2011 Casual Academic Workshops

5 - 8 April, 2011

This series workshops were designed to give casual academics, including casual tutors, useful professional development opportunities.

2011 Workshop Topics

1. Introduction to learning and teaching in tutorials
2. Teaching and learning in culturally diverse tutorials
3. Making active learning work In tutorials
4. Facilitating online learning activities in UTSOnline
5. Strategies for developing student writing
6. Assessment, marking and feedback
7. Lecturing to large groups 

2011 Workshop Timetable

Tuesday 5 April

10.00-12.30 Introduction to Learning and Teaching in Tutorials
1.30-4.00 Teaching and Learning in Culturally Diverse Tutorial
6.00-8.30 Introduction to Learning and Teaching in Tutorials

Wednesday 6 April

10.00-12.30 Facilitating Online Learning Activities in UTSOnline
1.30-4.00 Strategies for Developing Student Writing
6.00-8.30 Making Active Learning Work in Tutorials

Thursday 7 April

10.00-12.30 Assessment, Marking and Feedback
1.30-4.00 Assessment, Marking and Feedback
1.30-4.00 Facilitating online learning activities in UTSOnline
6.00-8.30 Teaching and Learning in Culturally Diverse Tutorial

Friday 8 April

10.00-12.30 Lecturing to Large Groups

Workshop Descriptions

1. INTRODUCTION TO LEARNING AND TEACHING IN TUTORIALS

This workshop is an introduction to some key elements that facilitate successful student learning in tutorials. We will be discussing a variety of elements that can help students and teachers get the most out of these sessions, including: the purpose of tutorials; planning and running good tutorials; dealing with common issues; and how to build on your experiences.

2. TEACHING AND LEARNING IN CULTURALLY DIVERSE TUTORIALS

In this workshop you will be exposed to international students' perspectives on studying at UTS, and have the opportunity to develop strategies applicable to your own teaching in tutorials or other small group contexts. During the workshop examples of successful inclusive teaching and learning strategies will be presented, including approaches to groupwork. You will then work in groups yourselves to develop and share strategies that are applicable to your teaching contexts.

3. MAKING ACTIVE LEARNING WORK IN TUTORIALS

This workshop demonstrates how to incorporate greater student activity into tutorials. It shows how to engage students in the learning process through problem solving, case studies, role-plays, journal writing, games and simulations. Workshop participants will discuss the benefits to using such activities and how to overcome student resistance to taking a more active role in their learning.

4. FACILITATING ONLINE LEARNING ACTIVITIES IN UTSONLINE

In this workshop we will analyse examples of online learning activities that have been designed to support student learning and engagement. We will explore activities which feature selected aspects of UTSOnline (such as wikis, blogs, podcasts and online assessment) and consider how these could be used and improved to create more effective learning experiences for your students. To help you consider developing similar activities, we will also take a brief look at ways to more efficiently handle the administrative load in blended and online subjects. This workshop will have some hand-on activities and time for questions and discussions.

5. STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING STUDENT WRITING

This workshop covers a range of strategies that can be implemented in tutorials to improve student writing. These include: building writing into teaching and tutorial activity; explicit scaffolding of assessment task requirements; providing material to assist students through guided writing processes in class or online; and directing the marking focus of teachers (macro and micro level language) to alert students to areas of concern.

6. ASSESSMENT, MARKING AND FEEDBACK

The marking of student work and the provision of feedback can be a tedious and unrewarding task for many teachers. By understanding and applying the principles of good assessment practice, this important part of teaching can be made more effective and engaging for the student and the teacher. A range of technologies for supporting assessment will be also be demonstrated in this workshop, including UTSOnline, Turnitin, ReView and SPARK.

7. LECTURING TO LARGE GROUPS

This workshop is designed to provide casual academic staff with the opportunity to examine their own experiences of lecturing. During the workshop participants will explore current models of student learning and focus on developing strategies for incorporating lecture-based activities that help students gain a deeper understanding of the material. The workshop will examine ways of explaining, increasing active participation and questioning techniques in large groups.

For general inquiries, please contact Enza.Mirabella@uts.edu.au