Dr Robyn Westcott, Director, Academic Literacies Unit and the Writing Centre explains: “We want students to feel confident, capable and have the skills to achieve their best in their end-of-session assessments. We also want them to plan to make the most out of their PACE work-integrated learning opportunity. This one-on-one intensive bootcamp style offers the personal trainer approach to help our students plan for academic success.”

When they are not running specialist bootcamp activities experts from the Employability and Graduate Success team and The Writing Centre are permanently located in Learning Connect. They help students with job searching, resume writing, interview preparation and preparing for PACE placements, as well as developing their academic writing, communication, English Language and study skills. This service is free to all Macquarie University students.

The Learning Connect Bootcamp runs from 10 – 12 October and students can drop in at Learning Connect on the ground floor of 18 Wally’s Walk between 11am – 3pm for one-on-one coaching with our expert staff. The bootcamp schedule is:

Tuesday 10 October:  Level up your final assessments

Learning Advisers and WriteWISE Leaders are on hand to provide expert one on one advice on structure, academic language, and referencing. This bootcamp session will help students with their academic writing, analysing assignment questions, referencing and any other questions students may have.

Wednesday 11 October: PACE yourself

The PACE team is ready to help students boost their PACE experience by helping them start their PACE unit strong and finish stronger. This bootcamp session helps students to understand how PACE units work, learn how to maximise this work-integrated learning opportunity and consider what to do after completing their PACE project.

Thursday 12 October:  Resume Rescue

Resume Rescue helps students elevate their job applications and gives them the competitive edge to succeed. More specifically, this bootcamp session will help students prepare a resume they can use for both casual employment and graduate job applications.

Please refer any Macquarie students you think could benefit from this unique opportunity.

You can also refer students to Learning Connect if:

• They need help with their academic writing
  The Writing Centre can help students unpick assessment feedback, as well as give them tips on how to approach future writing assignments. The team runs workshops as well as Learning Adviser consultations and English discussion groups.
• They are looking for employment or are building their career
  As well as connecting students with job opportunities, the team can also prepare them to succeed beyond their university studies with advice and workshops on resume writing and interview preparation.
• They do not know what they need to do about their PACE placement
  The team can also make sure students know when PACE units are offered for their particular program, as well as available options – including finding their own activity in some circumstances.

To find out more about Learning Connect visit the website or drop in and see them on the ground floor of 18 Wally’s Walk.

The sold-out event, held annually at Macquarie since 1988, took place across a number of sites on Wallumattagal Campus on Saturday 23 September.

“It was fantastic to see enthusiastic people of all ages share their curiosity and excitement for space and science,” says Professor Marshall.

Kelly Sharpless, Faculty of Science and Engineering’s Outreach and Engagement Lead

Many Astronomy Open Night activities aimed to interest younger children in science, and organiser Kelly Sharpless, Faculty of Science and Engineering’s Outreach and Engagement Lead, says the feedback from attendees showed the event hit that mark.

When Professor Marshall welcomed the audience to the first of three Physics Magic Shows, she noted that the show was more than magic, it was also about inspiring the next generation of scientists by teaching them some physics.

“When Lucy asked the audience to raise the energy in the room by cheering as loudly as they could, it was incredible, the room was electric,” says Ms Sharpless.

Hundreds of visitors attended both Professor Tara Murphy’s keynote Public Lecture, One hundred years of trying (and failing) to prove Einstein wrong, and a series of around a dozen short talks on different aspects of astronomy and science.

Astronomy and astrophysics students Claudia Fava and Adem Ozer delivered a lecture to an enthusiastic audience of potential physics and astronomy students about their own experiences.

“Astronomy Open Night provided an exciting avenue for us as students to connect with the public and share our passion for astronomy and science,” says Claudia. “Through this engagement, we were not only able to ignite the public’s curiosity, but also cultivate a deeper appreciation for the mysteries of the cosmos.”

Ms Sharpless says that this year’s event – her fourth – had a great layout, with activities spread across the campus from the Central Courtyard up to the Observatory.

Popular sessions included: the Physics Magic Show, which filled a 500-seat lecture theatre three times during the night; Planetarium sessions, which saw people queuing to ensure they didn’t miss the fabulous pop-up domes; the Scientists’ Spotlight, where academics from across the faculty sat down with curious visitors to answer all kinds of science questions; and the Cosmic Arcade, run by student societies from the School of Computing.

