chapter describes how 17 secondary and primary preservice teachers adapted existing, well-researched learning strategies to inform the design of their own specific online learning tasks and how they implemented these tasks in the context of their teaching practicum. The prospective teachers used an online learning design authoring system as a tool and flexible `test-bed+ for their learning designs and implementation. An account of the ways in which the prospective teachers developed sophisticated understandings of their chosen learning strategy and developed fresh insights into online and face-toface teaching issues is presente

Young, K.A. 2011, 'Social Ties, Social Networks And The Facebook Experience', The International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Society, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 20-34.
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This paper reports a study which investigated adult social activity on Facebook. The data was drawn from an online survey (N = 758) and 18 in-depth research sessions (semistructured interviews and verbal protocols). The research explored the function of

Young, K.A. 2009, 'Online Social Networking: An Australian Perspective', The International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Society, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 39-57.
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This paper reports the findings of a survey conducted in Australia in 2007/08 that investigated the experiences of online social network users aged between 15-65 years. This research is underpinned by two socio-cultural theories of learning: Situated Cognition and Activity Theory, and has a particular emphasis on online identity creation. Both quantitative and qualitative data are reported on issues of privacy, relationship between online and offline friends, time spent engaged in online social networking activities, use of photographs and status features and positive and negative experiences associated with online social networking. The findings are then interpreted from a socio-cultural perspective of learning.

Young, K.A. 2008, 'Don't just look, listen: uncovering children's cognitive strategies during spelling-related activities', Education 3-13: the Professional Journal for Primary Education, vol. 36, no. 2, pp. 127-138.
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This paper reports on a study that used verbal protocols to uncover the cognitive strategies of children from Sydney, Australia, aged 8- to 9-years-old, when they were engaged in a range of word sorting and editing activities. The children's cognitive strategies have been analysed in terms of a developmental stage theory of spelling. The findings are contrasted with the skills and characteristics of competent spellers at each recognised stage of spelling development. The paper considers the orthographic knowledge and spelling strategies of children that are evident when they are asked to 'think aloud' about English words and contrasts this with what is (or is not) captured through the developmental stage theory of spelling. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for the findings on classroom practice.

Young, K.A. 2008, 'Toward a model for the study of children's informal Internet use', Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 173-184.
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Throughout history, the development and widespread use of new technologies has impacted human cognition and social structures. By integrating a range of cognitive and socio-cultural theories we are better able to understand the impact of technological tools, such as the Internet, on children in the context of their local and global communities. An integrated theoretical approach enables us to more comprehensively ascertain the potential of the Internet to significantly impact children+s cognitive processes and the larger social implications of this global phenomenon. This paper presents a small-scale exploratory study that, through the development of an Internet-mediated learning model, examines the skills and characteristics of young, competent Internet-users engaged in informal Internet activities. At present, there is much conjecture on the ways in which the Internet may affect learning and this paper describes an approach to research that could inform future data collection procedures and analysis in empirical studies.

Young, K.A. 2007, 'Developmental stage theory of spelling: analysis of consistency across four spelling-related activities', Australian Journal of Language and Literacy, vol. 30, no. 3, pp. 203-220.
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New theories continue to emerge to help us understand how children learn and how to effectively teach them. We must be mindful, however, of the value of previously developed and well-established theories. This paper presents findings from a study that investigated the consistency with which children perform within a given developmental stage of spelling. This study expands upon previous understanding of the developmental stage theory of spelling by examining children s spelling consistency across a broad range of spelling related activities (word lists, natural writing samples, editing activities and word sorting activities). The findings of this study indicate that children s orthographic knowledge aligns very consistently with their current stage of spelling development across a range of activities.

Young, K.A. 2007, 'eBay: An authentic learning object', The International Journal of Learning, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 185-193.
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The Internet has evolved to its current form as a result ofuser-generated content and interactivity and this phenomenon must be more widely recognised informal education. This paperproposes that popular wehsites which are reflective ofhow society uses the Internet on a daily basis should provide the context for authentic and engaging online learning experiences. This position is established through the integration a/three socia-cultural views ojlearning: Situated Cognition, Distributed Cognition and Activity Theory. The integration ofthese three theories enables evaluation ofthe Internet as a mediating tool ofauthentic activity which is socially constructed and bound. The popular online auction site eBay is used to demonstrate the ideas raised throughout this paper.

