ASCILITE NEWS

For those of you booking your flights although the closing session will end by 3:45 pm on Wed 6th don’t rush off.

New Zealand’s most beautiful street is literally around the corner and full of the best coffee, cocktails, gelato, kitchens and cafe’s. And Thom and Vickel want to be sure you don’t miss the opportunity to try Fritz’s Wieners.

ASCILITE Live! Webinar – September 2023

Date:18th September 2023
Time: 12 noon AESTCome to an ASCILITE Live! Webinar session in August where ASCILITE 2022 Grant Winners Jason M. Lodge (The University of Queensland), Jaclyn Broadbent (Deakin University), and Paula de Barba (Monash University) will present preliminary data from their Tool or peer? Self-regulated learning with technology project which suggests that students are using a complicated mix of tools and technologies (including generative AI) in concert with their peers to manage their learning progress. Both peers and technologies play an important role in directing learning but this co- and socially shared regulation doesn’t always lead to positive outcomes. Anyone that is involved in the use of technology and the shift to more flexible and active forms of learning on campus is encouraged to attend!

Register here.

Call for proposals: AJET special issue in 2024

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 2024.
Expressions of interest of up to 500 words should include the following information:

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

Expressions of interest that do not address the four points above, or exceed the word limit will not be considered.
The expressions of interest will be reviewed by the AJET Lead Editors. Full proposals will then be requested from shortlisted EOIs.

Please email your expression of interest to editors@ajet.org.au by 27th September 2023.

If you have any questions about this process, please email editors@ajet.org.au.

ASCILITE Community Project Featured in The Conversation Indonesia

ASCILITE’s Contextualising Horizon project was recently featured in The Conversation Indonesia [and in Bahasa Indonesia] The article highlights the trends identified in the 2021–2022 Contextualising Horizon report and features examples pertinent to the Indonesian Context.

The ASCILITE Contextualising Horizon Report for 2022–2023 is forthcoming.

Contextualising Horizon aims to identify the educational technologies and practices likely to impact the Australasian tertiary sector. More information on the initiative and the report are available on ASCILITE’s Contextualising Horizon page.

ASCILITE LD SIG: Hackathon: Face to face hands on learning design sprint

Date: 22^nd Sept 2023
Time: 10AM – 3PM AEST
Where: UTS
How: face to face or online participation
What: Excellent presentations from the practitioners and hands on experience sharing and designing.
Register here
Stay Up To Date with LDHACK

ASCILITE LD SIG: Empowering Education: Harnessing AI and Design Thinking for Transformative Learning Journeys

Date: 15^th Sept 2023
Time: 11am AEST
Register here.

Who: Dr. Eunice Sari is the Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales. Dr. Sari is the CEO and Co-Founder of UX Indonesia, the first insight-driven UX Research, Training, and Consulting Company based in Indonesia since 2002, and co-founder of Customer Experience Insight Pty Ltd (Australia). With more than 20 years of experience in academics and industries, she has helped many organizations accelerate their digital transformation and pioneer innovative UX projects that affect lives and improve businesses’ bottom line in the USA, Europe, Australia, and Asia.

What:  Artificial Intelligence (AI) has transformed the education industry by personalizing learning experiences for students. However, designing AI-powered learning experiences involves addressing data privacy, algorithm bias, and ethical concerns. The integration of Design Thinking in the development of AI-powered learning experiences can improve the learning experience further. By considering the needs and perspectives of students and stakeholders, educators can create user-centric and innovative solutions that are engaging and effective. The combination of AI and Design Thinking can increase student engagement, motivation, and overall learning outcomes, leading to a successful and fulfilling educational experience. This talk explores the application of Design Thinking as a framework for enhancing the learning experience.

Call for Nominations to the Executive Committee

Nominations CLOSES 11PM AEST 18 September 2023.

Current ASCILITE financial members are invited to stand for election to the ASCILITE Executive Committee.

The positions being elected this year are President, Vice President and 3 members of the executive.

You will find details of current Executive Members here and a summary of Executive roles and the work of the Executive is outlined in the document Prospective Executive Committee Member Information.

For further information on the work of the Society or the Executive Committee please contact the President, Vice-President or any Executive Committee member. Committee members will be happy to answer your questions by phone or email.

Voting will be open to all financial members from 20 September to 6 October 2023.

Members will be sent candidate information with an online voting link on 20 September and the results of this ballot will be announced at the ASCILITE Annual General Meeting at ASCILITE 2023.

You will find further details of the election schedule, positions available and nomination forms on the ASCILITE website here.

