ASCILITE NEWS

ASCILITE 2020 Virtual Conference registration is open and Call for Papers has been extended

Registration is now open for the ASCILITE virtual conference (30 Nov – 1 Dec 2020) and the deadline for paper submissions is now 20 July (extended from 6 July). The registration fee for ASCILITE members is $100 and $250 for non-members.

You will find further details on submissions on the conference website here.

Transforming Assessment SIG webinar: Assessment in Higher Education conference panel – looking to 2021

Date and Time: 15 July @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm AEST (Australia), 7:00am universal time and 8:00am UK Summer time.

This session is a joint Assessment in Higher Education conference (UK) and Transforming Assessment webinar panel. The Panel chair and introduction is by Fabio R Aricò (University of East Anglia, UK). Panel speakers are:

Feedback is useless if no-one can get what it means’ – The effect of technology-mediated peer feedback on uptake and literacy. James Michael Wood (Seoul National University, South Korea)
Inclusive assessment design: what can we learn from assessment adjustments?. Joanna Tai, Mary Dracup, Merrin Mccracken, Yasmin Mobayad (Deakin University, Australia)
Assessment and digital competences: building capacity with academic staff. Rob Lowne and Suzanne Stone (Dublin City University, Ireland)

For further information and to register go here. TA-SIG webinars are free and open to all.

Learning Analytics SIG webinar: The impact of COVID-19 on the use of learning analytics in higher education

Date and time: 30 July @ 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm AEST (Australia). For the start times in other time zones go here.

The increase in the use of educational technology in response to the COVID-19 situation means that there are now even greater volumes of student data being generated and collected by higher education institutions. This would appear to present an opportunity for learning analytics to be utilised to help teachers and students to improve educational environments, strategies and outcomes, as long as the access to data, tools and skills are available.

In this online, interactive panel session we will hear from learning analytics specialists across four Australian universities about how the COVID-19 situation has impacted the use of learning analytics in their institutions. The session will also allow time for participants to share their own experiences and for discussion about what we can learn and take forward from this current situation to support future uses of learning analytics in higher education.

You can register for this session here and for the session start times in other time zones go here. The session is free and open to all.

ASCILITE Business Education SIG webinar: Virtual Work Integrated Learning

Date and time: 11 August @ 10:30 am – 11:30 am AEST (Australia). For session start times in other time zones go here.

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placements and projects enable students to interact directly with host industries or communities to work on real-life problems or projects. With COVID 19 restrictions, it is timely for us to discuss the opportunities and challenges associated with engaging students in authentic virtual WIL experiences offered via online platforms which may be independent of time, space, geographical boundaries and disciplines.

This session will be co-facilitated by Assoc Prof Harsh Suri (Deakin University), Ms Friederika Kaider (Deakin University) and Dr Sandra Barker (University of South Australia).

This is the first in a series of webinars to be facilitated by the ASCILITE Business Education SIG.

To login to this zoom session, go here.

New TELall Blog Post: Connecting the dots – Digital tools for doing educational research on COVID-19 during a pandemic

In the TELall blog’s latest post, Chris Campbell (Learning Futures, Griffith University) and Kathryn Coleman (Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne) present a story of a group of researchers who have come together to investigate rapid innovations, novel partnerships and enhanced questions of access during COVID-19 times as shared here through the lens of two investigators. With over 500 responses from various countries this is becoming an important piece of research for education.

Final Call for EOIs – AJET Lead Editor

ASCILITE’s peer reviewed journal, the Australasian Journal of Educational Technology (AJET), invites applications for the role of AJET Lead Editor(s) from individuals and small groups.

The Lead Editors are responsible for setting and maintaining the editorial direction of AJET, and leading and overseeing the work of the Associate Editors and Copy Editors. The Lead Editors also: fulfill the role of journal manager and manage and coordinate the production of AJET editions; compile reports for the AJET Management Committee and Editorial Boards and an annual report for the ASCILITE AGM. The Lead Editors meet with the AJET Management Committee (online) to negotiate the timeline and resources required for the journal’s activities. Lead Editors are expected to attend the ASCILITE annual conference to lead an ASCILITE workshop/symposium on publishing in AJET.

The current AJET Lead Editors will complete their term at the 2020 ASCILITE conference. ASCILITE is committed to active succession planning for this important role and has now begun a search for a new lead editor team. The current Lead Editors will provide support to the successful applicants to ensure a smooth transition into the role. Please note that the role of Lead Editor is a voluntary one and is not a paid position.

For further details, visit the AJET website here. The due date for EOIs is COB Wednesday 15 July 2020.

OTHER NEWS

Invitation to enrol in the 2020 Contemporary Approaches to University Teaching MOOC

Enrollments for the free 2020 Contemporary Approaches to University Teaching MOOC are now open at https://www.canvas.net/browse/swinburne/courses/contemporary-approaches-university-teaching.

The MOOC provides key introductory learning and teaching concepts and strategies for those in their first few years of university teaching. The self-paced MOOC is comprised of 11 expert-developed modules and several specialty modules and resources.

Since launching in January 2018, colleagues from over 90 countries have enrolled. Twenty–nine institutions from nine countries have requested the MOOC content to import into their institution’s LMS. To see how other universities are using the MOOC, visit the ‘How universities are using the MOOC’ section on the Fellowship website. A Portuguese translation of the MOOC will launch in September and Spanish and Mandarin translations of the MOOC have been delayed by changing priorities due to the COVID-19 virus.

Further information email Kym Fraser (Adjunct Associate Professor, Swinburne University of Technology).