Queensland University of Technology Newspaper ■ Issue 157 ■ February 18 – March 3, 1997 Volunteer toddlers sought for asthma training trial by Andrea Hammond Children aged three to five years are being sought as volunteers in Australia’s first trial of an asthma education program devised by QUT’s Centre for Applied Studies in Early Childhood. Centre researchers want to recruit 120 toddlers and small children with asthma which has been diagnosed by a medical practitioner as moderate to severe. Associate Professor Heather Mohay, QUT to run the centre’s director, said the program tourism aimed to keep children healthy and enjoying life by establishing good habits conference of taking their preventative medication. “We have realised you really have to teach children how to manage their Page 2 asthma as soon as they start to have symptoms, because non-compliance is a major problem – the kids get an asthma attack and they end up in hospital and/ or missing school,” Professor Mohay said. “This program started because we realised that children didn’t understand the condition – the fact that asthma is often intermittent. So you may feel quite well, but you may need to take your medication because it prevents attacks.” Professor Mohay said it had been established children who had asthma When it comes to 'puffer time' for their young sibling, the Lumley triplets of Calamvale before the age of five had a high risk of — Sarah and Timothy — know just how to give Rachel plenty of support continuing to have lifelong asthma. “We looked around for education and conducted with the assistance of Dr the videos, the book and health history Earlier this year, more than 400 programs for young children and found Brent Masters, a respiratory physician at questionnaires, with mothers asked to children throughout Brisbane and the there was absolutely nothing – all the the Mater Children’s Hospital. keep a diary for three months to record Wide Bay region used the videos and Trio promotes programs were aimed at a minimum of PhD student Leisa Holzheimer – who children’s willingness to take medication, the book through local kindergartens, seven- to eight-year-olds and, mainly, has also written a colourful story book symptoms, number of visits to doctors playgroups and child care centres. Pacific uni at 10- to 11-year-olds and we thought for the program – has been testing three, and their quality of life. “The first phase was conducted to that was ridiculous,” she said. fun, five-minute teaching videos which Their records will be compared determine if the education materials “The theory was that children as star puppets Cassie, Cooky and Agro as against health history questionnaires and were an effective teaching tool for young as five were unable to learn health- well as Play School personality Benita. diaries kept by mothers of the remaining increasing children’s knowledge about Page 4 related information, but we were quite “We know there are around 25 per children, who will not have had access asthma,” Ms Holzheimer said. convinced children much younger could cent of children who will experience to the videos and books until the end of “With the second phase we want to learn things if it was taught appropriately. asthma symptoms some time during the three-month period. evaluate the effect of increased “Obviously, little kids can’t read, so we their childhood,” Ms Holzheimer said. “We really want to see how effective knowledge about asthma on children’s have started with video tapes which are “About 5 per cent of these children these resources are in terms of not only management skills and health status. based on sound principles of learning, are with asthma will require medication on increasing children’s knowledge about Parents interested in joining QUT’s developmentally appropriate for children a daily basis and these are the children asthma and its management, but also Children’s Asthma Education Research of that age and are very Australian.” that we are wanting to target.” what impact this might have on Project should call Leisa Holzheimer The program is being supported by The parents of half of the 120 children children’s health and health-related on (07) 3864 3281 or (07) 3282 3651 the Asthma Foundation of Queensland enrolled in the trial program will be sent behaviours,” Ms Holzheimer said. (home) or 041 771 8608 (mobile). Uni welcomes 30 per cent more international starters in 1997 As first semester begins, QUT is their places in undergraduate and be welcoming degree students from Korea, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and New head for welcoming 30 per cent more new postgraduate courses. more than 50 countries and all Taiwan,” Professor Gibson said. Oodgeroo unit international students to its ranks “We’re very pleased that this is our continents.” He said that, not only would QUT than last year. 10th year of record international Of its 30,000 students expected in benefit from the presence of The bumper intake is yet to be enrolments,” Professor Gibson 1997, QUT will have more than 2,000 international students, but the local finalised, according to