Promoting the ALTC Good Practice Reports

As part of the NATA objectives, we are currently working on a strategy to promote the series of Good Practice Reports commissioned by the ALTC to provide a legacy of the project they funded. These reports provide a great deal of valuable information for the sector and can be found at the OLT website. The topics of these completed reports include:

• Assessment of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students (2011)
• Assuring graduate outcomes (2011)
• Blended learning (2011)
• Curriculum renewal (2011)
• Learning and teaching across cultures (2011)
• Revitalising the academic workforce (2012)
• Supporting students’ transition into higher education (2011)
• Technology enhanced learning and teaching (2011)
• Work integrated learning (2011)

At present we are working with the Good Practice Report authors to develop asynchronous resources that will highlight the value of these reports, including how they may be effectively used by practitioners as well as flagging key projects. These resources will take the form of a short 3-5 minute clip (audio over slides) and will be housed both on the OLT website and the NATA blog. We hope to have these resources available to the sector later in 2013.

NATA Research Ethics Approved

Just letting everyone know that the ethics application submitted to USQ titled 'An investigation into network leadership within established Australasian tertiary education associations' has been accepted by the Human Research Ethics Committee.

The Research Aims:

To develop expand understandings in order to:

• Improve the effectiveness of communication and engagement with NATA members at large
• Enable and support network leaders of collaborative partners to encourage collaboration and increase membership engagement
• Review the utilisation of technologies to support best practice in network engagement
• Foster, encourage and support further network-based collaborative initiatives

Research Questions:

1. What network leadership strategies support good practice in leading networks to foster engagement of members in established Australasian Tertiary Education Associations? 
2. What communication strategies, technologies, and approaches support good practice to foster engagement of members in established Australasian Tertiary Education Associations? 
3. What common ground exists between organisations that could provide a basis for collaboration into the future?

Intended Outcomes:

1. Improved understanding of network leadership and network leadership strategies
2. Improved understandings of the types and efficacy of existing communication strategies that are currently in use within HE networks
3. Improved understanding of cross-partner synergies and rationale for continued collaboration
4. Enhanced collaboration and communication within and between participating associations

Exploring the Challenges of Network Leadership in Australasian Tertiary Associations

2012 nov ascilite_nata_symposium from Mike Keppell

Mike and Gordon recently presented a symposium at the ascilite Conference in Wellington, New Zealand. The symposium titled 'Exploring the Challenges of Network Leadership in Australasian Tertiary Associations' attracted a small but engaged audience who provided some critical feedback on the project.

It was interesting to note the lack of awareness and understanding regarding the Good Practice Reports, validating the Network's upcoming activities in promoting their value and use in 2013. If you would like to access the ALTC Good Practice Reports, these are available on the OLT Website. Questions about the value of surveying members of partner associations was also raised, however, the idea of using a small number of targeted questions was seen as an effective way forward. Additionally,  it was suggested that at the end of the funded NATA project a council of partner association representatives be established.

NATA Ethics Proposal Submitted

Just letting everyone know that the ethics proposal for the research component of the NATA has been submitted to USQ (Friday 2nd November) and will be considered at the next ethics committee meeting on Tuesday the 27th of November.

The research questions were modified to reflect the group's ideas put forward at the October meeting.


Research Questions:

1. What network leadership strategies support good practice in leading networks to foster engagement of members in established Australasian Tertiary Education Associations?  
2. What communication strategies, technologies, and approaches support good practice to foster engagement of members in established Australasian Tertiary Education Associations?  
3. What common ground exists between organisations that could provide a basis for collaboration into the future?

Networking and clarifying direction: a platform for action

On behlaf of the NATA project team I would like to thank all of those partners who came along to the NATA meeting in Sydney earlier this month. It was highly beneficial for not only the project, but also the sustainability of the Network to have everyone get together, share ideas and engage in shaping the direction of the Network. I would also like to say a special thanks to Karen Halley for her fantastic work in organising the logistics of the two days.

Please be in touch if you have any questions or would like a copy of the minutes and have not already received them. If you were at the meeting you are likely to have also received the reworked outcomes matrix. As indicated in the email, we would greatly appreciate your feedback on that document by the 9th of November.

NATA Parter Meeting - Tuesday 16th & Wednesday 17th of October

Next Tuesday and Wednesday we will be hosting the second face-to-face partner meeting in Sydney and we look forward to using this as a chance to strengthen network connections, introduce new people to the network and really focus on the network's activities over the coming period.

For those attending please access your dropbox folders to find the most up to date versions of the meeting materials. If you have any travel questions please be in contact with Karen Halley 02 62015176 or  myself for more general queries (nhard@csu.edu.au).

Please note, Mike Keppell has started his new role as the Director of the Digital Futures Institute at the University of Southern Queensland now and can be contacted at mike.keppell@usq.edu.au.

PLANE - Pathways for Learning, Anywhere anytime - a Network for Educators

What is PLANE? . . . . and what can it do for you?

PLANE is an acronym for Pathways for Learning, Anywhere, anytime – a Network for Educators. PLANE is an innovative and fun educator community, networking space and virtual world that provides accredited professional online learning, courses and quests, multi-media resources, ICT skills development, an e-portfolio, collaborative tools, game-based-learning peer coaching and other professional learning opportunities. PLANE is online and accessible anywhere anytime. PLANE is managed by a consortium consisting of the NSW Department of Education and Communities, the Catholic Education Commission NSW, the Association of Independent Schools NSW and the Council of Deans of Education NSW together with industry partners Adobe and Microsoft.

Our Mission:  To utilise cutting edge technology and best practice methodology to ubiquitously empower all educators to learn, create, collaborate, innovate, and transform their teaching practices to, in turn, inspire and enable their own 21st Century students.

For more information on the network or their upcoming national launch on 19-20 Oct at the Seymour Centre in Sydney please visit their website www.plane.edu.au