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2021: ASCILITE 2021 Conference Proceedings: Back to the Future

The 2021 ASCILITE annual conference was hosted by the University of New England, 29th November to 1st December.

Editors: S. Gregory, S. Warburton, and M. Schier

Published: 29 November 2021

ASCILITE Conference - Concise Papers

  • New way of investigating ICT-enhanced teaching in TAFE Australia: Disciplinary focused

    Md Shahadat Hossain Khan, Sue Gregory

    Teachers’ ways of using ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in various disciplines is a recent issue in the higher educational research paradigm. In order to extend previous findings in relation to this issue, this research proposes an in-depth investigation focusing on vocational teachers’ qualitatively diverse ways of using ICT in different disciplines. A cohort of 11 teachers from three TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institutions of NSW, Australia, were purposively chosen aiming to ensure adequate variations in disciplines, gender, and experience of using ICT. The phenomenographic research approach was considered as the theoretical and methodological underpinning which guided the participant selection, data collection and data analysis. The findings revealed that disciplines have very limited influence on using ICT in TAFE teaching. It further discerned four categories of description: tool, content, subject, and student focused. The findings provide useful information towards improving vocational teaching practices in different disciplines and working as an input for improving teacher professional development program (TPD). In order to generalise these findings, an extended research with a wider sample is recommended.

    Read article: New way of investigating ICT-enhanced teaching in TAFE Australia: Disciplinary focused

  • The silver lining of COVID-19 – Improving operational processes

    Sabina Cerimagic, Dewa Wardak

    The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for improvement in our operational processes. In our Business Co-Design (BCD) team we have successfully utilised a design-based research (DBR) approach for the past two years - and it has worked well. However, we have noticed that from an operational perspective, the DBR approach methodology we have been using can struggle to scale up, as designing is bespoke and offers tailor made solutions for our individual projects. We will pilot incorporating elements of a soft systems thinking approach together with actor- network theory (ANT) to enable us in applying a more holistic approach to the design and development of units of study which will provide opportunities for input from the larger team, instead of working in silos. Additionally, we are hopeful that this new approach will also assist us in making our design and projects scalable and sustainable – and to support us in increasing efficiency.

    Read article: The silver lining of COVID-19 – Improving operational processes

  • From pandemic to endemic: Examining transitions in blended learning in higher education

    APUBS Administrator, Shamini Thilarajah, Renuka Nasendran

    One year ago, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that COVID-19 was a pandemic. Twelve months on, we reflect on the educational change in Singapore and embrace the need to constantly re-imagine blended learning for living and learning with COVID-19. Using Dr Roger Greenaway’s four F's of active reviewing - Facts, Feelings, Findings & Future as the structure, this paper first presents the study of the transitions in blended learning of higher education pre-, during and post-pandemic lockdown. This review placed a spotlight on many gaps. Hence, this paper discusses pertinent issues following the review, particularly COVID-19 accelerated remote teaching, the ‘Blended Learning@NIE’ policy, and the policy-making process. This paper also reports the preliminary result of the policy implementation through the end-of-semester evaluation. The result is congruent with the feelings to develop digital fluency as teacher intuition for designing, developing and facilitating more meaningful blended learning experiences.

    Read article: From pandemic to endemic: Examining transitions in blended learning in higher education

  • Leveraging the pandemic to build a community of networked, engaged, and curious learners – our future leaders

    Peter Bryant, Natasha Arthars, Danielle Eden, Elaine Huber

    The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly presented a multitude of challenges to the way education is delivered; its wide-reaching multidisciplinary impact has also presented a unique opportunity as a focus for real-world authentic learning. For some time now, technology has enabled interaction at a global scale, allowing students to connect with teachers and industry experts around the world. This paper reports on the innovative design of an intra-curricular program utilising COVID-19 as a focus for online, real-world connected learning, delivered to business students at a large Australian university during the pandemic lockdown. Implemented as an online intra-curricular initiative, ‘Leading in a Post-COVID World’ encouraged student engagement with the challenges of leadership to address issues on a personal, local, and global scale. Using a community of inquiry (CoI) lens we explore key features of the program and find that a CoI approach combined with principles of real-world learning and authentic experiences encourages student participation and engagement in this intra-curricular space.

    Read article: Leveraging the pandemic to build a community of networked, engaged, and curious learners – our future leaders

  • Adaptability of academic integrity procedures and practices in the COVID-19-accelerated transition to online assessment

    Meena Jha, Simon, Regina Berretta, Ayse Bilgin, Judy Sheard, Lakmali Jayarathna, Sander Leemans, Trina Myers

    The COVID-19 pandemic brought unexpected disruptions to educational practices, forcing universities to deliver lectures, tutorials, exams, and other assessments online. Academics and program managers reacted swiftly to adapt their education programs, managing a crisis that could have harmed Australia’s education system. Academic staff rapidly addressed the immediate requirements of delivering classes online, upskilling their digital competencies to continue with minimal disadvantage to students. A perceived problem arising from the need to move to online assessment is an increase in violations of academic integrity. Due to the speed with which the changes took place, there have not necessarily been corresponding changes in the policies and procedures that govern and guide teaching and assessment practices, related to academic integrity. A crisis can open an opportunity for innovation, and this study is a work in progress to investigate how things were done differently to uphold academic integrity in computing courses at Australian universities.