2023 ASCILITE Awards: Open for Nominations

Nominations close 2 October 2023 .

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 award categories available to members in 2023 are as follows:

• Innovation Award 
  • 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.
    • The most outstanding Innovation Award: “The Allan Christie ASCILITE Innovation Award” (judged from Innovation Award nominations). Allan Christie was involved with ASCILITE since its conception in 1985. He was recognised with a Life Member award in 2003 (only the fourth person to receive this honour at the time). Allan continued to serve the Society for over 36 years and was on the ASCILITE Executive for 27 years when he retired from the Executive in December 2019. Allan was well known in higher education and sadly passed away suddenly last year. He is missed greatly in the ASCILITE circles.
• Anthology Educational Designer of the Year Award, in memory of Allan Christie
  • In recognition of Allan Christie’s lifelong contribution to the sector, this award is professional staff member who has made significant contributions to learning and teaching. The award is sponsored by Anthology, to the value of $1,000
• Emerging Scholar Award 
  • Has made a noteworthy contribution in the exemplary use of ore research into technologies for learning and teaching in tertiary education
• Community Fellow Award 
  • Recognise the outstanding contributions of individual ASCILITE members in the exemplary building of connections in the wider community and into the ASCILITE community.
• ASCILITE/CAULLT Award for Outstanding Leadership in Digital Learning in Higher Education
  • Recognises evidence of an individual’s innovative and effective leadership in the broad use of digital technologies to enhance teaching, learning, and overall performance in higher education.
• Student Bursary Award 
  • Available to full-time PhD/EdD or equivalent students
• Life Member Award 
  • A prestigious award that recognizes the significant service and/or sustained contribution of an ASCILITE member to the Society

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

2023 ASCILITE Research School: Last call for EoIs

Date: 23rd-25th October, Hosted by Charles Sturt University, Canberra

The ASCILITE Spring into Excellence Research School is typically held over three (3) days in which academic and professional staff come together to further develop their research skills. The school is facilitated by senior researchers and leaders drawn from the ASCILITE community. It includes lunches, morning and afternoon teas, as well as expert presenters for a approximate cost of $600 (ASCILITE current financial members) or $750.00 (non-members, includes a 12 month membership). The Research School commences at lunchtime day one – Monday, and finishes at around 1pm on day three – Wednesday.

More information can be gained from the website.

Interested? Please complete the EoI form here.

Australian Universities Accord Panel

ASCILITE was one of the organisations that provided and endorsed feedback on the Interim Report for the Accord.

This is linked to ASCILITE’s support for a national collaboration on learning and teaching organisation.

Acknowledgment to the following people who pulled together the feedback on behalf of numerous organisations:

• Alfred Deakin Professor Liz Johnson PFHEA, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Deakin University
• Professor Sally Kift PFHEA FAAL, Vice Chancellor’s Fellow, Victoria University, Adjunct Professor: JCU, QUT, La Trobe University,
• Associate Professor Jason Lodge, Deputy Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, School of Education, The University of Queensland

The published submission is now available on the Accord’s site.

TELall Blog: Fostering student belonging and connection through recorded audio feedback

In our latest blog post James Tsatsaronis (LaTrobe University) reflects on his efforts to maintain and foster student engagement via audio feedback  and finds that “recorded audio is unlikely to be a silver bullet for student engagement, but might help foster improved connection between students and teachers in an online or blended environment”.

Read the full post here.

OTHER NEWS

CRADLE webinar: Assessment Reform for the Age of Artificial Intelligence

When: Thursday 28 September 2023
Time: 3.00pm-4.00pm (AEST)
Where: Online
Cost: This is a free event
Register Now

TEQSA in association with CRADLE presents the fifth webinar in the “Implications of Generative Artificial Intelligence for Higher Education”.

This series of webinars addresses what is known at present about Generative Artificial intelligence (genAI), implications for learning, teaching and assessment and how such technologies might transform higher education into the future.

The panel (Dr Helen Gniel, Associate Professor Jason Lodge, Associate Professor Sarah Howard, Professor Phillip (Phill) Dawson, Professor Margaret Bearman ) will present the draft principles, followed by 30 minutes of questions and answers.

Job opportunity: James Cook University is looking for Educational Designers (multiple positions)

JCU is looking for highly skilled Educational Designers to join our vibrant team of professionals in the Centre for Education and Enhancement. Based at either one of our beautiful tropical campuses in North Queensland; the Townsville Bebegu Yumba campus or the Cairns Nguma-bada campus. Must have working rights in Australia.

More details available here.