Flexible learning provides opportunities to improve the student experience. It may utilise a wide range of media, environments, learning spaces and technologies for learning and teaching. “Blended and flexible learning” is a design approach that examines the relationships between flexible learning opportunities, in order to optimise student engagement and experience and achieve equivalence in learning outcomes regardless of mode of study (Keppell, 2010).
A range of professional development opportunities are available to CSU staff to enhance their capacity to design flexible and blended learning opportunities to enhance the student experience. Please refer to the following activities as indicated:
In addition, staff are encouraged to explore the Flexible Learning Institute's Blended and flexible learning wiki, the Blended and flexible learning blog and the associated resources for inspiration, ideas, resources and latest news on ways to enhance their use of blended and flexible learning and, in particular, develop an integrated strategy for blended and flexible learning in their course.
LTS in association with the CSU Education for Practice Institute and the broader University community will be exploring opportunities to strengthen the capacity of course teams to deliver on the CSU Graduate Commitment to 'an education based in practice' as articulated in the CSU Guidelines for good practice in professional and practice-based education. This is a good place to come for latest developments and available offerings offered by both groups. Please check regularly for updates; this list may grow.
CSU Degree Initiative think tank. LTS and EFPI will jointly host this activity. The broad area of interest will be how the understanding and experience of course team members of working ethically enables them to teach ethics in the workplace in an authentic way. If you would like to be part of a loose action learning group to develop advice and resources for course teams in this area, please join us. Click Join then select activity code EIW to register your interest. Disregard the erroneous date displayed in the sign up window. We will contact you about an initial meeting to plan the group process. 'Join' means 'I wish to register my interest in this activity. I will make every effort to attend if the date suits.'
Conveners: Stephen Loftus (EFPI) and Tony McKenzie (LTS). Code EIW
4 August (afternoon)
EFPI Campus-based seminar
Problem based learning – obstacles & challenges
Stephen Loftus
Register via Web Kiosk / View available courses / LT Goulburn5 August (morning)
EFPI Campus-based seminar
Practice-based education & workplace learning in Theology
Stephen Loftus
St. Mark's, Canberra
Register via Web Kiosk / View available courses / LT CanberraPractice-based education as a quality agent. Edwina Adams
When? 1 September (morning, 3–4 hrs). Where? Orange Campus
Register via Web Kiosk / View available courses / LT OrangeWorkplace learning network policies and procedures. Wendy Bowles When? 1 September (afternoon, 3 hrs). Where? Orange Campus Register via Web Kiosk / View available courses / LT Orange .
This is the theme for Block 3 in LTS's FULT program.
Contact Lesley Reid or Tony McKenzie if you would like to access this topic in FULT Online.
Round table panel discussion by videoconference. A panel of practitioners in learning and teaching at CSU offer personal perspectives on what it all means. Do all course team members need a 'personal stance'? Questions and comments from the floor encouraged. Promises to be lively!
When? To be advised.
Where? To be advised.
To register your interest click Join DPS below. ‘I wish to register my interest in this activity. I will make every effort to attend.’
When Meyer and Land first coined the expression threshold concepts in 2002 they highlighted their transformative nature: 'where they can be considered as akin to a portal, opening up a new and previously inaccessible way of thinking about something…representing a transformed way of understanding, or interpreting, or viewing something without which the learner cannot progress'. They claimed that once understood, their 'potential effect on student learning and behaviour is to occasion a significant shift in the perception of a subject, or part thereof'. They found transformation went beyond perception and learning and extended to the affective domain around personal identity and perspective, including 'a shift in values, feeling or attitude'.
Outcomes from the extensive research conducted across multiple contexts and disciplines throughout the world reveal that the transformative nature of 'thresholds' extends to other dimensions beyond learning - from the transformation of how disciplines view knowledge and how curricula are shaped, through to changes in how academic development is understood and practised.
Source: http://www.thresholdconcepts2010.unsw.edu.au/
See also here for a pithy summary of threshold concepts.
To register you interest in either approach to the issue please click Join then select activity code SSS to register your interest. Disregard the erroneous date displayed in the sign up window. We will contact you about an initial meeting to plan the group process. 'Join' means 'I wish to register my interest in this activity. I will make every effort to attend if the date suits.'
If you would be willing to convene this activity please contact Tony McKenzie.
The CSU Degree Book Club is a metaphor for a discussion around the CSU Degree. It seeks to engage participants in fervent discussion and conversation about currently released good practice guidelines and other strategic CSU Degree documents. Read the assigned documents and come prepared to air your views, ask your questions, and convince your colleagues!
