The ‘Right to Disconnect’ legislation set to take effect across Australia on August 26, 2024, marks a significant shift in how we approach work-life balance and digital connectivity. This new law, aimed at protecting employees from unreasonable out-of-hours contact, has sparked discussions about its potential impacts on both individual well-being and organisational productivity. As Australia joins a growing list of countries, like France, Belgium and Italy, implementing similar measures, it’s crucial to examine the implications of this legislative change.
Understanding the right to disconnect and its nuances
One of the primary goals of this legislation is to address the growing concerns about employee burnout and mental health issues associated with an “always-on” work culture. The constant pressure to remain available and responsive to work matters, even during personal time, has been linked to increased stress levels, poor sleep quality, and decreased overall well-being. By providing a legal framework for disconnection, the new law aims to promote better work-life balance and protect employees’ mental health.
The legislation outlines factors to consider when determining whether contact outside working hours is reasonable. These include the nature and urgency of the reason for contact, the method of contact (e.g., a phone call versus an email), whether the employee is compensated for working outside of their ordinary hours, the level of the employee’s responsibility within the organisation, and the employee’s personal circumstances
Potential benefits and challenges
Proponents of the law argue that it will lead to more rested, focused, and productive employees.For example, when workers have uninterrupted personal time to recharge and engage in non-work activities in the evening, they are likely to return to work more energised and efficient the next day. This could potentially result in higher quality work output and increased job satisfaction, benefitting both employees and employers in the long run.
Moreover, the legislation may encourage organisations to reassess their work processes and communication practices. Companies might be prompted to implement more efficient systems for task management and information sharing during working hours, reducing the need for after-hours communication. This could lead to improved organisational efficiency and a culture that values focused work over constant availability.
However, the implementation of the ‘Right to Disconnect’ is not without challenges. In a globalised business environment, many Australian companies operate across different time zones or collaborate with international partners. The legislation will require these organisations to carefully navigate the balance between global business needs and employee rights. It may necessitate the development of new protocols for urgent communications and the establishment of clear guidelines on what constitutes a genuine work emergency.
Critics are concerned about its consequences for business flexibility and competitiveness, where strict enforcement of disconnection could hinder innovation and responsiveness, particularly in industries that thrive on rapid communication and dynamic problem-solving. There are also questions about how the law will apply to employees with flexible working arrangements or those in roles that require some level of out-of-hours availability.
The implementation of the law is expected to have a positive impact on work-life balance by enabling individuals to fully disconnect from work during their personal time and foster a healthy separation between their professional and personal lives. This can lead to reduced stress levels, improved mental health, and enhanced overall well-being. Employees will also have more time to spend with their families, pursue hobbies, and engage in activities that promote their physical and mental health.
Furthermore, the law encourages a shift towards a more results-oriented work culture, where employees are evaluated based on their outputs and achievements rather than their constant availability. This can lead to increased focus and productivity during working hours, as employees escape the pressure to respond to work-related communications around-the-clock.
Implementation and adaptation
The success of the ‘Right to Disconnect’ legislation will largely depend on how it is interpreted and implemented by both employers and employees. Organisations will need to develop clear policies that outline expectations for after-hours communication while ensuring that critical business functions are not compromised. This may involve redefining roles, adjusting workflows, and possibly increasing staffing in certain areas to ensure coverage without infringing on individual rights to disconnect. For employees, the legislation presents an opportunity to reassess their own habits and boundaries around work.
While the law provides protection, it also requires individuals to take responsibility for managing their own connectivity and setting healthy limits. This might involve adjusting notification settings on devices, communicating clearly with colleagues about availability, and learning to prioritise tasks effectively during working hours. Importantly, the law empowers employees with connectivity agency, enabling them to make informed choices about their digital engagement outside of work hours, fostering a sense of control over their work-life balance.
Long-term impact on work-life balance, productivity and innovation
The impact on organisational productivity is likely to be multifaceted. Initially, there may be a period of adjustment as companies and employees adapt to the new norms. Some short-term disruptions to workflows and communication patterns are to be expected. However, the Right to Disconnect has the potential to foster a more sustainable and productive work environment in the long-term.