Popular science communicator Rachel Rayner was under the spotlight at UBar, where she presented two sessions of her popular science show, A Flying Photon, to a packed audience, while hundreds of people walked through the scale model of the solar system on their way to the telescope park and Astronomical Observatory.

Sponsors Bintel Australia gave away a dwarf telescope to one lucky visitor in a treasure hunt competition, while co-sponsors Canon Australia hosted the Canon and Huntsman Telescope Exploratorium, with live-streamed footage of the galaxy beamed in from Macquarie astronomers operating the Canon Huntsman Telescope in Coonabarabran. Canon’s photography experts also gave some astronomy photography tips.

Speaking about the importance of the evening, Ms Sharpless says: “It is just the best feeling in the world to know that you have been a part of putting this event together. And one day, in 10 years’ time, someone who came to that magic show during Astronomy Open Night could be enrolling in their first physics class.”

Launched in NAIDOC week earlier this year, Macquarie’s Indigenous Voice to Parliament microcredential aims to provide a concise overview of the historical context, explain the arguments presented by both sides of the debate and promote respectful discussion without endorsing a specific agenda or decision.

Since the Prime Minister’s announcement to hold the referendum, there has been much interest in what a strengthened voice on policy and legislation in areas that impact Australian First Nations communities would look like.

Now that the date for the referendum has been set for Saturday 14 October, there is renewed discussion on what this change means for both First Nations peoples and our broader Australian population.

Sam Ricketts, Director, Walanga Muru explains “Our Indigenous Voice to Parliament microcredential is not politically motivated. The primary aim of this module is to offer a well-rounded perspective on the subject matter, which takes just one to two hours to complete.”

The University continues to encourage staff to set aside this time in their work calendar to undertake this module. If you have enrolled but not yet completed the module, it’s not too late to log back in and complete your microcredential.

Not just for staff

Staff and students can access through iLearn, but members of the wider community can also benefit and take the module as well. Access for those outside the staff and student community is by registration via the Teche blog. Staff are encouraged to share this link with friends and family interested in increasing their understanding of the situation prior to the referendum.

What others have said

Don’t just take our word for it, the reviews speak for themselves. See what some of our microcredential participants have said about the module:

“I completed the course yesterday and can’t recommend it highly enough. Easy to understand, well structured and plenty of context provided.”

“I have just completed the course, and am now recommending it personally and professionally – basically to anyone who will listen. A real credit to you and your team for providing bias-free, accessible information and data (free-of-charge) to support Australians making an informed decision at next month’s referendum.”

“For anyone wanting to inform themselves ahead of the forthcoming referendum on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, I can thoroughly recommend this well-structured microcredential course. I completed it this evening and gained many new insights. A fantastic learning opportunity.” 

“Well worth spending the time to be informed before you vote.”

“I was already planning on a Yes vote but I now feel more confident in my decision, have more understanding on the challenges and am much more ready to share my thoughts.” 

COMPLETE THE MIRCOCREDENTIAL

Staff and students: Enrol in iLearn
External audiences: Register for the module via Teche

Students travelled from as far away as Lake Macquarie and came from a variety of government and non-government schools.

Thirteen Year 12 students presented a short lecture about their research to the conference, and 60 students exhibited their work in A3 research posters.

In her opening address to the conference in the Mason Lecture Theatre, Australia’s Chief Scientist Dr Cathy Foley (pictured above) told attendees that they were in the same theatre where Dr Foley had attended the first lecture of her undergraduate university degree.

Around 700 students typically enrol in Science Extension in the NSW Higher School Certificate each year. In this one unit Year 12 course, students come up with their own scientific research project, document their research in a portfolio, and produce a scientific research report to highlight their findings, with the best works published in the Journal of Science Extension research.

Professor David Spence from the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences introduced the guest speakers and the 13 students who each presented their work via a ten-minute lecture.

“These students are all doing real research, and this conference is designed to give them an authentic research experience, so they can share their work with their peers and discuss it – just as scientists around the world do, sharing their research in conferences,” he says. 

Professor Spence, who was one of the judges, said he was amazed by the variety and innovation in the research, with many students basing their research on their interests or hobbies.

“Some students clearly had access to university mentors and did their work in laboratories with amazing resources, but others without these resources were just as impressive; they all came up with a research question that could be tested and measured,” he says.

Examples included a project where people were tested on their perception of two musical notes played together, research into the antibiotic properties of bush medicines like tea tree and eucalyptus, and testing the effectiveness of recycled materials like coconut husk to filter impurities from water.

