ASCILITE NEWS

ASCILITE 2023: Conference Update

We had a bumper number of submissions for the 2023 conference and would really like to thank our reviewers for their time, careful consideration and feedback to authors. Our acceptance rate of 72% is testament to their academic rigour.

We also appreciate our authors patience in the review and revision stage, especially given the technical issues with emails from the OJS system. Anyone with outstanding revisions received a personal mail from us on Friday and an extension until 16 Oct for final revisions. Remember to login to publications.ascilite.org to check the status of your paper and if you have any queries don’t hesitate to contact us.

As such we will be extending early bird registration by a week to 22 October. We have a packed & varied program planned with 105 full and concise papers, 30 Pecha Kucha’s, 19 posters, 8 panels / symposia discussion and of course all your usual ASCILITE SIG and AJET sessions. So don’t miss out on registering early and saving $165 NZD.

You also won’t want to miss out on the full day of pre-conference workshops on Sunday 3^rd. So register now

ASCILITE Awards:  Extended deadline and additional applications

Award applications now closes at midnight AEDT 16 Oct 2023 – for more information on all the ASCILITE Awards see our webpage here.

Are you a Educational Designer undertaking innovative learner-focused work at your institution? Enter the Anthology Educational Designer of the Year Award, in memory of Allan Christie.

Allan Christie (ASCILITE Life Member since 2003) passed away suddenly on 25 August 2022. Allan was involved with ASCILITE since its conception in 1985. He continued to serve the Society for over 36 years and was on the ASCILITE Executive for 27 years when he retired as the Treasurer from the Executive in December 2019. Allan has an in-depth knowledge of ASCILITE, which was always enormously appreciated. Allan was well known in higher education and is now missed greatly in the ASCILITE circles. He was a kind and generous person and many will remember his presence at the annual ASCILITE conferences.

In recognition of Allan Christie’s lifelong contribution to the sector and ASCILITE in particular, “Blackboard now part of Anthology” will sponsor an Award to the value of $1,000 for the next five (5) years – 2023 to 2027. This Award is in recognition of Allan Christie’s passion and commitment to the use of technology in learning and will reward an outstanding professional staff member who demonstrates a learner-focused and innovative approach to educational design that has been implemented in their workplace.

Get the Award criteria  and the nomination form

TELAS Reviewer Certification workshop: BRISBANE Register Now

Date: Thursday November 9, 2023
Time:  9am – 3.30pm
Location: The workshop will be conducted in person in Brisbane (Venue TBC)
Cost (ex GST): $300 (members);  $450 (non-members – includes 12 month ASCILITE membership fee).

The Technology Enhanced Learning Accreditation Standards (TELAS) are a set of internationally benchmarked standards designed to assess the quality of online learning, particularly in relation to the tertiary sector. They provide institutions with the means to assess and evaluate the affordances of their online learning environments and thereby guide quality enhancements.

The next TELAS Reviewer Certification Workshop is now open for registration. To assist with confirmation of numbers please register ASAP. You may register and request an invoice.

For further details and to register, visit the TELAS website.

Please direct any queries and/or expressions of interest to admin@telas.edu.au.

TELall Blog: A Model for Formative Video Feedback in Music Performance Instruction

In our latest blog post Alana Blackburn (University of New England) & Carol Johnson (University of Melbourne) reflect on the challenges of providing feedback to music students during COVID lockdowns and suggest a methodology to provide valuable feedback in an online environment. Read more here 

ASCILITE Live! Webinar – October 2023

Date: 17th October 2023
Time: 12 noon AEST (QLD) / 1pm AEDT (NSW/VIC)

Come to an ASCILITE Live! Webinar session in October where ASCILITE 2022 Student Bursary Award Winner Erica Ho (The University of Sydney) will discuss the benefits and considerations of using avatars in digital learning environments. Anyone that has an interest in virtual learning design or is involved in online teaching is encouraged to join!

Register here

ASCILITE LA SIG Webinar: What motivates students to learn?

Date: 12 October 2023
Time: 1pm AEDT
Where: Online

The next webinar in our annual series on “How learning sciences inform learning analytics” will be presented this Thursday 12 October at 1pm (AEDT). Join us to hear from Dr Paula de Barba (Monash) who is an expert in motivation and online learning.

What motivates students to learn?
Motivation dictates students’ direction, intensity, quality and persistence of their learning experience. For learning analytics, an unmotivated student may look like a flat line with no recorded interaction with learning resources or peers. What to do then? In this session, we will review some motivational theories and discuss challenges faced by the learning analytics community when identifying and supporting unmotivated students.

Bio
Paula de Barba is a passionate researcher and lecturer at Monash Online, Monash University. She has a PhD from the University of Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences and specialises in understanding student motivation and learning strategies in online environments. Paula’s research focuses on autonomous learning, motivation in online courses, self-regulated learning, and learning analytics. Her goal is to empower students and enhance their learning experiences.

You can register for this event here.

ASCILITE LD SIG October webinar: Unlocking active learning with educational escape rooms

Date: 20 October 2023
Time: 12 Noon AEDT
Where: Online  Register here

What:
Educational Escape Rooms are highly engaging, team-based learning experiences where students work together to solve problems within a time-critical narrative. Educational escape rooms are a new frontier within game-based learning and are widely applicable across age groups and discipline domains. In this seminar we will map out what educational escape rooms are, how they can be used and a series of STEM based example puzzles for participants to stretch their minds on. We will also cover best practice for puzzle design, how to use the electronic decoder box, tips for making escape rooms run smoothly and the new frontiers we are looking towards for further research in educational escape rooms. Find out how you can integrate the next generation of educational escape rooms into your classroom and re-engage your students.

Who: Associate Professor Robert Ross, Head of Robotics and Electronics
Dr Robert Ross is an Associate Professor in the Engineering Department at La Trobe University. Robert is head of Robotics and Electronics Research, founder of the RAMPS robotics lab and has developed a collection of robots to explore wombat burrows, pruning grapevines and inspect sewers. In addition to robotics, educational escape rooms, are a cornerstone of Robert’s research which has culminated in an AAUT Citation for teaching excellence, two Vice Chancellors Teaching awards and two College teaching excellence awards. Robert’s invention of a reconfigurable decoder box facilitates an engaging escape room experience and has been used across varied discipline domains.

Register here

ASCILITE LD SIG: LDHack Hybrid Melbourne Workshop – October 27 2023 FREE all welcome!

Date: Friday 27 October, 2023
Time: 10am – 3:30pm, lunch provided
Location: Hybrid – online and Melbourne at La Trobe University City campus, 360 Collins Street 3000
Register: here
More info: LD Hack website
Cost: FREE for everyone – light refreshments and lunch provided!

Workshop details

Gear Up for the ASCILITE LDHack Hybrid Melbourne Workshop!
The day springs to life with A/Prof Rob Ross and Dr Richard Hall from La Trobe’s Engineering department, leading you through thrilling Educational Escape Room Challenges. Dive headfirst into an immersive, hands-on session and be ready to be captivated!

But wait, there’s more!
Kerry Clarke, La Trobe’s esteemed Senior Indigenous Developer Advisor, will then cast a light on the intricate tapestry of indigenous cultural perspectives to curricula design. And just when you think it can’t get better, Leona Norris from RMIT steps in to masterfully break down the fine art of scaling and upholding quality in learning design.

Exciting afternoon awaits!
Carve out some afternoon time for a one-of-a-kind encounter. Bring to the table a design quandary you’ve been wrestling with and brainstorm solutions collaboratively with peer learning designers. It’s the perfect platform to converse, collaborate, and find camaraderie among fellow enthusiasts. And of course, an unparalleled networking opportunity is right at your fingertips!
Whether you’re just dipping your toes in the field or you’re a seasoned expert, irrespective of your discipline or sector, you’re warmly invited. Choose to connect with us in person in Melbourne (only 40 spots available) or online (also limited to 40). And don’t fret – our seasoned facilitators (Dr Keith Heggart,
Dr Kashmira Daves, Kate Mitchell and A/Prof Leanne Ngo) are geared up both online and at the Melbourne venue to assist you.

Secure your spot now!
The anticipation is palpable – Register Now

ASCILITE OEP SIG: October 2023 Digest

Read the latest Australasian and International news from the OEP Sig here.

OTHER NEWS

Cotutelle Scholarship Opportunity – Deakin University and Coventry University

This is a doctoral cotutelle project between Deakin University (Australia) and Coventry University (United Kingdom). The successful PhD Student will be awarded a scholarship from Deakin University with the supervision team being drawn from Deakin University and Coventry University. The PhD Student will graduate with two testamurs, one from Deakin University and one from Coventry University, each of which recognises that the program was carried out as part of a jointly supervised doctoral program. The program is for a duration of 4 years and scheduled to commence in December 2023. The student will be working within the Centre for research in Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE), Deakin University and the Centre for Global Learning, Coventry University.

The PhD Student is anticipated to spend at least 6 months of the total period of the program at Coventry University, with the remainder of the program based at Deakin University.

For more information please see here.
Applications close 25 Oct 2023.

CRADLE Panel session 1 and 2 in October

Panel Session #1 -“How can we strengthen relationships between authenticity, assessment, and future practice?”
16 October 3.00pm-4.30pm (AEDT)
This discussion will unpack the challenges of strengthening relationships between authenticity, assessment, and future practice. They will address assessment that aligns with industry and work, assessment in the workplace, and staff development in assessment.
Register here.

Panel Session #2 -‘What is the role of the digital in authenticity of assessment?’
17 October 3.00pm – 4.30pm (AEDT)
This discussion focusses on the complexities of the relationship between the digital and authentic assessment.
Register here