Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education

ASCILITE NEWS

2018 ASCILITE Awards Open for Nominations

Each year, ASCILITE members are invited to apply or nominate for the ASCILITE awards and to consider nominations that they believe meet the criteria set for each award. The three award categories available to members are as follows:

  • Innovation Award
  • Life Member Award
  • Student Bursaries

In addition to the above awards, a further two awards are expected to be announced in the coming days; an Emerging Scholar Award and a Community Fellow Award.

Innovation Award

The ASCILITE Innovation Award, first introduced in 2011, celebrates work undertaken by an individual or team of people in support of the exemplary and research informed use of technologies for teaching and learning in tertiary education. Innovation is defined as a new idea, device or process. It is something original that “breaks into” teaching and learning in the tertiary sector. Applications for this award are likely to include:

  • Innovative solutions which promote the exemplary and research informed use of technologies for teaching and learning in tertiary education.
  • Product development projects which promote the exemplary and research informed use of technologies for teaching and learning in tertiary education.
  • Large-scale implementation initiatives which promote the innovative, exemplary and research informed use of technologies for teaching and learning in tertiary education.
  • Major professional development initiatives which promotes the exemplary and research informed use of technologies for teaching and learning in tertiary education.

Student Bursaries

Up to three Student Bursaries in the amount of $1,000 each are available to full-time PhD/EdD or equivalent students. Winners receive a $1,000 bursary to attend the ASCILITE conference and a one year student membership in ASCILITE along with the remaining funds to be put towards accommodation or travel assistance to attend the ASCILITE conference. Winners are included in the ASCILITE conference awards ceremony and their submissions are displayed on the ASCILITE website.

Life Member Award

An ASCILITE Life Member Award is a prestigious award that recognizes the significant service and/or sustained contribution of an ASCILITE member to the Society. Life Member Awards are the highest recognition of achievement made by ASCILITE. This award is made only when an appropriate candidate meets the criteria. This means that the award may not be presented every year.

Further Information

For further information on each award, refer to the specific award criteria and nomination form on the ASCILITE website

Applications are open until 8 October 2018.


Final Call for Papers – AJET Special Issue on Cognitive Tools for Learning

This is a final Call for Papers for a special issue of the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET) on the topic “Re-Examining Cognitive Tools: New Developments, New Perspectives, and New Opportunities for Educational Technology Research”.

The special issue seeks to rekindle and re-energise scholarly interest in, and dialogue around, the concept of educational technologies as cognitive tools for learning, with a particular focus on higher education and other post-secondary education contexts. A major goal is to encourage researchers and practitioners to take a fresh look at the concept and its possible applications in light of developments in not only technology, but also learning theory, pedagogy, instructional design, cognitive science, and psychology, that have taken place since the concept was first popularised in the early 1990s.

The full Call for Papers is available here (pdf).

The final, extended deadline for full manuscript submissions is 1 October 2018. However, to assist in forward planning, prospective authors are urged to make contact with the guest editors as soon as possible to express their interest, and shortly thereafter to provide a brief proposal or abstract outlining the nature, content, and aims of the intended article.

Enquiries and expressions of interest may be directed to the guest editors, Christopher Drew and Mark J. W. Lee. Please note that manuscripts are not to be sent to this address. Refer to the Call for Papers for submission instructions.


Call for Proposals for 2019 AJET Special Issue

The editors of the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET) welcome expressions of interest from individuals or teams interested in guest editing a special issue of the journal in late 2019 or early 2020.

Expressions of interest of up to 500 words should include the following information:

  • Names and affiliations of guest editor(s), including experience and brief biographical details
  • Proposed special issue theme, including possible topics
  • The relevance of the theme to the scope and coverage of the journal
  • The significance of the theme in advancing the field of educational technology in higher education

The proposals will be reviewed by the AJET Lead Editors and members of the Editorial Board. Full proposals will then be requested from shortlisted EOIs.

The Call for Proposals is also available on the AJET website here.

Please email your expression of interest to A/Prof Michael Henderson, AJET joint Lead Editor, by 25 October, 2018.


Call for Applications – AJET Associate Editors

We invite applications for new Associate Editors to join the existing editorial team of the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET).

The team of Associate Editors work with the Lead Editors to oversee the review process of the papers and other work of the journal. This call for Associate Editors is to continue to further build our team diversity and expertise, and to ensure the workload is sustainable. This is a global call. EOIs from Associate Editors in all regions, including outside of Australasia are welcome.

