It’s part of a big plan to teach industry-engaged, grad employment focused courses

The final draft of a blended-learning model proposes no more lectures by the end of 2021.

They will be replaced by “Curtin talks,” “ten to 15 minute videos based on a single topic or concept” with students required to watch two-three a week.  While 70 per cent of a unit will still be “class time, specialised labs, specialised teaching spaces,” the university proposes using Curtin-created packaged content; micro-credentials and MOOCs and micromasters available via edX.

It’s all part of a plan to focus on graduate outcomes, “learning technologies will be relevant to the course and real world skill requirements of the students,” with assessment “focused on employability. Assessment “tasks will reflect the practices of the discipline or profession the course is designed around.”

And by 2026, “each course will have a curriculum that has been co-designed via industry collaboration.” To prepare students for the workforce, there will be at least one “authentic industry engagement each semester,” defined as, “internships/practicums/innovative WIL approaches/fieldwork/industry collaboration).”

To which a learned reader asks, who will be organising all of the activities and how will all the on-line course content be managed and presented in ways that make students and academics partners in a, “a collaborative relationship with a shared responsibility for learning and teaching.”

The LR suggests there may be a permanent staff savings dimension to the plan, with assessment, design and industry liaison managed by casual staff.

Also in WA, Murdoch U is also working towards way less lecturing from next year (CMM October 9).