Tasmanian Institute of Learning and Teaching (TILT)

Faculty of Education

ELT501

FOUNDATIONS OF UNIVERSITY LEARNING AND TEACHING

Semester 2, 2017

Unit Outline

Dr Andrea Adam

© The University of Tasmania 2015

Contact details

Unit coordinator

Unit coordinator:Dr Andrea Adam

Campus:Sandy Bay

Email: *(preferred communication mode)

Phone:03 6226 7116

Room location:TILT Offices, TUU Building (access off French Street)

Consultation hours:If you would like a meeting, please email me to arrange a time and meeting mode (Skype, webconference, phone, or on- campus).

I work part-time.

Unit administration

Graduate Certificate Administration:Mrs Tamzen Jeanneret

Campus:Sandy Bay

Email:

Phone:03 6226 7251

Contact times:Business hours, Monday to Friday

© The University of Tasmania 2016

Contents

What is the Unit About?

Unit description*

Intended Learning Outcomes*

Graduate Quality Statement

Alterations to the unit as a result of student feedback*

Prior knowledge &/or skills

How will I be Assessed?*

Assessment schedule*

Assessment details*

How your final result is determined*

Submission of assignments*

Academic referencing*

Academic misconduct*

What Learning Opportunities Are There?

MyLO

Resources

Activities

Communication

Further information and assistance

Unit schedule

Page 1UNIT CODE Unit Title

What is the Unit About?

Unit description*

ELT501, Foundations of University Learning and Teaching, is designed to provide information and a collegial environment to support you in developing a rich and integrated understanding of university learning and teaching issues, with reference to the UTAS context.

You will explore the theories, principles and practice of university learning and teaching. There is an emphasis on discussing and applying constructive alignment, strategies to promote deep learning and integrating technology into the learning and teaching environment.

This is the foundation unit in the Graduate Certificate of University Learning and Teaching, and consequently introduces a range of topics that will be developed further in other units. It also acts as a primer for new UTAS staff. ELT501 is aligned with the UK Professional Standards Framework. Eligible ELT501 students completing the approved study sequence in the unit will gain recognition as an Associate Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy (AFHEA) on successful completion of the unit. The UK HEA Fellowship scheme enables recognition of quality and excellence in the practice of teaching and supporting learning.

Intended Learning Outcomes*

Foundations of University Learning and Teaching fulfils two roles. It is the foundation unit in the Graduate Certificate of University Learning and Teaching. It also acts as a primer for new UTAS staff.

The unit is designed to provide information and a collegial environment to support you in developing a rich and integrated understanding of university learning and teaching issues, as described in the following intended learning outcomes. The key dimensions of the UKPSF covered and assessed within ELT501 are included after each ILO. (Additional dimensions less core to the unit are included in brackets.)

On completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Design constructively aligned units where the intended knowledge, skills and understandings are clearly and appropriately communicated, taught, and assessed. A1, A3, K1, K2, K4 (K3, V1, V2, V3)
  2. Use Higher Education theory, literature and practice to make and support arguments for teaching. K1, K2, V3
  3. Present an argument for change, addressing both formal and informal structures, to improve teaching and learning in your professional context. A5, K1, K2 (A4, V3)

Graduate Quality Statement

Successful completion of this unit supports your development of course learning outcomes, which describe what a graduate of a course knows, understands and is able to do. Course learning outcomes for the Bachelor of Education with Professional Honours (Higher Education), for which ELT501 is a core unit, are available from the Course homepage. Course learning outcomes are developed with reference to national discipline standards, Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), any professional accreditation requirements and the University of Tasmania’s Graduate Quality Statement.

The University of Tasmania experience unlocks the potential of individuals. Our graduates are equipped and inspired to shape and respond to the opportunities and challenges of the future as accomplished communicators, highly regarded professionals and culturally competent citizens in local, national, and global society. University of Tasmania graduates acquire subject and multidisciplinary knowledge and skills, and develop critical and creative literacies and numeracies and skills of inquiry. They demonstrate the ability to apply this knowledge in changing circumstances. Our graduates recognise and critically evaluate issues of social responsibility, ethical conduct and sustainability, are entrepreneurial and creative, and are mindful of their own wellbeing and that of the community. Through respect for diversity and by working in collaborative ways, our graduates reflect the values of the University of Tasmania.