The main role of associate editors is take responsibility of manuscripts assigned to them after initial screening by a lead editor. They then assign the articles to suitable reviewers, manage and determine the outcome of the review process, and liaise with authors about their manuscript prior to passing the manuscript to a copy and layout editor. Associate Editors are senior academics with considerable responsibility in ensuring the high quality of the articles published in AJET. Associate Editors need to be able to act on peer review evaluations and make decisions about rejecting, asking for changes or accepting submissions. Associate Editors also have opportunities to shape the direction of the journal, engage in planning and work on strategic projects. Associate Editors are expected to commit a small amount of time each week to ensure the papers assigned to them progress through the system.

Further details on the role and how to apply are available via the AJET website.


Transforming Assessment (e-Assessment) SIG News

Next session: Virtual work integrated learning in engineering, 5 Sep 2018.

This session, presented by A/Prof Sally Male (University of Western Australia),.will explore the ‘Virtual Work Integrated Learning in Engineering’ project that developed, tested and established an approach for non-placement engagement with engineering practice for engineering students. Learning modules involve authentic tasks, virtual sites, simulations and/or electronic interaction with engineers. Learning modules, results of testing, and next steps will be presented.

Further information and registration is available via http://transformingassessment.com/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=124

Australian e-Exams workshops and e-Exams Symposium

  • Adelaide: 31 Aug 2018 (following the Examinations Network Conference)
  • Perth: 10 Sep 2018
  • Sydney: 21 Sep 2018
  • Brisbane: late Sep 2018 (following Moodle MOOT Australia)
  • Hobart: 5 Oct 3018 (to be confirmed)
  • Canberra: 31 Oct 2018 (following EdTechPosium)

Schedule updates and registration is free via http://transformingexams.eventbrite.com

The e-Exams Symposium will be held 24 November 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. This full day mini-conference will feature two international guest speakers from Austria and Finland speaking about their e-Exams implementation projects. Prof. Geoff Crisp will the MC for day. Detailed findings from the Australian national project that saw development of an authentic, robust, e-exams platform and 20 trials across 10 Australian university partners will be discussed. All are welcome.

Expressions of interest in attending are available via Eventbrite. You will be notified when registration payment opens. The registration fee is expected to be $195 (AUD).

Recording available

A video recording of the session Unlocking the code to digital literacy – implications for learning and assessment, held 1 Aug 2018 is now available for viewing.

In this session, presented by A/Prof Jo Coldwell-Neilson (Deakin University, Australia) Jo argued for an updated definition and understanding of digital literacy that encapsulates the broader, ubiquitous nature of digital technologies, together with the elements that underpin the understanding. This provides a framework to scaffold and contextualise digital literacy learning through the curriculum and inform assessment practices to ensure our graduates are prepared for a digitally enhanced workplace. You can view and download resources via http://transformingassessment.com/events_1_august_2018.php


ASCILITE 2018 Update

We shared in the last ASCILITE Bulletin some great reasons on why to consider attending ASCILITE 2018 which will be hosted by Deakin University at their Waterfront Campus in Geelong, west of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. The conference will run from 25 to 28 November, 2018.

A broad range of submissions were received as part of the (now closed) call for participation for ASCILITE 2018. These submissions are now undergoing review which will take several weeks to complete afterwhich authors will be advised of the outcome of their submissions. This year has seen a very strong submission rate and we are expecting high standards for those submissions that are accepted.

As a reminder, the early bird conference registration closes Friday 12 October. For further, please visit the conference website here.


Webinar Reminder – Augmented Realities for engagement and understanding, Thursday, 16 August 12pm AEST

You will find other time zones for the session here.

Abstract: cARdiac ECG is a mobile augmented reality app that helps healthcare students learn how to understand and interpret electrocardiography traces anywhere, anytime. Augmented reality was recognised as a technology that could present healthcare students with a way to integrate, and overlay, a 2D ECG trace with a 3D model of the heart to help their understanding of the relationship between the two. This webinar will explain the history of the cARdiac ECG project, staff and student outcomes, and provide a demonstration of the app itself.

