Australian Learning And Teaching Council Research Articles

Assuring best practice in technology-enhanced learning environments

This paper documents the development and findings of the Good Practice Report on Technology-Enhanced Learning and Teaching funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC). Developing the Good Practice Report required a meta-analysis of 33 ALTC learning and teaching projects relating to technology funded between 2006 and 2010. This report forms one of 12 completed Good Practice Reports on a range of different topics commissioned by the ALTC and Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT). The reports aim to reduce issues relating to dissemination that projects face within the sector by providing educators with an efficient and accessible way of engaging with and filtering through the resources and experiences of numerous learning and teaching projects funded by the ALTC and OLT. The Technology-Enhanced Learning and Teaching Report highlights examples of good practice and provides outcomes and recommendations based on the meta-analysis of the relevant learning and teaching projects. However, in order to ensure the value of these reports is realised, educators need to engage with the reports and integrate the information and findings into their practice. The paper concludes by detailing how educational networks can be utilised to support dissemination.Keywords: technology; learning and teaching; higher education; best practiceCitation: Research in Learning Technology 2015, 23: 25728 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v23.25728

Leading the quality management of online learning environments in Australian higher education

<p>The paper presents the findings of the first year of a nationally funded Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) project on the quality management of online learning environments by and through distributed leadership. The project is being undertaken by five Australian universities with major commitments to online and distance education. Each university, however, has a distinctive location, history and profile in the sector. The first year of the project has seen the development of a quality management framework with six interrelated elements. The framework is being applied, refined and validated in the second year of the project. Allied with the development of the framework, was the conduct of focus groups at each of the five partner institutions in the middle of the first year. These focus groups composed a range of staff involved collectively in the leadership of the organisation's online learning environment. Prominence was given to the nature and value of strategic planning, due diligence conducted in selecting and mainstreaming technologies, evaluation approaches informing decision making, and the various relationships between different leadership levels and domains. A number of key issues which emerged relating to the elements identified in the framework are examined.</p><p> </p>

Australian Learning and Teaching Council projects in the Mathematical Sciences: A retrospective

Since 2004, the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) and its predecessor, the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, have funded numerous teaching and educational research-based projects in the Mathematical Sciences. In light of the Commonwealth Government's decision to close the ALTC in 2011, it is appropriate to take account of the ALTCs input into the Mathematical Sciences in higher education. We overview altc projects in the Mathematical Sciences, as well as report on the contributions they made to the discipline. References P. Adams, J. Alcock, M. Bulmer, et al., A new enabling technology for learning and teaching quantitative skills . Report to the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, 2008. http://www.olt.gov.au/project-new-enabling-technology-learning-uq-2006 P. Broadbridge and S. Henderson, Mathematics for 21st century engineering students . Report to the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 2008. http://www.olt.gov.au/project-mathematics-21st-century-melbourne-2006 G. Brown, Review of education in mathematics, data science and quantitative disciplines . Report to the Group of Eight Universities, 2009. http://www.go8.edu.au/__documents/go8-policy-analysis/2010/go8mathsreview.pdf Content Without Borders , online resource repository, http://oer.equella.com/ S. Jones, B. Yates and J. Kelder, Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Project: Science Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Statement . Report to the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, 2011. http://www.olt.gov.au/system/files/altc_standards_SCIENCE_240811_v3.pdf H. MacGillivray and T. Wilson, Quantitative diversity: disciplinary and cross-disciplinary mathematics and statistics support in Australian universities . Report to the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, 2008. http://www.olt.gov.au/resource-quantitative-diversity-mathematics-qut-2008 H. MacGillivray, Learning support in mathematics and statistics in Australian universities: A guide for the university sector . Report to the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, 2008. http://www.olt.gov.au/project-quantitative-diversity-disciplinary-qut-2006 D. Mallet, M. Nelson, A. Porter, et al., Discipline Network: Australian Mathematical Sciences Learning and Teaching Network . Australian Learning and Teaching Council project abstract listing, 2011. http://www.olt.gov.au/project-discipline-networkaustralian-mathematical-sciences-learning-and-teaching-network-2011 K. Matthews, P. Adams, S. Belward, C. Coady, L. Rylands, N. Pelaez and K. Thompson, Quantitative skills in science: curriculum models for the future . Australian Learning and Teaching Council project abstract listing, 2011. http://www.olt.gov.au/project-quantitative-skills-science-curriculum-models-future-uq-2010 A. Porter and C. Silveri, Building leadership capacity for development and sharing of mathematics learning resources across disciplines and universities . Australian Learning and Teaching Council project abstract listing, 2011. http://www.olt.gov.au/project-building-leadership-capacity-uow-2007 M. Sharma, W. Rifkin, S. Beames, et al., Fostering institutional and cultural change through the Australian network of university science educators . Australian Learning and Teaching Council project abstract listing, 2011. http://www.olt.gov.au/project-fostering-institutional-and-cultural-change-through-australian-network-university-science-ed T. Vu, A national discipline-specific professional development program in the mathematical sciences . Report to the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, 2011. http://www.olt.gov.au/system/files/resources/LE9-1248_Macquarie_Wood_Final%20Report%202011.pdf

