Learning and Teaching Centre

Blueprint for the Future - Recommendations

The following recommendations were made from the eBenchmarking for Quality Enhancement project (see full report PDF). They were grouped in 4 broad categories:

  1. A statement of context, vision and rationale for the use of technologies in learning and teaching
  2. Governance and management
  3. Policy - to guide practice and ensure quality and sustainability
  4. Managing decisions about new technologies for learning and teaching

 

1. A statement of context, vision and rationale for the use of technologies in learning and teaching

Recommendation 1

Reframe 'eLearning' as the use of technologies in learning and teaching in order to avoid any misconception that 'eLearning' and 'learning' are discrete entities.

Recommendation 2

Develop a vision, rationale and context for the use of technologies in learning and teaching at Macquarie University which articulates relationships with Macquarie's vision, strategic directions and learning and teaching in general.

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2. Governance and management

Recommendation 3

3.1 Reinforce the University's Learning and Teaching Committee as the governing body for the use of technologies in learning and teaching in order to:

  • maximise integration into the University's educational imperatives, strategic directions and operational plans
  • facilitate dissemination of policy, plans and procedures through the Associate Deans (Learning and Teaching) to the academic community

3.2 Recognise the Committee for IT Planning around Academic Priorities as the principle advisory committee to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Provost) and the Learning and Teaching Committee on all matters relating to the use of technologies in Learning and Teaching. This arrangement will maximise alignment with and interoperability with the University's academic mission, its IT infrastructure and related enterprise systems.

Recommendation 4

Develop a Framework for Technologies in Learning and Teaching to complement the University's Learning and Teaching Plan. The Framework will guide the development and use of technology for learning and teaching at Macquarie. It should include a vision for the use of technologies in learning and teaching, a portfolio of policies to guide practice, a strategic plan and an operational plan.

Recommendation 5

Review, and develop where necessary, mechanisms to ensure that technologies for learning and teaching are adequately resourced and represented in the University's budget procedures. In doing so, separate budget arrangements should be available for:

  • the maintenance and ongoing development of the University's platform of mainstream technologies for learning and teaching
  • support for Innovation - the identification, test-bedding and integration of new technologies into mainstream systems.

All requests relating to the use of technologies in learning and teaching should be advanced through the governance and management arrangements arising from Recommendation 3. This will ensure alignment with strategic directions, plans and policy frameworks.

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3. Policy- to guide practice and ensure quality and sustainability

3.1 Technical infrastructure

Recommendation 6

Develop policies, procedures or guidelines around the development and use of technologies and systems for learning and teaching purposes outside the platform supported by the Online Teaching Facility and Information Technology Services (ITS). These policies should cover:

Hosting on-campus
  • Requirements and conditions of use to ensure quality and compliance with University policy and regulatory frameworks.
  • The establishment of a mechanism for registering such technologies and systems for development and planning purposes
Hosting off-campus
  • Conditions and considerations for hosting systems, technologies, learning and teaching content and processes (e.g., blogs, wikis, discussion forums, surveys) off campus.
  • Establishment of a mechanism for registering off-campus hosting e.g., service level agreements might be lodged with ITS - to include security, back-up, management of information, confidentiality privacy arrangements, accessibility, support for staff and students etc.)

Recommendation 7

Develop a comprehensive suite of Institutional policies, procedures and guidelines around the development and use of the University's Online Teaching Facility. The suite should include but not necessarily be limited to policy, procedures or guidelines around:

Access
  • lifecycle of user accounts - creation, maintenance, deletion
  • user/access rights to online units - by whom and for what purpose
Administration
  • charging for use of technologies supported by the Online Teaching Facility
  • collection and use of data - by whom, purpose, access, conditions of use
Unit Management
  • ownership of online units, roles and responsibilities of stakeholders
  • lifecycle of online units - creation, maintenance, deletion, archiving
  • content management - development, maintenance, archiving, deletion (e.g. iLectures)
Quality Assurance
  • roles and responsibilities for technical, compliance and pedagogical dimensions

 

3.2 Academic practice

Recommendation 8

Define the roles, responsibilities and expectations of the University's central services, Faculty and individual staff in regard to decisions and practices surrounding the use of technologies in learning and teaching.

Recommendation 9

Establish a minimum standard of web presence for every postgraduate and undergraduate coursework unit taught at Macquarie University.

Recommendation 10

Develop mechanisms to enable Faculty to plan and undertake the systematic development and maintenance of online units and materials. This could be through for example:

  • A service allocation (time and/or dollars) in the Learning and Teaching Centre for each Faculty
  • Faculty-maintained 'sinking funds' for online units

Recommendation 11

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.

Recommendation 12

12.1 Review and update existing institutional policy relating to academic practice implications of the use of technologies in learning and teaching. These policies should include, but not necessarily be limited to:

  • program development and review
  • assessment including plagiarism and use of Turn-It-In software
  • academic workload - to recognise time for innovation
  • privacy and confidentiality
  • information and records management
  • access and equity
  • IP /copyright
  • quality assurance and enhancement

12.2 Identify instances where new policy may be necessary.

 

3.3 Professional development

Recommendation 13

13.1 Articulate the University's expectations of staff in relation to developing their knowledge and skills in the use of technologies for learning and teaching

13.2 Identify and then integrate these expectations into relevant HR policy

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

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

3.4 Student induction

Recommendation 14

14.1 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

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

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

 

3.5 Quality assurance / enhancement

Recommendation 15

15. 1 Adopt an holistic approach to quality assurance /enhancement around the use of technologies in learning and teaching that addresses three interrelated dimensions:

  • curriculum - interpreted in its broadest sense to include program development and delivery; students and their learning; and teaching.
  • technology - technical standards surrounding their use to ensure accessibility, interoperability and sustainability
  • organisational context - institutional arrangements in place to support staff and students and ensure compliance with the University's policy frameworks

15.2 Embed each of the three dimensions into the University's Quality Assurance and Enhancements arrangements.

Recommendation 16

Undertake further benchmarking on:

  • student training for the effective use of technologies for learning (ACODE Benchmark 7)
  • student support for the use of technologies for learning (ACODE Benchmark 8)

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4. Managing decisions about new technologies for learning and teaching

Recommendation 17

Develop a process to support innovation and the integration of new technologies into the mainstream platform to include:

  • Procedures for identifying, test-bedding and embedding technologies into mainstream practice
  • Sources of funding
  • A governance process to ensure alignment with the University's strategic and operational imperatives, particularly in learning and teaching.