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.
Dear colleagues,
As we prepare for Semester 2, it's worth taking time to think deliberately how our units, assessments, learning environments and support services help students engage confidently from the first week of teaching.
This edition highlights professional learning opportunities, key teaching updates and important dates to support your Semester 2 preparations. The sharing of ideas, examples and practice across faculties, schools and directorates is an important part of how we continue to strengthen learning and teaching at ACU.
Thank you for your ongoing contribution to learning and teaching at ACU, and best wishes as you prepare for the second half of the academic year. If you have any questions or need support with your learning and teaching preparations, please contact CEI@acu.edu.au.
Professor Amanda Telford
Interim Director, CEI
Prepare for Semester 2 with the HELTA Professional Learning Series, an online Orientation Week program focused on practical, peer-led learning.
Running across 27-30 July, the series features short, interactive sessions delivered by ACU colleagues from across disciplines, providing timely insights and ideas to support teaching in the semester ahead.
Centred on the theme "Assuring learning across the lanes", the series explores innovative assessment approaches, including alternatives to traditional exams, assessment of different "lanes", and the use of AI to support teaching and learning.
Sessions also showcase outcomes from Teaching Development Grants and other faculty-led initiatives, creating opportunities for staff to share practice, reflect on emerging evidence, and learn from peers.
Register via the Learning Hub to have your participation recorded on your staff record. This can be used as evidence for performance review, professional development and promotion.
As part of the Your Voice Matters initiative, the Canvas Foundation Template has been applied to scheduled Semester 2 units to support a more consistent student experience in Canvas.
Unit Leads are reminded to review their Semester 2 Canvas units and complete the required setup steps by Friday 17 July:
CEI drop-in sessions are running until Thursday 30 July to support staff with the Canvas Foundation Template and general Canvas questions. All sessions are delivered via Teams. Join us at the scheduled time using the links below.
Canvas Foundation Template support: Every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 1-2 pm
Join the Canvas Foundation Template support drop-in session
General Canvas support: Every Wednesday, 11 am-12 pm
For support with quizzes, assignments, Canvas setup and general questions.
Join the General Canvas support drop-in session
If you encounter any issues, please log a Service Central request for assistance.
Canvas has introduced Enhanced Rubrics, a new feature that provides a more flexible and streamlined way to create, manage and use rubrics in assignments. The updates are designed to make it easier for staff to build and apply rubrics, while supporting clearer feedback for students.
With Enhanced Rubrics, staff can:
How to enable Enhanced Rubrics
Enhanced Rubrics is not enabled by default. Staff can turn it on in their unit by navigating to Course Settings → Feature Options → Enhanced Rubrics, then changing the state to Enabled. Once enabled, existing rubrics will appear in the new enhanced mode.
For step-by-step guidance, view the Canvas guide: How do I manage rubrics in a course using Enhanced Rubrics?
ACU's Semester 1 interim Student Evaluation of Learning and Teaching (SELT) reports were distributed to relevant teaching staff on 9 July 2026.
More than 40,800 student responses were received from over 108,000 invitations, representing an approximate response rate of 37.5%. In total, 2,464 individual reports were distributed to teaching staff.
With the release of the interim SELT reports, the Quality Assurance (QA) Team is refreshing the Course Monitoring (Schedule A Benchmarks) Dashboard with Semester 1 2026 data. This is expected to be complete by 24 July 2026, providing Course Monitoring Committees meeting from mid-July onwards with timely access to ACU's first-half benchmark data.
National reports have also been published for the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) Graduate Outcomes Survey (GOS). Among Australian universities, ACU ranked:
Staff can explore ACU's QILT data all by visiting the Educational Analytics page on DataHub. For questions or feedback, please contact Evaluations.CEI@acu.edu.au.
Applications for ACU Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning close on Monday 24 August 2026. The citations recognise staff and teams who have made an outstanding contribution to student learning at ACU, with $5,000 awarded to successful applicants.
Five citation categories are available, recognising:
ACU has also introduced the ACU Award for Teaching Excellence, recognising the most outstanding ACU Citation recipient. No separate application is required, and the recipient will receive an additional $5,000, bringing the total award value to $10,000.
Staff are encouraged to review the guidelines and application requirements on the Citations and Award webpage before preparing their submission. Those seeking feedback on draft applications can submit them to Susan Brooman-Jones by Monday 3 August 2026. For further information, contact CEI@acu.edu.au.
