Teaching Matters
November 26, 2019
Our distinctive future
Teaching Matters is an annual conference to showcase learning and teaching innovation at the University of Tasmania. Teaching Matters began in 2002 and provides an excellent opportunity to discuss teaching practice, recognise success in learning and teaching, showcase innovation, and engender enthusiasm for excellence in learning and teaching.
It also provides a relaxed atmosphere with opportunities for participants to move between a variety of sessions, talk to presenters, and build networks with colleagues. Teaching Matters is open to all academic and professional staff with a passion for improving their learning and teaching.
Teaching Matters has partnered with the Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching. to develop a Special Issue with select abstracts from the conference. The Convening Team will approach a select group of accepted abstracts for full presentations to invite development of full papers for the Special Issue.
Conference themes
The University's Strategic Direction is underpinned by a deep conversation about our distinctiveness and affirms the University commitment to excellence in teaching. Our uniqueness manifests in the curriculum that we deliver, and the students we enable. We reflected on what that might look like and offer four subthemes to guide the discussion. Our opportunity is to be a distinctive, place-based, and globally relevant university underpinned by a distinctive curriculum and student experience.
Leading our development
A people-centred University focuses on the growth and flourishing of both staff and students. A focus on development may begin with formally embedding student development into the curriculum, or through creating innovating programs that offer staff professional and personal development opportunities. In this subtheme, innovative personal and professional development activities for staff and students are encouraged to be presented, along with the key learnings that may strengthen the success of future development initiatives.
Our student experiences
Students and their wellbeing are at the fore of a distinctive vision for Tasmanian education. One focus of this subtheme is in understanding how students whose background may have traditionally precluded them from engaging in higher education can have a great student experience. Another is in understanding what a distinctive and differentiated student experience that retains Tasmanian students and attracts Australian students might look like and what activities we undertake to better understand what a great student experience looks like.
Designing our learning
There is intrinsic value and excitement in learning, and innovative curriculum can be a catalyst for student learning. The way that our students learn is changing. This subtheme emphasises the sharing of innovative curriculum, pedagogy, and learning activities being undertaken or planned within the University. The learning theory discussed may draw on a wide range of emerging literature and practice. Some of the emergent literature could include experiential learning, authentic learning, authentic assessment indigenisation of curriculum, ethics, and sustainability of curriculum.
Our digital futures
One of the greatest opportunities in higher education is in delivering innovative online offerings that enable student learning. A place-based University is globally connected and globally excellent, and informs online offerings. But what does this look like in practice? Blended learning, learning management systems, and changes in student expectations drive online pedagogy embedded in a networked approach to teaching and learning. Creative ways of assuring authentic online experiences, positive digital engagement, and other online offerings are encouraged.
Speakers
Why Assess?
The Teaching Matters keynote is being replaced with a series of short presentations getting to the heart of assessment and associated policies.
- Principles of Assessment Professor Mitch Parsell, Academic Executive Director.
- The Problem with Assessment Dr Seedwell Sithole, Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching), College of Business and Economics.
- Assessment in Practice Professor Rosalind Bull, Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching), College of Health and Medicine.
- Exams and Accreditation Associate Professor Tina Acuña, Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching), College of Science and Engineering.
- Creativity and Assessment Associate Professor Heather Monkhouse, Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching), College of Arts, Law and Education.
- Assessment for Learning Associate Professor Andrea Carr, Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching), University College.
Learning with Play
The Teaching Matters panel is being replaced with a new interactive learning opportunity, embedded with the pedagogy of play.
- Our Digital Futures Associate Professor Kerryn Butler-Henderson, Digital Innovation in Health and Health Pedagogy.
- Designing Our Learning Dr Bill Baker, Lecturer in Arts Education.
- Leading Our Development Dr Erin Roehrer, Course Coordinator, Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology.
- Our Student Experience Dr Seedwell Sithole, Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching), College of Business and Economics.
Submitting an abstract
Submissions for the 2019 Teaching Matters have closed.
Review
Abstracts will be evaluated by the Teaching Matters Committee and will be reviewed against the criteria of originality, quality, relevance, and standard of writing/presentation.
All revisions must be compliant with the Abstract Template (WORD 254.5KB).
Publishing
Abstracts will be published in the Conference Proceedings, and select presentation abstracts will be invited to develop a full paper for publication in a Special Issue of the Journal of Applied Learning and Teaching.
Ethics of research
In acceptance of your abstract, or acceptance with revision, the review panel assumes that the appropriate ethics approval has been obtained if relevant. As you prepare your presentation, please be mindful of the ethics requirements for pedagogical and other research. For any enquiries in relation to ethics approval for Teaching Matters, please seek ethics advice from the Chair of Ethics Dr Doug Colbeck.
If you need assistance with the submission process, please contact us.
Registration
Important information about registering
- Registration for Teaching Matters 2019 is exclusively through RegOnline.
- Once you have registered, keep your confirmation email as it contains a link which allows you to return and amend or cancel your registration, add a submission, etc., if you need to.
- Registration requires a current email address (your University of Tasmania email address is preferred).
- Limited printed copies of the program booklet will be available for those people who request them at the point of registration. Online access to the full program will be available to all participants.
- For staff travelling from Launceston or the Cradle Coast, TILT will organise transport for you if you have indicated that you require it. We will contact you with final details in the week prior to the conference. See also Key Information.
If you need assistance with the registration process, please contact us.
Key Information
Key dates
- 13 September 2019 – Abstract submission deadline
- 16 September 2019 – Peer review of abstracts begins
- 9-11 October 2019 – Accepted abstracts and revisions advised
- 23 October 2019 – Revised abstracts deadline
- 21 November 2019 – Registration closes
- 26 November 2019 – Conference
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact the Teaching Matters Organising Committee.
Email: Teaching.Matters@utas.edu.au
Phone: +61 3 6226 7251
Venue
Registration on the day will be in the lobby of the Sir Stanley Burbury Lecture Theatre. The presentations will begin in the Sir Stanley Burbury Lecture Theatre. Parallel presentations will occur in rooms in proximity of the Lecture Theatre.
Transport
- Please ensure that the required transport option is highlighted on registration forms.
- Launceston. The bus from Launceston will depart at 6.45am from the Turning Circle, Newnham to enable a 10.00am start. The bus will depart from Hobart at 4.30pm from Bus Stop 12, Sandy Bay to arrive in Launceston at 7.30pm. A bottle of water and a light snack is provided on both trips.
- Cradle Coast. Alternate travel arrangement advice will be provided by the Convening Team.