Change Strategies for Educational Transformation

The authors present a position paper suggesting that while there is evidence for change within engineering curricula towards best practice, there are significant barriers primarily at the operational level, which bring into question the likelihood of more widespread adoption of hard won gains. It is argued that transformational change is required which (i) alters the culture of the institution by changing select underlying assumptions and institutional behaviours, processes, and products; (ii) is deep and pervasive, affecting the whole institution; (iii) is intentional; and (iv) occurs over time (Kezar & Eckel, 2002). It is also argued that change leadership of this nature must be distributed, not solely laid at the feet of Deans and Vice Chancellors. A strategy for change is presented based on observations and evidence from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) project “Design based curriculum reform within engineering education” and the recently completed ALTC Discipline Scholars’ Survey of Engineering Academics grounded in the research for transformational change within businesses, universities and teaching and learning. This model for change proposes the development of a network of change agents built on a brokerage model to improve best practice and leadership capacity through systematically and directly engaging with the strategic/tactical and operational levels of engineering faculties.

Change strategies for educational transformation

The authors present a position paper suggesting that while there is evidence for change within engineering curricula towards best practice, there are signifi cant barriers primarily at the operational level, which bring into question the likelihood of more widespread adoption of hard won gains. It is argued that transformational change is required which (i) alters the culture of the institution by changing select underlying assumptions and institutional behaviours, processes, and products; (ii) is deep and pervasive, affecting the whole institution; (iii) is intentional; and (iv) occurs over time (Kezar & Eckel, 2002). It is also argued that change leadership of this nature must be distributed, not solely laid at the feet of Deans and Vice Chancellors. A strategy for change is presented based on observations and evidence from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) project Design based curriculum reform within engineering education and the recently completed ALTC Discipline Scholars' Survey of Engineering Academics grounded in the research for transformational change within businesses, universities and teaching and learning. This model for change proposes the development of a network of change agents built on a brokerage model to improve best practice and leadership capacity through systematically and directly engaging with the strategic/tactical and operational levels of engineering faculties.

Australian information education in the 21st century – the synergy among research, teaching and practice

In 2011 a group of Australian Library and Information Science academics led by Prof. Helen Partridge conducted an investigation into the Australian Library and Information Science education in the 21st century. The project was funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) and the final report, titled “Re-conceptualising and re-positioning Australian library and information science education for the 21st century” was published in December 2011. The report presents a framework for educating information professionals in Australia and highlights a range of trials for the Australian Information Education in the 21st century. Among other challenges, the report reveals the need for more research opportunities, a lack of opportunities to apply the acquired knowledge in practice and the need for ‘sustainable, attractive and relevant’ programs, competitive on the international market. This paper discusses potential enhancements to the Australian Information Education in response to some of the challenges presented in the 2011 Partridge et al. report. The analysis is based on a model covering three main areas of activity in Information Education (IE) – research, teaching and practice (RTP). The paper provides an insight into the research capabilities of LIS in Australia, emphasising the importance of research informed teaching and practice.

