An online psychometric test of spatial ability (the 3D Ability test) was developed specifically for design-based disciplines. A series of online interactive 3D learning tasks designed to improve spatial skills are also provided. The learning tasks include remediation options for poor performers and purpose-designed gender neutral activities to address the gender bias in spatial performance. The test and 3D learning tasks are available on the project website.
Resource Library
The Resource Library contains a collection of higher education learning and teaching materials flowing from projects funded by the Commonwealth of Australia including those from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council.
Materials identified as good practice are indentified. Read more...
Results may be sorted filtered by keywords.
132 resources found.
Assessment Futures
University of Technology, Sydney
2010
The web site is a rich source of information and inspiration for those setting, designing or redesigning, assessment tasks. It indicates the purpose for the materials, making it clear that the content is relevant for experienced teachers and educational developers and that the site is not designed for those seeking an introduction to assessment. The site contains only minimal information on items such as rubrics and marking schemes. This is not a deficiency; rather it is a reinforcement of the purpose of the site which is to facilitate change in the emphasis on assessment of current learning to assessment that values self-directed, self-managed and self-evaluated learners.
The web site is organised around the key principles of engaging students, setting authentic activities, scaffolding students in designing some assessments, setting integrative tasks, fostering learning and judgement, modelling and practice, working with peers, as well as giving and receiving feedback. Each section succinctly describes a principle, provides a brief articulation of how it could be implemented and then has a link to discipline examples.
The section titled "Towards informed judgement" is a particularly useful one and worth reading. The range of discipline examples for assessment for future learning is limited because only a few teachers are engaging with this issue. There are highly relevant literature references on assessment practices for future learning attributes.
The reader should also download the well-written synthesis of where assessment practices should be heading over the coming years, "Assessment 2020: Seven propositions for assessment reform in higher education".
Role of Graduate Attributes in Emerging Institutional Quality Assurance Processes video
The University of Sydney
2009
Introductory Commentary
This resource forms part of a larger collection. It is recommended that readers refer also to:
1. http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/projects/nationalgap/resources/gamap/introduction.htm
and
2. http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/projects/nationalgap/resources/discussionpapers.htm
This 13-minute video is titled "Role of Graduate Attributes in Emerging Institutional Quality Assurance Processes" by Dr Jeanette Baird, Australian Universities Quality Agency, and produced as part of the National Graduate Attributes Project (2007-08) which explores curriculum renewal strategies to achieve graduate attributes in Australian universities.
The video provides a quality assurance perspective on how universities (and higher education institutions, HEIs) implement Graduate Attributes. Dr Baird suggests there are two overall questions that HEIs should ask: "How do you know that graduates achieve the Graduate Attributes?" and "What improvements to students' learning outcomes have resulted from these Graduate Attributes?". Evidence is required to support HEIs' claims about Graduate Attributes.
Dr Baird then goes on to three specific areas: (1) alignment between Graduate Attributes and HEI's institutional objectives; (2) curriculum review and implementation through mapping and contextualisation; and (3) internationalisation. Other topics include (briefly): employer feedback; CEQ Generic Skills results as a proxy for Graduate Attribute achievement; curriculum mapping and the reflection required in relation to assessment; the challenges of internationalisation and Australian HEIs; consistency of the student experience across campus. Underlying this approach is the OADRI framework (Objectives, Approach, Deploy, Review and Improve).
This resource is particularly useful and relevant to those considering a whole of institution approach and deployment of Graduate Attributes implementation in the curriculum, as well as internal and external quality assurance. It is clearly presented and to the point. The video is easily accessible to most users, and plays within the web page and on most browsers.