Alterations to the unit as a result of student feedback*

In response to student feedback from 2016, the following changes to the learning opportunities and assessment in ELT501 have been made:

  • additional learning opportunities have been introduced during the semester to facilitate ongoing engagement with the content and with colleagues.
  • structured template for assessment task 2.
  • additional time in the oral presentation component of assessment task 2.
  • incorporating a clear opportunity for all students to be able to refine their assessment submissions and to best demonstrate their attainment of the ILOs

Prior knowledge &/or skills

In most cases, you need to have completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. You also need to be committed to self-improvement in your teaching and other educational activities, and be willing to engage colleagues in this process. You will need to have access to a Unit Outline, preferably for a unit in which you teach. If you are not teaching into a unit, you may need to request to use an outline written by a colleague. If you are unsure about what Unit Outline to use, please discuss with Andrea.

How will I be Assessed?*

Assessment schedule*

Assessment task / Date due by / Percent weighting / Measures Intended Learning Outcomes
Eligibility assessment for AFHEA / 30/06/17, 11pm / - / eligibility for AFHEA
Learning Outcomes Critique
Post 1.1Submit proposed ILOs
Post 1.2 Comment on peers’ ILOs
Post 1.3ILOs & justification / 03/07/17, 2pm
10/07/17, 2pm
24/07/17, 2pm / 15% / 1, 2 and 3
Learning ActivityAssessment Design / 18-22/09/17, 2pm / 85% / 1, 2 and 3
References for AFHEA candidates / 09/10/17, 2pm / - / eligibility for AFHEA
Refinement of Learning Activity Development Assessment Essay/Presentation / 30/10/17, 2pm / (85%) / (1, 2 and 3)

Assessment details*

Assessment task 1: Learning Outcomes Critique (15%)

Task description / The purpose of this assessment task is for you to develop and demonstrate your skills in designing good intended learning outcomes (ILOs). This task is designed to give you an opportunity to share and reflect on your practice, and experience giving and receiving constructive peer feedback on teaching.This assignment will take the form of a series of discussion posts in MyLO.
Post 1.1
You will share draft ILOs that you propose should be used for your unit/module. You will also include a maximum of two sentences to explain the context of the unit/module to your peers (e.g., year level, discipline, role in the course).
Post 1.2
Provide constructive feedback to your peers on their ILOs, supporting your position with reference to the recommendations of Biggs and Tang (2011) and UTAS (2015) ILO guidelines.
The aim of your feedback is to explain to your peers the ways in which their ILOs reflect good practice. You may make constructive suggestions for modifications to the proposed ILOs to meet guidelines and/or recommendations. (Maximum 250 words each reply.)
Post 1.3
You will propose a set of ILOs to use in your unit/module, plus a 500-word justification for why they are good. This justification will use at least Biggs and Tang (2011) and UTAS (2015; 2016) guidelines.
For information about how to label your posts for assessment, please see the Learning Outcomes Critique Instructions Content Topic in the ELT501 MyLO site.
Criterion / Measures Intended Learning Outcome:
Criterion 1 / Use Biggs and Tang (2011) and UTAS guidelines to analyse your colleagues’ ILOs. (Post 1.2) – 33.33% / 2
Criterion 2 / Propose ILOs in line with guidelines, and principles and theories of teaching and learning (Post 1.3) – 33.33% / 1
Criterion 3 / Justify your final ILOs (Post 1.3) – 33.33% / 2, 3
Task length / approximately 1200 words (justification 500 words)
Alignment with the UKPSF / Assessment Task 1 will allow you to demonstrate your ability to design modules or units of study [A1: Cr2]. You will bring your understanding of your discipline and your context [K1] to this design activity. The theory of constructivism incorporated into the constructive alignment framework will underlie your approach to developing intended learning outcomes written from the perspective of what the students will do, rather than your own actions as a teacher [(K3): Cr1, Cr2]. You will use evidence, from Biggs and Tang and the University’s guidelines, to support your proposals for better design [V3: Cr1, Cr3]. In this assessment you will show that you can use the knowledge you have acquired about the way students learn and good learning design to advocate for better teaching practice by presenting your argument [A5: Cr3].
Due by date / Post 1.1: Monday 3rd July, 2pm
Post 1.2: Monday 10th July, 2pm
Post 1.3: Monday 24th July, 2pm