By reducing the risk of burnout and promoting better work-life balance, the legislation could lead to lower employee turnover rates and associated costs. It may also enhance employer branding, making organisations more attractive to potential hires who value work-life balance. This could give Australian companies an edge in the global talent market, particularly as similar laws become more common internationally.
The ‘Right to Disconnect’ also presents an opportunity for organisations to innovate in their approach to work. It may accelerate the adoption of asynchronous communication tools and project management systems that allow for efficient collaboration without constant real-time interaction. This shift could lead to more thoughtful, deliberate communication and decision-making processes, potentially improving the quality of work outputs. The ‘Right to Disconnect’ also presents an opportunity for organisations to innovate in their approach to work. It may accelerate the adoption of asynchronous communication tools and project management systems that allow for efficient collaboration without constant real-time interaction. This shift could lead to more thoughtful, deliberate communication and decision-making processes, potentially improving the quality of work outputs.
Redefining work in the digital age
As Australia implements this legislation, it will be crucial to monitor its effects and remain open to adjustments as needed. The law’s success will depend on finding the right balance between protecting employee well-being and maintaining business agility. It will require ongoing dialogue between employers, employees, and policymakers to ensure that the intended goals are achieved without unduly burdening businesses or stifling economic growth.
The ‘Right to Disconnect’ legislation represents a significant step towards redefining the relationship between work and personal life in the digital age. While challenges in implementation are to be expected, the potential benefits for employee well-being and sustainable productivity are substantial. As workplaces adapt to this new framework, Australia has the opportunity to lead the way in creating a more balanced, healthy, and productive work culture.
Griffith University has been awarded nearly $3 million from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) 2023 Partnership Projects PRC2 round.
Congratulations to Professor Lara Farrell from the School of Applied Psychology and Professor Fabricio Da Silva Costa from the School of Medicine and Dentistry.
Professor Lara Farrell
Professor Farrell will receive $1.475 million to bridge the science-service gap for children and young people with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
“Cognitive-behavioural therapy with exposure and response-prevention is a well-established, curative treatment for young people with OCD,” she said.
“Sadly however, it is largely inaccessible to young people due to delayed diagnosis and a lack of clinicians with the requisite knowledge and skills to deliver it, resulting in OCD often going undetected.
“This partnership will transform mental health service delivery and policy via the implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of an evidence-based model of care (MoC) for young people with OCD.
“This project will equip clinicians with the knowledge and skills to improve detection and treatment of OCD, likely resulting in reduced hospital admissions, improved patient outcomes and more cost-effective health service delivery.”
Professor Fabricio Da Silva Costa
Professor Da Silva Costa will receive $1.475 million to develop Tommy’s Tool Project to optimise maternal and perinatal outcomes through digital clinician decision tool in maternity care.
“Currently, there is no universally applied intervention to help pregnant women experiencing serious adverse pregnancy outcomes including pre-eclampsia, small for gestational age, preterm birth, stillbirth and neonatal death,” he said.
“Current practice guidelines use an inefficient checklist-based screening that both misses high-risk women and incorrectly identifies women whose pregnancies progress without high-risk complications.
“Tommy’s Tool is a digital solution that summarises patient data and provides details bases on externally validated algorithms and national clinical guidelines to assist with decisions around care pathways.
“Tommy’s Tool empowers all women in their right to optimal pregnancy healthcare and makes the best information accessible to any and all healthcare providers.
“We expect Tommy’s Tool will effectively predict risk of pregnancy complications and optimally direct women into personalised care pathways resulting in reduced incident of pre-eclampsia, small for gestational age, preterm birth and stillbirth.”
As the world increasingly prioritises sustainability and renewable energy, the demand for skilled professionals in the energy sector continues to grow. Recognising this need, the Centre for Applied Energy Economics and Policy Research (CAEEPR), has introduced innovative executive courses designed to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills required to drive the transition to a greener future. The suite of courses, including Energy Economics and Environmental and Climate Economics, offer an intensive educational alternative to the forthcoming Master of Energy Policy, launching on Griffith University’s Digital campus in 2025.
Centre Director, Professor Magnus Söderberg, emphasises the growing need for expertise in the energy sector.
“As Australia accelerates its transition to renewable energy, the demand for skilled professionals in the energy sector is growing. This surge underscores the critical need for specialised education and training to equip the next generation of experts with the tools to drive sustainable change.”