Staff are reminded that ACU's Cost-of-Living Assistance program is still accepting referrals.
If a student mentions they are struggling with everyday expenses such as groceries, rent or fuel, staff can refer them through the Cost-of-Living Assistance form on UniHub.
Within two business days, the Student Experience team will issue a $50 e-gift card redeemable at Woolworths, BIG W or EG Ampol fuel stations. Staff can also use the form to connect a student directly with the Student Experience Team for broader support.
Students can be referred more than once, and the program will continue while funds remain available. For questions, contact StudentExperience@acu.edu.au.
CEI, in partnership with Student Experience and Enhancement, will host the 2026 Teaching and Learning Showcase on Thursday 3 December, 9.00am - 3.30pm.
This year's theme, Students as Partners, will explore how students can help shape learning and teaching at ACU. The program will include a morning session hosted from North Sydney, livestream access for most campuses, and student-led campus breakout sessions after lunch.
While registrations are being arranged, staff are encouraged to save the date in their calendars and keep the day clear to join ACU colleagues for this year's Showcase.
The Faculty of Education and Arts, in collaboration with CEI, will host the FEA Assessment Showcase on Wednesday 30 September, 1-4 pm. The event will be held online via Microsoft Teams.
The showcase will bring staff together to share good practice and emerging approaches to assessment redesign, including creative approaches to secure and open assessment in face-to-face and online settings.
The program will include short presentations from FEA staff, grouped by theme, as well as presentations from CEI staff and learning designers on effective assessment design in Canvas.
All academic and professional staff are welcome to attend. Please download the calendar file to add the event to your Outlook calendar.
Enrolments and Student Records are hosting information sessions for Semester 2 2026. These sessions are open to academic and professional staff, including Course Advisers, National Unit Leaders, school and faculty staff, and anyone who would like to better understand student enrolment processes.
Topics will include:
Staff will also have the opportunity to ask questions and connect with the E&SR team.
Session details
Register for your preferred session using the links below. Once registered, open the confirmation email and select Accept to add the session to your calendar.
A recording and handbook will be made available on the E&R SharePoint site for staff unable to attend live.
Applications are now open for ACU's Semester in Rome program for Semester 1, 2027. Learning and teaching colleagues are encouraged to promote this opportunity to eligible undergraduate students.
Students can study at ACU's Rome campus, experience Roman life, build global connections and gain credits towards their degree. The program uses intensive study blocks, with students completing one unit at a time and between one and four units overall.
The 2027 Rome Academic Calendar now includes Business units for the first time, alongside offerings in Education and the Humanities.
A range of financial support options are available, including the ACU Vice-Chancellor and President's Learning Abroad Grant and OS-HELP funding.
Direct students to the Global Learning Portal for program information, eligibility requirements, application details and the 2027 academic calendar. A promotional slide with a QR code is also available to share in class.
Applications close on 31 July 2026 and places are limited. Students are encouraged to register their interest early to secure their place. For enquiries, contact globallearning.outbound@acu.edu.au.
The Academic Development Team supports teaching excellence across ACU by helping staff apply evidence-based learning and teaching approaches into practice.
The team works closely with faculties on curriculum design, course and unit reviews, and professional development initiatives, including the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education (GCHE). They also provide advice and support on:
Each faculty has a dedicated Academic Developer to make it easier for staff to access tailored support. Staff are encouraged to contact their faculty's Academic Developer to discuss support needs or explore opportunities to enhance learning and teaching practice.
| Faculty | Academic Developer |
|---|---|
|
Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) |
|
|
Faculty of Education and Arts (FEA) |
|
|
Faculty of Law and Business (FLB) |
|
|
Faculty of Theology and Philosophy (FTP) |
The HERDSA Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Modules will be available again to registered ACU staff from late July.
Following significant redevelopment after the Canvas cyber incident, the modules will once again provide staff with opportunities to build their understanding of SoTL principles and practice.
To support collaborative learning, ACU Campus Communities of Learning Advancement (CCoLA) meetings will be scheduled throughout Semester 2 for staff interested in working through the modules with colleagues.
| Assoc Professor Jennifer Carpenter | Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching, Faculty of Education and Arts |
| Dr Ian Elmer | Acting Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching, Faculty of Theology and Philosophy |
| Professor Stephen Guinea | Associate Dean, Learning, Teaching and Professional Experience, Faculty of Health Sciences |
| Professor Bhavani Sridharan | Associate Dean (Learning Teaching and Accreditation), Faculty of Law and Business |
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