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.
As we prepare for a busy start to Semester 2, please find a selection of just-in-time resources below to support your teaching.
We encourage staff to join HELTA, a community of over 500 staff members engaging in inspiring activities, including workshops, research programs and mentoring. Don’t miss out on the next workshop scheduled for next Thursday, ‘The Teaching-Research Nexus: different paths to a shared destination’. Join the HELTA Teams site to register and stay informed about upcoming events.
A quick reminder that applications for ACU Grants, Awards and Citations are still open. Submissions for ACU Teaching Development Grants close on Monday, 19 August 2024 and nominations for ACU Citations and VC Awards close on Monday, 9 September.
Please reach out to CEI@acu.edu.au if you require any support or guidance in your learning and teaching. All the best in your final preparations for the upcoming teaching period.
Professor Anthony Whitty
Director, CEI
Stay informed about the latest Canvas features and improvements by checking Canvas releases. Some features are already available in the production environment on the indicated dates, while others are still in the beta testing environment. Click the title of a release or deploy notes to view the full details.
Training and Workshops
CEI are pleased to share a series of workshops aimed at supporting teaching staff with mastering specific Canvas features.
The workshops will cover topics including creating quizzes, managing courses with large cohorts and grading submissions. There will also be drop-in sessions for staff requiring assistance with the rollover of units for the upcoming semester.
Book a workshop now or view July’s Canvas workshop menu to see what is on offer.
Canvas Instance Merger
We are thrilled to share that we will be consolidating ACU’s two Canvas platforms into one unified learning platform in time for ACU Term 4. This exciting change aims to create a more seamless and enriched learning experience for staff and students.
Stay tuned for further updates and improvements coming soon. If you have any questions, please contact CEI@acu.edu.au.
The Credit team runs monthly training sessions for new course coordinators on the last Wednesday of each month. The next scheduled training is at 10:30am, 31 July 2024. Please contact credit.admin@acu.edu.au if you wish to join.
As we head towards the Semester 2 census date on 31 August 2024, we’d like to remind staff that assessing credit applications is critical for our students to adjust their enrolments without financial penalty. Please check your credit dashboard for any open tasks.
To increase knowledge and understanding of the challenges experienced by student-athletes, we are pleased to share a video resource developed with the Australian Institute of Sport and the ACU EAPP team. We encourage staff to access and share this video, which highlights the experience of one of our student-athletes.
Watch "A Day in the Life of a Student Athlete".
Research indicates that athletes can struggle with mental health when they transition out of sport particularly if they haven’t prepared for life after sport. Evidence suggests that successful student-athletes tend to have a more successful transition out of sport. The academic success of student-athletes is also influenced by the involvement of various stakeholders, including academics.
Alyse Wilcox, Ann-Marie Gibson and Justine Stynes have been exploring the student-athlete experience with the Elite Athlete and Performer Program (EAPP) at ACU. They documented the knowledge and experiences of various stakeholders regarding the challenges and resources that may hinder or support student-athletes. The research included input from ACU current and alumni student athletes, ACU academic staff, athlete wellbeing staff at National Sporting Organisations, and sports coaches.
In today's digital age, misinformation spreads rapidly. It is crucial that students have effective tools to evaluate online information. The SIFT method is a quick, practical approach to assessing digital content. SIFT stands for:
This simple framework, developed by Mike Caulfield from University of Washington, helps students quickly determine if a source is trustworthy and accurate. It will enhance their critical thinking skills and encourage them to be more discerning consumers of information.
The Evaluate Resources module in the Library's Assessment Help pages has been updated to provide students with information about the SIFT method. This may be a useful resource for your students, and you may wish to provide a link to the page from Canvas.
The Enrolments team will be hosting two information sessions in August. Both academic and professional staff are encouraged to attend to learn about key student enrolment processes and related regulations and policies.
From the sessions, you will:
Have your burning questions answered on the spot. Click on the link of your preferred session to read more sessions highlights and secure your spot:
If you're unable to join the live sessions the video recording and handbook will be posted on the E&SR SharePoint site.
A new supervising pre-HDR students resource is now available, designed to enhance the supervision of Masters and Honours research students. Developed through an ACU Teaching Development Grant, it is tailored to staff who supervise pre-HDR students but are not typically accredited PhD supervisors and may lack access to relevant resources and training.
The resource offers an asynchronous learning experience with a monitored discussion forum. It has been designed with the potential to be a badged microcredential. With the new Microcredentials and Short Course Policy in place, CEI will be working through our professional learning resources to establish badging and pathways for possible accreditation.
We encourage academics to share this valuable resource developed by Dr Jenny Martin and her cross-disciplinary team with any staff involved in pre-HDR supervision.
If you have any feedback, please contact Alison.Owens@acu.edu.au.
| 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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