Centre Director, Professor Magnus Söderberg,
“Our executive courses are not just about advancing careers; they are about making a tangible impact on global sustainability initiatives and climate policies. By preparing professionals to contribute to these critical areas, the courses support broader efforts to achieve sustainability goals and foster a cleaner, greener future.”
CAEEPR’s executive courses provide a rigorously designed curriculum covering essential topics, including market analysis, policy implications, the economic impacts of climate change, energy market dynamics, renewable technologies, and sustainable practices. This comprehensive approach ensures that participants gain a deep understanding of the energy landscape, its challenges, and opportunities it presents.
A standout feature of these exciting new offerings is the inclusion of guest lectures from leaders in the energy sector’s top organisations.
“Industry leaders bring real-world insights and practical knowledge, enriching the learning experience and providing participants with a holistic view of the industry,” stated Professor Söderberg.
“This unique blend of academic rigor and industry expertise ensures that graduates are well-equipped to make meaningful contributions to their fields.”
With several industry professionals already enrolled, CAEEPR’s courses will deliver valuable academic and industry insights along with key networking and knowledge transfer opportunities through interactions with fellow participants.
The executive courses will run from 15 – 29 November 2024.
For more information on the offerings and to how to enrol, visit the CAEEPR website.
The world’s oceans are home to microscopic organisms invisible to the human eye. The tiny creatures, known as “prokaryotes”, comprise 30% of life in the world’s oceans.
These organisms play an important role in keeping the oceans in balance, recycling nutrients up marine food chains to fish, and regulating the ocean’s capacity to absorb human emissions. But new research published in Nature Communications led by Griffith University’s Dr Ryan Heneghan showed this balance was at risk.
“We found prokaryotes are remarkably resilient to climate change – and as a result, could increasingly dominate marine environments,” said Dr Heneghan, a Research Fellow with the Australian Rivers Institute.
Dr Ryan Heneghan.
“This could reduce the availability of fish humans rely on for food and hamper the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon emissions.”
Despite being crucial components of these systems, understanding of how prokaryotes vary across global environments and their response to climate change has previously been limited.
“Prokaryotes are a major part of global ocean life, but we lack a global perspective on how their abundance and activity varies across environmental gradients. We wanted to fix this,” Dr Heneghan said.
Using the largest global dataset of prokaryotes ever compiled, Dr Heneghan and the team built statistical models to examine prokaryotic abundance, cell carbon and metabolic activity across the world’s oceans now and into the future.
They found that global prokaryote biomass totalled about 15 billion tonnes, or almost 2 tonnes for every person on the planet. Under the influence of climate change, the study projected a decline in global prokaryotic biomass in surface waters by approximately 1.5% per degree Celsius of warming.
“What we found is that prokaryotes are likely to be climate change winners, relative to other marine life. For each degree of ocean warming, their biomass would decline by about 1.5%. But, this is less than half the projected 3–5% decline we predicted for larger plankton, fish and mammals. That means future marine ecosystems will have lower overall biomass and will increasingly be dominated by prokaryotes. This could divert a greater share of available nutrients and energy toward prokaryotes and away from fish, reducing the supply of fish humans eat.”
Dr Ryan Heneghan
“We discovered another important change. For every degree of warming, we predict prokaryotes in the top 200 metres of the world’s oceans would produce an additional 800 million tonnes of carbon per year. This is equivalent to the present-day emissions of the entire European Union.
“At the moment, the oceans absorb about one-third of the 35 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide humans produce every year. This has a massive impact on slowing the rate of climate change.
“But, if in the future prokaryotes are respiring additional carbon in response to warming, this could reduce the capacity of the oceans to absorb our emissions. This would make the global goal of net zero emissions even more difficult to achieve.
“The oceans are complicated, and there’s still a lot we don’t know. But, our work can address a critical gap in improving the computer models we use to understand the impacts of climate change.
“We’re living in unprecedented times, with climate change already driving marine ecosystems into states not seen before. We don’t yet know how prokaryotes will adapt and evolve to these new environments.
“Given there’ll likely be 10 billion people to feed in 2050, we’re going to need healthy, functioning marine ecosystems more than ever before. Whether for food from fisheries, or to make the global climate habitable. So it’s critical that we continue to improve our understanding of prokaryotes, and ocean life more broadly.”
