University of Adelaide scoops learning funding pool

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

The University of Adelaide has been awarded three national teaching grants from the Office of Learning and Teaching announced by Minister for Higher Education and Skills Sharon Bird last week.

The University won three of the 38 grants awarded nationally, in addition to being a partner in a further 5 grants making it the most successful university in Australia, in terms of the number of projects, to receive support in this round of funding.

The grants will contribute to the delivery of new learning initiatives that harness the best practice of Australia's outstanding university teachers.

"This result reflects the national distinction in teaching we are aiming for," said Professor Warren Bebbington, University of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor and President. "It shows the depth of teaching we have at Adelaide across disciplines as diverse as veterinary science, civil engineering and law."

"Our project leaders have demonstrated the insight and determination that sets them apart as exceptional teachers," he said. "They are committed to transforming our education proposition, one that favours multi-modal delivery formats without losing the essence of face-to-face learning."

The awards, totalling over $150,000, align closely with the University's strategic direction to reinvigorate teaching and invest in a unique student experience centred on small-group discovery.

"We all appreciate that students learn very differently today from even five years ago," said Professor Bebbington. "Now we must ensure that as an institution we are nimble and creative in responding to their changing needs and can deliver academic programs that really engage and inspire."

The successful University of Adelaide lead projects are:

Re-shaping veterinary business curricula to improve graduates' business skills: a shared resource for educators
School of Animal and Veterinary Science
The aim is to develop a case-based teaching package, including short films and flexible teaching resources, for use in re-shaping the business curricula of Australian veterinary programs. The resources, to be utilised and enhanced by Australian veterinary educators, aim to increase the perceived importance and acquisition of business skills amongst veterinary students.
Funding: $50,000

Promoting student engagement and continual improvement: integrating professional quality management practice into engineering curricula
School of Civil, Environmental and Mining Engineering
The aim of this project is to introduce to engineering educators the use of professional quality management practice as a learning tool. The project will develop and evaluate an online design verification teaching resource as an exemplar practice, enabling engineering educators to trial the concept within their own teaching environment.
Funding: $48,000

Smart casual: towards excellence in sessional teaching in law
Law School
This pilot project will identify unmet needs in the professional development of law sessional teachers and will create, trial and evaluate discipline-specific development materials for use across Australia. The project will lay the foundation for a subsequent proposal to develop a comprehensive law-specific sessional teacher development program, embedding the use of materials developed in this project.
Funding: $49,000

The successful University of Adelaide partner projects are:

An evidenced-based approach to the design and redevelopment of inclusive, technology-enhanced learning environments
Lead institution: University of South Australia
Partner Institutions: Queensland University of Technology, The Australian National University, The University of Adelaide, Media Access Australia

Shared mastery: an international collaborative approach to masters in landscape architecture (LA)
Lead institution: RMIT University
Partner Institutions: The University of Adelaide, The University of Melbourne, The University of Western Australia, Lincoln University (NZ)

Situational eLearning: a crowdsourcing approach to the definition and assessment of key practice-ready academic outcomes
Lead institution: The University of New South Wales
Partner Institutions: The University of Adelaide, University of South Australia, University of Western Sydney

Filling the social justice gap
Lead institution: The University of Sydney
Partner Institutions: Curtin University, The Australian National University, The University of Adelaide, The University of Melbourne, The University of Queensland, University of Technology, Sydney

A consensus approach to defining standards for learning outcomes and informing curricula design for agriculture
Lead institution: University of Tasmania
Partner Institutions: Charles Sturt University, The University of Adelaide, University of Western Sydney

Contact Details