This Month’s Question:
Two months we asked the question, what is the
biggest hurdle preventing you from using more
new innovations in the classes you teach, or units you manage? We had a variety
of multiple choice responses from the community ranging from lack of access to
appropriate teaching spaces or professional development in teaching innovations
to a heavy workload especially in the area of administration demands. (Click here
for the results in last month’s newsletter.)
Here we present a couple of reflections from
members of the SaMnet community. Do you have something to share on this
discussion or a future topic? Email us at SaMnetAustralia@gmail.com.
From Theo Hughes – Monash University
The chart supports a line I have been pushing for a
while; that getting the admin side of teaching right is critical due to the
indirect effects it has on both staff and students. Admin should be organised
so well that (1) it blends into the background so it is never/rarely an issue
that students complain about and so that (2) academic staff only have to spend
a small amount of time on it to have things run smoothly and hence have a much
larger amount of time to focus on teaching innovations. This will not happen
magically by itself. Someone needs to take responsibility for ensuring this
happens and I would suggest the employment of high quality, discipline specific
admin staff to support teaching is essential - one of whom is tasked to be the
"Manager". You want to be providing administrative support for say
Physics, then you better have a degree in Physics. This also provides
employment opportunities for Physics graduates.
From Manju Sharma,
with Helen Georgiou – The University of Sydney
My OLT Teaching
Fellowship found that in many instances of sustained good practice there was
support of the type advocated by Theo. Sometimes, these were
administrative roles, at other times these were not administrative. But
discipline specific support such that teaching teams can innovate, find out if
their innovations are effective, and improve is really important for local
pockets of excellence in science and mathematics education in universities. Keep
an eye out for my report.
Thank you to Theo, Manju, and Helen for
contributing to the discussion.
2. Conferences & publication
Perth, 30 September – 2 October, 2015
ACSME submissions are now open. This is the
main gathering and sharing event on the SaMnet calendar each year. The theme is
Transforming practice: Inspiring innovation.
Early bird registrations close August 6th,
Submissions due June 5th.
Melbourne, 1-4 July, 2015
The
conference organising committee is almost the same as FYHE in recent years but
the scope of the conference has broadened to include all year levels in HE, not
just 1st year. The change in focus provides a broader platform for the
dissemination of works associated with student experiences in higher education
as a whole.
Monash University, 25-27 November,
2015
Universities are invited to send two
person teams to showcase a laboratory experiment for improvement. Due date for
EOI for experiments to be evaluated at the workshop: 17 August
Past:
February SaMnet Leadership Development Workshops
Future:
QLD/NT SaMnet Leadership-Development Workshop -
Brisbane
There are a small number of last
minute registrations available - please contact workshop host Sarah-Jane
Gregory directly - s.gregory@griffith.edu.au
Date: Tuesday 9th, June,
2015
Location: Nathan Campus, Griffith
University
4. SaMnet activity
Last chance to register for the QLD/NT SaMnet
Leadership-Development Workshop with special guest, OLT National Teaching
Fellow, Professor Pauline Ross.
- enable
sharing strategies for spurring adoption of innovative teaching practices,
- offer training
in participating in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL),
- provide
insight on leading change in universities, and
- offer
advice on career progression and leadership in academic institutions.
The workshop
will run approximately from 10am to 3:30pm. Registration and lunch is free
for attendees.
5. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
(SoTL)
Adeline Koh in
The Chronicle of Higher Education
“In each course [that I have integrated
Wikipedia into] I’ve been amazed by student reactions to the assignment: they
overwhelmingly report that this is the most engaging — and nerve-wracking —
aspect of the course, as their work has public impact, and that editing
Wikipedia is tremendously empowering.” The examples are not from science or
maths education, but could you see this working in our context?
Steve
Kolowich in The Chronicle of Higher Education
As educators we seek to support
students as they attempt the courses we teach. In the classroom we see students
becoming increasingly distracted by mobile devices and social media, what about
their Facebook use when doing assignments or studying? A helpful article, especially
for those in roles promoting a healthy first-year student experience.
6. Leadership insights
Review
by Shelley Nicholson, Book by Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal
This article provides an overview of one the
classics in the study of organisations. It aligns with our thrust to
expose science academics to just the insights into organisations that have real
staying power and scaffold their understanding in a way that will be understood
by others. That is, it helps to give them the language of organisational
studies and insight.
Nilofer
Merchant, Fellow at The Martin Prosperity Institute on “New Power”
How one can come up with an idea that resonates with others,
but the credit may not flow back to the originator. And that is not a bad
thing.