The findings ‘The global distribution and climate resilience of marine heterotrophic prokaryotes’ have been published in Nature Communications.
Griffith University has left an indelible mark on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, setting a new benchmark for university sports achievements on the global stage. With 38 athletes – comprising students, alumni, and swimming squad members – competing, the University contributed 24 medals including 10 gold, 8 silver and 6 bronze.
If Griffith was a standalone country, based on athletes winning medals, the University would have finished 11th (above Canada and New Zealand) on the medal tally.
Based on medals won in different events Griffith would be 13th.
Dual Backstroke gold medallist Kaylee McKeown (Image via Instgram)Cycling gold medallist Grace Brown (Image via Instagram)Gold medallist Jessica Fox (Image via Instagram)
The Paris performance eclipses the number of medals won in Tokyo in 2021 when Team Griffith took home 19 medals including nine gold.
Griffith University easily topped the charts for Australian institutions, sending 38 athletes to Paris, including 19 current students. clearly outnumbering the Universities of Melbourne (29 and five students) and Sydney (22 and four students) in representation and medals won.
Notably, Griffith athletes contributed significantly to Australia’s success, accounting for 34% of the country’s medal haul with 18 of the national team’s 53 medals.
In line with our investment in the University’s Women in Sports strategy, Griffith women won 16 of the 24 medals with eight of the 13 individual winning athletes being female. Nine of Griffith’s 10 gold medals were won by women.
Bachelor of Public Health alumnus Emma McKeon, Australia’s most decorated Olympian, continued her legacy by capturing another gold to bring to 14 the number of Olympic medals won. Emma’s swim club teammate Kaylee McKeown achieved historic success with back-to-back gold medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke, becoming the first female swimmer to achieve the feat. Griffith also celebrated the long-awaited success of Bachelor of Science graduate Cameron McEvoy who triumphed in the 50m Freestyle Final at his fourth Olympiad.
Griffith’s swimming program, under the guidance of legendary coach Michael Bohl, had a standout performance. All female swimmers from Griffith’s swim club who competed in Paris earned medals. This included Lani Pallister, who won gold in the 4x200m Freestyle Relay, and Shayna Jack, who made a remarkable comeback to win two gold medals in relay events after a challenging period which saw her miss the Games in Japan.
Men’s 50m Freestyle champion Cameron McEvoy (Image via Instagram)Men’s Discus bronze medallist Matt Denny (Image via Instagram)Charlize Andrews claimed silver in the Women’s Water Polo (image via Instagram)
Bachelor of Business alum Matt Denny finally achieved his dream of an Olympic podium, taking bronze in the Men’s Discus final, becoming the first Australian male to ever claim a medal in the field event.
Griffith athletes were also named flag bearers during the opening and closing ceremonies. MBA alumnus and dual gold-medal winning canoeist Jessica Fox was named an Australian flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony while Kaylee McKeown was handed the flag in the Closing Ceremony. Bachelor of Science student Georgia-Leigh Vale was also afforded the honour of being a Flag Bearer for Papua New Guinea in the Opening Ceremony.
Duncan Free OAM, The University’s Director of Sport Engagement, expressed pride in the university’s athlete achievements.
“Our athletes have performed beyond expectations, not just competing but excelling at the highest level. This success is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and the support system at Griffith University,” Free said.
“We are thrilled to see our students and alumni make such significant contributions to Australia’s Olympic success.”
Griffith University’s achievements at the Paris 2024 Olympics reflect a commitment to excellence in sports and highlight the university’s role as a breeding ground for world-class athletes.
All eyes will now focus on the Paralympic Games in Paris with Griffith represented by 12 para athletes at the event which starts on August 28.
The world’s first National Indigenous Space Academy (NISA) has welcomed another Griffith University student into its ranks as the program ramps up for its second year.
Currently completing a Bachelor of Science Advanced: Wildlife Biology and Applied Mathematics, Jordan McGrath will soon join four other interns from across Australia at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the US, where he’ll be developing models to assist in improving space-based animal tracking technology.
With the program coordinated by Monash University, the interns will first attend a Space Boot Camp in Melbourne, where they’ll learn key fundamentals of aerodynamics, robotics, astrophysics, planetary science, engineering, computer and earth sciences and of course all about NASA’s space exploration missions.
