On the one hand 2020 has been a year like no other, with the University having to adapt to the pandemic and move teaching and other support programs online.
On the other, it’s been yet another year full of learning and teaching highlights as staff pulled out all stops to support our students’ success.
Here are ten highlights from the many featured in the Learning and Teaching Highlights 2020 year in review.
2020 started off with the launch of a new Learning and Teaching Strategic Framework 2020-2024, titled Enhancing student learning to maximise future success, to guide the learning and teaching strategic direction at Macquarie for the next four years.
An event to showcase innovative learning and teaching practice, titled Educating for Success, took place in February 2020 with 12 presentations across three themes (Learner Engagement, Feedback and Assessment, and Technology Enhanced Learning) over 135 staff members attended.
A SWAT team, involving staff from the faculties, the Learning Innovation Hub and Learning Technology Services was established to manage the University’s Learning and Teaching response to COVID-19. This SWAT team ensured a coordinated approach to assist teaching staff to design and adapt their teaching for the online environment was delivered.
Innovations in learning design were forged in response to COVID-19, this included developing the use of H5P and bootstrap to create more engaging iLearn pages, refreshing iLearn units with a more professional look, and adapting many face-to-face activities for online delivery such as the Incubator Pitch competition. We supported 65,029 total unique iLearn users, 1,540,982 quiz attempts, 495,734 Turnitin submissions, and 316,787 assignment submissions.
The Professional Learning and Capability Enhancement (PLaCE) Framework was launched, which guides academic and professional staff in the integration of their teaching development and evidence of achievement for recognition.
The Teaching Evaluation for Development Service (TEDS) team delivered two online learning surveys and received over 12,600 responses from students yielding useful insights to support future initiatives aimed at enhancing learning and teaching.
1700 undergraduate and postgraduate students attended sessional workshop programs and 790 undergraduate and postgraduate students connected with the peer-led WriteWISE academic writing support program.
Over 3000 Global Leadership Program (GLP) students attended online activities and events including:
- 94 colloquia and think tanks with over 1900 student registrations
- five keynote speaker events were run with over 300 student registrations
- four virtual Cultural and Sustainability Challenge Days with over 190 student registrations
More than 6000 students completed a COVID safe PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) activity, and PACE engaged with over 760 partners with students completing over 1200 activities.
The Vice-Chancellor’s Learning and Teaching Awards were held virtually for the first time in its history. Over 127 nominations were received, with 10 winners in the six award categories.
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