Meetings will be convened via videoconference to engage with one of the CSU Degree Initiative documents. The schedule of meetings and required pre-reading for participation in a particular event are listed in this table:
Activity code |
Date |
Time |
Topic/document |
Convener |
Locations |
GPG1 |
Thursday 21 July |
11.55 for 12.00-1.00 | Liz Smith |
See What's new |
|
GPG2 |
Thursday 15 September |
11.55 for 12.00- 1.00 | Joy Higgs |
See What's new |
|
GPG3 |
18 August |
11.55 for 12.00- 1.00 | Blended and flexible learning Pre-reading: To gain a sense of FLI's proposed approach to developing a course-based strategy in BFL, we ask you to read two pages in the Blended and Flexible Learning wiki: (see http://blendedandflexiblelearning.wikispaces.com) the first outlines our suggested process of looking at principles (see https://blendedandflexiblelearning.wikispaces.com/process), perspectives and using the aspirational framework; the second provides an overview of the five perspectives (see https://blendedandflexiblelearning.wikispaces.com/perspectives) which teams can use to examine their course. |
Mike Keppell |
See What's new |
GPG4 |
20 October |
12.00- 1.00 | Internationalising the curriculum |
TBA |
See What's new |
GPG5 |
9 November |
12.00- 1.00 | Ethics and global citizenship |
TBA |
See What's new |
GPG6 |
2012 |
TBA | Environmental, social and financial sustainability |
TBA |
See What's new |
GPG7 |
2012 |
TBA | Indigenous curriculum and pedagogy |
Barb Hill |
See What's new |
Watch for the What's new announcement and open the Outlook invitation, then click Accept.
CSUDI think tank: Curriculum design and development series. You are invited to be part of a loose action learning group to interrogate the issues raised in the CSU Degree Initiative internationalisation design principles documents [1] and [2]. The goal of the group will be to make collective sense of the issues and to develop advice and resources for course teams. If interested please click Join ITC below. Disregard the erroneous date displayed in the sign up window. We will contact you about an initial meeting to plan the group process. 'Join' means 'I wish to register my interest in this activity. I will make every effort to attend if the date suits.'
Convener: Tony McKenzie, LTS. Code ITC.
LTS is planning a professional development seminar on Working with racism in the classroom as a part of its Professional Practice Series (a round table panel discussion by videoconference). Dr Barbara Hill will convene this discussion as a way of beginning a dialogue around institutional silences in our teaching practice; and perhaps to discuss strategies and support mechanisms. This issue has come to light over the past two years as staff begin to engage with the Indigenous Education Strategy (IES) and the requirements mandated by Academic Senate in relation to the inclusion of Indigenous Curriculum and Pedagogy in CSU undergraduate courses. There are of course other issues that need to be discussed and addressed. Obviously, some of our colleagues who deal most directly with racism because of the nature of their subject content are best placed to advise us all about what strategies they use. But we know there are many ways racism appears, ways that are more covert.
When?
Thursday 21 July 2011, 2.00-3.30 pm
Where?
Albury: VC LTS 760 TH 750 – Building 760, Room 237-238
Albury: VC Admin GB TH 704 – Gordon Bevan, Level 5
Bathurst: VC LTS S16 BA 746 – Building S16
Canberra: VC Admin CA 720 – Room 104, George Browning House
Dubbo: VC Admin DU 708 – Room 418
Goulburn: VC Admin GO 719 – Building B R207
Manly: VC Art GSOP MA 786 – Building 44, Room 7
Orange: VC Admin OR 735 – Meeting Room, C3
Parramatta: UTC Parramatta
Wagga: VC LTS 15 WW 749; VC LTS 484 WW 742
For locations of videoconference rooms open the campus map here. Click a star to match the location to its conference room code; or ask your admin. person.
Dial In Phone No. 6933 4756
Conf ID: 303#
Professional practice series: a round table panel discussion by videoconference. Activity code ICC
Watch this space for further information.
Convener: Barbara Hill
To register your interest please click Join ICC below. Disregard the erroneous date displayed in the sign up window; the time and date shown on the page you are reading now are correct. 'Join' means 'I wish to register my interest in this activity. I will make every effort to attend if the date suits.'
For locations of videoconference rooms open the campus map here. Click a star to match the location to its conference room code; or ask your admin. person.
EFPI travelling seminars are listed in the section Practice-based education.
CSU Degree Initiative think tank. LTS and EFPI will jointly host this activity. The broad area of interest will be how the understanding and experience of course team members of working ethically enables them to teach ethics in the workplace in an authentic way. If you would like to be part of a loose action learning group to develop advice and resources for course teams in this area, please join us. Click Join then select activity code EIW to register your interest. Disregard the erroneous date displayed in the sign up window. We will contact you about an initial meeting to plan the group process. 'Join' means 'I wish to register my interest in this activity. I will make every effort to attend if the date suits.'
Conveners: Stephen Loftus (EFPI) and Tony McKenzie (LTS). Code EIW.
This theme is covered in FULT Block 4.
Contact: Lesley Reid or Tony McKenzie if you would like to access this topic in FULT Online.
