8G -
Tracks
Track 7
| Thursday, July 11, 2024 |
| 1:45 PM - 2:10 PM |
| Riverbank Room 2 |
Speaker
Dr Alex Bannigan
Head, Academic Development & Engagement
University of New South Wales
1:45pm - 2.10pm Developing university teaching through a five day intensive course design program
1:45 PM - 2:10 PMFinal abstract
Focus
This showcase will describe an initiative at UNSW aiming to transform teaching, academic self-efficacy and the student experience through inspired course design.
Background/context
Academics often learn something new from academic development activities, but lack the time or focus to apply their learning. To engage in deep and lasting changes to their teaching and course design, educators need structured time to engage deeply with fundamental questions about teaching and learning, rather than tinkering on the surface.
Description
The Course Design Institute (CDI) has been completed by over 250 UNSW academics UNSW since 2018. CDI guides participants through the steps of Integrated Course Design (Fink, 2013), while modelling principles of learner-centred teaching (Blumberg, 2012) and facilitating peer learning. Importantly, participants leave with a tangible artefact: a course design portfolio to guide their redesign.
Method
The CDI’s impact has been measured on multiple levels (Kreber & Brook, 2001) by participant feedback surveys, retrospective surveys after participants have had time to implement their changes, and by analysing student satisfaction data and course outlines to validate self-reported impact.
Evidence
Over 90% of participants implement course changes, 70% redesign assessments, and 80% report improved student survey results. 75% of past participants report that the CDI has impacted more than one course. Participants also report greater confidence, enjoyment and quality in teaching after the CDI.
Contribution
CDI provides a practical course design framework that academics can apply to any course. Further, the CDI creates a shift in beliefs about teaching, changing many participants’ entire philosophy and approach. UNSW now has a community of over 250 CDI alumni who share knowledge, language and values.
Engagement
The audience will be engaged using an interactive poll or quiz and engage in reflective questions relating the content to their own context.
This showcase will describe an initiative at UNSW aiming to transform teaching, academic self-efficacy and the student experience through inspired course design.
Background/context
Academics often learn something new from academic development activities, but lack the time or focus to apply their learning. To engage in deep and lasting changes to their teaching and course design, educators need structured time to engage deeply with fundamental questions about teaching and learning, rather than tinkering on the surface.
Description
The Course Design Institute (CDI) has been completed by over 250 UNSW academics UNSW since 2018. CDI guides participants through the steps of Integrated Course Design (Fink, 2013), while modelling principles of learner-centred teaching (Blumberg, 2012) and facilitating peer learning. Importantly, participants leave with a tangible artefact: a course design portfolio to guide their redesign.
Method
The CDI’s impact has been measured on multiple levels (Kreber & Brook, 2001) by participant feedback surveys, retrospective surveys after participants have had time to implement their changes, and by analysing student satisfaction data and course outlines to validate self-reported impact.
Evidence
Over 90% of participants implement course changes, 70% redesign assessments, and 80% report improved student survey results. 75% of past participants report that the CDI has impacted more than one course. Participants also report greater confidence, enjoyment and quality in teaching after the CDI.
Contribution
CDI provides a practical course design framework that academics can apply to any course. Further, the CDI creates a shift in beliefs about teaching, changing many participants’ entire philosophy and approach. UNSW now has a community of over 250 CDI alumni who share knowledge, language and values.
Engagement
The audience will be engaged using an interactive poll or quiz and engage in reflective questions relating the content to their own context.
Biography
Dr Alex Bannigan is a biologist and educator and has been at UNSW Sydney since 2014, first establishing the Women in Engineering Program, then leading Educational Innovation for the Faculty of Engineering, and, since 2021 as Head, Academic Development and Engagement in the Portfolio of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Education & Student Experience.
She discovered the transformative potential of teacher development when, in her first academic job, she realised that she had never been taught anything about education, and yet was expected to teach – and well!
Alex believes very much in the value of peer learning and community for developing inspiring, joyful, and meaningful learning experiences.
Chair
Darci Taylor
Deakin University
