ASCILITE NEWS

New Open Educational Practices SIG Launched

Following on from the recent launch of the Digital Equity SIG, ASCILITE is please to announce the launch of a new Open Educational Practices SIG.

This brings the number of ASCILITE SIGs to 7 and you can see them all listed here. ASCILITE SIGs are free to join and are currently open to both ASCILITE members and non-members alike.

You may sign-up to the OEP-SIG by completing this simple sign-up form here.

The proposal for an ASCILITE Open Educational Practice Special Interest Group (OEP SIG) has been approved during the last ASCILITE Executive meeting held on Friday, 23 March. This SIG will undertake activities to connect, collaborate, curate, and advocate around OEP in Australasia as a way of addressing what is perceived to be a low level of national awareness, contrasted sharply by some really excellent practice that should be shared.

If would like more information about the OEP-SIG visit the emerging website here.

Feel free to have a say in ‘Shaping the SIG’ (under the ‘Meetings’ section on the website). By gathering your ideas, we’ll be able to shape a group that reflects the needs of Australasian practitioners. Please take some time to join the discussion via the comments.

You are also invited to attend our first meeting on Thursday April 5 at 1.00pm (AEST) that will be held via Zoom here.

Please do not hesitate to email the SIG co-convenors Dr Carina Bossu and Adrian Stagg if you have need more information.

Next Transforming Assessment (e-Assessment) SIG Webinar

Topic: Shades of meaning: nuance in written and audio feedback.

Date & Time: 7am UTC, 4 April 2018. You will find other time zones for the session here.

Presenters: Elena (Ellie) Woodacre and Sandy Stockwell (University of Winchester, UK)

Abstract: This session will explore findings from research into the intriguing differences between student and tutor perceptions of feedback comments, particularly tutor intention as opposed to student interpretation. We will highlight responses from student interviews and provide ‘takeaway’ suggestions on how we might enhance best practice on giving feedback to students.

Registration: For further information and to register, please visit this link.

OTHER NEWS

Job Vacancy: Learning Design Manager, University of Melbourne

The Melbourne School of Professional and Continuing Education (Faculty of Business and Economics) at the University of Melbourne has a vacancy for a Learning Design Manager who will be responsible for a team of Learning Designers, designing high-quality subjects and programs to significantly expand the University’s professional, continuing and executive education offerings.

Through effective management and supervision, the Learning Design Manager will build the team’s capability and commitment to continual improvement of design processes for online and blended programs.

This role will work as part of the MSPACE design/production team, and will report to the Head of Learning Design and Production.

Key Selection Criteria

Essential:

Postgraduate qualifications with extensive industry experience in learning design for online and blended modes of delivery; or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/ or education/ training.
A strong understanding of pedagogy, learning design approaches, and effective team management. Experience in curriculum and content development in academic, university-based learning environments will also be required.
Demonstrated staff management experience, including the ability to lead and manage design staff in a supportive and collegial manner, and foster innovation and collaboration across different sub-teams.
Significant experience in the creation and implementation of effective educational design frameworks based on established models for constructive alignment of learning objectives, tasks and assessments.
Considerable expertise in quality assurance standards and processes and their application throughout the design and development of educational resources.
Excellent customer relationship, communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to liaise with a range of internal and external stakeholders to achieve successful outcomes.
Highly-organised and detail-oriented, with a strong work ethic, commitment to continuous improvement, openness to new ideas and creative approaches to problem solving within established timelines.
Extensive experience working as part of a team and providing support and guidance to manage critical and competing priorities in a highly dynamic and flexible environment.

Desirable:

A sound knowledge of the higher education environment, policies and procedures, and demonstrated experience managing complex projects in an academic environment with multiple stakeholders, often with divergent motivations and objectives.
Thorough working knowledge of common enterprise teaching and learning management systems, e.g. Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle along with University teaching experience.

