Aligned with the Education Strategy Vision 2030 (ESV) we are planning for the progressive transition of our award courses to align with three Models of Engagement: Fully online, in-person immersive, and combined. Each Model of Engagement will have commonly defined characteristics of teaching, assessment and the student experience.
Each course will have clearly articulated pedagogies, aligned with the models, enabling staff to focus on impactful teaching that considers how, when, and where students learn, in regional Australia, nationally, and internationally. Students will be at the heart of this initiative, with opportunities to contribute to its development. We will ensure students can make informed study choices, engage meaningfully with their learning, and prepare effectively for contemporary professional life after graduation.
As we implement this initiative over time, it will also improve strategic use of campus locations, infrastructure, and software, improving the vibrancy and purpose of our physical campuses and online environments.
The Models of Engagement and Assessment Practices initiative (MEA) will
strengthen the way we design and deliver courses across the university by putting our Education Strategy Vision 2030 into action. MEA provides a structured way to reflect on what works, make thoughtful choices about how we deliver our courses and ensure our models of study are sustainable, scalable and student-centered.
Importantly, MEA will support a more consistent and predictable student experience. In the past, changes to study engagement modes mid-course have created uncertainty and disruption for students. MEA addresses this by helping course teams define and clearly communicate the intended mode of engagement from the outset. This allows students to make informed decisions during course selection and ensures they can engage with their studies in a way that suits their needs.
What makes this work powerful is how we realise it together through the decisions we make in course teams, the conversations we have about good practice and our shared commitment to creating engaging, purposeful learning experiences for our students.
This is not about starting over or rebranding our courses. It’s about bringing greater clarity and coherence to what we already do well and supporting staff to continue delivering meaningful learning experiences across a range of study modes.
Thank you to the many staff who are contributing to this work. Your insight, experience and willingness to collaborate are essential to its success. I look forward to seeing the positive impact of this initiative as we strengthen our approach to course design and contribute to an outstanding learning experience for all students.
Professor Janelle Wheat
Pro Vice-Chancellor Learning & Teaching
Charles Sturt University
✔ New models of engagement standards and requirements defined for our coursework award courses across the following:
✔ Progressive transition of each of our coursework award courses, including Bachelor and Master level courses, to the defined models of engagement.
✔ Co-design of the models with faculty, schools, courses, students and broader university stakeholders, sharing skills and understandings.
✔ Consistent course-level information for students on how they will engage with and experience learning at Charles Sturt.
✔ New principles and guidelines for course-level programmatic assessment and feedback, including new staged assessments, acknowledging the impact of artificial intelligence in learning and teaching.
✔ Iterative improvement of the models as courses transition.
✔ Infrastructure and support changes linked to the models.
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Improved course clarity for students – Consistent, course-level information on engagement expectations will empower students to make clear and informed study choices, fostering deeper engagement, participation, connection and learning outcomes.
Enable flexible and inclusive learning pathways – Students will have access to clearly defined Models of Engagement (Fully Online, In-Person Immersive and Combined), ensuring diverse student needs and schedules are met.
Focus on impactful teaching – With a clearer and more streamlined approach to course delivery, teaching staff will have greater opportunity to focus on their impactful teaching rather than managing multiple, overlapping delivery modes.
Deliver future-ready graduate capabilities – Pedagogically aligned models will provide students with meaningful, structured learning experiences that reflect contemporary professional environments, enhancing job readiness.
Establish a purposeful, scalable and sustainable course portfolio - The strategic transition of courses will improve the vibrancy and purpose of our physical campuses and online environment by aligning resources clearly with defined engagement models.
Improved assessment and feedback for student success – Introduction of programmatic assessment principles and staged assessments will further enhance the quality and reliability of assessment and feedback.
Stronger collaboration across the University – Co-designing the models with faculty, schools and broader stakeholders will foster shared expertise, creating an innovative and aligned approach to teaching, learning and assessment.
Continuous improvement through policy and infrastructure evolution – A structured feedback loop will ensure ongoing refinement of academic policies, learning models and infrastructure to support evolving student and staff needs.
The MEA initiative is led by the Division of Learning and Teaching (DLT), bringing together academic and business staff with expertise in curriculum design, pedagogy, student experience, project and change management.
MEA governance is supported by a steering committee and a range of decision-making and consultative groups. These groups include representative staff from across the University, ensuring a collaborative and informed approach to shaping and implementing the models.
A series of interactive workshops are being held to define, validate and refine the requirements for each Model of Engagement. These sessions bring together academic leaders and other key stakeholders to explore best practices, identify challenges and develop solutions that align with student needs and institutional priorities.
Additional workshops are also focused on building and refining the business case, ensuring that the transition to the new models is strategically sound, financially sustainable and well-supported across the University.
Please get in touch if you have any additional questions or feedback about the initiative.
What are we working on in Q4 2025?