TDU Talk
ISSUE 1 ▪ MARCH/APRIL 2011
ENHANCING OUR PRACTICE: EVALUATING
AND DEVELOPING OUR WORK AS ACADEMICS
Making Appraisals Matter
Dr Trudy Harris, Teaching Developer (Evaluation/Quality), Teaching Development Unit
Greetings from Charlotte
Charlotte Ferry-Parker, Appraisals Administrator, Teaching Development Unit
Cycle Four Audit, praise for the Teaching and
Learning Plan and Framework
Dr Pip Bruce Ferguson Teaching Developer, Teaching Development Unit
Teaching Development
Dr Pip Bruce Ferguson, Teaching Developer, Teaching Development Unit
Leadership and Management Development
Mike Bell, Human Resource Development Advisor, Professional Development Unit
WCeL Initiatives
Nigel Robertson, eLearning Designer, Waikato Centre for eLearning
Action Research Workshop and Guest Speaker
Dr Pip Bruce Ferguson, Teaching Developer, Teaching Development Unit
How do I justify my contributions to new
institutional epistemologies for a new scholarship
of educational knowledge?
Paper by Jean McNiff, presented to BERA Annual Research meeting, 2009
Kia ora koutou
“
Kia ora koutou
Best wishes to you all for the 2011 academic year from the
TDU team. Thank you to the many academics who participate in
our professional development activities and those of you who give
so generously of your time to contribute to the facilitation of our
programmes. Last year was an exciting year in which
conversations about teaching were happening in a number of
different settings and contexts. The Teaching Network occasions were generally
well attended and provided opportunities for sharing ideas across campus on a
range of issues, while Faculty-based teaching conversations began to take place
under the leadership of Faculty teaching advocates. The Postgraduate Supervision
Conversations continued to flourish and appear to meet a need for supervisors at
all levels of experience. It is our view that these teaching conversations can
generate a lively interest around teaching within the context of teachers‟ daily
practices. The TDU provides multiple forums for teaching conversations to occur,
so academics can pick and choose from the range of professional development
opportunities to suit their interests, experience and preferred way of learning.
We recognise that our staff members are inundated with emails about events on
campus, so that while we will continue to give notice of upcoming activities
through email reminders, we thought that we could use this first magazine to
provide an overview of what‟s available so that you can plan ahead. We will also
be sending out a calendar for the year to departmental administrators and putting it
on the TDU website. We hope these initiatives can give you a big picture of the
centrally organised teaching development opportunities. Look out too for
invitations to faculty-based teaching discussions from your faculty teaching
advocates and, of course, keep an eye on the Official Circular.
ISSUE 1: MARCH/APRIL 2011
Teaching Development Unit
Wāhanga Whakapakari Ako
Private Bag 3105
Hamilton 3240
New Zealand
Phone: +64 7 838 4839
Fax: +64 7 838 4573
[email protected]
www.waikato.ac.nz/tdu
Don‟t forget that on the TDU website you can find all the editions of TDU Talk
and many other resources to help you in your practice. You can also access our
TDU library catalogue and request a book via email.
Finally, it is my pleasure to welcome Charlotte Ferry-Parker, our new Appraisals
Administrator, to the TDU team. We are very pleased to have Charlotte with us
and I am sure that you will enjoy your contact with her in relation to the
Appraisals process.
We look forward to working with you this year.
Best wishes
Dorothy and the TDU team
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
.”
•2•
Making Appraisals Matter
Dr Trudy Harris, Teaching Developer (Evaluation/Quality)
“
Hello all from the world of appraisal and evaluation. As this is the
first issue of TDU Talk for 2011, I thought it would be a good idea to
take stock and look at some of the forthcoming work around appraisal and
evaluation.
Let‟s start by looking at where we ended last year. 2010 was a very busy
year for us, with a number of institutional initiatives maturing, such as the
Teaching and Learning Plan, the Academic Staff Portfolio, the AUSSE
Portfolio and of course the Cycle 4 Audit (more on this in a later section).
All of these initiatives have increased the number of appraisals quite
dramatically.
2011 looks as though it is going to be just as busy. This year however, we
have a secret weapon in the shape of a new Appraisals Administrator. I
would like to introduce Charlotte Ferry-Parker as the newest member of the
Teaching Development Unit. Welcome Charlotte!
With all of these initiatives, more and more emphasis is being placed on the
developmental aspects of appraisal and evaluation. The move away from
the appraisal as the only measure of teaching and paper quality is going to
be the major challenge in 2011. As a consequence, we have to find other
forms of information that can be used to provide evidence for good
teaching and learning, and provide ways of presenting that information in a
useful manner. There are a number of initiatives, some continuing from last
year, which we will be working on this year to capture and use some of this
information. For example:
1. The ongoing review of the appraisals process, by a working party of
the Teaching Quality Committee (TQC). This review has highlighted
some changes that we can make quite easily, and will provide
information for both quality and developmental processes. These
changes will be outlined in a report to the Committee early in the year.
This review is being made with a consideration of other institutional
initiatives.
2. The review of the Policy on the Evaluation of Teaching and Papers,
and associated guidelines. While there has been an increase in the
number of appraisals being conducted, the guidelines around the policy
have to be updated to reflect some of the changes that have occurred
over the last year. These include more interpretive guidelines to provide
staff with clear directions for professional development.
•3•
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
3. Stage 2 of the development of the Academic Staff Portfolio (ASP)
This stage will deal with some of the issues raised about appraisal data
in the pilot of the ASP in August 2010. It will also look at providing
different spaces on the teaching pages so that formative evidence around
teaching can also be included.