Assessment task 2: Learning Activity and Assessment Design (85%)

Task description / The purpose of this combined task is for you to demonstrate your understanding of good teaching and assessment practice. You will demonstrate this through describing the design of a learning activity and the design of an assessment task that reflect good practice and are constructively aligned to develop and measure the ILO(s) of the unit. You will support your claims with evidence from Higher Education literature and reflections from your own practice on what has or has not worked well in the past. This assessment is also designed to measure your ability to advocate for change to improve teaching and learning.
This task will include:
Part A (written; template provided)
1)List of good ILOs for the unit/module
2)Description of a learning activity and a description of an Assessment Task (see template in MyLO)
Part B (oral presentation)
3)Explanation of how this activity/task is aligned in the unit. This may include how the learning activity develops the students’ skills, knowledge and/or understandings described in the ILO(s), and/or how the assessment task measures attainment of the ILO(s).
4)Justification for why the learning activity and the assessment task are demonstrative of good practice, and good for your context, your students, the discipline, workloads, the content, etc. You will support your justification with evidence from: Higher Education literature; reflection on your own teaching practice; feedback from peers and students; and UTAS policy and guidelines.
5)Explanation of how you (from your current professional position)could ensure that the good practice described in this assessment is implemented into the unit and/or further across the course. We want to hear realistic strategies for influencing others to support good teaching and assessment practice. These strategies will include an awareness of the formal administrative processes for implementing change as well as the interpersonal and discipline-specific context for change.
Criterion / Measures Intended Learning Outcome:
Criterion 1 / Description of a learning activity and an assessment task that are demonstrative of good practice / 1
Criterion 2 / Explanation of how the learning activity and/or the assessment task ensures the unit is constructively aligned / 1
Criterion 3 / Use of evidence, including reflection on practice and literature, to justify your arguments / 2
Criterion 4 / Explanation of how you could facilitate uptake of improved teaching and/or assessment practice / 3
Task length / 20 minutes (~15 minutes presentation, 5 minutes cross-examination)[1]
Alignment with the UKPSF / In this Assessment Task 2, you will present a learning activity that supports the attainment of the ILO(s) in an existing unit. The learning activity will be designed or chosen by you to fulfil the design needs of the unit, meeting the requirements of constructive alignment [A1: Cr1]. You will use your knowledge of your discipline and context and how students learn in your discipline and context to plan an appropriate activity [K1, K2: Cr1]. You will consider the value of different technologies, to select an appropriate technology for the activity in the context of your unit [K4: Cr1].
To justify the activity, you will use evidence from a range of sources. One source of evidence will be your own learning experiences and teaching practice. You will use these reflections to identify features of good activity design, and to plan an activity that is appropriate for your students and context. You will also engage with the literature in higher education, and use this to shape your understanding of, and explain how the activity will support student learning and is appropriate for your context [V3: Cr3].
In justifying a good assessment task, you will actively reflect on your current teaching practice, particularly in relation to your assessment and feedback practices [A3: Cr2]. Your analysis will reflect your understanding of and work to improve the constructive alignment of the unit [A1: Cr2].
Your reflection on what is working and what could be improved in your teaching and/or assessment practice will be informed by your discipline knowledge and context, and an explicit consideration of appropriate teaching practices for your discipline and/or context [K2: Cr1, Cr3]. Your sources of evidence to support your analyses and proposals will include reflection on practice and higher education literature [V3: Cr3].
Your assessment design will provide equitable and fair measures of student learning, as required by the University’s Assessment Policy, to ensure equitable access to learning for all of your students [V1, V2: Cr1, Cr3].
In your paper, you will discuss how you will use what you have learned about quality learning and teaching in your discipline to facilitate improved assessment practice [A5: Cr4].
Due by date / Monday, 18th September, 2pm – Description of Learning Activity and Assessment Task, with oral presentation to be held between 18th and 22nd May (Dates in Calendar).

