Expert’s existing advice sets out what needs be done next

The council of learned elders (in wisdom, not years) that was the Australian Learning and Teaching Fellows is no more. It was just about the last legacy of 30 years of federally funded research schemes that started winding down when funding stopped a few budgets back.

But the ALTF leaves the stage looking forward – with researchers suggesting in a final report what teaching needs now. Some CMM noticed are:

Matthew Allen (Deakin U): “Stronger reliance on discipline knowledge and research in development of effective and authentic teaching, with less formalist educational theory and apparatus.”

Katelyn Barney (UoQ): “Continued Indigenous leadership in this area to further engage in discussions on increasing the number Indigenous students continuing to HDRs.”

Stephen Billett (Griffith U): “The sector needs to identify ways in which students’ experiences in workplaces can be effectively planned for, enacted and then integrated to assist students develop the capacities required for work”

Anne Gardner (UTS): “The scholarship of teaching and learning and educational research are still not regarded as valuable activity in most engineering departments/faculties across the country – they need sector support.”

Kym Fraser (Swinburne U): “The higher education sector needs to mandate and pay for substantive teaching induction for all staff who are new to teaching, including sessional staff.”

Raymond Lister (UTS): “What is needed now are discipline-based, multi-institutional projects led by people who teach.”

Lynne Roberts (Curtin U): “I would like to see training for new honours and coursework supervisors implemented in all universities.”

Keith Willey (Uni Sydney): “Blended learning has helped STEM curriculum move beyond a focus on technical knowledge acquisition. However, developing students’ lifelong learning identity trajectory should also be mandatory”