Conferencegoers also toured Macquarie’s science and engineering facilities including the Astronomical Observatory and Fauna Park.

The winning presentation was given by Abbotsleigh student Jasmin Foster, and titled Acetaminophen dose-dependent interactions with the brain. The runner-up, Sydney Church of England Grammar School student Dominik Mautner delivered a talk on breakthrough therapies in gene-editing with CRISPR.

The poster prize-winner was Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School student Anouk Swanepoel, with Tom Browne from William Clarke College the runner-up.

Professor Spence says that some of the students who attended the inaugural conference last year have since enrolled in science degrees at Macquarie.

Find out more here.

1. Building the foundations for an inclusive teaching approach at Macquarie

A professional development module co-created by Macquarie staff and students, this module is packed with resources and practical ideas you can implement now to make learning more inclusive. The module is based on the following principles: inclusive classrooms are accessible, engaging and empowering for all students; diversity is a strength; inclusive teaching is an ongoing process of learning together; and all members of the University community have a role in promoting inclusive teaching.

2. Applying UDL principles to the design of a very large unit

Dr Natasha Todorov offers some strategies for supporting neurodiverse students in very large online units, using approaches aligned with Universal Design for Learning principles (UDL). This learning design approach works to accommodate the needs and abilities of all learners and attempts to minimise unnecessary barriers to the learning process.

3. Avoid death by PowerPoint

Find out how you can design better presentations to enhance student learning. Everyone has experienced ‘Death by PowerPoint’, where walls of text, overly complicated visuals, poor colour choice and tiny fonts have hindered our ability to follow the presenter. This guide gives some tips on how to avoid this in future presentations.

4. Managing a large teaching team

Dr Josephine Paparo convenes PSYU2235/PSYX2235 Developmental Psychology, a large undergraduate unit delivered online and on campus at Macquarie and also via OUA (Open Universities Australia). As Unit Convenor, she is responsible for a large team of tutors and markers to help manage the teaching. In this post, Dr Paparo shares the lessons learned and hot tips on how to manage a large teaching team.

5. What are the best real-time polling and quiz tools for in-class interaction?

There’s a lot of choice when it comes to tools for creating polls and quizzes, so how do you choose the one that is right for you? The Professional Learning and Capability Enhancement (PLaCE) team shares its view.

PLUS

6. Opportunity to observe teaching (and teachers) in action

A diverse group of dedicated and experienced teaching staff from across the University, together with the Professional Learning and Staff Development Team, are collaborating to provide you with the opportunity to observe teaching in person, as part of the ‘Open for Observation’ program in Session 2.

The launch of the first sensory space on campus at Globe Café proved popular, with around 100 students using the space each day during Session 1. As a result of this demand, a second space has recently opened at 4 First Walk.

“These sensory spaces are safe and inclusive places designed to benefit the wellbeing of our students, staff and neurodiverse members of our community,” says Melinda Chadwick, Head of Student Engagement, Inclusion and Belonging

“At Macquarie, we are always looking for innovative ways to improve the student experience. We have seen a large uptake in the use of our sensory spaces, proving the benefit for students. With the recent funding boost from Workplace Diversity and Inclusion, staff are now also welcome to use the space.”

The sensory spaces are not the only way Macquarie is supporting the wellbeing of students who experience neurodiversity. Academic staff have also been applying universal design for learning (UDL) to accommodate the diverse learning abilities of students – for example, Psychology unit convenor, Dr Natasha Todorov has applied UDL principles to reorganise the iLearn unit to meet the needs of a growing neurodiverse student cohort.

Touch and sound: Experience the comfort of a weighted blanket, listen to some soothing music or feel a slime pouch at one of the sensory space stations at 4 First Walk.

What is sensory overload?

When all five of your senses experience too much stimulation, this can lead to sensory overload. Anyone can experience sensory overload as well as the anxiety, irritability, stress and fear that can occur as a result. Sensory overload is more common in neurodiverse people and those who experience mental health conditions.

Focus your mind at the colouring book station at the Globe Café sensory space

What is a sensory space and how can it help?

For those experiencing sensory overload, or students who are under additional pressure during exams or assessment periods, these spaces provide sensory-based experiences to help counteract these feelings. There are a range of different stations set up to help focus the mind, defuse tension and reset the senses.

Fidget devices and kinetic sand are a great way to explore your sense of touch.

