LEARNING & TEACHING
Support & Resources
Fostering many forms and levels of leadership, engagement, ownership, and participation.
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The philosophy behind the development of learning and teaching at UNSW is to provide multiple opportunities that engage and support communities of practice and all staff with roles in learning and teaching. Our aim is to foster many forms and levels of leadership, engagement, ownership, and participation in learning and teaching development, rather than simply provide a set of discrete programs run by professionals.
This approach does include learning and teaching programs such as the Foundations of University Learning and Teaching (FULT) program and the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education for new and continuing staff. However, such programs are offered within a broader framework of community building and systemic development of learning and teaching.
In practice, this means that structures and opportunities are provided for staff to share examples of good practice, develop learning and teaching capacities including the appropriate use of online technologies, and address disciplinary and cross-disciplinary concerns in learning and teaching. There is a particular focus on providing opportunities for collaborative problem solving, curriculum development and resource sharing. This is exemplified by the recent introduction of Academic Learning and Teaching Fellows based in each Faculty. Fellows have key responsibilities in providing curriculum resource support for priority learning and teaching initiatives. Fellows are supported by Learning & Teaching @ UNSW and meet with each other on a regular basis to share issues and experiences as they provide an important communication link between all nine Faculties and Learning & Teaching @ UNSW.
Although there are centralised and Faculty support units which run programs, those units also support grass-roots learning and teaching communities across the University. The Science Learning and Teaching Interest Group (SLATIG) is only one example among many such communities at UNSW. Fostering the creation of these communities and supporting their continuation is central to the UNSW philosophy of staff ownership and engagement in learning and teaching.
Active grass-roots participation in the design and facilitation of staff development initiatives is exemplified by the UNSW Network in Learning and Teaching (UNILT). This network consists of around 185 university staff (both academic and non-academic) who have a demonstrated record of achievement and development in learning and teaching practice. Each year these colleagues facilitate a series of fortnightly workshops with the support of Learning & Teaching @ UNSW.
This approach does include learning and teaching programs such as the Foundations of University Learning and Teaching (FULT) program and the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education for new and continuing staff. However, such programs are offered within a broader framework of community building and systemic development of learning and teaching.
In practice, this means that structures and opportunities are provided for staff to share examples of good practice, develop learning and teaching capacities including the appropriate use of online technologies, and address disciplinary and cross-disciplinary concerns in learning and teaching. There is a particular focus on providing opportunities for collaborative problem solving, curriculum development and resource sharing. This is exemplified by the recent introduction of Academic Learning and Teaching Fellows based in each Faculty. Fellows have key responsibilities in providing curriculum resource support for priority learning and teaching initiatives. Fellows are supported by Learning & Teaching @ UNSW and meet with each other on a regular basis to share issues and experiences as they provide an important communication link between all nine Faculties and Learning & Teaching @ UNSW.
Although there are centralised and Faculty support units which run programs, those units also support grass-roots learning and teaching communities across the University. The Science Learning and Teaching Interest Group (SLATIG) is only one example among many such communities at UNSW. Fostering the creation of these communities and supporting their continuation is central to the UNSW philosophy of staff ownership and engagement in learning and teaching.
Active grass-roots participation in the design and facilitation of staff development initiatives is exemplified by the UNSW Network in Learning and Teaching (UNILT). This network consists of around 185 university staff (both academic and non-academic) who have a demonstrated record of achievement and development in learning and teaching practice. Each year these colleagues facilitate a series of fortnightly workshops with the support of Learning & Teaching @ UNSW.