Vice- explained. new and continuing international economy would see an injection of tens Page 6 Chancellor Professor Dennis Gibson, “The majority of our degree students students. of millions of dollars as the students but current enrolments show around this year come from Singapore, “Additionally, we have a further 360 paid for accommodation, transport, 850 fee-paying students from mainly Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Hong students in English language and food, entertainment and other items. South-East Asian countries are taking Kong and Taiwan but, in fact, we will preparatory programs, again mainly from – Trina McLellan QUT Central Administration 2 George Street Brisbane 4000 Telephone (07) 3864 2111 Registered by Australia Post – Publication No. QBF 4778 Naval contract impresses overseas students Conference to take tourism QUT’s contract to supply graduate management education This month four QUT academic staff from the to the Royal Australian Navy has been a major drawcard Graduate School of Business, the School of Management into new millennium for international students, according to the acting head of and the School of Communication will fly to the on- by Trina McLellan • communication and technology; and the Graduate School of Business, Associate Professor Tim shore base HMAS Penguin to begin lectures. • education and training. Robinson. They will teach 32 men and women in intensive one- QUT’s Continuing and Professional Sir James said the conference had already The unique partnership gave international students with and two-day sessions until April. Education unit is providing secretariat services attracted international support from the London- a limited knowledge of Australian universities an “QUT is offering its very first graduate management for the inaugural World Tourism Conference based World Travel and Tourism Council immediate testimonial as to the quality of business program interstate for a very prestigious client – the Royal to be held in Cairns later this year. (WTTC), representing the global private sector, education on offer at QUT, Professor Robinson said. Australian Navy,” Professor Robinson said. The conference will be the first of its type and the inter-governmental World Tourism QUT won the tender to provide in-house graduate “It is a major achievement. QUT staff travel to India to bring together policy formulators and Organisation (WTO) based in Madrid. management instruction to officers studying at the Royal marketing our MBA and, of course, students there – who decision-makers from private and public In Australia, WTC Joint Ventures has been Australian Navy Staff College back in May 1996. know nothing about QUT – ask for evidence that QUT is sectors from developed and developing working with the Australian Tourist The Graduate Certificate in Management now forms in the ‘right league’. nations, according to its organisers, WTC Commission, the Queensland Tourist and part of a staff course for middle-ranked officers from the “When they are told we’ve got a contract to supply Joint Ventures. Travel Corporation, the Far North Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army and the Royal graduate management education to the Royal Australian Aided by CPE, the group has been working Queensland Promotion Bureau and the Australian Air Force, as well as the American, Asian and Navy, it’s a language that anybody in any country can closely with governments in Australia and Tourism Council of Australia in advance of Pacific defence forces. understand.” overseas as well as key industry organisations the inaugural World Tourism Conference in and associations. early November. According to WTC chairman and former According to Sir James, a number of high- president of the Seychelles Sir James profile people have already agreed to attend Mancham, Cairns will be an ideal venue for the conference, including the prime ministers such a conference, given its outstanding local of Belize (Manuel Esquivel) and Mauritius attractions, its achievements in the promotion (Navinchandra Ramgoolam), the presidents and management of sensitive tourism areas of Uganda (Yoweri Museveni) and the and its world-class convention centre. Seychelles (France Albert Rene) as well as “We will be emphasising a number of noted environmentalist and broadcaster elements which are important to the David Bellamy. development of tourism into the next century,” Sir James explained, “and Cairns, Queensland and Australia are front-runners in most of these areas.” Sir James said high-profile keynote speakers and workshop leaders would guide the deliberations of the conference through an agenda which covered: • preservation and management of rainforests, reefs and wilderness areas; • promotion of indigenous cultures; • infrastructure development; • financing; From QUT's Council Room, Sir James Mancham officially launches the World Tourism Conference to an eager media contingent Change role lures Gardiner from Law by Tony Wilson Professor David Gardiner relishes a challenge and that’s just how he sees his new job as Pro- Vice-Chancellor (Planning & Resources) at QUT.