ASCILITE NEWS

Call for Papers – ASCILITE 2020 Virtual Conference

The Call for Papers for ASCILITE’s first virtual conference is now open and full details on the submission process and the conference are now available on the conference website. The conference will be hosted virtually by the University of New England on 30 Nov – 1 Dec 2020.

Please note as per the dates below that submissions are due no later than 6 July 2020.

Call for Papers Opens: 15 May 2020
Call for Reviewers opens: 15 May 2020
Call for Papers closes: 6 July 2020
Call for Reviewers closes: 6 July 2020
Registrations open: 6 July 2020
Registration closes: 27 November 2020

AJET New Issue published Vol. 36 No. 2 (2020)

ASCILITE’s peer reviewed journal, the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, has published a new issue which you will find here: https://ajet.org.au/index.php/AJET/issue/current.

The Editorial for the issue is titled “The evolving field of learning analytics research in higher education: From data analysis to theory generation, an agenda for future research”.

TELedvisor SIG monthly webinar: the best tools for curriculum transformation in 2020

Date and Time: Thursday 28 May, 12 noon (AEST)

In this webinar colleagues from QUT, Griffith and UQ will present some of the the tools/technologies they have adopted at their universities and how they are used to facilitate learning and teaching.

Presenters:

Sharon Altena (SFHEA) – Senior Curriculum and Learning Designer, Queensland University of Technology. Sharon is a Senior Curriculum and Learning Designer in the Curriculum Design Studio within the Digital Learning Portfolio at QUT. She will present innovative ways that the humble spreadsheet can be used as a simple and versatile tool by academic staff. Examples will include setting up permanent groups in Zoom, importing questions for Blackboard exams, and creating Flashcards in the Quizlet app.
Sally Kipling – Educational Designer, Griffith University. Sally has been an Educational Designer in Griffith Online for four years. She will present how Microsoft Sway can be used to create engaging learning materials to enhance course content delivery and highlight the tools that can be embed in Sway for interactivity.
Ailsa Dickie – eLearning Program Manager, The University of Queensland. Ailsa has been an elearning advisor and program manager at UQ for eight years. She will present on the organic adoption of Padlet at UQ over the last six years. Staff at UQ use the simple tool in an extensive variety of ways to facilitate active learning in tutorials, lectures and online.

We hope you can join us https://bit.ly/TELedsinar

Mobile Learning SIG Weekly Webinars

The ML-SIG conducts weekly sessions every Friday at 9:30am AEST and anyone interested in mobile learning is welcome to attend.

The SIG discusses a different topic each week and shares Mobile Learning tips from participants who come from Australia, New Zealand, Japan with invited guests from around the world. You can join the discussion via Zoom https://unimelb.zoom.us/j/96912409675 or watch the recorded webinars on the SIG’s YouTube Playlist. Discussion is also welcome on the SIG’s community forum and you can Find out more on the SIG’s blog site

Recent #ASCILITEMLSIG webinars have discussed:

8 May 2020 – a panel discussion, tips for Mobile Learning and a presentation from @David_Sinfield on Reconceptualising the Graphic Design Studio: Immersive user-generated mobile devices for thinking outside the box soon to be published on ASCILITE’s TELall blog.
15 May 2020 – with @tom_worthington @NeilCowie3 @cdeneen212 @vnarayan discussion and joint Hackathon on @mattgbower updated “Typology of Free Web-based Learning Technologies” available here.

Three New TELall Blog Posts

ASCILITE Technology Enhanced Learning Accreditation Standards (TELAS) Update

By Professor Dominique Parrish (Macquarie University), Dr Chris Campbell (Griffith University) and Mr Allan Christie (ASCILITE Life Member)

Fifteen months ago we wrote a TELall blog post to provide an update about the TELAS over the past two years. This blog post now provides a further update on developments since the earlier post. TELAS (Technology Enhanced Learning Accreditation Standards), seeks to introduce an internationally benchmarked accreditation framework that will assess, assure, certify and recognise the quality of online learning. Professional associations, such as ASCILITE have a major role to play in regard to assuring the quality of online learning in higher and further education.

Are Virtual Conferences the way of the future? – Presenter and participant perspectives from LAK20

By Hazel Jones (Griffith University), Linda Corrin (Swinburne University of Technology) and Srecko Joksimovic (University of South Australia)

The organisers of the 2020 Learning Analytics and Knowledge (LAK20) conference, which was meant to be held in Frankfurt in March, made the bold and brilliant decision to conduct the conference fully online due to the emerging COVID-19 situation. They were able to achieve this mammoth task in just two weeks – an incredible effort that was much appreciated by participants and presenters. Did it go smoothly? – yes. Are there lessons that could be learnt for others considering this option? – definitely. Do we believe virtual conferences will replace the traditional face-to-face conference? – we hope not.

I ‘C’ you … communication, community, connectedness and co-construction within the context of tertiary education responses to COVID-19

By Nicki Dabner (College of Education, Health & Human Development, University of Canterbury, Aotearoa/ New Zealand)

We have experienced some unexpected challenges here at the University of Canterbury that have informed our organisational pandemic response and enabled us to establish some resilient practices; in particular two major earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Reflecting upon our learning from both the current and prior events, research we conducted throughout the earthquake period, and feedback we have received from students (then and now), one constant appears across both contexts: an ethos of care needs to underpin all organisational responses and practices in times of crisis.

