Showing papers in "Journal of university teaching and learning practice in 2005"

Challenging The Primacy Of Lectures:The Dissonance Between Theory And Practice In University Teaching

Abstract: Current practice in universities foregrounds the traditional lecture, tutorial, examination approach to teaching. The nature of currently-accepted practice in course design and administration is considered through an examination of the influence on universities of historical views about knowledge. These findings are contrasted with current research about learning and learning environments, and the dissonances explored in terms of the concepts of theory-in-use and espoused theory. Recommendations are then made about appropriate ways to design educationally-sound learning environments in higher education. Finally, this paper questions why lectures are largely viewed as the core of the learning process, and why university teaching and learning practices continue to be resistant to, and often inconsistent with, fundamental principles of learning developed through sustained scholarly enquiry.

Teaching Research Method Using a Student-Centred Approach? Critical Reflections on Practice.

Abstract: This article presents a reflective case study analysis of an attempt to enhance student learning through the introduction of student-centred teaching methods in a masters-level social research methods subject. The introduction of a range of specific techniques, including case study teaching, problem based learning, groupwork, role-play and simulation, is reflected upon. The article concludes that the re-orientation of the curriculum toward student-centredness in this case had a positive effect on student performance, learning experience and subject evaluation. In particular, the use of student-centred techniques facilitated a strong social context for learning, and provided students with a common experiential framework from which to explore the technical aspects of the curriculum. However, the analysis also found that students continued to place value on more formal teaching methods, and that the value of student-centred techniques in this case rested in the way in which they were integrated with more didactic teaching practice. This journal article is available in Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice: http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol2/iss2/3 Teaching Research Method Using a Student-Centred Approach? Critical Reflections on Practice

A Study into the Effects of eLearning on Higher Education

Abstract: The Internet is a technological development that has the potential to change not only the way society retains and accesses knowledge but also to transform and restructure traditional models of higher education, particularly the delivery and interaction in and with course materials and associated resources Utilising the Internet to deliver eLearning initiatives has created expectations both in the business market and in higher education institutions Indeed, eLearning has enabled universities to expand on their current geographical reach, to capitalise on new prospective students and to establish themselves as global educational providers This paper examines the issues surrounding the implementation of eLearning into higher education, including the structure and delivery of higher education, the implications to both students and lecturers and the global impact on society This journal article is available in Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice: http://rouoweduau/jutlp/vol2/iss1/3 Journa l o f Un ivers i t y Teach ing and Learn ing Prac t i ce A Study Into The Effects Of eLearning On Higher Education

Land and Discover! A Case Study Investigating the Cultural Context of Plagiarism

Abstract: Despite a growing body of evidence, the common causal factors of plagiarism among international students are still widely seen to be poor language skills or a lack of academic integrity on the part of the students. This research uses the experiences of a particular cohort of students to explore these assumptions. It investigates and compares the notion of academic integrity and the understanding of plagiarism of both Indian postgraduate students who are currently studying in Australia and students currently studying at Indian universities. Postgraduate international students from India have studied in English at an undergraduate level in India and have a clear understanding of academic integrity in their own context. However their undergraduate experience occurs in a culturally different context to that of the Australian university system and they face the challenge of learning new academic conventions. This paper argues that students coming from different educational cultures require proper and explicit induction into the principles and philosophy behind many western academic conventions as different conventions of scholarship in the Australian education system can create unique difficulties for them. To accuse international students in general of a lack of integrity because they plagiarise or to blame only their lack of language skills for plagiarising seems to be arguable. Rather, the impact of transition from a different university culture without explicit academic skills orientation and instruction needs to be addressed. The paper also points towards the paradox of punishment in western universities where international students have to prove their integrity and innocence regarding the ethical principles of a new and foreign culture. This journal article is available in Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice: http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol2/iss3/8 Journa l o f Un iver s i t y Teach ing and Learn ing Prac t i ce McGowan Land and Discover! A Case Study Investigating the Cultural Context of Plagiarism

