The Learning and Teaching Matters newsletter provides just in time resources to support academics and professional staff. Keep up to date with current news and resources through the latest edition below.
The Learning and Teaching Matters newsletter provides just in time resources to support academics and professional staff. Keep up to date with current news and resources through the latest edition below.
With only two weeks remaining in the Semester 1 teaching period and the exam season approaching, I encourage you to take a moment to pause and explore the following resources. They are tailored to provide you with key information during this busy time of year.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to the start of the 2024 academic year. You have all played a crucial role in fostering a supportive learning and teaching environment at ACU, benefiting both students and colleagues alike. We all know the change you have all been navigating through both internally at ACU and across the sector itself and your continued dedication and passion to deliver a high-quality learning experience for our ACU is always felt and valued.
Please reach out to CEI@acu.edu.au if you require any support or guidance in your learning and teaching.
Professor Anthony Whitty
Director, CEI
CEI has launched its new Higher Education Learning and Teaching Academy (HELTA). HELTA aims to inspire and enable informed decisions that improve student learning experiences and outcomes across the higher education sector. It has a focus on:
HELTA is the new home for several existing initiatives run by the CEI and introduces new programs of work that seek to elevate higher education. Staff can participate in HELTA's many activities - including workshops, research programs, mentoring programs, and more. Stay up-to-date by registering as an affiliate of HELTA, joining the Teams site and following our LinkedIn page.
Potential academic misconduct cases must be lodged via the Student Academic Misconduct Management System (SAMMS).
Under the Student Academic Misconduct Procedure, a Lecturer in Charge must conduct a preliminary analysis of possible academic misconduct within 5 working days of detecting or being made aware of the matter. If they determine that the matter needs to be investigated by an Academic Integrity Office (AIOs), it must be referred to the Academic Integrity Team (AIT) via SAMMS by the next working day.
Providing high-quality information when lodging cases assists AIOs in understanding the reasons for your concerns. Cases that do not provide adequate evidence may be returned for clarification or may be dismissed by the AIO.
Access the support guides around useful evidence to provide, and evidence to look for in the case of artificial intelligence, below:
The AIT is offering workshops to small groups of academics to enhance their understanding of providing high-quality evidence in referrals. If you are interested, please contact academic.integrity@acu.edu.au.
For more information about lodging academic misconduct cases via SAMMS, please visit Academic Integrity.
On Wednesday 8 May the timetabling system, TimeEdit, was upgraded.
How will this affect staff?
From Thursday 9 May, the way you log in to TimeEdit may change.
If you log in using the Timetabling Home page, you will go straight to the Timetable view log in page.
If you log in using an old bookmark, you will be redirected to the first screen below. Follow these steps to see the timetable view log in page:
Should you encounter any difficulties, please contact timetabling@acu.edu.au.
The Student Advocacy Service plays a vital role in our campus community, offering support and guidance to students facing challenges, empowering students to self-advocate, and fostering a sense of belonging.
Student Advocacy will be running online information sessions to provide staff with an overview of the Advocacy Service, how staff can assist in directing students to the resources and referring students to the services they may need.
The sessions will be held on the following dates:
By attending these information sessions, staff members can gain a deeper understanding of the service and learn how to leverage its resources to better support our students.
If you have any questions or are interested in attending one of the sessions, please email advocacy.service@acu.edu.au the date of the session you would like to attend to receive a calendar invitation.
All students including ACU Online students need to complete the Academic Integrity, Respectful Relationships and Protecting our Children modules on the main instance of Canvas.
Students are bulk enrolled in the modules they are required to complete, which appear on the Canvas Dashboard.
Please note that ACU Online students will need to access the main instance of Canvas to complete the modules.
Upon completion, students earn shareable Canvas badges. Students who have previously completed any module in LEO or ACU Online Canvas have been awarded a completion badge and do not need to complete the module again.
Results for students will be withheld until they have completed any outstanding mandatory modules, as per ACU's Academic Regulations (S. 10.95c). This initiative represents ACU's ongoing commitment to academic integrity and fostering a safe community.
The AskACU Knowledge Articles below can be shared to students who may contact teaching staff with questions about compulsory student modules:
If you have any questions or a student requires assistance regarding any module, please contact student.modules@acu.edu.au.
In December 2023, Dr Jessica Russ-Smith led an inaugural First Peoples Learning and Teaching Event.
With financial support from the First Peoples Directorate, the event sparked vital conversations and actions about integrating First Peoples Knowings, perspectives, and pedagogies into ACU's curriculum.
The purpose of the resulting First Peoples Learning and Teaching 2023 Event Report, authored by Dr Russ-Smith is to:
Dr Russ-Smith wishes to extend her deepest gratitude to the First Peoples Director and the First Nations academics and ACU leaders who contributed to and participated in the event, as well as to those who continue their commitment to fostering a culturally inclusive and safe learning environment at ACU.
ACU's Assessment Procedure Section 5(9n) aims to mitigate the risk of the re-use of non-modified assessment tasks from one iteration to another. Assessment expert Dawson (2020, 133) argues that such re-use 'leads to an accumulation of answers for that task, which students can submit as their own work'.
Sharing of assessments is commonly done on websites that encourage students to upload and share. The student is very often not aware that this is inappropriate sharing, but the consequence is that past assessments are readily available online.
Practice prompts:
Look out for a workshop on this topic where you'll have the opportunity to modify an assessment.
Dawson, P. (2020) Defending Assessment Security in a Digital World: Preventing e-Cheating and Supporting Academic Integrity in Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Group, ProQuest Ebook Central.
| Assoc Professor Jennifer Carpenter | Associate Dean Learning Teaching and Governance, Faculty of Education and Arts |
| Dr Ian Elmer | Acting Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching, Faculty of Theology and Philosophy |
| Assoc Professor Stephen Guinea | Associate Dean, Learning, Teaching and Professional Experience, Faculty of Health Sciences |
| Assoc Professor Bhavani Sridharan | Associate Dean (Learning Teaching and Accreditation), Faculty of Law and Business |
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