We are committed to excellence in teaching – we recognise that students come to UNSW to learn. Our performance in the Department of Education, Science and Teaching (DEST) Learning and Teaching Performance Fund 2007 for demonstration of excellence in learning and teaching in 2006, affirms this ongoing commitment. One of our major goals is to make this learning experience interesting, challenging, relevant, practical and wherever possible, fun. The following pages outline the learning and teaching strategies being used to enhance the student experience, and summarise some of the ways that students and staff are supported at UNSW. I hope you enjoy exploring these pages as you get to know what we are doing to recognise and share good practice to further improve learning and teaching at UNSW.

One of the features of the Nelson reforms of Higher Education in Australia that is often neglected is captured in the title of the issues paper that foreshadowed the reforms: “Striving for Quality: Learning, Teaching and Scholarship”. The placing of “Learning” first in the title reflects a major philosophical shift and an acknowledgement that learning is what universities should be about. The paper argued that more attention should be placed on the quality of teaching and that this teaching should focus on the creation of student experiences that encourage learning. This is the direction that all our initiatives in teaching at UNSW are leading us towards.

As part of our strategic vision, we aim to be the destination of choice for students with the highest potential irrespective of background by ensuring, amongst other factors; outstanding student experience in learning and teaching, exposure to research, and a vibrant campus life; international opportunities and perspective - "global citizen"; a curriculum that produces graduates in high demand by leading employers. As a research university we are determined to make certain that our teaching is informed by current research on how students learn. This research literature has been distilled into 16 ”Guidelines on Learning that Inform Teaching at UNSW”. Please have a look at the Guidelines in order to understand our philosophy of teaching. Our philosophy is also based on continually improving teaching, recognising examples of good practice and ensuring that these examples are shared between staff.

The pursuit of our vision and implementation of our philosophy requires us to set specific goals accompanied by strategies for attaining these goals. Our Academic Board has endorsed a University-wide Learning and Teaching Plan 2005-2007 that will guide us during the next two years. The plan also establishes our accountability for the improvements detailed in the plan. Our success in these endeavours depends on the creativity, commitment and quality of our staff and student learning and teaching communities.

How do we know if our teaching is improving? One of the key methods of gauging our progress is to ask the students. We have introduced the Course and Teaching Evaluation and Improvement (CATEI) Process to systematically gather student feedback on the quality of our teaching, courses and programs. CATEI builds upon the innovations of a previous evaluation process that was established at UNSW in the late 1960s. The new process will ensure that students’ voices are clearly heard, and facilitate the improvement of teaching and courses.

How do we help staff improve their teaching? We have an obligation to provide our staff with high quality opportunities to develop their learning and teaching practice. The flexible support and development network at UNSW builds and provides resources for communities of practice in learning and teaching. We offer many opportunities for sessional, new and continuing academic staff to further develop their practice.

A good way to get a feel for learning and teaching at UNSW is to read about the Innovations & Achievements of our wonderful students, and about the ways that good teaching is recognised. I look forward to working with my colleagues as we pursue our goals together, demonstrating to students and the wider community that teaching is valued, and the quality of the experiences of our students and staff is paramount.

Professor Richard Henry
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic)