This is a final report for a 1997-1998 National Teaching Development Grant funded by the Committee for University Teaching and Staff Development. The report details the GATS project and provides justification and educational rationale its development.
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.
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8 resources found for ‘alignment’.
Taking clinical psychology postgraduate training into the next decade: aligning competencies to the curriculum
Swinburne University of Technology
2011
The University of Queensland
Engineering Science and Practice: Alignment and Synergies in Curriculum Innovation
The University of Queensland
2009
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
Quality assessment: linking assessment tasks and teaching outcomes in the social sciences: Final Report
The University of Newcastle
2009
The report uses the concept of ‘authentic pedagogy’, which has been developed from earlier work. This purports to measure demonstration of disciplinary depth, depth of analysis, richness of communication and the extent to which problematic nature of knowledge is recognised. The report is dense but well referenced and examines correlation between assessment tasks and standards, as well as providing an ‘audit’ of the quality of assessment tasks. It suggests that it provides explicit criteria which lecturers can use to measure specific achievement in their subject area. The sample size is small and self selected; all are in social sciences, except for the odd inclusion of languages. The results are statistically analysed to ensure validity, although the variance may be questionable.
The assessment task quality descriptors provide a useful framework for those designing assessment tasks although the meta-language criterion is, in the reviewers view, tied to the philosophical underpinnings and may confuse those unfamiliar with it or provide an issue for those who do not accept this stance. The strength of the report lies in the clarity with which the descriptors and the authentic achievement scales are described and in the examples which are included in the report. The results of the study usefully show that tasks which are intellectually challenging and engaging produce work which is consistent with broad academic standards (although these are not defined). The approach using a variety of inputs, including workshops, development of a tertiary assessment practice guide and scoring manual make this a much needed additional resource which could assist in improving assessment in universities in the Social Sciences. Its complexity and less obvious applicability for assessment in the humanities may make it less accessible for some academics.
Quality assessment: linking assessment tasks and teaching outcomes in the social sciences
The University of Newcastle
2009
The framework is diagrammatically portrayed as a circle with the elements of the previously developed Assessment characteristics as the inner circle and a range of factors identified as Student Support and Significance as the outer circle. The purpose of the framework is to enable academics to have increased support in assessment task design. It is located in a philosophy of social constructivism, which needs to be recognised by those using the framework and while generalisable, it is likely to be of particular interest to those teaching in the social sciences. The instructions on the use of the guide are clear, which allows for easy navigation. Explanations and definitions are given of each of the elements of the model and suggestions for the improvement of tasks provide assistance for those coming to assessment de novo. There may be some scepticism about the characteristic of meta-language but it is a useful debate to have, given that it is more particular to education than some other social sciences. The material on significance also is embedded in the philosophical approach and it provides important material on understanding what students bring to learning and how this intersects with assessment. This, together with the Student Support material, brings strengths to the model which are often not considered by academics but which are vital to ensure authentic learning. Explicit quality criteria, high expectations and student direction articulate those areas of assessment which frequently are not considered by academics, to the frustration of students. The elaborations and suggestions for academics are a real strength of this model. The report provides pro forma and samples which add to the value of the resource.
Experiential learning in sociology: the grounded assignment and tutorial system (GATS) approach
James Cook University
1997
Assessment policy and impact on practice: sharpening the policy review process in Australian universities
The University of Queensland
2011
Recent changes to institutional assessment policies have sought to align content, intended outcomes, pedagogies and assessment practices. This project developed a set of practical guidelines for reviewing and analysing assessment policies in Australian universities. The report focused upon assessment policy review and analysis as a process, and a framework for review of learning and teaching policy was developed.
Peer Review of Teaching in Australian Higher Education
The University of Melbourne
2009
While there is growing interest in peer review of teaching in the Australian higher education sector, the level of awareness and expertise is variable. Some institutions have established processes in place. At other institutions involvement is variable in approach and tends to be localised to particular faculties or departments. The team believes the challenge in improving the uptake and effectiveness of peer review of teaching is largely a policy one at the level of individual institutions. This project will create a new, easy-to-use set of resources to assist institutions to effectively implement policies and programs for the peer review of teaching. A key feature of this project will be the development of a distinctive approach to peer review of teaching that embodies an Australian conception of the scholarship of teaching and that aligns with existing national initiatives for enhancing learning and teaching in higher education.
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