Presenter: Colin Warren is an educator who has worked across various disciplines at Deakin University for over 20 years in several roles including teaching, research and administration. He has worked as a senior lecturer in the School of Medicine since 2012, and manages the eLearning team that supports the use of technology in the various degree programs of the School. As member of the cARdiac ECG team he was involved in the initial development of the project scope and the pedagogical design of the learn and assess modules of the application.

Registration: You can register for this session here. Once registered, you will receive an email with login details for the session.Pre-registering will allow us to email you a reminder prior to the session and forward you a link of the video recording. ASCILITE webinars are open to members and non-members.

Share the session: Use this link to share the invite with colleagues: https://ascilite.org/get-involved/ascilite-live-webinars/ascilite-webinar-16-08-2018/.


Update on the 2018 ASCILITE Spring into Excellence Research School

EOIs for this year’s Spring into Excellence Research School closed on 6 August with 32 EOIs accepted. Notifications will now be sent to successful applicants.

The Research School takes place 17 – 19 October 2018 at Griffith University, Southbank, Queensland and is hosted by Learning Futures, Griffith University. You can find-out more about the school, including reviews of the 2017 school here.


OTHER NEWS

Call for Submissions – TEN-STARS special issue of the Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability

  • Deadline for paper proposals: 22 August 2018
  • Deadline for paper submissions: 12 October 2018

TEN-STARS (The Employability Network – Students, Transitions, Achievement Retention & Success) is an international network of colleagues who are dedicated to advancing the employability and success of university graduates. The network was convened by Professor Shelley Kinash at the 2018 STARS conference, and amongst other goals seeks to share good practice and collaborate on employability research. Publication of a special issue in the Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, edited by Prof Shelley Kinash and Dr Trina Jorre de St Jorre, will be the first output of the network.

We are seeking empirical articles (maximum 8000 words) that examine practical solutions, approaches or initiatives that advance the employability, career and success of university graduates. For example, by improving student transitions, assessment and student learning experiences, or by connecting with employers and industry.

We strongly encourage papers which are partnerships between stakeholders (industry, graduates, students and academics).

To learn more about the special issue and the TEN-STARS network visit the website or email Trina Jorre de St Jorre.

Dr Trina Jorre de St Jorre
Lecturer, Graduate Employability
Deakin Learning Futures


Job Vacancy – Learning Designer (Deakin University)

  • Job ID: 180604
  • Salary Range: $85,953 to $94,644 pa (plus 17% super)
  • Employment Type: Full-time (36.75 hours per week) and fixed term for 12 months
  • Location: Geelong Waterfront Campus or Melbourne Burwood Campus

About the Role

In this role you will be responsible for designing, developing and maintaining interactive and multi-media content and learning design in cloud learning environments in consultation with the Senior Educational Developer and other relevant staff within the Degrees@FutureLearn team.

This will include:

  • Undertaking analysis, design and review of course and unit materials from a learning design context providing advice on strategies required for improvement.
  • Supporting learning, teaching and assessment design activities and provide advice for planning the development of media rich learning resources.
  • Applying expert instructional design techniques to support teaching practices.
  • Applying an evidence-based approach to support continuous improvement of courses.

About you

  • Relevant degree in Education, or related training or experience in educational pedagogies and technologies within higher education.
  • Demonstrated understanding of learning design principles/theory, practices and technologies relating to flexible and online teaching and learning in a blended learning environment.
  • Demonstrated expertise in selecting educational technologies, and integrating digital and interactive learning experiences to enable and increase student participation and engagement.
  • Demonstrated ability to set priorities, meet deadlines and work on a number of projects concurrently, working with minimal direct supervision.

How to Apply

A full copy of the position description and online application is available via the Deakin Jobs Portal.

The closing date for applications is Sunday 19 August 2018.


Can you help a fellow researcher?

My name is Evelyn Lewis and I’m a full-time doctoral student at Massey University’s Institute of Education (NZ). I am looking for tertiary educators involved in one or more of the aspects of planning, designing and / or teaching in online environments in public institutions in Australia and New Zealand to take part in my research.

My research interest lies in the use of Open Digital Badges in online learning environments and the ways in which both badges and learning environments influence student use of self-regulated learning strategies.

I invite you to take part in the project by completing this questionnaire which will give you an opportunity to reflect on the ways in which you are organising and managing your online learning environment and using digital badges. It should take you approximately 15 minutes to complete the questionnaire.

Digital badges and the use of self-regulated learning strategies in online learning environments Survey

Your support for a fellow researcher is much appreciated.

Institutional Members