Workshop 8 Overview
Tracks
Track 3
| Monday, July 6, 2026 |
| 12:45 PM - 4:15 PM |
| Stephen Riady Centre (SRC) Seminar Room 5 Level 1 |
Details
Aim
This workshop aims to engage participants in practical strategies for implementing inclusive, sustainable and scalable SoTL capability building initiatives within their own faculties/institutions, and/or their own individual pathways.
Focus
The workshop blends the presentation of a case study with practical applications. It showcases a large research-intensive university’s SoTL program as a case study of successful institution-wide capacity building, while guiding participants to develop contextually relevant strategies for their own settings.
Overview
Intended Audience: Academic developers, third-space professionals, education-focussed academics, early and mid-career academics, educational researchers, and institutional leaders.
Context and literature
Central to the case study university’s SoTL support program is a framework built on four pillars—professional development, leadership, networking, and dissemination—each driving a range of impactful initiatives such as peer review mentoring, targeted abstract writing sessions and a SoTL series. The program has led to higher participation of staff, particularly education-focussed academics, disseminating their work in peak higher education conferences, engagement as journal reviewers and changes to university ethics research processes. Grounded in experiential learning (Kolb, 2014), the workshop draws on pedagogical principles of inclusivity, evidence-based practice, and collaboration. It aligns with scholarship around cultural change (Geertsema, 2016), distributed leadership (Jones & Harvey, 2017), and sustainable development (Culver et al., 2025).
Workshop plan
Provide an overview of the case study university SoTL framework and related initiatives, highlighting the drivers for change and the benefits for individuals who engage, and different ways of engaging
Activity 1: SoTL self-assessment and mapping exercise—participants identify existing frameworks, opportunities and gaps in their faculties/institutions and/or their own practice followed by short discussion
Activity 2: Designing scaffolded SoTL support models and pathways—in groups participants brainstorm effective models, approaches and pathways tailored to different faculty/institutional/individual needs
Part 2
Presentation: Evaluating key outcomes and impact of the case study university’s SoTL program
Activity 3: Strategies for measuring impact of SoTL initiatives-participants to identify strategies for evidencing and measuring short-term outcomes and the longer-term impact of such programs
Wrap-Up: Debrief, reflections, and next steps
Speaker
Assoc Prof Anna Rowe
University of New South Wales, Sydney
Building SoTL Capability through Scalable, Sustainable and Inclusive Academic Development Practices
Biography
Associate Professor Anna Rowe SFHEA the Academic Development Lead, in the Pro Vice-Chancellor Education Portfolio and School of Education. She leads various institution wide initiatives including professional development programs for staff, Advance HE Fellowships and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). Anna has published widely in higher education learning and teaching with specific areas of interest including work-integrated learning, pedagogy, feedback, peer review of teaching and the role of emotions in learning. Anna is an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning and past Director of the Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN).
Assoc Prof Karin Watson
Director Education Excellence & Director EF Program
University of New South Wales
Co-presenter
Biography
Karin Watson SFHEA is an Associate Professor in Arts, Design & Architecture, and Director, Educational Excellence & Education Focussed (EF) Program in the Pro-Vice Chancellor Education portfolio at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia. Karin’s expertise lies in building capability and promoting educational excellence in academics to enhance a positive student experience at UNSW. She has designed award-winning programs and initiatives that value, reward and recognise excellent teaching, and build capacity for sustainable career pathways, particularly – but not exclusively – for Education Focussed (EF) academics within research-intensive universities. Her strengths are community and cross disciplinary networks, scalable and sustainable mentorships and capability building, including SoTL, and facilitating meaningful, values-driven change that reflects the contemporary learning context. Karin has worked and studied in London, Cape Town and Sydney and received several international and national awards, citations, accreditation and fellowships for teaching and education excellence.
