Lilly Conference Presentation 2014

Sharing learning and teaching experiences:  An Australian perspective on evidence based practice

Friday 21^st Feb, 2:00 – 2:40pm, Palm Room, Lilly Conference, Newport, CA.

 

To download the Presentation Handout click here

 

Abstract

Effectively disseminating the outcomes and experiences of funded learning and teaching projects is a challenge in any learning context. The development and dissemination of 11 Good Practice reports commissioned by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) and the Australian Government’s Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) between 2004 and 2011 illustrate this issue. The reports, written by topic experts collated funded learning and teaching projects, providing findings and recommendations back to the sector. Whilst offering great potential to influence practice through the evidence-based findings, dissemination issues highlighted the problematic nature of sharing learning experiences in a dispersed educational environment.

Active Learning Exercises

Active Learning Exercise 1.

Title: Building understanding of the Good Practice Reports and their relevance to practice.

Aim: Engage in a discussion about the GPRs based around the following 3 questions:

1. Do you feel that the reports offer you valuable insights as an educator which could inform your practice (Yes/No/Why)?
2. If so, how would you use these reports to improve or enhance your learning and teaching practice?
3. Which topics/reports are of most interest to you?

Active Learning Exercise 2.

Title: Challenges and successes in the area of dissemination

Aim: Engage in a discussion about difficulties of dissemination and how they may be overcome or reduced.

Each group will be asked to: 

• Key impediments to the effective sharing of learning and teaching outcomes and experiences. 
• Approaches and strategies, such as the Network of Australasian Tertiary Associations, which might be used to improve the sharing of learning and teaching experiences and outcomes at a range of different levels.

Note: All papers will be collected and a summary of the results will be published here on the NATAonthenet Blog.

Relevant Resources:

Australian Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) / Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) Good Practice Reports available here <http://www.olt.gov.au/resource-library/good-practice-reports>  or as listed below.

• Assessment of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students (2011) Professor John Rice
• Assuring graduate outcomes (2011) Professor Beverley Oliver
• Blended learning (2011)  Professor Helen Partridge
• Clinical Practice (2011)  Professor Robyn Nash
• Curriculum renewal (2011) Dr Bhuva Narayan and Professor Sylvia Edwards
• Innovative Indigenous Teaching and Learning (2013) Professor Nereda White, Dr Jack Frawley, Ms Dang Thi Kim Anh
• Learning and teaching across cultures (2011) Associate Professor Betty Leask
• Revitalising the academic workforce (2012) Dr Deborah Southwell
• Supporting students’ transition into higher education (2011) Professor Trevor Gale, Professor Stephen Parker
• Technology enhanced learning and teaching (2011) Professor Mike Keppell, Associate Professor Gordon Suddaby, Ms Natasha Hard
• Work integrated learning (2011) Professor Janice Orrell

Gannaway, D., Hinton, T., Berry, B. & Moore, K. (2011). A review of the dissemination strategies used by projects funded by the ALTC Grants Scheme. Sydney: Australian Learning and Teaching  Council. <http://www.olt.gov.au/system/files/resources/PP9-1591%20UQ%20Gannaway%20D-Cubed%20Final%20report%202011.pdf>.

Please be in touch if you have any questions, Natasha.Hard@usq.edu.au 

Understanding good practice – key lessons from the ALTC / OLT Good Practice Reports

The NATA webinar on the Technology-enhanced Learning and Teaching (TEL) Good Practice report as well as the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Good Practice Report was conducted on Tuesday the 10th of December. A recording of the webinar can be accessed here for those who are interested but were unable to attend on the day.

On behalf of the NATA team I would like to thank Professor Janice Orrell for making the time to present on her WIL Good Practice Report, Professor Mike Keppel for leading the webinar and discussing the TEL Good Practice Report, Kim Edgar from NetSpot for her work in putting the webinar together and managing the technical side of things and lastly to all those who participated.

Please watch this space on the NATA blog to view the GPR eResources as they are finalised and made available here shortly. If you have any further questions on the GPRs, WIL, TEL, NATA or the eResources please feel free to contact me Natasha.Hard@usq.edu.au

Webinar: Understanding good practice – key lessons from the ALTC / OLT Good Practice Reports

On the 10^th of December 2013 at 12:00pm AEDT, NATA will launch the Good Practice Report eResources developed as part of its strategy to promote the ALTC / OLT Good Practice Reports. The one hour webinar to be hosted by Netspot aims to raise awareness of the Good Practice Reports (GPRs) and how they potentially offer value to the Australasian tertiary education sector. Moreover, the Launch will provide the occasion for the first presentation of several of the GPR eResources developed by the NATA in collaboration with the report authors.

By adopting the form of voice over slides, these eResources aim to convey key material in a more concise and engaging way than the traditional report format. Thus, in adopting this design it is hoped that some of the normal barriers to educators engaging with these reports may be removed or at least reduced.

The process of collaboration with report authors was considered critical in maintaining a strong authorly voice and ensuring that the key messages were captured and communicated. In maintaining this connection with the authors throughout this process, select authors involved in the development of two of the eResources will speak during the launch, expanding the discussion beyond the material covered in the eResource to look at the context, value of their report and work to the sector and how both the report and the eResource may best be used to improve practice.

What: NATA GPR Webinar titled “Understanding good practice – key lessons from the ALTC / OLT Good Practice Reports”

Where: Webinar (online) Link to be sent to registered participants

When: 10th December 2013, 12:00pm AEDT, 11:30am ACDT, 11:00am AEST, 9:00am AWST, 2:00pm NZDT

Key Speakers: Professor Mike Keppell & Professor Janice Orrell

Register your attendance today

To Register: Please send an email to Natasha Hard (Natasha.Hard@usq.edu.au) with the subject ‘NATA GPR Webinar’.

Links to the completed eResources will be placed on the NATA blog following the Webinar Launch. For more information about the Launch and NATA’s role in disseminating the ALTC / OLT Good Practice Reports, please visit the NATA Blog: http://nataonthenet.blogspot.mx/p/altc-good-practice-reports.html

The completed Good Practice Reports can be accessed on the OLT webpage: http://www.olt.gov.au/resource-library/good-practice-reports

Natasha Louise Hard

Project Manager & Research Assistant

Australian Digital Futures Institute - ADFI | University of Southern Queensland

Toowoomba | Queensland | 4350 | Australia

Ph: +61 2 8006 6928 | Skype: natasha.hard | Webpage: www.nataonthenet.blogspot.com.au

Email: natasha.hard@usq.edu.au

The NATA Event Update - Session 1: NATA activities and achievements

The NATA Event was held on Wednesday the 6th of November at the University of Queensland. The Event invited interested parties to come along, learn a bit more about NATA and contribute to discussions about sectoral issues and the future direction of the NATA. There was approximately 30 face-to-face attendees from a range of NATA stakeholder groups including ACODE, ascilite, CADAD, HERDSA, ODLAA, AARNet, Netspot and the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT). Session 1 began with a recount of the development and journey of the NATA before highlighting some of the key activities it is undertaking. These different activities are touched upon below.

1. Firstly, the NATA's work in disseminating the OLT/ALTC Good Practice Reports (GPR) was discussed. The process of collaborating with the report authors to develop the eResorces which aim to encapsulate the essence of the GPRs in a shorter and more engaging video format was highlighted in particular. These eResources are to be launched in December and will be made available here on the NATA blog.

The full collection of ALTC/OLT Good Practice Reports can be found here on the OLT website.

2. The NATA research into Network Leadership was also profiled with the 12 Principles for good practice in Network Leadership showcased for the first time.

3. It was also the first time many people were able to witness the full scope of the NATA Partner Projects. Representatives from each of the 5 relevant partner associations provided a short presentation on their project which highlighted the intended value for the NATA and NATA partners. A selection of slides can be found below, however, more details about each of the projects can be found here on the NATA blog.

Presented by Ric Canale (ACODE) "Engaging Network Members: A NATA case study of a Contemporary Tertiary Sector Issue".

Presented by Liz Greener (ascilite) "Guide to support and advance network engagement for members of professional associations and networks in the digital age".

Presented by Trish McCluskey and Kylie Readman (CADAD) "Social media as a communication enhancement strategy".

Presented by Shelda Debowski (HERDSA) "Leading Academic Networks".

Presented by Som Naidu (ODLAA) "Ubiquity online".

This one hour session was streamed live online so that those unable to attend in-person could still be engaged with the event. The recording of the session is now available to view online at the following link: http://new.livestream.com/accounts/4931571/events/2522241

More details about the other sessions of the event as well as event outcomes will be published on the NATA blog in the coming days. If you have any specific questions please be in touch (nataonthenet@gmail.com).