New Institutional Membership Benefits Announced

The ASCILITE Executive is pleased to announce a set of new benefits available to ASCILITE institutional members.

In addition to the current benefits of discounted membership rates for staff, the new benefits available include a complimentary TELAS half-day workshop, complimentary pre-conference workshop registrations and complimentary CMALT half-day workshops, plus a chance to host the annual Spring into Excellence Research School. Terms and conditions do apply and vary with each membership category. The benefits and T&Cs are detailed in the Institutional Membership Options PDF available on the ASCILITE website here.

ASCILITE has four categories of institutional membership, each with a different number of staff that may be nominated:

Bronze (10 members)
Silver (20 members)
Gold (25 members)
Diamond (Unlimited number of staff)

All nominated staff covered by an institutional membership subscription must be staff or students of the institution.

The new institutional benefits will be available to institutions upon their next membership renewal date and to new institutional members when they join.

You can see if your institution is already a member by visiting this list on the ASCILITE website.

OTHER NEWS

Applications for a new PhD Scholarship in Assessment in Higher Education Announced

The Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE), Deakin University is pleased to announce that applications are now open for a new PhD scholarship in Assessment in Higher Education opportunity with CRADLE. If you’re a domestic student interested in assessment and digital learning, come and study with us at CRADLE!

Applications are now open and close Monday 1 June 2020.

This scholarship is open to domestic students only, will be awarded on a full-time basis, and will be based at CRADLE’s Melbourne CBD location, Deakin Downtown. The successful applicant will work on a project that considers assessment and learning in the changing settings and increasingly digital context of education, and will contribute evidence to inform assessment research, policy and practice. We welcome submissions that align to CRADLE’s current programs of research, and also encourage applicants to consult our list of proposed doctoral topics.

CRADLE’s research program seeks to establish what works to improve learning in higher and professional education. Our current areas of research include:

Throughout this research, we use cross-cutting approaches, including innovative methodological and theoretical approaches and knowledge transition. Our team of leading higher education researchers includes Alfred Deakin Professor David Boud, A/Prof. Phillip Dawson, Prof. Margaret Bearman, A/Prof. Rola Ajjawi, Dr. Joanna Tai and Dr Trina Jorre de St Jorre, and we collaborate with Deakin faculties and divisions, along with a range of industry partners and international collaborators.

Scholarship applicants must meet Deakin’s PhD entry requirements, enrol on a full-time basis, and hold an Honours (First Class) degree or an equivalent standard Master’s degree with a substantial research component. Please refer to Deakin’s research degree entry pathways for further information. The successful applicant will be enrolled through the Faculty of Arts and Education, and will receive a top-up of $5,000 per annum over three years.

All Expressions of Interest (EOI) must be submitted to through the Faculty of Arts and Education; however, potential applicants should contact a CRADLE supervisor aligned with their preferred project topic prior to submitting an EOI.

Further information about the Faculty of Arts and Education’s EOI process, along with the EOI form, may be found here: how to apply. For all other enquiries, please contact CRADLE’s Research Manager, Dr Helen Walker, via email or on (03) 9244 5448.

academic progress and integrity
assessment design (including self/peer, authentic and programmatic)
feedback and feedback literacy
developing evaluative judgement
assessment in a digital world
digital identities; and
quality and standards

Online Survey to document and analyse changing education practices, James Cook University

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed education dramatically. The impact on teaching and learning is global, urgent and likely to alter education practices from this point onwards. We are interested to hear your stories of how you have negotiated these changes and invite you to take part in an online survey. The survey seeks to document and analyse changing education practices to produce reports, case studies, guides and other resources to support teaching and learning through the COVID-19 socially restrictive national, state and institutional rulings. Taking part in this study is completely voluntary. Your responses will be anonymous.

The study is being conducted by Associate Professor Louise Phillips (James Cook University), Dr Chris Campbell (Griffith University), Associate Professor Susan Davis (Central Queensland University), Dr Melissa Cain (Australian Catholic University), Dr Kate Coleman (University of Melbourne), Dr Geraldine Burke (Monash University), Associate Professor Jenny Ritchie (Victoria University, Wellington), Professor Cynthia Brock (University of Wyoming), and Dr Esther Joosa (Independent Researcher, Singapore).

The project has approval from the James Cook University Human Research Ethics Committee (H8090) and Griffith University Human Research Ethics Committee (2020/311).

You can participate in the survey here.

Public Spectrum launches a five-part virtual learning series “The FuturED”

Public Spectrum is launching #FuturED20 with over 35 inspirational speakers. FuturED20 aims to help education providers and their staff adapt to the new normal. These ongoing, online events feature a range of education, technology and innovation specialists who can help schools transition into a new phase of digital education.

You can tune in every Wednesday, starting from 27 May 2020 with upcoming sessions to include:

Primary Remote Learning
Secondary Remote Learning
Tertiary Remote Learning
Supporting Student Wellbeing
Supporting Staff Wellbeing and more to come.

Feel free to contact the Public Spectrum team for more information here or call them on 02 9247 1522.