    Read article: Adaptability of academic integrity procedures and practices in the COVID-19-accelerated transition to online assessment

  • Embedding a culture of academic integrity: A two-pronged approach

    Mercedez Hinchcliff, Pranit Anand

    While universities have instituted use of various forms of technologies to help identify instances of academic integrity compromises, these tools are unable to detect cases where students get someone else to do their academic work for them. This paper discusses a two-stage approach to addressing academic integrity at a postgraduate business studies course where students were engaged in understanding what academic integrity means within their context and explore various forms of unethical behaviours. They were also made aware about various institutional policies and procedures for academic integrity breaches. This was followed with a post-assessment, ad-hoc feedback from students about their submitted work. Although a thorough evaluation is planned at a later stage, this paper shares some initial results about the effectiveness of this approach to countering academic misconduct behaviours. The paper will be of interest to other teaching academics interested in developing a culture of academic integrity.

    Read article: Embedding a culture of academic integrity: A two-pronged approach

  • Benchmarking educational quality – an analysis and alternative practical learning theory and technology

    Stanislaw Paul MAJ

    In a ten-year study over thirty STEM units in seven nationally accredited institutions (two colleges, five universities, including a five-star teaching university) in two different countries were analyzed to evaluate their educational quality using a range of criteria and benchmarked against the finalists of the 2010 IEEE global award for academics. Unit content and teaching were found to be almost exclusively based on Constructivist based principles. However, Constructivism provides subjective guidelines open to different interpretations. The analyzed units demonstrated considerable variation in pass rates and educational standards. One unit consistently achieved circa 100% pass rates but at the expense of the standard of learning outcomes – far below any reasonable expectations. At the other extreme one unit achieved a higher standard of learning but with pass rates below 30%. This problem can potentially be addressed by using the new quantitative Cognitive Load Optimization learning theory and technology.

    Read article: Benchmarking educational quality – an analysis and alternative practical learning theory and technology

  • Priming Numbas for formative assessment in a first-year mathematics unit

    Vivien Challis, Roger Cook, Pranit Anand

    This paper outlines an initiative that involved implementing ‘Numbas’ as a computer-based tool to support mathematics learning. ‘Numbas’ was implemented within the existing learning management system at Queensland University of Technology, where students engaged in formative assessment activities independently and were provided with automated feedback along the way. An initial evaluation was undertaken by learning designers using the ‘Assessment Design Decisions Framework’, and although more rigorous evaluation is underway, results indicate positive outcomes, and appropriate adjustment is likely to be made before rolling it out to other units within the School of Mathematical Sciences. This paper will be of interest to other educators looking for ways to embed independent computer-aided learning of mathematics.

    Read article: Priming Numbas for formative assessment in a first-year mathematics unit

  • Sustainable learning design in large transformational teaching and learning initiatives

    Courtney Shalavin, Elaine Huber

    Ensuring lasting impact of transformational teaching and learning initiatives in higher education can prove challenging. The sustainability of such initiatives may hinge on capacity building of teachers, balancing innovation and sustainability during the design process and ensuring that the story of change is shared beyond those involved in the initial transformation. Using a case study example, this concise paper discusses how a transformational teaching and learning initiative in a large Australian Business School is approaching sustainable learning design through co-design, capacity building and the dissemination of research.

    Read article: Sustainable learning design in large transformational teaching and learning initiatives

  • Creating an inclusive educational environment for vocational learning: A tale of two cities

    Darren Turnbull, Ritesh Chugh, Jo Luck

    One of the significant challenges facing vocational training institutions is the conundrum of providing the best possible learning outcomes to a diverse range of people using pedagogical practices and materials that by design demand uniformity in delivery approaches. In this paper, we examined a snapshot of perspectives from teachers and students in two distinctly different vocational training institutions, one in China and the other in Australia. Comments from participants revealed that flexible approaches to course delivery, the provision of a range of different types of learning materials, and institutional support in teacher training and curriculum design are vital elements in implementing an inclusive learning space for students. This paper proposes that a triad of interrelated elements, consisting of pedagogy, learning materials and institutions, are bound together by learning management systems that facilitate the creation of multi-modal course delivery approaches. We further contend that teaching practices that pigeonhole people as belonging to immutable categories of learning styles are outmoded and detract from creating inclusive learning environments. The findings from this study indicate that best practice approaches for developing truly engaging educational environments are rooted in the facilitation of individual autonomy in the learning process. The creation of opportunities for constructive interaction between learners is needed.

    Read article: Creating an inclusive educational environment for vocational learning: A tale of two cities

  • Exploring industry-university partnerships in the creation of short courses and micro-credentials

    Rachel Fitzgerald, Henk Huijser

    This paper explores industry-university partnerships in the creation of short courses and micro- credentials. It is a position paper that precedes a pilot study. We scan the higher education environment for current practices and begin to explore the notion of a more consistent and strategic approach. Partnerships refer to both industry as partners in course development, and industry as partners in developing meaningful learning experiences in the context of professional and career development. The pilot study that this paper is connected to aligns with national and international frameworks and explores university-industry partnerships, to ensure such partnerships can be leveraged to offer better value to learners with regards to workplace and lifelong learning.

    Read article: Exploring industry-university partnerships in the creation of short courses and micro-credentials

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