They’ll then be immersed in a 10-week program in California with mentorship providing guidance, support, networking opportunities, outreach and celebration of Indigenous culture.
Mr McGrath said he was looking forward to exploring new avenues and building his capability.
“In my placement I’ll be learning about the limits of technology in spatial resolution and how applying knowledge of species movement will help to increase its ability to track small migratory animals from space,” he said.
Jordan McGrath
“This will complement the work I’ve already been doing using mathematics to inform conservation decisions around wildlife decisions, such as identifying which areas should be protected to have the most positive impact.
“We’ll be using biological understanding coupled with technical skills to improve satellite-based approaches so researchers can receive more accurate data while decreasing the weight of tracking devices, which would then allow tracking of more species at higher resolutions across a larger scale.
“It will be a very big step up for me, but it’ll be a learning opportunity that’s sure to benefit me and my future projects.”
Originally applying for the opportunity in 2023, Mr McGrath narrowly missed out on a place, but was asked to apply again this year as NASA now had projects closely related to his degree and expertise.
As luck would have it though, he met 2023 NISA intern and fellow Griffith student Cedar Lett when they were both New Colombo Plan Scholars – coincidentally studying at the same language school in Japan, at the same time.
“It’s been very comforting to know someone who’s already done the NISA program,” Mr McGrath said.
“Cedar gave me a lot of the answers I needed before I even thought to ask them.”
While on a similar path, the two scholars have taken different avenues with Ms Lett’s time in the program focusing more on microbiology.
“I got to test International Space Station microbes to see if they’d gone through any changes or if they’d survived the journey back to Earth,” she said.
Cedar Lett
“We also looked at sterility and making sure we’re not spreading earth microbes into other planets’ environments.”
Studying clinical science at Griffith, Ms Lett already had some experience with microbiology, but had to learn new research techniques, conduct experiments and do many replicates to ensure the validity of her results.
“It gave me a comprehensive understanding of research processes and taught me valuable skills – not only practical, but also in communication and problem solving.
“It was a pretty rigorous 10 weeks and it sometimes became challenging to balance everything, but it showed me what I am capable of.
“Just being on the campus, seeing all the incredible facilities and being able to work with the NASA researchers was incredibly inspiring.
“I feel incredibly lucky and honoured to have had such an opportunity, and so proud to represent indigenous Australians.
“It’s not every day you get to intern at a NASA facility surrounded by incredible people who want to support you and help you reach your potential, so to Jordan and anyone else thinking of applying in the future, I just say go for it, and soak up every morsel of information made available to you.”
Professor Paul Clarke
Griffith University is proud to announce Professor Paul Clarke will join the University as the inaugural Executive Director of the new Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics and the Raymond James Chair of Translational Biomedicine.
In the new executive leadership role, Professor Clarke will work alongside colleagues who are dedicated to the development of novel therapies, vaccines and diagnostics for diseases of global impact, and the translation of world-leading biomedical research to improve human health.
Professor Clarke brings an enormous depth of experience to the role as both a leader and internationally recognised biomedical researcher who has worked at the translational interface between medicine and biology for more than 25 years.
Professor Clarke’s area of discipline focuses on investigating cancer cell biology and cellular responses to anti-cancer drugs.
“I am delighted to be joining Griffith to lead the Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics and integrate the outstanding biomedical research capabilities at the University,” Professor Clarke said.
“This is an exciting time for biomedicine in South East Queensland and I believe there will be outstanding opportunities to build our connections with healthcare and industry to deliver real improvements in people’s lives.”
He has received a prestigious Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award, Research Fellowships from The Wellcome Trust and Cancer Research UK, and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology.
Professor Clarke comes to Griffith from the University of Queensland where he is the Director of the Frazer Institute which he has led to significant success since 2017.
Prior to that, he held leadership roles in the School of Medicine at the University of Dundee, Scotland.
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research) Professor Lee Smith said Professor Clarke’s wealth of experience aligns strongly to the strategic vision and goals of Griffith’s new flagship Institute for Biomedicine and Glycomics.
“His leadership experience in Australia and the United Kingdom will allow him to play a key role in fostering a high-performing and collaborative research environment which integrates Institute members from across the University to leverage Griffith’s significant breadth, depth and excellence in discovery and translational biomedical research,” Professor Smith said.