Assessment of eligibility for AFHEA (no summative weight)

Task description / If you want successful completion of ELT501 to gain you recognition as an Associate Fellow of the UK HEA (AFHEA), you must successfully complete an assessment of your eligibility. The University of Tasmania is accredited by the HEA to award Associate Fellowship to eligible staff.
Assessment of your eligibility will involve you completing a short online questionnaire, administered through the ELT501 MyLO site.
Assessment criteria / Your eligibility will be determined by whether you are currently:
  1. employed by the University of Tasmania, and
  2. engaged in teaching and/or supporting learning in some capacity

Alignment with the UKPSF / Determination of eligibility for AFHEA
Task length / approximately 5 minutes
Due by date / Friday 30th June, 2pm

References for AFHEA candidates (no summative weight)

Task description / Candidates for AFHEA recognition must provide two references to verify their teaching practice.
Details about the references and guidance for referees, including a referee statement template are available on the ELT501 MyLO site.
Alignment with the UKPSF / Support for case for AFHEA recognition
Due by date / Monday 9th October, 2pm
Submit to AFHEA References Assignment Folder in the ELT501 MyLO site

How your final result is determined*

ELT501

Integral to successful completion of this unit is attainment of each of the three intended learning outcomes. Therefore, your performance against each of the ILOs will be assessed separately. To be eligible to pass the unit, you will need to attain a pass for each ILO, and attainan overall mark of 50% for the unit. The following table shows which of the assessment task criteria aligns with each of the ILOs.

At the completion of this unit, you will be able to: / AT 1: Learning Outcomes Critique / AT 2: Learning Activity and Assessment Design
Design constructively aligned units where the intended knowledge, skills and understandings are clearly and appropriately communicated, taught, and assessed. / 2. Propose ILOs in line with guidelines and policies, and principles and theories of teaching and learning / 1. Description of a learning activity and an assessment task that are demonstrative of good practice
2. Explanation of how the learning activity and/or the assessment task ensures the unit is constructively aligned. (measures ILO1)
Use Higher Education theory, literature and practice to make and support arguments for teaching. / 1. Use Biggs and Tang (2011) and UTAS guidelines and policies to analyse your colleagues’ ILOs
3. Justify your final ILOs / 3. Use of evidence, including reflection on practice and literature, to justify your arguments
Present an argument for change, addressing both formal and informal structures, to improve teaching and learning in your professional context. / 3. Justify your final ILOs / 4. Explanation of how you could facilitate uptake of improved teaching and/or assessment practice.

Intended learning outcomes are designed to reflect the knowledge, understanding and skills that you have on completion of the unit. Hence, performance on the final assessment task is considered your best demonstration of your achievement of the ILOs.

Therefore,

You will be deemed to have passed ILO1 if you pass criteria 1 and 2 on AT2

You will be deemed to have passed ILO2 if you pass criterion 3 on AT2

You will be deemed to have passed ILO3 if you pass criterion 4 on AT2

If you have not fully demonstrated attainment of all ILOs, you will have the opportunity to reflect on your feedback, refine and resubmit AT2 for re-grading.

Once you have demonstrated a pass on all ILOs, your final result is determined by summing the marks obtained for all assessment tasks.

Candidates for Associate Fellowship of the HEA (AFHEA)

The HEA Fellowship scheme enables recognition of quality and excellence in the practice of teaching and supporting learning. The University of Tasmania is accredited by the HEA to award Associate Fellowship to eligible staff.

If you want successful completion of ELT501 to gain you recognition as an Associate Fellow of the HEA(AFHEA), you must: