Casual Academic Staff Handbook

Teaching and Learning

The Principles of Teaching and Learning & the Student Experience

The Principles of Teaching, Learning and the Student Experience were developed to help Deakin achieve its ambitious goal of becoming a national leader in teaching and learning and in the provision of high quality education.

Details are available at https://staff.deakin.edu.au/teaching-learning/principles/index.php

Your role

In your role, you will be contributing to the implementation of the ‘Principles’ through your teaching, marking, demonstrating, clinical facilitating, studio-based teaching and so on.

Teaching and Learning Plan

This document provides a long term plan for teaching and learning at Deakin University. It guides the University towards the achievement of the ambitious goal of becoming a national leader in teaching and learning and in the provision of high quality flexible education.

The complete plan is available at: http://www.deakin.edu.au/vice-chancellor/planning/functional-area-plans.php

Graduate Attributes

Deakin policy is that undergraduate and postgraduate programs will provide educational experiences designed to develop attributes (including skills, knowledge and attitudes) appropriate to the discipline area.

Discussion is available at

http://www.deakin.edu.au/itl/pd/tl-modules/curriculum/grad-attrib/grad-attr-02.php

Support for teaching

Deakin’s Institute of Teaching and Learning (ITL) provides support to all academic staff at the University. There is a range of support materials available for academic staff at the Institute’s web page:

http://www.deakin.edu.au/itl/

Casual academics may find particularly useful the following resources:

• ‘Teaching Tips’
  http://www.deakin.edu.au/itl/pd/teaching-tips/index.php
• ‘Approaches to teaching that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn’ http://www.deakin.edu.au/itl/pd/tl-modules/teaching-approach/index.php
• ‘Approaches to assessment and feedback that foster independent learning’ http://www.deakin.edu.au/itl/pd/tl-modules/assessment/index.php

As a tutor, lab-prac demonstrator, marker or clinical facilitator at Deakin, you have an important role to play in supporting students’ learning. Casual academics are often at the forefront of teaching delivery in higher education, and many students regard you as their first point of contact.

Working as a casual academic can at times seem quite isolating, and this is one aspect of your work which we are aware of. If you feel you are in need of support, talk with your supervisor if practicable; try to identify and meet fellow casual academics in your discipline; or contact Terry Timberlake at the central academic development unit – t.timberlake@deakin.edu.au or 522 78167

Policies

It is strongly recommended that you read through the following relevant documents:

1. ‘Code of Conduct – Enabling Policy’.
2. ‘Student Charter’

Professional Development

All new casual academic staff at Deakin are expected to complete a professional development program, unless exempted by their School.

This program is completed predominantly online during the course of the casual academic’s first trimester at Deakin.

Details of the program are available at: http://www.deakin.edu.au/itl/pd/pdcas/pdcas-program/index.php