Name Change

The Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education has been renamed the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC). As noted by the Institute’s Director, Professor Richard Johnstone, the new name reflects the core mission of the organisation and it aligns with the name of other national bodies, such as the ARC. The new name also avoids confusion with the Carrick Institute of Education, a private higher education provider. ALTC’s website, contact information and printed materials have been updated to reflect the organisation’s new identity.

ALTC Grants - 2008 Winners

UQ has once again been successful in securing funding for teaching and learning initiatives in the 2008 round of the ALTC Grants Scheme.

Three UQ-led projects were funded under the Priority Project programs in 2008:

Associate Professor Julie Duck — Faculty of SBS and Professor Susan Hamilton — Deputy President of the Academic Board: Reviewing the impact of assessment policy on practice: A case study to improve policy and to inform processes of policy review and development.

Professor Doune McDonald — School of Human Movement Studies: An integrated system for online clinical assessment of practical skills (eCAPS) for web-based courses.

Associate Professor Nancy Pachana — School of Psychology: Taking clinical psychology postgraduate training into the next decade: Aligning competencies to the curriculum.

UQ staff members have also been involved as project team members on successful proposals led by other institutions:

A/Prof Shazia Sadiq (School of ITEE) & Dr Marta Indulska (Business School): Curriculum renewal in postgraduate information technology education: a response to growing service sector dominance. Priority Project grant led by the University of Sydney also partnering with University of NSW and University of Melbourne.

Dr Vic Galea (School of LCFS): Educational technologies: Enhancing the learning of scientific inquiry skills for bioscience students in Australian Universities. Competitive Grant led by the University of Melbourne also partnering with Monash University and LaTrobe University

Associate Professor Fiona Rohde (Business School): Beyond Numbers: Valuing Quality Teaching in Business Education. Competitive Grant led by Charles Sturt University also partnering with Monash University, the University of Southern Queensland, the University of Western Sydney, and Central Queensland University.

Leigh McKauge (School of Pharmacy): Outcomes-based Planning, Graduated Descriptors and Quality Indicators for Pharmacy Experiential Placements. Priority Project grant led by the University of South Australia also partnering with the University of Sydney

Dr Bronwyn Davidson (School of HRS): Establishing infrastructure and collaborative processes for cross-institutional benchmarking of student clinical performance in speech pathology. Priority Project grant led by the University of Sydney also partnering with the University of Newcastle and James Cook University

Professor Caroline Crosthwaite (School of Engineering): Curriculum Specifications and Support Systems for Engineering Education that Address Revised Qualification Standards. Priority Project grant led by the University of Technology, Sydney also partnering with the University of South Australia, Central Queensland University and University of Melbourne.

Congratulations to all staff members involved.

2009 ALTC Grants Guidelines Released

The ALTC will again offer all three funding programs in 2009: Priority Projects; Competitive Grants; and Leadership for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. The 2009 Grants scheme guidelines have been released, along with a summary of changes from the 2008 guidelines.

One of the major changes flagged is that applications for the Competitive Grants close in November 2008.

The Office of the DVC (T&L) will run an internal readership and review process to assist project teams with their proposals. The full review process flow chart and resources to assist in grant development are available on the Teaching and Learning website . For the Competitive Grants round in November, draft proposals or expressions of interest need to be submitted to m.card@uq.edu.au by:

•   Monday 22 September – optional, but recommended, due date for staff members who wish to have their proposal reviewed other staff members prior to submission to the internal Review Committee.
•   Friday 10 October – proposals and expressions of interest due for endorsement and feedback from the internal UQ selection committee.
•   6 November – finalised submissions emailed to the Office of the DVC T&L to submit online to ALTC.

The ALTC first round closing dates for the three programs are:

•   Competitive Grants – 6 November 2008
•   Leadership program – 19 March 2009
•   Priority Projects – 8 April 2009

Staff thinking of submitting proposals should carefully read the guidelines of all three programs to determine which program best suits your project goals. A summary of the priority areas are:

•   Leadership capacity building for learning and teaching (Leadership Program)
•   Curriculum Renewal (Priority Projects)
•   Assessment, standards and reporting (Priority Projects)
•   Learning and teaching spaces (Priority Projects)
•   Peer review for promotion (Priority Projects)
•   Research and development focussing on issues of emerging and continuing importance (Competitive Grants)
•   Strategic approaches to learning and teaching that address the increasing diversity of the student body (Competitive Grants)
•   Innovation in learning and teaching, including in relation to the role of new technologies (Competitive Grants)

TEDI staff can provide application preparation expertise. Contact director.tedi@uq.edu.au for application assistance.

There are a number of resources available on the Teaching and Learning website detailing approaches to evaluation, dissemination, project management and other general ALTC information. Contact Majella Card on m.card@uq.edu.au if you have any questions regarding the ALTC Grants Scheme process.

2009 ALTC Fellowships Guidelines and Applications

Guidelines for the 2009 Fellowship Scheme have been released and are available on the ALTC website.

Fellowships are targeted at staff members with a strong history in academic leadership. The fellowship allows educators to undertake strategic, high profile fellowship activities in a program that explores and addresses a significant educational issue. It also aims to develop their personal skills and profile and to be ongoing advocates for excellence in learning and teaching. The fellowships will involve collaborative activities and the building of national and international partnerships and Fellows will become part of a national group of experts and leaders in learning and teaching in higher education.

Two types of fellowships are available:

• National Teaching Fellowships are highly prestigious, awarded to outstanding scholars who are respected advocates for excellence in learning and teaching in higher education. Senior Fellows are expected to contribute to the intellectual life of the ALTC and play a leadership role in the achievement of the council's mission – up to five awarded nationally with maximum funding of $350,000
• Teaching Fellowships are awarded to undertake discipline-based or inter-disciplinary fellowship activities that will promote excellence in learning and teaching – up to 10 awarded nationally with maximum funding of $100,000

2009 applications are due to ALTC Friday, 6 February 2009.

Staff members thinking of applying for a fellowship should contact the Office of the DVC T&L for assistance and advice in preparing their applications. Contact Majella Card on m.card@uq.edu.au .

ALTC Citations

A number of UQ staff have been successful in receiving ALTC Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. Each winner receives $10,000 as recognition for their achievement. Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners.

The successful UQ Citations are:

• Dr Clair Hughes – For enhancement of assessment practice through effective and sustained institutional leadership and educational support of academic teachers and leaders.
• Dr Mehmet Kizil - For outstanding teaching, dedicated commitment and leadership in innovative curriculum development through successful national and industry collaboration in mining engineering.
• Dr David Jenkins – For sustain excellence in teaching exercise science to large undergraduate classes with a focus on social and professional engagement.
• Dr John Steen – For excellence in business strategy case study teaching and coaching, resulting in exceptional performance by the University of Queensland in the Australasian BCG strategy competition.
• Associate Professor Sylvia Rodger, Dr Gail Woodyatt, Dr Julie Marinac, Dr Pauline Watter and Associate Professor Jenny Ziviani – For sustained excellence in provision of innovative learning experiences for allied health students in promoting inter-professional knowledge, practice and teamwork.

ALTC Awards

UQ has submitted a number of nominations to the ALTC Awards for Teaching Excellence and Awards for Programs that Enhance Student Learning. UQ has a proud history in these national teaching awards, winning more honours than any other university since their inception in 1997. 2008 winners will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held in Canberra on 25 November 2008.