SoLT seminar program
Semester 1, 2013
All sessions are held on the Melbourne campus (Bundoora) in HUED108, 1.00-2.00pm.
The sessions will also be video-conferenced to the Bendigo campus. See various venues below.
Session 1: Tuesday 12 March, 1.00pm - 2.00pm
Examples of Assessment in Open Education
Leigh Blackall, Faculty of Health Sciences
This session will look at examples of open and networked learning and discuss the practical opportunities to university teaching work, and the underlying principles of such practice – principles that seem to challenge, inspire and confront the practices typically found in today’s universities including community engagement, research, teaching and assessment. The related field of Open Educational Resources and Practices are having a growing influence in Australian universities, and this session presents an approach to OERP that has been piloted at the University of Canberra (2011) and Otago Polytechnic (2009), and now La Trobe University’s Faculty of Health Sciences.
We will look at examples that embrace the Wikipedia phenomenon, using it to enhance research work such as through so-called citizen research, or in the support it offers the discipline and diligence of copyright management and document formatting, or the opportunity offered in becoming critically aware of how public awareness on subjects is influenced and shaped.
From this session you will gain ideas and new approaches to your teaching and assessment work, and reflect on your own principles in that work, and how what you do benefits existing students, past and future students, and the wider public.
Presentation available at Assessment in open education.
Video-conference: Bendigo HHS201, Albury/Wodonga AW Videoconference 4245
Session 2: Tuesday 23 April, 1.00pm - 2.00pm
New Thresholds in Biomedical Engineering Education: Identifying Threshold Concepts for a Multi-Disciplinary Field
Paul Junor, Faculty of Science, Technology & Engineering
The task of consolidating and streamlining the multidisciplinary strands of Biomedical Engineering posed a challenge for course design. The use of Threshold Concepts theory, a relatively contemporary development in education (Meyer and Land, 2003), seemed to offer some potential assistance to the process: “It has been discovered that, not only can threshold concept theory help in focusing students’ and teachers’ attention, it can also be a tool for curriculum development where there is a tendency to overcrowd the curriculum” (Male & Baillie, 2011). The notion of Threshold Concepts has attracted widespread interest and has been applied to a number of disciplines, but an initial ad hoc literature scan suggested that there were no existing papers specifically relating to the application of threshold concepts in Biomedical Engineering. There was however an abundance of papers relating to mainstream engineering (for example: Entwistle et al, 2005; Flanagan et al, 2010; Male & Baillie, 2011; Scott & Harlow, 2012) and an emerging number relating to healthcare. Because Biomedical Engineering is multidisciplinary, it seemed reasonable to look for suitable proxies from acknowledged threshold concepts of closely-related fields (such as Physiology, Biology, Medicine and Surgery). This activity was tempered by due considerations of disciplinarity (Shulman, 2005; Donald, 2011) to inform and guide further planning for specific threshold concept identification.
Video-conference: Bendigo HHS201, Albury/Wodonga: AW Videoconference 4245
Session 3: Tuesday 14 May, 1.00pm - 2.00pm
Embedding Early Research Training for Undergraduates in an Online Environment
Dr Suzanne Hodgkin, Sharon Karasmanis, Dr George Murley, Dr Shane Erickson and Lynne Matheson, Faculty of Health Sciences
Introducing innovative approaches to research thinking and methods at an early stage of their course equips undergraduates well for university study. In this presentation we will showcase and discuss a new multimedia learning tool designed primarily to support teaching a new subject for the Core First Year in Health Sciences, with development funded through Design for Learning. Modules were created to provide a foundation and introduction to research and evidence in practice, and will eventually be available to all students in Health Sciences to use at different stages of their study. The modules are currently being trialed by students in a 2nd year evidence based practice subject, and selected postgraduate research subjects.
The discussion will focus on the structure, style and format of the modules, and reasoning and research behind their development. The session will also provide an opportunity for conversations around this innovative approach to introducing students to research methods, evidence based practice and critical appraisal in a less formal online environment. Feedback on any aspects of the modules will be most welcome.
Video-conference: Bendigo HHS201, Albury/Wodonga AW Videoconference 4245
Session 4: Tuesday 11 June, 1.00pm - 2.00pm
Inquiry/Research Capability: Developing Skills from Novice to Expert
Fiona Salisbury, Jenny Corbin and Sharon Karasmanis, Learning & Research Services, Library
Inquiry / Research (I/R) capability is a complex set of skills that needs to be developed incrementally over the course of a degree program. Embedding development of research skills in the curriculum enables students to engage effectively with scholarly information and the research process while at university. However, our responsibility for our learners’ research skills extends beyond their academic study. Universities have a role in ensuring students develop expert research skills by the time they graduate so they are prepared for their future professions and lifelong learning.
This session explores and challenges our assumptions about student I/R skills by looking at longitudinal evidence of student development of this capability at La Trobe from 2009-2012. The session is an opportunity to share current practice and reflect on how what we do benefits student learning outcomes related to research skill development. We will also rethink methods for embedding I/R in the curriculum and have the opportunity to experience the resources and learning objects that are currently available. During this session you can brainstorm and discuss ideas and new approaches for your teaching and assessment of inquiry/research that lead to preparing students to be lifelong learners capable of making informed, evidence-based decisions in their future professions.
Video-conference: Bendigo HHS201, Albury/Wodonga AW Videoconference 4245
Past Programs and resources
If you would like this information made available in an alternate format please contact ctlc@latrobe.edu.au.