Graduate attributes statements database
The University of Sydney
2009
Introductory Commentary
This resource forms part of a larger collection. It is recommended that readers refer also to:
1. http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/projects/nationalgap/resources/discussionpapers.htm
and
2. http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/projects/nationalgap/resources/videos.htm
This is one of the outcomes of the National GAP (Graduate Attributes Project), a national scoping study of Australian universities' recent activities in relation to the development of graduate attributes. It is an aggregation of de-identified university graduate attributes statements, gathered in 2007-08. The statements were sorted into groups describing similar graduate attributes. They are presented as 'Enabling' level attributes (broader dispositions: scholarship, global citizenship, life-long learning) and 'Translation' level (more discrete, discipline-specific attributes: research and enquiry; information literacy; personal and intellectual autonomy; ethical, social and professional understanding and communication).
The boundaries between categories are artificial and some relate to more than one category.
This web resource includes a clickable visual map showing these eight subcategories. Links take the user to an aggregation of university statements of attributes -- for example, when universities include an attribute related to critical thinking, here are examples of how they phrase that statement. Even though these were gathered in 2007-08, they are unlikely to date -- the database shows the similarities and differences in statements.
This is a useful resource for those considering reviewing their attributes. It also shows the broad emphases in attributes across the sector.
The National Graduate Attributes Project Issues papers
The University of Sydney
2009
Introductory Commentary
This resource forms part of a larger collection. It is recommended that readers refer also to:
1. http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/projects/nationalgap/resources/gamap/introduction.htm
and
2. http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/projects/nationalgap/resources/videos.htm
This is a collection of eight issues to consider in the renewal of learning and teaching experiences.
The National Graduate Attributes Project (GAP), a national scoping study of Australian Universities' recent activities in relation to the development of graduate attributes underpins the project.
The papers provide an introduction to each of the key elements identified as being important for universities to consider when engaging in curriculum renewal to achieve graduate attributes. Each paper is short and points to additional references. The eight elements of the institutional framework are not independent and recommended by the authors to be read in sequence. The papers are presented as starting points for reflection.
The eight papers focus on (1) Conceptualisation, (2) Stakeholders, (3) Implementation, (4) Curriculum, (5) Assessment, (6) Quality Assurance, (7) Staff Development, and (8) Student Centred. They are most helpful to those involved in considering whole of institution (or faculty) approaches to Graduate Attributes implementation. They make a good starting point and are easily downloadable separately or as one PDF document.
Forging new directions in physics education in Australian Universities
University of Technology, Sydney
2009
The website consists mainly of components of the final project report and some derived resources that address three priorities: service teaching, laboratory work and employment of physics graduates. These form the three strands of the project.
The report on a survey of service teaching identifies three models of service teaching and outlines differences between student expectations and experiences of service-taught units. The survey found that students' experiences are significantly at variance with their expectations. The outcomes provide very strong evidence that university service teaching physics needs to be examined and reformed. Examples of units where students' experiences matched their expectations are described in Appendix 3 of the final report.
There is also a self-efficacy survey which would be of use in unit reviews.
The strand on laboratory work for physics students consists mostly of reports on workshop meetings, from which many issues were raised but few solutions proposed. The most tangible and immediate outcome of this strand is the depository of physics higher year laboratory experiments in use in Australian universities. This resource provides experiment titles, brief outline and the contact details of their designers/authors. It could prove very valuable in the sharing of and, if engaged with critically, improving of laboratory work.
The report on graduates in the workforce outlines graduates' employment types and graduates' preparedness for work in terms of knowledge and generic attributes. The report will be of interest to physics program managers. A separate document, outlining employment destinations of physics graduates, could be used to motivate or inform potential or current physics students.
Studio Teaching Project: Four Reports
The University of New South Wales
2010
RMIT, UQ, UTAS
Studio Teaching Toolkit
The University of New South Wales
2010
RMIT, UQ, UTAS
An excellent informative and helpful description of, and guide to studio practice with particular reference to art architecture and design and broader application to studio practice in dance, music and drama. The resource will be of interest to design and problem solving disciplines such as engineering and computer science.
