Leading innovation in learning

A message from Executive Dean of Education and Arts Professor Mary Ryan: This year, there is much to look forward to with ACU launching new initiatives and opportunities.

As previously announced, the Faculty of Education and Arts has established the Australian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy (ACAL). This inspiring new undertaking will develop collaborations with schools and systems across the education sector to ensure teachers have access to professional learning and co-designed classroom interventions based on the latest research. ACAL will augment our leading literacy expertise in assessment, language, writing, multimodal text and digital literacies in the faculty and in the Institute for Learning Sciences and Teacher Education.

ACU is a leader in the pursuit of educational research excellence, and this latest offering will deliver a myriad of measures to address the need for evidence-based practices in the teaching of reading. There are strong links between reading, writing and oral language skills in early literacy, and ACAL will champion these foundational skills as crucial for school and life success.

In another bold venture, ACU has established the Learning and Leadership Enterprise (LLE) to build upon the university’s drive to create a sustainable future. By collaborating and building new affiliations, diversifying, and leveraging government initiatives, the LLE will promote a culture of continuous learning through bespoke training opportunities, short courses and micro-credentials.

Directly addressing our aspirations to develop stronger connections with community and professions, LLE hopes to make an effective and positive impact by building partnerships and responding to market demands in new and innovative ways. We want to ensure teachers of the future have better opportunities to learn through professional development, that organisations can partner with us to develop bespoke learning and leadership programs, and that all members of the community have opportunities for lifelong learning.

Cementing our reputation as leaders in education design and technologies, the Faculty recently announced the establishment of a STEM Centre of Education Excellence at our Strathfield campus.

The new centre promises many educational avenues to pique interest in STEM among young children, students and community members. It will support schools to offer advanced STEM subjects to students and will upskill teachers who are teaching out of field. Workers will have access to our cutting-edge technologies, spaces and teaching expertise to ready them for jobs of the future.

It’s an exciting time and I look forward to taking you on this journey as it evolves.