Turnitin.com: Teachers’ Perspectives of Anti-Plagiarism Software in Raising Issues of Educational Integrity

Abstract: Issues of academic plagiarism in educational institutions are often played out in the public arena Media reports that ‘scandals’ occur in universities where plagiarism has gone undetected, or unpunished can undermine public faith in the academic integrity of higher education Antiplagiarism software has been successfully marketed to universities as a means through which to detect and deter plagiarism One commercially available product, Turnitin, has been embraced and implemented in many educational settings around the globe Although Turnitin has been heralded as an effective measure to combat plagiarism, little empirical research has been undertaken to examine user perceptions of its effectiveness This paper details a site-specific case study which explores the perspectives of seven teachers across five faculties at South-Coast University1 about the effectiveness and usability of Turnitin The findings indicate that Turnitin assists in detecting passages where text matches other sources However, the software does not indicate whether plagiarism has occurred or not That remains the decision of the teacher Additionally, such software should not be considered a panacea for plagiarism Students still require explicit teaching of the concept of textual attribution, often with subject-specific examples to understand acknowledgement conventions within academia This journal article is available in Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice: http://rouoweduau/jutlp/vol2/iss3/10 Jour na l o f Un ive rs i t y Teach ing and Lear n ing Pr ac t i ce Mc Go wa n Turnitincom: Teachers’ Perspectives of Anti-Plagiarism Software in Raising Issues of Educational Integrity Wendy Sutherland-Smith

Scaffolding Academic Integrity: Creating a Learning Context for Teaching Referencing Skills

Abstract: Methods of detecting plagiarism and teaching skills relating to the use of secondary sources are matters of increasing contention within academia. The project presented in this paper melds the use of a detection tool (Turnitin) with a multi-strategy educational programme. The results show that using percentage of secondary sources usage as an indicator of plagiarism is unreliable, that a one-on-one tutor clinic may be an useful part of any educational programme, and that students’ inability to reference correctly may be based on an inadequate understanding of the process of academic writing, rather than a misunderstanding of the conventions. This suggests that students would benefit from interactive teaching or teaching materials which focus on the process of using secondary sources, rather than teaching which focuses solely on definition of terms and conventions of secondary source usage. This journal article is available in Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice: http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol2/iss3/3 Scaffolding Academic Integrity: Creating a Learning Context for Teaching Referencing Skills

Academic Integrity: An Awareness and Development Issue for Students and Staff.

Abstract: University plagiarism policies aimed at assuring academic integrity provide for increased vigilance and disciplinary procedures to deal with transgressions. Many policies also include guidelines to teaching staff to ensure that students are adequately informed about the meaning of plagiarism and its consequences, and about methods of citing within the particular referencing system in use. However, the experience of academic advising has indicated that receiving such information is insufficient for students who, for a variety of reasons, inadvertently lapse into plagiarism. This is particularly the case for international students for whom English is a second or additional language. A simple and not excessively timeconsuming strategy is proposed for academics to ensure that students have the opportunity to learn not only the mechanics of what they are required to do, but also the reasons for the requirements and assistance in learning the language for fulfilling these requirements. The strategy involves, firstly, the induction of students into the concept of evidence-based learning as the essential characteristic of university learning, teaching and research, and secondly, the application of a tool such as genre analysis for mastering the language of their discipline. This is an awareness and development issue that is particularly important for international students whose time within the Englishspeaking Australian university environment may be limited to three or four years. The proposed strategy has the potential of becoming a powerful mechanism for reducing the incidence of inadvertent plagiarism, as well as raising the overall standard of written work for an increasing range of students. This journal article is available in Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice: http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol2/iss3/6 Jour na l o f Un ive rs i t y Teach ing and Lear n ing Pr ac t i ce Academic Integrity: An Awareness and Development Issue for Students and Staff

