The Education Research Group of Adelaide (ERGA)

ERGA is a cross-disciplinary community of educators promoting high quality University learning through evidence-based, practical approaches to teaching.

ERGA is currently comprised of members representing several universities. At the University of Adelaide, members are from the five Faculties of the University of Adelaide and the divisions of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and VP (Academic and Research). Our aim is to disseminate the outcomes from our research and teaching initiatives to all members of the University Community.

This years conference is kindly supported by The University of Adelaide.

ERGA Conference 2009: Feedback and Flexible Learning

24-25 September: University of Adelaide

The 2009 ERGA conference will be addressing the theme of Feedback and Flexible Learning. The aim of the ERGA Conference series is to bring together colleagues from the higher education sector to discuss best practice and new approaches in the tertiary environment.

Our keynote speakers this year will be Professor Marica Devlin and Professor Susan Jones.

Professor Marcia Devlin holds the inaugural Chair in Higher Education Research at Deakin University, Victoria. Marcia's research interests and expertise span higher education policy, equity, Indigenous higher education, university teaching improvement and student engagement and learning. Current and recent national work includes contributing to federal policy development in Indigenous higher education and equity, the Universities Australia-funded national study of student finances, sitting on the National Advisory Group of the Australian Survey of Student Engagement managed by the Australian Council for Educational Research and serving as an Assessor for the Australian Learning and Teaching Council. Marcia co-authored the Australian Universities Teaching Committee Assessing Student Learning website and resources. She writes regularly on higher education matters for newspapers including The Australian and Campus Review.

Professor Susan Jones is Head of the School of Zoology at the University of Tasmania. She has taught at the University since 1986, beginning as a casual senior demonstrator in first year practical classes. She has a special interest in the first year transition, embedding generic skills into the science curriculum, and in providing authentic research experiences for undergraduate students. Her teaching is strongly evidence-based: her portfolio includes several major faculty-wide or national teaching development projects, and she is a Fellow of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (FHERDSA). The quality of Sue's teaching has been recognised with three University of Tasmania Teaching Excellence Awards (individual awards in 1997 and 2007, and a team award in 2004). At the national level, she won a Carrick Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning in 2007, and an ALTC Award for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (Biological and Biomedical Sciences) in 2008. Her disciplinary research area is vertebrate reproductive biology and endocrinology, focussing on viviparous reptiles and marsupials.

Topics which will be addressed at the conference include:

• Providing effective feedback
• The nature of feedback
• Benefits and challenges of flexible learning approaches
• Student-teacher/student-student dynamic
• Feedback from peer and self assessments
• Teaching "out of the classroom"
• Online learning

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Paper submissions are due on the 31st of July.

• To register for the conference as an attendee click here
• To register for the conference as a potential presenter click here
• To submit an abstract click here

Attendance at ERGA 09 is free for members of the University of Adelaide and approved delegates from UniSA and Flinders University. Other delegates are welcome with a registration cost of $160.

ERGA Seminars and Workshops

Febuary 2008: Prof James Ware came to Adelaide and provided a workshop on assessment.

Febuary 2008: The first issue of the journal ergo was published. Look out for it online and at a coffee table near you! 

June 2008: ERGA will host a workshop on how to successfully apply for Teaching prizes including the Stephen Cole award. 

ERGA 2008 Conference

The 2008 ERGA conference, Motivating and Engaging Students, was held on the 24th-25th of September 2008 at the North Terrace campus of the University of Adelaide.

Click here for 2008 conference information and papers.

ERGA 2007 Conference

The 2007 ERGA conference, Assessment that Works, was held on the 19th-20th of September 2007 at the North Terrace campus of the University of Adelaide. Registrants received a USB drive courtesy of Commander, the computer suppliers of choice for the University of Adelaide.

ERGA would like to thank the DVC&VP(A), as well as all of the faculties at the University of Adelaide and CLPD for providing funding to support the conference.

Click here for 2007 conference information and papers.

ERGA 2006 Inaugural Conference

Click here for 2007 conference information and papers.