Closing the Loop 2008

Program: Teaching Skills Development session –
Semester 1, 2008

These workshops were held on 15th & 22nd February 2008
Sessions: 2
Completions: 44
Respondents: 37

• 100 % of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that the course was well organised
• 97% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they now have a better understanding of learning and teaching
• 83% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they did not anticipate any barriers to using what they had learnt
• 94% of respondents would agree or strongly agree to recommend the TSD program to other tutors

Participants indicated a high level of satisfaction with materials, content and presenters.  Participants found the strategies to engage the class very useful and had a better understanding of cultural diversity.  ‘The course reinforced much of what I had already experienced and showed me some new ways to improve my teaching performance.’

Program: Teaching Skills Development session –
Semester 2, 2008

This workshop was held on 1st August 2008
Completions: 20
Respondents 19

Participants indicated a very high level of satisfaction with the content, presenters and materials provided at the workshop.  Managing cultural diversity and encouraging academic integrity was also well received.  It was agreed that the role playing helped people get involved and their improve teaching techniques as well as structure their tutorials.

• 100 % of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that the course was well organised
• 100% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they now have a better understanding of learning and teaching
• 100% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that they did not anticipate any barriers to using what they had learnt
• 100% of respondents would agree or strongly agree to recommend the TSD program to other tutors

Program: Workshop for Laboratory Demonstrators –
Semester 1, 2008

Participants found the open forum style of the workshop very useful and offered insights into the way people learn.  The presenters also suggested innovate ways to demonstrate to students through videos and other activites.

• 100% of respondents agree or strongly agree that the workshop was a worthwhile experience
• 96% of respondents agree or strongly agree that it was pitched at the right level
• 96% of respondents agree or strongly agree that the level of interaction and discussion was appropriate
  
  

Program: Workshop for Laboratory Demonstrators –
Semester 2, 2008

This workshop was held on 13th August 2008
Completions: 7
Respondents: 7

The participants appreciated the interactive approach by the presenters and the engaging activities for teaching and learning.  They also found the instructions on assessment techniques very useful.

• 100% of respondents agree or strongly agree that the workshop was a worthwhile experience
• 100% of respondents agree or strongly agree that it was pitched at the right level
• 100% of respondents agree or strongly agree that the level of interaction and discussion was appropriate
  
  

Program: Academic Work Matters - 2008

Academic Work Matters is a series of academic staff development seminars that offer a wide range of topics relevant to academic work. The Academic Staff Development staff draw on expertise from various schools and areas within the university.

The aim of the sessions is to share experiences and expertise across the university that may influence and affect various aspects of academic work.

There were 39 sessions held in 2008 with an overall total of 634 attendees.  The sessions covered a variety of topics and were generally held during lunchtime in semester time and some all day sessions during the non-teaching weeks where visiting presenters were invited to speak to our staff.

Program: Tertiary Teaching Course - 2008

Semester 1 - Completions:  13
Semester 2 - Completions:  7

In 2008, 20 staff completed the online Tertiary Teaching Course (TTC). This online course was offered in both semesters during the year.  Early in 2009, the staff who completed the TTC in 2008, were asked to provided feedback and 7 agreed and their responses are summarised below.

The staff were exposed to a wide range of teaching and learning theories, and ‘best practice’ for developing learning activities and assessments.  Participants felt the development of their teaching portfolio during the Course was very practical and helpful for promotion within tertiary education.

Respondents identified that they felt more confident when attempting innovative teaching methods and found the student-centred learning aspects of the course very useful.  The course also emphasised the relationship between working from where the students are at, rather than where they need to be, which was very useful. 

One respondent found the online course unsatisfactory as ‘it did not enable people with different learning styles to gain as much as they might from the course’.  In response to this feedback, we have organised more face-to-face meetings to develop ideas and clarify understanding of relevant issues in future courses. 

Program: Women in Leadership Development – 2008

• to assist academic women in strengthening their professional profiles;

• to assist academic women to position themselves more effectively for scholarly advancement, including publications and grants; and

• to build a community/ies of women scholars.

The sessions were run on either a half-day or full day basis, by on-campus and off-campus presenters.  Some sessions were run in non-teaching weeks to enable more staff to attend.

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