Latest news

Search news stories

Enter a keyword to search news.

Safe System for Road Managers and Engineers: our course development journey

Colourful Lego blocks

In our Learning Designer and Course Builder roles within Learning Enhancement and Innovation (LEI) we recently approached the challenge of designing and developing an online short course (OSC) for road engineers and managers. This course aims to increase their ability to determine what road design is and is not well- aligned with the Safe System philosophy.

[Read more about Safe System for Road Managers and Engineers: our course development journey]

Mixed Cohort Learning

A laptop and a book

Technology is now very much a part of the teaching and learning landscape, but most would agree that it should not be the driving force in designing a sequence of learning. Pedagogy always comes first, and indeed, often we aspire to use technology in a way where it becomes invisible in enhancing the learning environment. But what about mixed cohort learning? Surely the technology is driving this a lot more than the pedagogy?

[Read more about Mixed Cohort Learning]

Connection between curriculum & assessment design and academic integrity

Post it notes on a3 size paper

Quite often university courses are comprised of lectures and tutorials. To determine if course learning outcomes have been achieved, assessment may include quizzes, a mid-semester test and a final exam. The number of quizzes and tasks weighting may vary but what stays the same is the fact that all course assessments are summative - they count toward the final grade and are supposed to provide academics with an overview of a student’s overall learning/ achievements. In this blog we will explore why sometimes, despite our best intentions, such an assessment design can lead to a number of academic integrity issues.

[Read more about Connection between curriculum & assessment design and academic integrity]

Extending Canvas/H5P to support adaptive learning in large programming courses

A man wearing headphones is coding

Following a successful application for a Learning Enhancement and Innovation (LEI) Grant in 2020, Dr Cheryl Pope, School of Computer Science, shares the new Parsons Puzzles H5P learning activity built collaboratively with students as partners.

[Read more about Extending Canvas/H5P to support adaptive learning in large programming courses]

Supporting Peer and Group Learning with FeedbackFruits

Three women sitting on a couch with their laptops

Collaboration is a highly desirable graduate attribute, and peer and group learning are both effective means to achieve it.

[Read more about Supporting Peer and Group Learning with FeedbackFruits]

Group Learning in a Remote Teaching and Learning Setting

A woman in front of her laptop in a zoom call

Previously in the Learning Cog blog we’ve looked at benefits that students derive from working together in groups. An investigation into group work in MyUni and final grades in semester 1, 2019 found that students who were active group members achieved an average course mark that was over 3% higher than their peers who either weren’t group members or weren’t active within those groups. Furthermore, those extra few percent resulted in a higher grade in a third of cases.

[Read more about Group Learning in a Remote Teaching and Learning Setting]

Why is it Important to Publish Courses On Time?

Frustrated student sitting by the laptop

To scaffold student performance and improve their experience in courses, course coordinators are asked to take an intentional, thoughtful approach to instructional design, development, and on time publishing in MyUni. This will provide the students with the early opportunity to learn about course syllabus, course materials, learning outcomes, learning activities, and more importantly, engage more effectively with their instructors and peers.

[Read more about Why is it Important to Publish Courses On Time?]

Creating Student Groups Using Demographic, Enrolment and Educational Data

Students around a table

It’s well documented that students derive great benefits from working in groups. From increased individual achievement to enhanced communication and professional development skills, students with experience of Group Learning are likely to find themselves better equipped for whatever path they choose after graduation.

[Read more about Creating Student Groups Using Demographic, Enrolment and Educational Data]

Designing online demonstrations

A student learning to code

As we come to the end of 2020 and begin to prepare courses for 2021, it might be time to try something new in your online delivery, particularly for courses that are being delivered in the Remote and Dual teaching modes. An incredibly useful teaching technique is to provide them with demonstrations, modeling for students the process of completing a task and the skills and techniques involved. 

[Read more about Designing online demonstrations]

Top 10 Tips for setting up your course for success

A man & a woman working on a computer

Continuing student enrolments commence from 1 December. At the same time courses will be released in MyUni, ready to be set up for teaching.
So, why wait? Make the most of this time to set up some basic items ahead of the study period.

[Read more about Top 10 Tips for setting up your course for success]

RSS News Feed