Young, K.A. 2005, 'Direct from the source: the value of 'think aloud' data in understanding learning', The Journal of Educational Enquiry, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 19-33.
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Young, K.A. 2008, 'ongoing', Journal of Ethnographic & Qualitative Research.
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Member of the Editorial Board of this peer-reviewed journal

Young, K.A. 2009, 'The Internet in Tertiary Education: A survey of students' Internet activity', Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications, Honolulu, Hawaii, June 2009 in Conference Proceedings of 21st Annual World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications, ed tbc, Association for the Advancement of Computers, USA, pp. 1-11.
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This paper presents the findings from a survey of 752 Australian University students and their families. The aim was to determine the extent to which individuals engaged in various Communication, Recreation, Information, Production and Transaction activities on the Internet. The results clearly identify the popularity of certain Communication and Information-seeking activities and the limited way many Production technologies have been embraced at this stage. Amongst other things, the data highlights Internet activities where age discrepancies exist and thus, identifies activities that may become second nature for future generations of University students, such as email and information-seeking have become to current generations.

Kearney, M.D. & Young, K.A. 2007, 'An emerging learning design based on analogical reasoning', International LAMS Conference, Macquarie University, Sydney, November 2007 in Proceedings of the 2nd International LAMS Conference 2007, ed L. Cameron and J. Dalziel, LAMS Foundation, Macquarie University, Sydney, pp. 51-61.
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This paper presents a beta version of a generic learning design based on analogical reasoning. The value of applying principles of analogical reasoning, informed by key literature, is explored. The need to work collaboratively, not only with field experts but also teachers themselves is also discussed. This relationship is evidenced through the contribution of pre-service teacher participants who took part in a recent study which focused on their experiences in designing and implementing a learning design based on well researched learning strategies. Participants chose to implement their own contextualised analogical reasoning online tasks in school-based learning environments and the crucial role of the teacher to facilitate learning of target concepts is highlighted.

Kearney, M.D. & Young, K.A. 2007, 'Pre-Service teachers' perceptions of LAMS as a teaching tool.', Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education, Centre for Educational Development, Nanyang Technological University,Singapore, December 2007 in ICT: Providing choices for learners and learning. Proceedings of ASCILITE Singapore 2007, ed Atkinson, R.J., McBeath, C., Soong, S. K. A. & Cheers, C., Centre for Educational Development, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore, pp. 490-499.
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This paper reports on one component of a recent study which examined pre-service teachers' use of the Learning Activity Management System (LAMS) to facilitate their professional learning. Over a period of two semesters, seventeen pre-service teachers took part in an in depth study of their professional development as a result of authoring a learning design and implementing it during their practicum. This paper reports on the pre-service teachers' perceptions of LAMS' useability, flexibility and potential for use in K-12 classrooms.

Young, K.A. 2006, 'The use of 'authentic' internet-mediated activity to uncover children's learning experiences', Australasian Computing Education Conference, Cairns, Australia, October 2006 in ACEC 2006, ed NA, ACEC, Cairns, Australia, pp. 1-8.
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The number of children and adolescents independently using the Internet for self-directed activities is continually increasing. If we are to understand the abilities and needs of future generations it is essential that we undertake exploratory studies of their informal use of this culturally valued cognitive tool. This paper describes a small study aimed at uncovering the characteristics of the young, competent Internet-user whilst engaged in activity reflective of their day-to-day use of this tool. The findings of this study are captured in a profile of the young, competent Internet-user. This profile acknowledges the broad range of socio-cultural understandings, tool-specific knowledge and cognitive skills evident during Internet-mediated activity.

Young, K.A. 2005, 'Considering the cognitive and social implications of children's internet use', IADIS International Conference: Cognition and Exploratory Learning in Digitial Age, Porto, Portugal, December 2005 in Proceedings of the IADIS International Conference: Cognition and Exploratory Learning in Digitial Age, ed Kinshuk, Demetrios, Sampson, Isaias, IADIS, Portugal, pp. 223-230.
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Young, K.A. 2004, 'Towards an integrated theoretical approach to examine learning within web-based environments', Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications, Lugano, Switzerland, June 2004 in Proceedings of Ed-media 2004 world Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications, ed Cantoni L; McLoughlin C, AACE, Norfolk, USA, pp. 2134-2139.
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Young, K.A. 2008, 'Authentic Learning Using an Online Auction Site', Chicago, USA, June 2008 in 15th International Conference on Learning, ed tbc, CommonGround, Chicago, USA.

Young, K.A. 2008, 'Identity creation and socialisation from the perspective of online social networkers', Association of Internet Researchers 9.0: Rethinking Community, Rethinking Place, Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2009 in Association of Internet Researchers 9.0: Rethinking Community, Rethinking Place, ed tbc, Assocation of Internet Researchers, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Young, K.A. 2004, 'Building a profile of the young web-based learner', Australian Association for Research in Education, Melbourne, Australia, November 2004 in AARE International Education Research Conference, ed Jeffery, P. L., Australian Association for Research in Education, Melbourne, Australia.