Teaching and learning forums

Forums often feature presentations to stimulate discussion. However, the purpose of these sessions is to provide staff with the opportunity for a focused discussion on a theme with colleagues and international experts. Participants can share information, raise questions, discuss issues and network. All staff from the University are invited to attend these seminars.

Please check the schedule to register for upcoming events.

Past teaching and learning forums

Past teaching and learning forum series featured the following sessions:

Flexible learning spaces forum

Learning in the 21st century is changing. Physical spaces convey important messages to students, and may establish or indeed dismantle institutional expectations about learning. So, our physical spaces literally embody our institutional values and strategies in support of learning. Learning spaces are evolving to meet these new challenges, but how so at Deakin?

The Flexible learning spaces forum showcased several initiatives at Deakin and the leaders who have promoted them. Presenters included:

• Professor Colin Mason, Director of the Institute of Teaching and Learning (ITL) and Chair of the Learning and Teaching Spaces Working Party, who provided an overview of the purpose of the working party and discussed moving towards a connected model in terms of physical and virtual spaces.
• Dr Debra Bateman, School of Education and creator of the Raymond Trotter Flexible Learning Space, which showcases integrated technologies and embodied pedagogical theory in the leading edge use of educational environments for teacher education practice and research. Her presentation outlined the process of reconceptualising and building a space for flexible research, teaching and learning within higher education.
• Craig Warren, Operational Service Provision Manager, Information Technology Services Division (ITSD), discussed public access computing facilities, learning space design – the good and the bad at Deakin, and what ITSD is doing in this area. This entertaining and informative forum raised a number of issues and initiated vibrant discussion.

Academic developers' networking forum

The Academic developers' networking forum builds on staff capabilities through the development of networks between ITL, Faculty Academic Developers and Knowledge Media Division's (KMD) Learning Designers with the central aim of developing teaching and learning in higher education at Deakin. The forum provides an environment for the exploration of problems and solutions that arise from diverse aspects in teaching and learning and for the sharing of practice as a process of accomplishing common goals in teaching. The network is designed as a mechanism that seeks to investigate the relationship between teaching and learning and how academic developers can initialise developments within their own Faculty, which lead to excellence, improvements and engagement in all areas of teaching and learning.

National and institutional developments in work-integrated learning (WIL): issues, strategies and practices

This interactive forum showcased developments in work-integrated learning approaches from around the country.

National developments with implications for teaching excellence at Deakin

The Teaching and Learning Forums are full day events featuring a diverse program that included:

• a presentation by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) on Deakin's performance and future directions in relation to the Learning and Teaching Performance Fund
• a timely presentation by Dr Jo Coldwell on external benchmarking of information and communication technology and flexible education at Deakin
• presentations from Dr Claire Macken and Janine McBurnie on implications for practice of recent national developments in relation to the first year experience followed by a panel discussion chaired by Professor Colin Mason, with Dr Claire Macken, Janine McBurnie, Mandy Bishop, Manager, Student Transition and Study Skills and Dr Ian Story, Educational Developer in the Faculty of Health, Medicine, Nursing and Behavioural Sciences.

Leading eSimulations in action – development and opportunities

This interactive forum led by Dr Dale Holt and Stephen Segrave showcased Deakin University, RMIT and CSU eSimulations and explored how they were being used to enhance teaching and learning. The forum formed part of the dissemination strategy of a joint Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) project.