Learning and Teaching Centre

Technologies in Learning and Teaching @ MQ

Background

Macquarie's learning and teaching context provides both the opportunities and challenges of an increasingly diverse learning environment; a complex mix of on-campus and off-campus, local and international, undergraduate and postgraduate. Macquarie's vision is for current and emerging technologies to be used wisely and effectively to enable and enhance the student experience and cater for diversity through:

  • seamless connections between people and places across the globe;
  • efficient and effective access to information and resources;
  • new ways to participate, interact, communicate and collaborate; and
  • creative opportunities to generate, present and disseminate knowledge.

The use of technologies for learning and teaching is not regarded as a distinct and separate eLearning occurrence, but as a fully integrated experience, in which technologies are seamlessly integrated into the curriculum and the environment in which they are situated.   

One size does not fit all, therefore the choice of which technologies to use will be evidence-based taking into account their ability to support the philosophy, aims, outcomes of the curriculum; the underlying learning and teaching process;  and the needs and circumstances of students.

Aims

The Technologies in Learning and Teaching (TILT) project aims to implement specific recommendations from the Blueprint project, in particular:

  • Good Practice Guidelines
    Develop Institutional guidelines for good practice in the use of technologies for learning and teaching.  Included should be reference to curriculum design and delivery, materials development, student support, feedback, communication and interaction.

  • Resource Development
    Develop resources to support staff in implementing technologies to enhance learning and teaching. Examples include support for using iLecture, Blackboard; and online communication and collaboration tools such as discussion forums and Live Classroom.

  • Policy Review
    Review and update existing institutional policy relating to academic practice implications of the use of technologies in learning and teaching. Examples include policies around program development and review, technologies to support assessment and issues relating to access, copyright and academic honesty

    Identify instances where new policy may be necessary.

  • Roles and Expectations of Staff
    Articulate the University's expectations of staff in relation to developing their knowledge and skills in the use of technologies for learning and teaching.

    Identify and then integrate these expectations into relevant HR policy.

    Clarify the roles and responsibility of staff to develop and enhance skills in the use of technologies for learning and teaching.

    Provide opportunities for staff to enhance their knowledge and skills in the use of technology for learning and teaching.

  • Expectations of students
    Articulate the University's expectations of students as they relate to the use of technologies for learning and teaching to include:

    • minimum hardware, software and bandwidth requirements
    • knowledge and skills required to use technologies for learning
    • academic endeavours - knowledge creation and sharing, communication and interaction in an online environment
    • use of the University's  platform of technologies for learning
    • ethical practice in the use of technologies

    Review implications of minimum software/ hardware/ network requirements for access and equity

    Identify and then integrate these expectations into relevant student documentation, for example codes of conduct, IT policies and guidelines.

Contact

For further information, please contact:
Dr Maree Gosper
Project Leader
Email: maree.gosper@mq.edu.au
Tel: 02 9850 9752

Ms Margot McNeill
Project Manager
Email: margot.mcneill@mq.edu.au
Tel: 02 9850 9722

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