Survey of Directors of Australian university teaching and learning centres

The data provides a representative quantitative snapshot of the characteristics, capacities and constraints of Australian teaching and learning centres as seen through the eyes of their Directors. It provides evidence-based information for sector benchmarking and policy design, and identifies factors that contribute to the effective startegic leadership of Australian teaching and learning centres.

The queer archive : teaching and learning sexualities in Australia

The article explores the use of the queer archive in teaching sex and sexuality in public schools. A background of the development of the archive in 1978 and its role in education is given. Policies that help guide appropriateness of content, such as Supporting Sexual Diversity in Schools in 2008, is discussed. The teaching approach in using the non-traditional archive-based education are also examined where learning can involve group-based workshops heavy on interative methods.

Cultural diversity in Australia : promoting the teaching and learning of South African music

Australian society is increasingly multicultural, and this article provides some theoretical perspectives on multiculturalism, cultural diversity and the teaching and learning of African music. It identifies the need for teachers, practitioners and artists to jointly work together to create a community of practitioners where pedagogy meets practice. Through reflection and interview data of an artist in schools, a primary music specialist and a tertiary music educator, the 'how' and 'why' about teaching South African music and culture is discussed through pedagogy. Whilst this article discusses a particular culture and music, it has implications for education within a wider sphere and calls for further investigation when using different music from diverse cultures.

A review of e-learning technologies – opportunities for teaching and learning

The number of different e-learning technologies available to support teaching and learning is growing exponentially. A major issue for faculty and educational developers in higher education is to determine which e-learning technology is most appropriate to support their particular teaching needs and provide optimum learning opportunities for students. Over the last few years a vast amount of literature has been published on e-learning technologies and how they are used in education Therefore the decision to use a particular technology should be based on sound research and clear evidence. This paper reviews many of these e-learning technologies and provides information regarding their use and the opportunities afforded by them.

The role of representation in teaching and learning ideas about matter

The research described in this paper is designed around the notion that learning involves the recognition and development of students’ representational resources. This paper describes a classroom sequence in Ideas about Matter that focuses on representations and their negotiation, and reports on the effectiveness of this perspective in guiding teaching, and in providing further insight into student learning. Classroom sequences involving two experienced teachers (2008, Year 8 students) and an inexperienced teacher (2010, Year 7 students) were videotaped using a combined focus on the teacher and groups of students. Video analysis software was used to code the variety of representations used teachers and students, and sequences of representational negotiation. The paper reports on the effect of this approach on teacher pedagogy and on student learning of Ideas about Matter. The paper will present data from video of classroom activities, students’ work samples, student and teacher interviews and pre and post-unit testing, to explore what a representational focus might entail in teaching Ideas about Matter, and the role of representations in learning and reasoning and exploring scientific ideas.

Discovering the value that the library can contribute to quality teaching and learning through student evaluation data

Large surveys of library user service quality perception are common. However, student evaluation of teaching (SET) data often show a disparity between ratings of library service quality and library resource quality. In this situation, perhaps SET data can also provide insights into what contributes to the perception of library resource quality, and hence identify leverage points for quality improvement interventions. This paper documents an analysis of available Deakin University SET data relating to student interaction with, and evaluation of, library resources. It highlights significant correlations associated with library-related SET items, and from them infers actions that the library could undertake to improve the value and perception of the quality of library resources. The following results were observed. High ratings for library resources were likely to be associated with high general ratings of teaching and unit quality. Postgraduate coursework students rated library resources significantly higher than students in the first three years of undergraduate programs. Students in one faculty (Health) rated library resources significantly higher than students in all other faculties. There was a strong correlation observed in Australasian Survey of Student Engagement data for both 2009 and 2010 between the two items “Used library resources on campus or online” and “Worked on an essay or assignment that required integrating ideas or information from various sources”. These findings suggest the following conclusions. Well-planned learning environments are likely to integrate meaningful student interaction with the library. Initiatives to improve the value and perception of the quality of library resources should be focussed on the specific characteristics and needs of particular student cohorts to have maximum impact. More sophisticated assessment tasks that require students to interact with the library have the potential to result in higher student ratings of the value of library resources.

Teaching and learning innovations for postgraduate education in nursing

This paper begins with a literature review of blended learning approaches, including the creation of learning spaces in the online environment and the model of community of inquiry and collaborative learning promoted by Garrison and others. This model, comprising of three elements including ‘social presence’, ‘cognitive presence’ and ‘teaching presence’, guides academics in the development and delivery of quality programs designed to enhance each student’s experience of their course. The second part of this paper is the application of blended learning for the Deakin University Master of Nursing Practice (Nurse Practitioner), including a range of online independent learning activities, Elluminate Live use (a real time online program) and on-campus contact with students. The application of these flexible and innovative online modalities offered in this course, have been designed to promote quality learning experiences for students around their employment commitments and lifestyle factors. As an off-campus course, the Master of Nursing Practice (Nurse Practitioner) presents as a more flexible option for nurses residing in various parts of Australia. The three core elements of the model of community of inquiry and collaborative learning by Garrison and others have been integrated through online teaching and learning access and face-to-face contact for one day in two trimesters of the academic year. The success of blended learning approaches are underpinned by effective communication and interactions between both academics and students.

Teaching and learning history in primary schools : pedagogical shifts, complexities and opportunities

From 2011 the teaching and learning of History will be expanded into all primary schools (Kindergarten – Year 6) throughout Australia under a National Curriculum, including the formal preschool/kindergarten year. History as one of four core subjects will replace current studies of society and environment curriculum taught in primary schools across. The curriculum implementation process will involve a cultural and pedagogical shift as primary teachers make adjustments to the discipline of History. This article begins with an outline of the current curriculum context. An analysis of the New South Wales Human Society and Its Environment and the Australian Curriculum: History Draft Consultation documents follows. The findings indicate that the History Draft Consultation lacks clear guidance for teachers and has a number of shortcomings compared to the NSW HSIE syllabus. There are opportunities, however, for primary teachers because of the broad similarities of content knowledge in both documents and the embedded historical concepts in the NSW syllabus document.

Professional midwifery education : blended teaching and learning approaches

Blended teaching and learning approaches are used in the postgraduate course of Graduate Diploma of Midwifery for students who are predominately women with family responsibilities residing in metropolitan, regional, or rural Victoria, a major state in Australia. The Virtual Maternity Clinic (VMC), a virtual learning experience (VLE) research project, was implemented during trimester 2, 2009. The purpose of the project was to expand the blend of teaching and learning activities to support students in their preparation for professional practice. The VMC includes four characters in early pregnancy and care provided by their midwife. All students enrolled in midwifery courses (postgraduate and undergraduate) at Deakin University were recruited to participate in a two-phase, pre- and post-use evaluation process related to the VMC. Findings from the pre-evaluation included that students 'had high expectations of the VMC in supporting their learning. The results from the post-evaluation of the VMC indicated that students 'were very satisfied that the VMC supported their learning. Future research directions include further development of the VMC.