The Concept of Integrity in Teaching and Learning

Abstract: In this paper it is argued that the concept of integrity in a person, or an activity, or an institution, is intimately connected with notions of wholeness and completeness, and that the creation of integrity consists in developing an awareness of the possibility of greater wholeness and completeness, and in creating environments in which they may occur. In a manner analogous to ethical integrity, integrity in inquiry, knowledge learning and teaching is seen as arising from a preparedness to submit oneself to a larger intellectual whole, in which one might say that individual preference is secondary to a “transcending state of affairs”. Some suggestions are made to help towards progressing the ideals of integrity in teaching and learning, with some discussion in relation to specific disciplines.

Using an Electronic Text-Matching Tool (Turnitin) to Detect Plagiarism in a New Zealand University

Abstract: This paper is concerned with reporting the experience and findings of staff using a commercially-available textmatching tool (Turnitin) to detect plagiarism in a university setting in New Zealand. The use of actual instances of plagiarism revealed through Turnitin in a teaching department is a departure from the more usual selfreporting methodology used in many plagiarism research papers. The paper concludes by asking questions of the implications for institutions, teaching staff and students. This journal article is available in Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice: http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol2/iss3/7 Jour na l o f Un ive rs i t y Teach ing and Lear n ing Pr ac t i ce Mc Go wa n Using an Electronic Text-Matching Tool (Turnitin) to Detect Plagiarism in a New Zealand University

The PhD in Writing Accompanied by an Exegesis.