Strategically strengthening learning and teaching leadership in the creative arts through the createED network

In 2009, the createED network, a network for leaders in learning and teaching in the creative arts disciplines, was born. The disciplines included art, architecture, creative writing, design and performing arts (dance, music and theatre). Establishing the network was enabled by an Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) funded grant. The aims of the network were to strengthen learning and teaching leadership through the provision of opportunities for leaders in learning and teaching to engage in collaborative professional development activities and share knowledge and resources that inform and validate practice, individually and collectively; to address contemporary issues of pedagogy and viability through identifying, researching, reviewing and scoping activities that focus on current resources, strengths, gaps and challenges; and to foster scholarship in learning and teaching leadership and strengthen the teaching-research nexus through peer review of practice-based outcomes. In this article, we build on the reflections presented in a previous special issue of TEXT on leadership in the creative arts (de la Harpe, Mason & Peterson 2011), providing an introduction to the createED project – ‘the network idea’, its aims and aspirations – ‘the network ideal’, what transpired on the ground – ‘the network reality’, as well as where it is currently at and where it is headed – ‘the network evolution’.

The Invisible Hand of Pedagogy in Australian Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education

The Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC)-funded project ‘Exploring Problem-Based Learning Pedagogy as Transformative Education in Indigenous Australian Studies’ raised a number of issues that resonated with concerns we have had as professionals engaged in teaching and researching Australian Indigenous studies and Indigenous education. In this discursive paper we air some of the concerns we share which emerge from our collective research and teaching interests. We argue that Australian Indigenous studies and Indigenous education are too frequently collapsed or used interchangeably, and while there is tension between these areas rather than see as a problem we chose to interrogate this and argue for the potential for fruitful intellectual collaboration. This article problematises pedagogy and finds that sustained effort needs to be made to understand how pedagogical approaches to Australian Indigenous studies and Indigenous education are guiding and shaping each cognate area.

Utilising PEARL to Teach Indigenous Art History: A Canadian Example

This article explores the concepts advanced from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC)-funded project, ‘Exploring Problem-Based Learning pedagogy as transformative education in Indigenous Australian Studies’. As an Indigenous art historian teaching at a mainstream university in Canada, I am constantly reflecting on how to better engage students in transformative learning. PEARL offers significant interdisciplinary theory and methodology for implementing content related to both Canadian colonial history and Indigenous cultural knowledge implicit in teaching contemporary Aboriginal art histories. This case study, based on a third-year Indigenous art history course taught at University of Regina, Saskatchewan in Canada will articulate applications for PEARL in an Aboriginal art history classroom. This content-based course lends itself to an interdisciplinary pedagogical approach because it remains outside the traditional disciplinary boundaries accepted in most Eurocentric-based histories of art. Implementing PEARL both theoretically and methodologically in tandem with examples of contemporary Indigenous art allows for innovative ways to balance course content with the sensitive material required for students to better understand and read art created by Indigenous artists in Canada in the past 40 years.

Experiencing Indigenous Knowledge Online as a Community Narrative

This article explores a project at the Koori Centre, University of Sydney, funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) in 2011, titled ‘Indigenous On-Line Cultural Teaching and Sharing’. One of the team members (Kutay) was also a project team member on the ALTC-funded project ‘Exploring PBL in Indigenous Australian Studies’, which has developed a teaching and learning process (PEARL) for Indigenous Australian studies. In this article, we present the ‘Indigenous On-Line Cultural Teaching and Sharing’ project as an exemplar of this teaching process. The project turns a highly successful interactive kinship workshop into an interactive online experience for all students and staff of the University of Sydney. The project is developing a sharing portal for Aboriginal people in New South Wales (NSW) to incorporate their stories and experiences of cultural, historical and educational issues within a knowledge-sharing workshop. The site will use voices of Aboriginal participants to express the knowledge of their culture in a comparative and affirmative context. An interface for uploading audio and video has been generated to combine example stories from different perspectives. The interactive kinship workshop and Aboriginal voices will then be used in an online game, embedding Aboriginal knowledge and values within different professional learning contexts, such as law, social policy, health, and education.