Focus each of your senses

Touch

• Slime
• Kinetic sand
• Weighted blankets
• Fidget devices

Sound

• White noise machines
• Ear plugs
• Music

Smell

• Aromatherapy

Sight

• Colouring books

Taste

• Tea and coffee

Macquarie’s two sensory spaces are located at:

• Globe Cafe, 8 Sir Christopher Ondaatje Ave
• 4 First Walk

The awards, which were presented in Melbourne on 22 August, recognise the contribution the higher education sector makes to Australian prosperity and quality of life, and celebrate the work and achievements of both academic and professional staff.

Associate Professor Katherine Dafforn from the School of Natural Sciences was a finalist in the Emerging Leadership category. She is a coastal ecologist who co-leads the Living Seawalls initiative to address marine biodiversity in harbours globally. Associate Professor Dafforn leads three postdoctoral researchers and seven HDR students in projects that contribute to environmental sustainability below water. As Director of Research in the School of Natural Sciences,  Associate Professor Dafforn supports more than 300 researchers, by building researcher capability in industry engagement, mentoring early career researchers and training scientists and engineers in leadership and science communication.

The Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences’ Connected Curriculum for Professionals in Health initiative was a finalist in the Teaching and Learning Excellence category. The initiative is designed to break down department siloes and has created a centralised repository of educational modules that support student learning across disciplines. It has already won multiple awards, being described as “unprecedented” for the elegant, strategic and streamlined approach to curriculum development that has resulted in exceptional learning experiences for students. Dr Morwenna Kirwan leads the team responsible for the initiative, working with Associate Professor Verity Pacey, Professor Catherine Dean, Dr Kelly Gray and Alexandra Bhatti.

The Australian Hearing Hub (AHH) at Macquarie was a finalist in the Industry Engagement category. The AHH was formed 10 years ago with the aim of improving the lives of those with hearing loss. It brings together academic, industry, government and not-for-profit members, including Cochlear Limited, Hearing Australia, National Acoustic Laboratories, NextSense and The Shepherd Centre. Its communal model attracts new industry partners to engage for individual, economic and societal benefit. Of note, all AHH members joined with Google Australia in the Australian Future Hearing Initiative earlier this year. Key members of the AHH team are Professor Sakkie Pretorius , Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor David McAlpine, Louise Dodds, Professor Catherine McMahon and Dr Romaric Bouveret.

If you would like to submit an entry for the 2024 awards, key dates will be posted here.

Students in Macquarie’s Doctor of Medicine (MD) program have been attending a series of masterclasses hosted by Vice-Chancellor Professor S Bruce Dowton, in which he has shared advice and wisdom gained over a 40-plus-year career in medicine, research and higher education.

The masterclasses are one of the distinctive features of Macquarie’s MD program, which has a unique focus on integrating medical and clinical science training with opportunities to develop professionalism, research and cultural awareness skills. Along with clinical placements in a variety of Australian healthcare settings, Macquarie MD students also undertake a third-year clinical placement at one of India’s top hospitals, which provides a unique comparative learning experience and helps develop a global outlook as future medical professionals.  Macquarie MD students also have elective opportunities during their fourth year in other countries, including the USA, to again witness another very different healthcare system.

The Vice-Chancellor shared with the students his own experiences of a globally focused career, having taken an atypical path to professional practice by leaving Australia after graduation.

“People told me I was ruining my career by going to America for my postdoctoral training,” the Vice-Chancellor told the students. “My advice to you is: if you are comfortable with an element of risk, don’t let anyone talk you out of thinking outside the box, and be prepared to travel the road less travelled.

“Every opportunity I have had in my own career has come by chance. Keep as many doors open for as long as you can and embrace the twists and turns that might feature in your career.”

The Vice-Chancellor’s words resonated with second-year MD student Dylan Foskett.

“I’ve always felt more drawn to the intersection of medicine with research and leadership, over a standard clinical career,” Dylan says. “The Vice-Chancellor really demonstrated how far you can go when you’re not afraid to stray from the normal path that most people take in medicine. Pursuing your own interests should be central to your career, even if it doesn’t fit the norm.”

Dylan says that, almost halfway through his four-year MD program, he feels strongly that he and his peers are getting much more than a standard medical education.

“The strength of the Macquarie MD is in the way it exposes us to other cultures and healthcare systems outside Australia and encourages us to reflect on those experiences,” he says. “I feel as though I’m being shaped into a compassionate clinician who has a good understanding of my place in the world and how I can go above and beyond, not just locally, but also internationally.”

