Victoria U has won this year’s innovation award from the International Education Association of Australia. The acknowledgement is for its widely-observed first year college and block teaching model.

The new teaching structure was originally designed to assist people new to study, completing one unit at a time, with support from teaching-specialists, rather than taking semester long subjects. Introduced this year, the university now plans to roll-out block teaching for all UG years and PG course work programmes in 2020 (CMM May 30)

“The model has significant benefits for international students by fostering inclusion and a deeper sense of belonging from the moment they begin their VU journey,” the IEAA says.

This is important recognition for the VU model. Teaching and learning leaders at universities across the country are watching to see whether it works, and if so how long they will have to wait before adopting and adapting it.