Abstract: The position of this paper is to further the discussion on what constitutes academic assessment in the PhD by artefact and exegesis. In doing so, it explores some of the ideas that arose in setting up the PhD in creative writing at Swinburne University of Technology. Thus, I: • survey some of the questions that arise about the journeys made by the candidate, supervisor and examiner of the PhD in creative writing; • introduce discussion about what constitutes academic knowledge with particular reference to the PhD in writing at Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale Campus; • bring to the fore multiple possibilities in understanding possible conceptualizations of legitimate scholarly, intellectual and cultural research; and • survey some ideas about research and/as creativity. In doing so, I provide the basis for discussion of the dynamic nature of research, and situate this discussion within the framework of assessment. This journal article is available in Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice: https://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol2/ iss1/5 Journa l o f Un iver s i t y Teach ing and Learn ing Prac t i ce The PhD In Writing Accompanied By An Exegesis Josie Arnold Swinburne University of Technology jarnold@swin.edu.au Abstract The position of this paper is to further the discussion on what constitutes academic assessment in the PhD by artefact and exegesis. In doing so, it explores some of the ideas that arose in setting up the PhD in creative writing at Swinburne University of Technology. Thus, I:The position of this paper is to further the discussion on what constitutes academic assessment in the PhD by artefact and exegesis. In doing so, it explores some of the ideas that arose in setting up the PhD in creative writing at Swinburne University of Technology. Thus, I: • survey some of the questions that arise about the journeys made by the candidate, supervisor and examiner of the PhD in creative writing; • introduce discussion about what constitutes academic knowledge with particular reference to the PhD in writing at Swinburne University of Technology, Lilydale Campus; • bring to the fore multiple possibilities in understanding possible conceptualizations of legitimate scholarly, intellectual and cultural research; and • survey some ideas about research and/as creativity. In doing so, I provide the basis for discussion of the dynamic nature of research, and situate this discussion within the framework of assessment. Th e Ph D In C re a t i v e W r i t i n g Ac c o mp a n i ed B y A n E x eg e s i s J o s i e A r n o l d Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice 37 Introduction ‘What is this thing we call a PhD?’ When I began mine, I was astounded that there seemed to be a sort of dogged dedication to the necessity not only of doing the research and writing it up, but also of discovering the shape and size of the undertaking. It is this area of structure and its relationship to substance that I want to address here. Furthermore, I want to embed it in something that seems to me only to have recently entered most academics’ consciousness: the students’ journeys. The end-point of these PhD journeys is to satisfy the assessors. Assessment too often drives curriculum, students, academics and even what we define as knowledge. The PhD journey is one from a possibly tentative question to a thetic production that must be assessed both in itself and as meeting University Regulations and the expectations of the Academy. The structure of the PhD is not easily understood. The journey is not well-mapped, or rather the terrain of structural discovery is perhaps seen as some outward-bound struggle that the candidate must first discover and then overcome. Surely, establishing a research question, adding something new to knowledge in the area, reading prodigiously of academic literature, collecting data, and writing up is a large enough task in itself without also having to discover elements of the structure of the PhD. There are, of course, many books about how to do it, but they seem to me to be too often rather didactic and/or lacking any insight into the curriculum aspects of any learning undertaking. Thinking about the PhD as a writer ‘facing the blank page’, invigorated my thinking about the relationship of the supervisors, the students, and examiners. I was very aware of the dead hand of conventions upon the structure of the thesis and at the same time unable to get a very clear and precise picture of the elements of those conventions as they apply to the elements of the creative artefact and the exegesis. This paper is directed at enabling discussion upon issues such as those surveyed by Scrivener (2000) on how: ‘... theory and practice become inextricably linked and mutually dependent.’ (p.1). It acts to take research into practical production into the domain of scholarship and to bring traditional PhD models into the domain of creativity. As such, it proposes that a new and dynamic understanding of the intellectual and cultural debates regarding knowledge can be addressed without subordinating one model to another. Both concern themselves, as Scrivener says, with ‘...a problem [that] is found, defined and followed through to the realisation of the solution’ (p.1). Furthermore, it endeavours to act to provide a space for us to explore his suggestion that: ‘...the term research is not an absolute...it is socially constructed and its meaning shifts depending on the community using the term. (p.1) This exploration takes us beyond the prescriptions of the ‘norms’ that have developed for the PhD production. It reminds us that such ‘norms’ can be restrictive. This restriction can be seen to apply not only to the nature of the acceptable models of PhD, but also to the dynamism of the creative PhD process even within such traditional modes, for nothing in knowledge production and exploration can be static. Indeed, the PhD must make a new contribution to knowledge even within the ‘norm’. Clearly new contributions to knowledge can sit outside the ‘norm’ while remaining within the scholarly discourse: maybe particularly within that discourse if we are to enable knowledge to expand and develop within the Academy. If we can look at research in a more dynamic way, we may be able to resolve what Kroll (2004) calls ‘the schizophrenic nature’ (p.1) of the two attributes of the PhD in writing: the artefact and the exegesis. Indeed this model of the ‘hybrid’ thesis need not be perceived as applicable only to this model itself. It is true that a multi-layered discourse becomes evident in the artefact/exegesis model of the PhD, but it is also from a postmodernist perspective an intrinsic element of any text and hence of the traditional PhD. This perspective enables the traditional thetic discourse to be challenged as a structure that both defines and holds in but also restricts and places structure over substance. Th e Ph D In C re a t i v e W r i t i n g Ac c o mp a n i ed B y A n E x eg e s i s J o s i e A r n o l d Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice 38 The Hybrid PhD Structure Envisaging the PhD as a place of contestation in structure as well as substance enables the academic world to do more than validate a pro-forma or templated PhD model. Rather it opens up for consideration a multi-layered discourse that draws together practicum and the academe into an artistscholar nexus/praxis. This is rather more than a struggle between the validated and the new: it also provides an opportunity to attempt to describe the new. A traditional PhD is no less an ‘authorial announcement’ (Kroll 2004. p.4) than an exegesis. Therein too, ‘...writers reveal their personalities as well as their methodologies’, even if rather more indirectly and more decently clothed in tradition. However, taking Barthes’s (1977) axiom that the author as god is dead and the reader empowered as the co-writer, we understand that it’s as applicable to any mode of thetic discourse. It could be asserted that it’s most applicable to the traditional mode. The Academy is by its very nature traditionalist and hence conservative. The paradox that energises it is that it also seeks to add significant and original contributions to knowledge, particularly through the PhD process of a major research project and its publication (substance). New modes of presenting this (structure) are also of value within the Academy, although more problematic to it. The elements of creative production (artefact) and academic research can readily be seen as complementary but different. The relationship between the two elements is always controversial and personal. Together they are accepted as knowledge, yet the academic element is too often regarded as a legitimising component. Although there appears to be acceptance of doctoral writing in many forms (Richardson 1990), the debate between traditional academic practice and the form of the exegesis is far from over. For example, Milich and Schilo (2004) suggest that basing both the exegesis and the ‘artefact’ on a research question enables the relationship between the two elements to result in academic writing that is complementary to the creative component. This, they argue, enables the candidate to display a profound knowledge of the research area and makes clear new contributions, understandings and insights into it. This seems to be an incredibly stilted and excessively definitive model that subsumes the creative component into academic research model verification practices. What they describe as the uneasy relationship between the creative component and the academic might better be seen as the energising moment of writing an openly multi-layered text. How the PhD candidate achieves this is a necessary part of the substance of the work that becomes clear through the structure of the exegesis as a parallel work. Clearly, the debate between ‘academic writing’ and ‘the other’ is far from over and for many people s

Internationalisation Of The Curriculum: Putting Theory Into Practice In A Physiotherapy Program

Abstract: Increasing numbers of international students studying health sciences in Australia necessitates research into appropriate ways to support cultural diversity in teaching. International students commonly face problems in adapting to culturally different education and health care systems and this complicates the development of the discipline specific skills that they have come to learn. This paper presents a curriculum review of a course, titled ‘Language and Communication in Physiotherapy’ in a Physiotherapy Masters Program for international students. The aim was to redevelop the course to better align with principles of internationalisation of the curriculum, seeking to ensure that the course did not follow a deficit model of meeting international students’ needs. A philosophical shift was considered by staff and led to a revision of course aims, content and assessment. Instead of viewing students as having ‘gaps’ in understanding or skills that needed to be patched up in order to fit Australian norms, it was considered that the chief aim of the course was to foster the development of cultural competence. Course changes made as an outcome of the review were evaluated and the outcomes suggest that some of the changes were successful, whilst others require further development. The process of reflective practice followed in undertaking this review was helpful not only in devising course content and assessment changes useful to students’ learning, but also in advancing the cultural competence of teachers involved in the course. This journal article is available in Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice: http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol2/iss1/4 Journa l o f Un iver s i t y Teach ing and Learn ing Prac t i ce Internationalisation Of The Curriculum: Putting Theory Into Practice In A Physiotherapy Program

A Rheme of One’s Own: How ‘Original’ do we Expect Students to be?

Abstract: Current discussions of plagiarism in the university have taken something of a criminological turn. At the same time, there is a tendency to focus on technological solutions. Against these trends, we argue that plagiarism remains, fundamentally, a philosophical and pedagogical issue for universities, related to understanding the meaning of originality and using sources for different disciplines. Toward this goal we place the notion of originality in its historical and disciplinary contexts, and question the view that it is a natural and universal quality of good writing. The practice of assessing undergraduate students on their ability to produce ‘original’ texts depends on a notion of originality that is unstable and uncertain. We examine a sample of statements about originality given to students and explore the nature of the demands placed on student writers in the internationalised university. Keywords: Plagiarism, originality, writing practices, using sources, diversity.

Student Perceptions of a Trial of Electronic Text Matching Software: A Preliminary Investigation.

Abstract: It is accepted that using electronic detection methods has benefits within an overall strategy to promote academic integrity in an institution. Little attention has been paid to obtaining student perceptions to evaluate the cost/benefit of using such methods. This study reports on the evaluation of a trial of Turnitin software. 728 students responded to a survey about their thoughts on plagiarism and being involved in the trial. This study found that students were generally unsure about the benefits and whether the university should use the software. In particular, two groups of students showed significant differences to the rest of the students sampled. While Non English Speaking Background (NESB) students reported higher levels of perceived usefulness of the software, they also reported higher levels of anxiety about the impact on them. Law students reported lower levels of perceived usefulness of the software and higher levels of concern and mistrust. The impact of such perceptions on the learning environment needs to be investigated. Special attention may be needed in introducing such software to different groups of students in order to limit possible deleterious effects and enhance potential benefits. S t u d e n t P e r c e p t i o n s o f a T r i a l o f E l e c t ro n i c T e x t M a t ch i n g S o f t w a r e : A P r e l i m i n a r y I n v e s t i g a t i o n D . Gr e en , I . L i nd e ma nn , K . Marsh a l l a nd G . Wi l k in s on Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice 26 Introduction Promoting academic integrity has become a major focus in universities in recent times. Universities are expected to minimise plagiarism, collusion and cheating to maintain academic standards. Many authors have argued that in order to minimise plagiarism and collusion within a university, a range of strategies need to be implemented. A general culture of academic integrity needs to be engendered across all levels of the university; students need to be taught referencing and writing skills and be given the opportunity to practice these; academics need to design courses which reduce opportunities for plagiarism and collusion; policy needs to be reviewed and applied in a way which is workable and ensures students are treated fairly and consistently; and detection methods need to be applied (McCabe, Klebe Trevino et al. 2001; Carroll 2002; James, McInnis et al. 2002; Allan, Callagher et al. 2005). In order to address these strategies, Flinders University is currently undertaking an integrated Academic Integrity Management Strategy (AIMS) project (Flinders University 2005; Evans and Green 2005) which has 4 overlapping elements: • Student education • Staff education • Policy review • Trial of electronic detection methods The student education element involves the development of an online learning package which helps students understand academic integrity, explains its benefits, gives information about referencing and working together, and gives examples and practice questions to aid understanding. An online test will also be available. The staff education aspect aims to inform staff of the educative, and therefore preventative, aspects of the overall strategy. This includes how to educate students about academic integrity, how to design courses and set meaningful assessment tasks which minimise opportunities for plagiarism and collusion, and how to model academic integrity in teaching. A policy review is being undertaken to ensure workable, consistent and fair policies are in place across the institution. The focus of this paper is on the trial of electronic detection methods. It was decided that the electronic text matching software, Turnitin was to be trialled on a limited multi-department basis in Semester 1, 2005 and a cost benefit analysis carried out to establish whether the university should purchase an ongoing license for the software. Turnitin is produced by a private US based company and compares submitted assignments against a database which includes archived copies of portions of the Internet, other students’ assignments and some of the ProQuest database. Originality reports are generated which identify the degree to which the assignment matches the content of the database (Turnitin 2005). The trial is being overseen by a management group chaired by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) and consisting of general and academic staff, as well as the General Secretary and the Academic Rights Officer of the Students' Association. Students involved in the trial were given access to the online materials developed for students as part of AIMS and were informed in detail about the purpose of the trial. An educative, rather than a punitive approach was emphasised, where students could read their own originality reports and resubmit assignments. The term “text matching software” was used to emphasise what the software does, not for how it might be used. It was stressed to students that judgement of plagiarism was an academic decision, not a technological one. S t u d e n t P e r c e p t i o n s o f a T r i a l o f E l e c t ro n i c T e x t M a t ch i n g S o f t w a r e : A P r e l i m i n a r y I n v e s t i g a t i o n D . Gr e en , I . L i nd e ma nn , K . Marsh a l l a nd G . Wi l k in s on Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice 27 The introduction of text matching software has many perceived benefits. These include a deterrent effect, detection of plagiarism, an educational benefit in fostering proper acknowledgment practices and ensuring institutional reputation (James, McInnis et al. 2002; Martin 2004). James et al. (2002) indicates that “installing highly visible procedures for monitoring and detecting cheating” (p. 37) should be a major strategy for ensuring fairness in minimising plagiarism. Benefits discussed in the literature appear to reflect organisational and staff perspectives, with limited reference to student views. The cost of the implementation of such software is relatively straightforward. License, time and administration costs in implementation and training and support can all be quantified. What tends to be overlooked, but could also be thought of as a cost, is the impact of the introduction of these methods on the learning environment, including the levels of trust and anxiety (Bedford St. Martins 2001; Briggs 2003; Ottawa Citizen 2003, Edmonton Journal 2003, as cited in Martin 2004). Martin (2004) warns that “there may be serious negative effects of compulsory checking; especially reduced trust” (p.6). While this warning appears well founded, there has been little effort to measure this effect. The few that have studied this perception, report a range of acceptance from disinterest, to considerable concern, to outright hostility (Chester 2001, Freewood 2001, as cited in Carroll 2002; Gulik and Tippin 2004). Flinders University has a strong culture of respecting the views of students. This paper reports on one aspect of the evaluation of Flinders University trial of Turnitin, where students’ thoughts on plagiarism, and their perceptions of being involved in the trial were investigated before they had used the software. A post-survey is currently being conducted to establish how these attitudes and views may have changed over the period of the trial.

Learning and Language: Supporting Group Work So Group Work Supports Learning

Abstract: This paper reports on developments in teaching and learning for first year employment relations students at the University of Wollongong based on creating conditions of learning informed by Vygotsky’s ‘zone of proximal development’ theory. Essentially, this meant emphasising collaborative learning (group work) in the lecture theatre and in assessment tasks to provide opportunities for students to ‘learn the language’ of employment relations. The paper also considers collaboration between an employment relations discipline lecturer and an learning development discipline lecturer that helped identify the objectives for teaching and learning (the desired attributes of a Wollongong Graduate, ethical concerns about how students’ may affect one another in group work, and developing knowledge and skills to equip students to be effective in employment relations practice) within a particular task environment (characterised by an organisational imperative to ‘do more with less’, and students’ beliefs that lectures have the purpose of didactic information delivery) simultaneously with teaching. This paper offers readers a case study of the application of a teaching and learning theory that may stimulate reflection on their practice.

Providing a Discipline-Based Higher Education Qualification

Abstract: This paper highlights the growing need for the provision of discipline-based flexible online courses for teachers in Higher Education as well as acknowledging the significance of interdisciplinary cooperation in this endeavour. It describes the approaches taken in designing and delivering these courses and discusses some of the challenges inherent in developing, implementing and evaluating such discipline-based Higher Education courses, through examining the Graduate Certificate in Law Teaching (GCLT) Course in the Faculty of Law at Monash University, Australia. This journal article is available in Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice: http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol2/iss2/4 Jour na l o f Un ive rs i t y Teach ing and Lear n ing Pr ac t i ce Glu ck Providing a Discipline-Based Higher Education Qualification

The COERSEA Model for Interactive Presentations

Abstract: A commonly accepted theoretical paradigm in the research and practice of effective learning and teaching is constructivist. Researchers and practitioners in the higher education community attend educational technology focused conferences to share their findings, seek feedback and collaboration, or challenge. Although researchers may espouse constructivist methods in their learning designs, this model is not adopted in their presentations. Often a more traditional transmission approach is used with the presenter inflicting many content heavy slides on an increasingly passive audience. The COERSEA model (context, outcomes, engagement, resources, support, evaluation, alignment) comprises seven principles that can be applied to the design of any presentation be it a lecture, seminar or conference paper. The model compliments current trends in online learning design and represents a constructivist approach to presentations that engages participants in a shared learning experience. The model has been successfully applied to a number of topics and contexts at conferences, seminars and workshops. This journal article is available in Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice: http://ro.uow.edu.au/jutlp/vol2/iss2/5 The COERSEA Model for Interactive Presentations