“We need to equip our students for the technological advancements, societal shifts and changes in the job market that will happen over the next five to ten years,” she says.

Other trends involve upskilling people to fill job market gaps through short courses, microcredentials and postgraduate degrees enabling professional accreditation.

She says that to prepare students for real-world challenges, tertiary education needs to embed ‘authentic activities’ into courses.

“When we ask employers what they want from our graduates, they don’t ask for more discipline knowledge; instead they want graduates with strong communication skills, who can work as a team, problem-solve and think independently,” she says.

She adds that university education has evolved hugely in recent decades, and connecting with industry is vital to prepare students for the fast-changing future.

Many jobs that our graduates will apply for in the future don’t exist today, Professor Beaumont says.

“Some emerging careers ­– such as metaverse engineer – sound like something from the Marvel Universe,” she says.

 Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality and the Internet of Things

As AI and virtual reality reshape tomorrow’s society, there will be strong demand for expertise in areas like cutting-edge game design, metaverse engineering, and developing and managing ecosystems within the Internet of Things. Research foundations underpinning this growing sector are underway at the Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence. Future-focused information technology degrees include specialties in data science, app development and artificial intelligence. Interested? You could create tomorrow’s blockbusters via a Bachelor of Game Design and Development, or design new connections via a Master of Information Technology in Internet of Things.

Fight future crime

Cybercrime and fraud cost billions every year and cyberattacks are the next frontier in international warfare – and the Centre for Advanced Computing: Algorithm and Cryptography is leading research in this field.  Future focused cybercrime-fighting degrees include the Bachelor of Cyber Security, Bachelor of Information Technology majoring in Cyber Security  or a Master of Information Technology in Cyber Security.

Biotechnology

This science of the future explores genomics, protein biochemistry and proteomics and impacts everything from medicine to agriculture. World-leading research is underway at Macquarie’s Biotechnology Hub, the Biomolecular Discovery Research Centre, ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, and the ARC Centre for Facilitated Advancement of Australia’s Bioactives (FAAB). Degrees in this field include a Bachelor of Science with Biomolecular Sciences major, Graduate Diploma of Biotechnology, or a Master of Biotechnology.

Engineering for health and sustainability

Engineers play a key role in what our future will look like, from mechatronic engineers who design and build robotic limbs to improve quality of life for millions of people, to miniaturisation experts making nanosensors capable of extraordinary things in centres such as Macquarie’s  Nanotech Laboratory. Specialise in mechatronic engineering as part of the Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) or Master of Engineering Management.

Environment, conservation and sustainable energy

With climate change bringing about unprecedented environmental impacts, the world is increasingly looking to experts to help us slow and mitigate its effects.

Macquarie offers degrees in environmental science and green energy that draw on cutting-edge work happening in research centres like Transforming Energy Markets, Smart Green Cities, and the Sustainable Energy Research Centre.

Future-focused degrees include the Bachelor of Biodiversity and Conservation, Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic Engineering), Master of Environment and Master of Conservation Biology.

Professor Mariella Herberstein, Dean of Students says, “This original unit has been developed and designed in consultation with Macquarie University staff and students. This approach enables this important content to be delivered in a way that is relatable, topical and reflects the needs and expectations of our community.”

Previously, the University had offered an “off the shelf” online unit on consent. Safer Communities @ MQ goes beyond consent. It comprises information and guidance about respectful relationships, sex education, including STI prevention and testing, alcohol and drug safety, bystander awareness, and information on reporting and support services on campus.

When students begin their Macquarie journey, they are joining a community where everyone has the right to feel safe. Therefore, the unit is mandatory for all students.

Safer Communities @ MQ is part of the Respect. Now. Always (RNA) project aimed at providing education about acceptable behaviours at Macquarie and safe, healthy relationships.

Associate Professor Kate Gleeson, Project Manager of Respect. Now. Always explains, “Our RNA project aims to support a safe university community. We do this by improving how we prevent and respond to sexual assault, sexual harassment and other inappropriate or unwanted behaviors.

“The new Safer Communities @ MQ unit helps set the expectations of our community, explain the characteristics of respectful relationships, and promote support options and resources for students negotiating adult relationships.”

Macquarie staff can support the implementation of this important educational tool by promoting and championing it. Students and staff can complete the Safer Communities @ MQ unit in iLearn. The unit takes approximately 60 minutes to complete.

More information about the Safer Communities @ MQ unit and Respect. Now. Always. can be found on our website.