1,721,052 research outputs found
Transforming assessment practices
This research project produced a number of resources to assist faculties in reviewing their assessment practices. These resources include an Evidence of Learning Matrix, Assessment Review Flowchart and Action Plan. In completing a review of assessment practices, this would then inform a curriculum review or retreat
Professional development workshop on group work
A professional development toolkit was developed with an agenda, work sheets and resources to support a review of assessment practices pertaining to group work in a first year undergraduate course. A main contribution is the Rational for Group Work in Higher Education template that allows academic staff to determine the purpose for group work and identify the rationale behind the assessment tasks
Gender and evaluation, the launch of EvalGender+
The purpose of this interview was to provide an overview of the issues of Gender and Evaluation from the Australian perspective. The information provided is based on the three-year strategy for the Australasian Evaluation Society (2016-2018)
From rhetoric to practice : issues in teaching and learning touch keyboarding
Touch keyboarding as a vocational skill is disappearing at a time when students and educators across alleducational sectors are expected to use a computer keyboard on a regular basis. there is documentation surrounding the embedding of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) within the curricula and yet within the National Training Packages touch keyboarding, previously considered a core component, is now an elective in the Business Services framework. This situation is an odds with current practice overseas where touch keyboarding is a component of primary and secondary curricula. From Rhetoric to Practice explores the current issues and practice in teaching and learning touch keyboarding in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. Through structured interview participants detailed current practice of teachers and their students. Further, tertiary students participated in a training program aimed at achquiring touch keyboarding as a skill to enhance their studies. The researcher's background experience of fifteen years teaching touch keyboarding and computer literacty to adults and 30 years in Business Services trade provides a strong basis for this project. The teaching experience is enhanced by industry experience in administration, course coordination in technical, community and tertiary institutions and a strong commitment to the efficient usage of a computer by all. The findings of this project identified coursework expectations requiring all students from kindergarten to tertiary to use a computer keyboard on a weekly basis and that neither teaching nor learning tough keyboarding appears in the primary, secondary and tertiary curricula in New South Wales. Further, teachers recognised tough keyboarding as the prefered style over 'hunt and peck' keyboarding while acknowledging the teaching and learning difficulties of time constraints, the need for qualified touch keyboarding teachers and issues arising when retraining students from existing poor habits. In conclusion, this project recommends that computer keyboarding be defined as a writing tool for education, vocation and life, with early instruction set in primary schooling area and embedding touch keyboarding with the secondary, technical and tertiary areas and finally to draw the attention of educational authorities to the Duty Of Care aspects associated with computer keyboarding in the classroom
Teacher Evidence Matrix : an evaluation using multiple lines of evidence
Welcome to the Teacher evidence matrix. This matrix is designed for highly qualified discipline experts to evaluate their teaching in a systematic manner.\ud
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The primary purpose of the Teacher evidence matrix is to provide a tool that an academic staff member at university can annually review their teaching. The annual review will result in you being ready for performance, planning and review; promotion; awards; or employment application.\ud
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This tool is designed for individual use and will lead to an action plan for implementation
Are the life cycles of Academic Development Centres leading anywhere?
This paper will explore the purpose, services and place of Academic Development Centres within an Australian University, identify possible pathways for the future and offer the outcomes of this study as points of discussion at the AAIR conference. As identified within the conference theme “the changing Higher Education environment”, every University in Australia is aware that change is on the agenda. New government policies in higher education seem to keep ‘teaching and learning’ and ‘research’ firmly at the forefront of any discussion in the higher education tearooms. \ud
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But where does this leave the units or centres that provide fundamental support in a range of activities across each University in Australia. These support services offer students and staff support through libraries, learning centres, academic development centres and access pathways and may be located either centrally or within Faculties or Schools. However not all of these support services have the solid reputation of a library where it is possible to benchmark client services against other institutions and it is strongly supported by a well-recognised international body with agreed standards of practice. \ud
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In fact, one support service that has a mixed history is the Academic Development Centre. It is often subject to restructuring, decentralisation and re-establishment and yet the Centres offer fundamental support for teaching staff at Universities. Therefore in a time of change, when the pursuit of quality of teaching and learning is of great interest, there is an opportunity to review the place and importance of a support unit like an Academic Development Centre. \ud
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This study will identify the purpose and place of Academic Development Centres in Universities in Australia and consider possible future pathways for these Centres. This study will investigate through a number of research questions: (i) is there an ongoing need for Academic Development Centres in higher education in Australia? (ii) if yes, where can this lead?; or (iii) if no, what are the alternatives? These questions will be explored through four phases: review all positions advertised for academic staff in Australia over a one year period; analyse of essential criteria for employment in academic lecturer advertisements by one Australian University over a 6 month period; and identify the services offered by Academic Development Centres across Australia. This paper is written to encourage discussion and debate at the upcoming AAIR conference around the issue of Academic Development Centres
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