UWA Education Futures project Report to the Teaching and Learning Committee
Outline UWA Futures UWA Education Futures Vision Feedback Making movies Potential outcomes Teaching and Learning Committee March
UWA Futures Vice Chancellor Paul Johnson, August 2012 Proposals to strengthen UWA’s educational, research and community activities Context –Expanded undergraduate numbers –NC2012 (professional degrees at postgraduate level) –Changing technology –Changing provision of tertiary education (MOOCs) –Changing expectations of students –Increasing demands of workplace Teaching and Learning Committee March
UWA Education Futures Working Party Teaching and Learning Committee March Honourable Doctor Elizabeth Constable Winthrop Professor Grady Venville Winthrop Professor Brendan Waddell Winthrop Professor Denise Chalmers Winthrop Professor Phil Hancock Winthrop Professor Helen Wildy (Project Director) Ms Ye’elah Berman (Executive Officer)
UWA Education Futures: Vision Transformative teaching Evidence-based teaching Experiential learning Integrated research experiences Optimised resources Vibrant campus environment Global citizenship and leadership Teaching and Learning Committee March
Feedback from staff Teaching is undervalued at UWA; focus is on research Technology –increases social isolation of students –increases dependency (all information will be provided online) –decreases student engagement in learning and in campus life Fears that using technology decreases opportunities for –teamwork –building peer relationships –building staff-student relationships –cross disciplinary knowledge generation Demands of students most of whom have jobs Teaching and Learning Committee March
Feedback from students UWA only cares about research not teaching Students want –stronger emphasis on ‘tutorials’ as opposed to lectures –better and more feedback –skills required for industry (not lecturer’s interests) –other students to be prepared for, and engaged in, classes Teaching and Learning Committee March
Feedback from external stakeholders Attention to values and ethical practice Emphasis on leadership development Engagement with industry Experiential and supported learning Teaching and Learning Committee March
Movies Why make movies? –Initial motivation: to show UWA’s innovative teaching ClassMovies –started 2003 –5000+ movies in 5 countries by 2013 –brings together film and education sectors –modest costs –empowers movie makers –uses professionally trained film makers –makes the private act of teaching visible for discussion Teaching and Learning Committee March
Process of selecting movie makers Teaching and Learning Awards SURF scores Student nominations Staff nominations Teaching and Learning Committee March
20 movies Teaching innovations linked to the vision statement All 7 faculties All stages of career (Levels B to E) Focus on –large undergraduate classes –professional courses at postgraduate level Teaching and Learning Committee March
Example: Using ICT Assistant Professor Kate Offer (Law School) –Title: The Role of the Lecturer in the Modern University –Use of social media in lectures Winthrop Professor Wendy Erber (Head of School, School of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine) –Title: Large class, small group, high-tech teaching –Pathology lab with ground breaking technology Teaching and Learning Committee March
Example: Integrating research and teaching Associate Professor Nicki Mitchell (School of Animal Biology) –Title: Embedding Real Science in First Year Biology –Students analyse data collected by citizen scientists and write a paper for publication Winthrop Professor Shaun Collin (WA Premier’s Research Fellow, UWA Ocean’s Institute) –Title: The research-teaching nexus: Discovery-based learning in marine neuroecology Teaching and Learning Committee March
Example: Meeting the learning needs of postgraduate students Assistant Professor Leo Langa (Accounting and Finance) –Title: Will let you know the name in a few days –Contrasts his first year accounting unit with his masters accounting unit Winthrop Professor Sharon Parker (Management and Organisations) –Title: Launching MBA students to new leadership heights –LAUNCH – an optional unit in the MBA, focusing on personal development Teaching and Learning Committee March
Example: Small groups within large undergraduate classes Associate Professor Marco Ghisalberti (Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering) –Title: Team Based Learning in an Undergraduate Setting –Small group work in Engineering Dr Michael Champion (Classics and Ancient History) –Title: In Medias Res: Learning Latin in Small Groups –Latin in small groups. Alternating students take on the ‘teacher’ role Teaching and Learning Committee March
Plans for using the movies Available through a website Annotated links to Vision statements Discussion Board inviting commentary Leading to workshops on applications of teaching strategies Launched with the Vision on 12 May 2014 Teaching and Learning Committee March
Use of movies by faculties, schools, staff Staff to reflect on and review their teaching, and to promote their units, courses Schools and faculties to reflect on and review their teaching and to promote courses, research, links with other disciplines The university to promote its innovative teaching and to demonstrate to staff and student that teaching matters Teaching and Learning Committee March
Potential outcomes of making movies reflecting on teaching strategies by academics collaboratively reviewing innovation sharing teaching approaches across disciplines promoting units, courses, fields of study, disciplines stimulating research about teaching enhancing the status of teaching within the institution Teaching and Learning Committee March