Pearls, not Problems: Exploring Transformative Education in Indigenous Australian Studies

This article explores the shift in terminology that occurred in a 2-year Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC)-funded curriculum renewal project that set out to broadly explore current teaching and learning practice in Indigenous Australian studies ( www.teaching4change.edu.au). While we started with the term ‘Problem-Based Learning’, it became clear as the project progressed that the terminology we were using was not politically or pedagogically appropriate. As the data began to reveal, the research team became increasingly uncomfortable with the colonial underpinnings and associations of the term ‘Problem-Based Learning’ (PBL), and began to explore the possibility of redefining what we do as something else entirely. A key outcome of the project was that PBL became PEARL, to describe the Political, Embodied, Active, and Reflective aspects of this teaching and learning approach in Indigenous Australian studies. The shift from PBL to PEARL was unexpected, but has resulted in exciting possibilities for migrating and extending theories of teaching and learning in Indigenous Australian studies into critical pedagogy, critical race theory and transformative education. Drawing on critical pedagogy, critical race theory and transformative education theory, this article explores the rationale behind the shift in terminology from PBL to PEARL. We also draw on student data from focus groups, questionnaires and lecturer reflection to examine the ways the results from this project hold great potential for the further implementation of PEARL into primary and secondary classrooms, specifically in relation to pedagogical practice in embedding Indigenous perspectives.

Editorial 8(1)

Editorial 8(1)

Responding to the widening participation agenda through improved access to and within 3D virtual learning environments

<span>The Australian Government's widening participation agenda - also referred to as the social inclusion agenda - considers equity through the triple focus of access, participation and outcomes. These foci are catalysts for re-examining teaching and learning approaches in formal education. This article considers this national refocus and the possibilities for addressing access and equity issues through and within three-dimensional virtual learning environments (3DVLEs). The findings of an Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC)-funded project that investigated the potential of an accessible 3DVLE for increasing access and participation of students with disabilities are reported, and strategies for improving outcomes (i.e. retention, success and completion) proposed. The article also highlights some of the remaining challenges with regard to the goal of improving outcomes for under-represented learner groups. The final section of the article identifies areas for further research.</span>

Core elements of exemplary academic integrity policy in Australian higher education

This paper reports on one important aspect of the preliminary findings from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) project, Academic integrity standards: Aligning policy and practice in Australian universities (Bretag et al., 2010) Our project aims to identify approaches to the complex issues of academic integrity, and then to build on these approaches to develop exemplars for adaptation across the higher education sector. Based on analysis of publicly available online academic integrity policies at each of the 39 Australian universities, we have identified five core elements of exemplary academic integrity policy. These have been grouped under the headings, Access, Approach, Responsibility, Detail and Support, with no element given priority over another. In this paper we compare the five core elements identified in our research with best practice guidelines recommended by the Higher Education Academy (HEA) in the UK. We conclude that an exemplar policy needs to provide an upfront, consistent message, reiterated throughout the entire policy, which indicates a systemic and sustained commitment to the values of academic integrity and the practices that ensure it. Whereas the HEA created two discrete resources, the key aim and challenge of this project will be to develop exemplars that demonstrate a strong alignment between policy and practice.

Business graduate skills in sustainability

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review research and strategies in Australian business education that aim to foster graduate capabilities in sustainability concepts and practices, also to present a case study of teaching practice along with ideas for future development.Design/methodology/approachThe authors report on a research project by seven Australian universities, with financial support from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC), on how to develop and grade graduate capabilities with sustainability identified as a core graduate skill. An example is presented from the Faculty of Business and Economics of a strategy in action – the use of a case study (centred on sustainability practices at the university) to enhance the skills of merit scholars.FindingsCorporate social responsibility is a well‐established concept in business management theory, with sustainability principles emerging as a core feature. In the higher education sector, the spirit may be willing, but training in the application of these principles has been implemented as an add‐on rather than an embedded part of the curriculum. Although efforts are being made to find ways of nurturing graduate capabilities in sustainability practice, a significant obstacle is the lack of teaching models and materials. The authors offer findings from the ALTC graduate skills project as well as a case study of implementation.Originality/valueThe authors report on practical innovations in fostering business graduate skills in implementing sustainability principles, assess the utility of current education practice and present some suggestions for future learning and teaching strategies.