Workshop aim: to ensure that teaching staff have a grounding in good practice in the pedagogical use of Online Meeting.
Workshop outcomes
You will develop a desire/motivation for learning about Online Meeting.
You will understand the pedagogical rationale for using Online Meeting.
You will be equipped to use Online Meeting effectively to:
- Establish social presence - Increase: student interaction; motivation; achievement of learning outcomes; online skills You will understand the affordances of Online Meeting particularly the use of:
- Content Menu item to: prepare; structure; and embed interactivity within your presentation. - Archiving. - Polling and reporting mechanisms.
You will begin practising using Online Meeting in the Practice Area as a follow-up activity.
To organise your own workshop collect names of interested staff and speak to your educational designer. Code UOM.
See also related activities listed in the sections, Blended and flexible learning and Educational technology applications.
A new version of PebblePad will be piloted late this year. A workshop will be developed in association with the roll-out of the new version in 2012. Meanwhile if you wish to learn about the educational uses of ePortfolios or the PebblePad personal learning system join the About ePortfolios Interact site, explore and relish! Or contact Miriam Edwards.
Attend the ICT CoP Forums, join Yammer and the Interact site about ICT integration, or speak to your educational designer about organising a school or campus-based group activity, or request one-on-one advice.
One way to develop understanding and skills in using ICTs (information and communication technologies) for effective teaching is to participate in the ICT-enabled learning community of practice (ICT CoP) forums. The group has videoconference sharing sessions every couple of months.
For locations of videoconference rooms open your campus map here. Click a star to match the location to its conference room code; or ask your admin. person.
Dates for the rest of 2011 are:
25 May, 1.30-3.00 pm |
Supporting workplace learners and supervisors with ICT |
Where? VC Admin BA 819; VC Admin DU 708; VC Admin GB TH 704; VC Admin GO 719; VC Admin WW 716; VC Sci NM OR 790; VC LTS 760 TH 750. |
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22 June, 1.30-3.00 pm |
Supporting and being responsive to large cohorts through ICT |
Where? VC Admin DU 708; VC Admin GB TH 704; VC LTS S16 BA 746; VC SS B GO 794; VC Sci AW OR 755; VC LTS 15 WW 749; VC LTS 484 WW 742; VC LTS 760 TH 750. |
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21 September, 1.30-3.00 pm |
Using ICTs in academic research and the scholarship of teaching To add this event to your Outlook calendar, download this invitation and hit Accept. |
Where? Other |
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12 October, 1.30-3.00 pm |
Online synchronous teaching |
Where? VC Admin BA 819; VC Admin DU 708; VC Admin GB TH 704; VC Admin GO 719; VC Admin WW 716; VC Sci AW OR 755; VC Bus BIT TH 780; VC LTS 760 TH 750. |
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Educational Technology Applications series. A workshop on request by LTS staff. Click Join then select activity code REP to register your interest. Disregard the erroneous date displayed in the sign up window. Dates for this activity will be set according to demand. We will contact you. Join means 'I wish to register my interest in this activity. I will make every effort to attend if the date suits'.
Contact: To be advised.
Educational Technology Applications series. A workshop on request by LTS staff. Commitment: 60 minute workshop. Click Join then select activity code DOM to register your interest. Disregard the erroneous date displayed in the sign up window. Dates for this activity will be set according to demand. We will contact you. Join means 'I wish to register my interest in this activity. I will make every effort to attend if the date suits.'
Contact: Sam Parker or Rachel Crease.
One way of improving one's teaching performance is by researching and evaluating one's teaching practices. This can be achieved by critically reflecting in, and upon one's teaching practices, and also by collecting data on one's teaching activities.
Convener: Som Naidu
Offered: On request
Format: Depending on demand this workshop can be run in a face-to-face or a video-conference session. The focus of this workshop will be on:
- Defining the purpose of the evaluation - Developing questions and hypotheses - Selecting the approach to evaluation - Developing data gathering instruments - Implementing the evaluation process - Analysing and reporting the data Click Join then select activity code ELT to register your interest. Disregard the erroneous date displayed in the sign up window. We will contact you about an initial meeting to plan the group process. 'Join' means 'I wish to register my interest in this activity. I will make every effort to attend if the date suits.'
Convener: Som Naidu
Offered: On request
Format: Depending on demand this workshop can be run in a face-to-face or a video-conference session. Selecting the most appropriate method of research and applying it rigorously to the problem or research question that is being investigated comprises the most serious issue with research in learning and teaching. This workshop will explore the appropriateness and use of the following major research methods:
- Case studies - Correlation studies - Experimental studies - Phenomenological studies - Research synthesis. Click Join then select activity code RLT to register your interest. Disregard the erroneous date displayed in the sign up window. We will contact you about an initial meeting to plan the group process. 'Join' means 'I wish to register my interest in this activity. I will make every effort to attend if the date suits.'