“We welcome the opportunity to build on our proud history of research excellence and translational successes.
“We look forward to forging a transformative new chapter for biomedical research at Griffith University under the leadership of Professor Paul Clarke.”
Professor Clarke will join Griffith University on 4 November, 2024.
A new study in Nature Communications co-authored by Griffith University reports the discovery of extremely rare early human fossils from the Indonesian island of Flores, including an astonishingly small adult limb bone.
Dated to about 700,000 years old, the new findings shed light on the evolution of Homo floresiensis, the so-called ‘Hobbits’ of Flores whose remains were uncovered in 2003 at Liang Bua cave in the island’s west by a team co-led by Australian-New Zealand archaeologist Professor Mike Morwood (1950–2013).
The Mata Menge humerus fragment (left) at the same scale as the humerus of Homo floresiensis from Liang Bua. Image: Yousuke Kaifu
Archaeological evidence suggests these diminutive, small-brained humans inhabited Liang Bua as recently as 50,000 years ago, a time when our own species (Homo sapiens) was already long established in Australia to the south.
There has been much debate about the origin of the mysterious humans from Flores. It was first hypothesised that Homo floresiensis was a dwarfed descendant of early Asian Homo erectus.
Another theory is that the ‘Hobbit’ is a late-surviving remnant of a more ancient hominin from Africa that pre-dates Homo erectus and was small in stature to begin with, in which case possible candidates include Homo habilis or the famous ‘Lucy’ (Australopithecus afarensis).
Other than Liang Bua, hominin fossils have only ever been found at a single location on Flores: the open-air site of Mata Menge 75km to the east of the cave. Located in the sparsely populated tropical grasslands of the So’a Basin, this site has previously yielded several hominin fossils (a jaw fragment and six teeth) excavated from a layer of sandstone laid down by a small stream around 700,000 years ago.
Professor Adam Brumm has spent decades investigating the fossil ancestors of the Indonesian ‘hobbits’ (Homo floresiensis).
However, as postcranial elements (bones from below the head) had not been found in the fossil record at this site it could not be confirmed that these So’a Basin hominins were at least as small as, if not slightly smaller than, Homo floresiensis.
It was also unclear what species the Mata Menge fossils belonged to, owing to the lack of more diagnostic specimens. However, some teeth were deemed to be intermediate in form between those of early Asian Homo erectus and Homo floresiensis.
The distal humerus excavated from Mata Menge. Image: Yousuke Kaifu
The new study published in Nature Communications was led by Professor Yousuke Kaifu of the University of Tokyo, Iwan Kurniawan of the Center for Geological Survey in Indonesia, and Associate Professor Gerrit van den Bergh from the University of Wollongong.
It reports the discovery of three additional hominin fossils from Mata Menge dating to 700,000 years ago, the outcome of several field seasons of excavations at this site. Most importantly, the new assemblage includes the first postcranial element, a distal shaft of an adult humerus (lower half of the upper arm bone).
The recovery of a fossil limb bone from the Mata Menge excavation site has been long-awaited because of the wealth of evidence it provides regarding the ancestral origin of Homo floresiensis.
Digital microscopy of the microstructure indicates that the small humerus is from an adult individual. Based on the estimated length of the bone, the team was able to calculate the body height of this hominin to be about 100cm tall. This is around 6cm shorter than the estimated body height of the 60,000-year-old Homo floresiensis skeleton from Liang Bua (~106cm, based on the femoral length).
“This 700,000-year-old adult humerus is not just shorter than that of Homo floresiensis, it is the smallest upper arm bone known from the hominin fossil record worldwide,” said Professor Adam Brumm from Griffith University’s Australian Research Centre for Human Evolution, a co-author of the paper.
“This very rare specimen confirms our hypothesis that the ancestors of Homo floresiensis were extremely small in body size; however, it is now apparent from the tiny proportions of this limb bone that the early progenitors of the ‘Hobbit’ were even smaller than we had previously thought.”
Professor Adam Brumm
The two additional hominin teeth from Mata Menge are also small in size and one bears shape characteristics that are most consistent with early Homo erectus of Java. This similarity does not support the hypothesis that Homo floresiensis evolved from an earlier and more primitive type of hominin, the likes of which have never been recovered from Indonesia, or indeed the wider region outside Africa.