The closing date for applications is 3 April 2018. To view the Position Description and to apply please visit the University of Melbourne jobs site here.

PhD Scholarship Opportunity in Assessment in Higher Education

A PhD Scholarship opportunity in Assessment in Higher Education with the Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning, Portfolio of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Deakin University is now available here.

The PhD student will be based at Deakin University’s Melbourne City Centre, 727 Collins Street, Melbourne; and will work with researchers in the Centre and have a variety of topics to consider.

If you know of any specific domestic and international students who may be interested, please share this information with them.

All initial enquiries can be made to Dr Helen Walker, Research Manager CRADLE (Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning) on 03 92445448.

TALE 2018 Call for Papers & Presentations

Asia-Pacific Conference on Educational Technology and STEM Education, 4 – 7 December 2018

TALE is the IEEE Education Society’s flagship Asia-Pacific conference, catering to researchers and practitioners with an interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education as well as those interested in the innovative use of digital technologies for learning, teaching and assessment in any discipline. The target audience of the conference is diverse and includes those working in the higher education, vocational education and training (VET), K-12, corporate, government, military, and healthcare sectors.

Sponsored by the University of Wollongong and Charles Sturt University, TALE 2018 will be held in Wollongong, on the spectacular South Coast of New South Wales, Australia.

The theme of the conference is “Engineering Next-Generation Learning”.

In addition to 10 Core Tracks, the conference will feature a number of Special Tracks, including:

X-Reality & Immersive Learning Environments
Engineering of Technologies for Learning: An Emerging Discipline
Big Data Analytics & Machine Learning in Education

Additional special track proposals are being solicited until 13 April 2018. For details, see https://www.tale2018.org/propose-a-special-track

The conference website is at http://tale2018.org/ and the paper submission deadline is 11 June 2018.

Invitation to Participate in Doctoral Research

You are cordially invited to participate in doctoral research that investigates the extent to which networked experiences support the development of our capacity to teach with technologies. It is University of Auckland, New Zealand ethics approved (Reference Number 018812). More details can be found in the participant information sheet..

Your participation is voluntary and can be through the anonymous questionnaire (10 mins of your time) and/or interview. Any outputs/publications in addition to what will be available in the public domain will be shared with all participants once published for wider dissemination.

Please email Ashwini Datt if you have any questions and feel free to circulate the request in your wider networks.

Mobile Learning Festival (IMLF2018) Call for Participation Extended

The Call for Participation in the 5th International Mobile Learning Festival, IMLF2018 (Mobile Learning, STEM and Trans-disciplinary Education), 8 – 9 June 2018 has been extended to 16 April 2018. For further details, visit the festival website.

Reminder: Invitation to the 2018 CiTEL Curriculum Conference

Join us on 25 and 26 May for the 2018 CiTEL Curriculum Conference.

Hosted by the Centre for Innovation, Teaching Excellence and Leadership at Lourdes Hill College, the Curriculum Conference will provide a unique opportunity to access assessment experts in the tertiary and secondary sectors through presentations, hands-on workshops and opportunities for participants to work with their peers.

With the theme of “Assessment – 2019 & Beyond”, there is a particular focus for teachers on strategies for implementing the new Queensland senior assessment processes and requirements. The conference will be of particular value to academics and pre-service teachers in Queensland and creates a good opportunity for the tertiary and secondary sectors to meet over the common ground of Assessment.

Full conference information is available here and you can download the Conference flyer here.

For more information please email Dr Janet Buchan, Director CiTEL.

Reminder: Call for Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice (JUTLP) Special Issue Proposals

A reminder that the Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice is calling for proposals for 2019 special issues, especially on contemporary themes associated with effective and innovative teaching and learning practice in the higher education environment.

The expectation is that the special issue would be of interest to an international audience. To propose a special issue please download and complete the Special Issue Proposal template email the completed form to Associate Professor Dominique Parrish.

Special Issue Proposals are due by Monday 30 April 2018.