Student voices: Re-conceptualising and re-positioning Australian library and information science education for the twenty-first century

This paper reports on the preliminary research findings of the sub-study group of a larger undertaking, the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) priority project Re-conceptualising and Re-positioning Australian Library and Information Science Education for the Twenty-first Century. It examines student experiences of library and information science (LIS) education across both the tertiary and vocational education sectors in Australia. The student sub-study group’s task was to provide the student/recent graduate perspective on LIS education in Australia. The research considered four major themes to find out how students and recent graduates felt about LIS education in Australia. The themes were: learning opportunities; learner attributes; learning experiences; and learner outcomes. In the second half of 2010, self-administered anonymous web questionnaires and focus groups were used to explore issues such as student demographics, socio-economic backgrounds, past experiences, expectations and rationale behind course choices. In addition the destinations of graduates were explored. Key findings suggest there are various pathways that students take to achieve a LIS qualification in Australia; students are generally optimistic about the future of the LIS profession, and consider that technology will continue to play a key role in future career options; they stress the importance of practical workplace experiences as part of course structure; their satisfaction levels with current courses are high and students feel confident they have been provided with the skills required to begin their professional life.

Student voices: Re-conceptualising and re-positioning Australian library and information science education for the twenty-first century

This paper reports on the preliminary research findings of the sub-study group of a larger undertaking, the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) priority project Re-conceptualising and Re-positioning Australian Library and Information Science Education for the Twenty-first Century. It examines student experiences of library and information science (LIS) education across both the tertiary and vocational education sectors in Australia. The student sub-study group’s task was to provide the student/recent graduate perspective on LIS education in Australia. The research considered four major themes to find out how students and recent graduates felt about LIS education in Australia. The themes were: learning opportunities; learner attributes; learning experiences; and learner outcomes. In the second half of 2010, self-administered anonymous web questionnaires and focus groups were used to explore issues such as student demographics, socio-economic backgrounds, past experiences, expectations and rationale behind course choices. In addition the destinations of graduates were explored. Key findings suggest there are various pathways that students take to achieve a LIS qualification in Australia; students are generally optimistic about the future of the LIS profession, and consider that technology will continue to play a key role in future career options; they stress the importance of practical workplace experiences as part of course structure; their satisfaction levels with current courses are high and students feel confident they have been provided with the skills required to begin their professional life.

The Threshold Learning Outcome on self-management for the Bachelor of Laws degree: A proposed focus for teaching strategies in the first year law curriculum

The Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) Discipline Scholars for Law, Professors Sally Kift and Mark Israel, articulated six Threshold Learning Outcomes (TLOs) for the Bachelor of Laws degree as part of the ALTC’s 2010 project on Learning and Teaching Academic Standards. One of these TLOs promotes the learning, teaching and assessment of self-management skills in Australian law schools. This paper explores the concept of self-management and how it can be relevantly applied in the first year of legal education. Recent literature from the United States (US) and Australia provides insights into the types of issues facing law students, as well as potential antidotes to these problems. Based on these findings, I argue that designing a pedagogical framework for the first year law curriculum that promotes students’ connection with their intrinsic interests, values, motivations and purposes will facilitate student success in terms of their personal well-being, ethical dispositions and academic engagement.

Eager ‘weavers’: Designing assessment for an online environment

As more and more Australian universities move their courses into blended learning environments (BLEs), it is important that strategies be devised to monitor teaching practices and student learning. In 2008, five large Australian universities were given an ALTC (Australian Learning and Teaching Council) grant to address the area of teacher peer review (PR). This paper shows evidence from one of the universities (The University of Technology, Sydney) where a case study was undertaken to optimise teacher peer review in a BLE. The project involved an innovative approach of interdisciplinary PR between an academic from the Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Health and an academic from the Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FASS). As a result of this collaboration, the online assessment in the nursing subject was radically changed with a greater percentage of the marks awarded to online activities. The design took more ‘up front’ effort by the coordinator, as is usually the case in online preparation, but results have shown that students who had previously relied heavily on directions from their tutors throughout the semester, were now taking on more responsibility for their own learning and for the learning of fellow students.

Introduction: Creative and Practice-led Research Symposium, University of Canberra, 9 October 2010

Held at the University of Canberra on 9 October 2009, and co-convened by Professor Jen Webb (University of Canberra) and Associate Professor Donna Lee Brien (CQUniversity, Australia), the symposium was funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) under their funding of Webb and Brien’s ALTC Competitive Grants Scheme project. It brought together leading creative and practice-led research practitioners from Australia’s higher education sector including relevant program heads, convenors and invited postgraduate students in Design, Writing, and the Visual, Performing and New Media arts (including film), with the aim of identifying and discussing the current environment and future aspirations in the field of creative practice. In all, thirty-seven participants from sixteen institutions accepted an invitation to attend the symposium.