Professor Adam Brumm.
The Mata Menge human remains, which now total 10 fossil specimens, are from at least four individuals (including two children). All of them are very similar anatomically to the Liang Bua Homo floresiensis and can now be regarded as an older variant of this hominin. However, while a direct ancestor of the ‘Hobbit’, this earlier form had a less specialised dentition (more primitive teeth) than its descendant at Liang Bua.
Further, it is evident from the tiny arm bone that extreme body size reduction occurred early in the history of the Flores hominins.
“The evolutionary history of the Flores hominins is still largely unknown,” Professor Brumm said.
“However, the new fossils strongly suggest that the ‘Hobbit’ story did indeed begin when a group of the early Asian hominins known as Homo erectus somehow became isolated on this remote Indonesian island, perhaps one million years ago, and underwent a dramatic body size reduction over time.”
For over a decade, the Griffith Business School Student Leadership Program has provided selected business students with a myriad of opportunities for leadership development, mentorship, and active engagement within the University community. More than just an academic endeavour, this program equips students with real-world experience and cultivates the leadership skills essential for success beyond the classroom.
From 2025, the Leadership Program will be available to more students than ever before, as it expands to include the School’s postgraduate students who have until now been excluded from the opportunity to involve themselves in this quality co-curricular activity.
Our aim is to equip all of our students with the skills and experiences they need to excel in today’s competitive employment landscape, but also to instil a sense of social responsibility and global awareness. We are excited to be able to offer the program to even more students.” Ms Joanne Fairclough, Student Development Coordinator explained.
In a further development, the program will also be offered in a new 12-month option, supplementing the standard 24-month program. This will meet the needs of increasingly busy undergraduates and the new postgraduate cohorts whose degrees are of a shorter duration.
Ms Fairclough observed, “We received feedback that some students were unsure if they could commit to a full 24-months, and we didn’t want them to miss out. The 12-month offering allows those students to access half of the program in half the time.”
Through peer mentoring, volunteering opportunities, and representing the School at major events, students are provided with a platform to contribute meaningfully to their communities while gaining invaluable leadership experience.
Senior Leader and Griffith Business School student, Izabel Murray, encourages all Griffith Business School students to apply for the program. “The skills you learn, the networks you create, and the self-discovery you experience are incredible. The program enhances student life and prepares you for life after university. It’s something every Griffith Business School student should apply for.”
Over 400 current and alumni Student Leaders have flourished by participating in the program during their university journey and the School is delighted to now open this opportunity to all its students.
Applications for the 2025 program are open until Thursday 19 September, 2024. Interested students can find out more and apply here.
Gifted learners often exhibit exceptional versatility and creativity in using resources to explore and develop their ideas, often in unconventional ways. Michelle recalls the day one of her gifted students, 12-year-old Mika, came to her distraught, clutching her latest art project—a beautifully imaginative and intricately coloured pencil drawing of an alien-inspired botanical garden. “My art teacher gave me a C!”, she exclaimed. “She said I didn’t follow the assignment and should have just drawn a basic flower bouquet still life!”
Mika’s experience of having her creativity constrained by formal assignment rubrics is all too common for gifted learners. While there can be room for creativity in some assignments, creativity is often constrained in many school-based assessments. Standard curricula often don’t leave room for imagination and innovation that frequently comes naturally to gifted students. Often times teachers, many without the requisite expertise, understanding, and skills to nurture these creative abilities, find it easier to rein gifted students back into the pace of their peers, and keep within the constraints of standardised tasks.
There are at least 400,000 gifted school students across Australia, where giftedness is said to be aptitudes across four mental domains and two physical domains; intellectual, creative, social, perceptual, muscular, and motor control. The many unique traits of gifted students, such as verbal precocity, detailed imagination, exceptional problem-solving, and innovative, divergent, and creative thinking, require educational opportunities that extend and enrich the development of these aptitudes. In general, teachers struggle to support the learning needs of gifted students for a variety of reasons: lack of teacher training, limited resources, curricula and time constraints, limitations in understanding what giftedness is, and in understanding the capabilities of gifted students. Like most problems in education there are no simple answers.
What might this mean for teachers with gifted students in their class?