Volume One: STP Final Report of the Studio Teaching Toolkit are particularly useful for teachers and learners, Heads of School, Deans of Faculties, Facilities Management personnel and tertiary providers considering the review or introduction of new art and/or design courses. The value of these materials lies in the descriptions of the nature and defining characteristics of studio practice, the elucidation of the conditions and modes that lead to effective learning outcomes and effective methods of assessment and feedback for studio practice.
The Studio Teaching Toolkit applies the findings contained in the three reports (Volumes1 to 3) and case studies (Volume 4) into concise and practical information arranged into six sections: Using the toolkit; What is Studio; Effective Strategies; Assessment and Feedback; Student Experience; Case Studies.
Part six of Volume One (pp 93--100) provides a succinct description of the project and the four fundamental questions the project explored. Along with the Executive Summary (pp v-ix) and Recommendations (pp x-xii) users, and in particular teachers of art and design, should refer to the Studio Teaching Toolkit http://studioteaching.org/ for practical and concise resource materials.
Contained in the Effective Strategies section of the Studio Teaching Toolkit are 10 benchmark statements for effective studio practice relating to issues of culture, mode, program and space. These ten statements are particularly useful for courses and unit/subject level review and quality assurance processes.
A musicians’ health national curriculum initiative
The University of Western Australia
2012
The University of Sydney
Facilitating work integrated learning (WIL) through skills-enabled e-portfolios in construction and nursing
The University of Newcastle
2012
Avondale College, RMIT University, University of Western Sydney
Examining the impact of simulated patients and information and communication technology on nursing students’ clinical reasoning
The University of Newcastle
2011
Communication for health in emergency contexts
University of Technology, Sydney
2011
The University of Melbourne
Promoting resilience and effective workplace functioning in international students in health courses
Queensland University of Technology
2011
Learning to teach online: developing high-quality video and text resources to help educators teach online
The University of New South Wales
2011
Engaging industry: embedding professional learning in the business curriculum
Victoria University
2011
RMIT University, University of Technology, Sydney, University of Wollongong
Assessing and improving spatial ability for design-based disciplines utilising online systems
The University of Newcastle
2011
New Media Resources for Indigenous Researcher Training
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
2011
This fellowship stimulates Indigenous research students and their supervisors to consider how new media forms of dissemination, such as image/sound, film, exhibition and digital media, may form culturally appropriate alternatives or adjuncts to the linear, written thesis form. The website explores concepts associated with alternative dissemination and provides resources, exemplars and more ideas.
Peer review in online and blended learning environments
University of Technology, Sydney
2011
This project sought to develop, implement and evaluate a scholarly framework, processes and resources for peer review of learning and teaching in online and blended learning environments. Specific issues relating to online and blended learning environments were identified as well as the need for formative feedback and professional development. Workshop materials, case studies, and an annotated bibliography are among the resources on the project website.
A Review of the Dissemination Strategies used by Projects Funded by the ALTC Grants Scheme
The University of Queensland
2011
This project investigated the effectiveness of dissemination for ALTC Grants Scheme projects in the period 2006 to 2009. The Final Report outlines a new approach to dissemination that aims to increase opportunities for achieving productive change in learning and teaching and a new dissemination framework is presented.
The practitioner focused D-Cubed Guide explores the nature and purpose of dissemination, persents a range of effective dissemination activities, and provides examples of good practice. Resources from the Guide are also presented separately.
University of Sunshine Coast
A pro-active approach to addressing student learning diversity in Engineering Mechanics
University of Wollongong
2011
Australian Maritime College, University of Tasmania, University of Technology, Sydney
Using threshold concepts to generate a new understanding of teaching and learning biology
The University of Sydney
2011
Threshold concepts are concepts central to the mastery of a specific discipline. The project team created a generic model for using these concepts to explore and reflect on student misconceptions and the teaching of troublesome knowledge for use by teachers in biology. Student understanding of the concepts was tested and interventions designed to help improve understanding. A biology teaching package was created along with a generic teaching model and guidelines to assist learning. Project publications and resources are available at the project website.
The University of New South Wales, University of Western Sydney
Go to pages
You are on page 1
goodpractice