That’s the question that had us experimenting with large language model chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGTP and Anthropic’s Claude. Based on Maslow’s figurative analogy, ‘only having a hammer makes us see every problem as a nail’, Michelle crafted prompts for Claude to come up with some uses of a hammer that had nothing to do with nails. As the conversation evolved, the back-and-forth chat built on the differing uses of a hammer, such as prying, crushing, stirring, and scraping, depending on the need at hand, she pushed Claude further, to ‘think’ outside the box, and how might we counter the argument that this hammer analogy tries to make about only having a hammer makes seeing every problem as a nail. Claude produced a cascade of unpredictable and unconstrained ideas—from writing songs about hammers, to theorems for optimal hammering biomechanics, to avant-garde hammer-themed art installations. Michelle prompted Claude to generate 101 uses for a hammer other nailing. The GAIs responses, produced instances of what Stuart Kaufmann calls the adjacent possible. As Kauffman puts it: “things can be combined to make new things.” For the gifted student there are 101 adjacent possibles to build on and work from. For the teacher of a gifted student, they no longer need to spend time generating 101 adjacent possibles.
Following the hammer and nail exchange, Claude suggested that “Sometimes a simple tool used skilfully by an ingenious person is the best approach, and even if you only have access to one tool, you can still choose how and when to use it in different ways. You are not limited to one approach.” Or to draw on a point made recently by David Autor, “If a traditional computer program is akin to a classical performer playing only the notes on the sheet music” (hammer and everything’s a nail) “AI is more like a jazz musician — riffing on existing melodies, taking improvisational solos and humming new tunes” (101 adjacent possibles).
Michelle’s small experiment demonstrated that sometimes a simple tool (GAI) used skilfully by an imaginative person (gifted student or teacher) is the best approach, even if you only have access to one (GAI) tool, you can still choose how and when to use it in different ways (activities and tasks). You are not limited to one approach (formulaic prompts).
Adjacent to this experiment, is the ’Closed World Principle’, whereby concentrating on the internal aspects of a problem, while limiting options, can lead to more creative outcomes. Rather than being prompted to ‘think outside the box’, this principle upholds the usefulness of looking inwardly in the context where the problem is occurring. Unfortunately, the experiment of applying this principle with GAI did not elicit an interesting array of responses, although Claude did finish off by stating “Constraints can breed creativity when we learn how to manipulate them methodically”.
The prospect of apps that support and encourage custom creativity for the interests and passions of gifted students from writing to coding, to quantum physics is evident. Unlike fears of AI encouraging cheating, we see GAI as a resource that requires human resourcefulness, ingenuity, and ideation in exploring adjacent possibles, unknown unknowns. With an unexpected recommendation from Claude to “manifest positive change through mindful, compassionate hammering” underscoring that ethics and the development of emotional intelligence have a place in using GAI.
GAI outputs rely entirely on thoughtfully crafted prompts. That’s where teachers have an important role—guiding gifted students in harnessing GAI, rather than letting it steer aimlessly or in potentially problematic directions. Responsibly nurturing the creativity of gifted young minds remains a profoundly human endeavour.
Like any experiment with GAI, it can become dated quickly as wave after wave of new and better GAIs are released, like Open AI’s Sora or Google’s Gemini Ultra, which in turn further adds to the now many thousands of GAI-based apps. What is not changed is the importance of a re-negotiated student teacher relationship, one that is free of hammer and nail thinking. The field still needs much more research, experimentation, and open mindedness to realise GAI’s potential in gifted education. The thought of Mika’s delight in using AI to suggest ideas for her next alien garden artwork left us hopeful. We all have more to learn from the wonderfully quirky, wildly creative minds of gifted students like Mika. With GAI at the fingertips of educators and gifted learners, making unconventional connections and innovative problem-solving beckons.
Mika’s experience of having her creativity constrained by formal assignment rubrics is all too common for gifted learners. While there can be room for creativity in some assignments, creativity is often constrained in many school-based assessments. Standard curricula often don’t leave room for imagination and innovation that frequently comes naturally to gifted students. Often times teachers, many without the requisite expertise, understanding, and skills to nurture these creative abilities, find it easier to rein gifted students back into the pace of their peers, and keep within the constraints of standardised tasks.