So it looks as though it will be a very exciting and busy year, for
all of us.
.”
2011 eLearning Workshops
Moodle workshops
These 'how to' workshops provide staff with the technical skill and knowledge to use Moodle tools.
 Moodle One: Getting started with resources : (February 1st, June 9th, & November 2nd)
 Moodle Two: Paper Settings & Communication : (February 8th, June 16th & November 9th)
 Moodle Three: Assessment tools in Moodle : (February 15th, June 23rd & November 16th)
 Moodle Four: Groups and Groupings : (February 22th, June 30th & November 23rd)
 Moodle Digest One (April 19th & August 24th)
 Moodle Digest Two (April 20th & August 25th)
eLearning workshops
These workshops offer practical strategies to assist you with implementing eLearning in your teaching.
 A beginner's guide to eLearning (Thursday February 10th)
 Expanding your eLearning horizons (Thursday February 17th)
 Discussion boards - the basics (Tuesday March 1st)
 Online assessment (Wednesday April 6th)
 Discussion boards - beyond the basics (Thursday May 5th)
 Lecture capture and beyond (Wednesday June 1st)
 Using quizzes for learning (Tuesday July 5th)
 Blogs for learning (Wednesday August 3rd)
 Turnitin & Plagiarism (Thursday September 1st)
 Online Bookmarking (Wednesday October 5th)
 Online collaboration (Tuesday November 1st)
 New tools for a new year (Thursday Dec 1st)
For more information and to register please visit the http://www.waikato.ac.nz/hrm/pd/ or contact
Teresa Gibbison (email: [email protected]).
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
•4•
Greetings from Charlotte
Charlotte Ferry-Parker, Appraisals Administrator, Teaching Development Unit
“
Hi, my name is Charlotte Ferry-Parker and I am the new Appraisals
Administrator in the TDU. I did a Bachelor of Social Science with
Honours, here at the University of Waikato where I majored in Industrial
Relations & Human Resource Management as well as Labour Studies. My
experience at University was hugely important to me. I originally came to
university to get a degree and then go out into the big wide world to get a
job, but I gained so much more as a result of my education. I went on to do
my Honours research on the experience of single mother students at
university and continue to take a strong interest in the voice and perspective
of students as well as issues surrounding women and work. I guess I kind
of got the research bug.
For the last three years I have been tutoring on the CUP program where I
met some fantastic people and got to see a different side of university life. I
really enjoyed the teaching side of this job and still have an interest in the
importance of the role that lecturers and tutors play in the education that
students receive. The quality of teaching that we provide can have a huge
impact on the educational experience of the students who come through our
doors. At the University of Waikato, I have now seen the appraisal process
from a student perspective where I could give my views about my teachers
and the papers that I took, and from a teacher‟s perspective. The feedback
that I received helped me to take a step back and evaluate my methods of
teaching and develop important skills. I am really excited to be working
here with this great team of people and I am looking forward to the busy
year ahead. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about
appraisals. My contact details are below.
The quality of
teaching that we
provide can have a
huge impact on the
educational
experience of the
students who come
through our doors.
•5•
Charlotte Ferry-Parker
[email protected]
A.B.07
07 838 4341
.”
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
Cycle 4 Audit: Praise for the Teaching
& Learning Plan and Framework
Dr Pip Bruce Ferguson, Teaching Developer, Teaching Development Unit
In its Cycle Four Audit report, the audit team that visited the University last
year praised a number of initiatives that the University has undertaken. In
their report, they specifically stated that:
The Panel commends the University on the connection between
the Teaching and Learning Framework and the Teaching and
Learning Plan and the evidence of consultation that has
occurred during the development and implementation.
The Panel commends the University on the emphasis it is
continuing to place on teaching excellence in the Performance
Based Research Funding era.
The final product
provides staff members
with core principles and
expected practices
around key areas such
as learning outcomes
and assessment… it a
very useful point of
reference that all
university staff
members can share.
(about the Teaching and Learning Plan)
As a large number of our staff were involved in this consultative process
and may not have seen the Audit report, we would like to take this
opportunity to thank all staff members who were involved. We look
forward to the University continuing and expanding the emphasis that it
places on teaching excellence in a year in which many staff will be
focusing on final PBRF outputs.
To those academic staff members who were not directly involved in the
development of the Teaching and Learning Framework and the associated
Teaching and Learning Plan, you may still be unsure of its potential
usefulness for your own practice. In terms of developmental usefulness, the
Framework may be especially helpful. Each chapter of the Framework was
written collaboratively by teams of academics from across the campus and
the process involved extensive discussion, drafting and editing before the
final format and content for each chapter was agreed on. The final product
provides staff members with core principles and expected practices around
key areas such as learning outcomes and assessment and so it is a very
useful point of reference that all University staff members can share.
The Cycle 4 Audit Report is available in the Document Directory on iWaikato:
University Administration > Reports and Strategic Documents > NZUAAU Audit Reports
Or by clicking this link:
https://i.waikato.ac.nz/portal/server.pt/directory/nzuaau_audit_reports/7117?DirMode=1
Teaching & Learning Plan: http://www.waikato.ac.nz/about/corporate/tlngplan.shtml
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
•6•
Teaching Development
Dr Pip Bruce Ferguson, Teaching Developer, Teaching Development Unit
Teaching Network
The Teaching Network is a loose affiliation of staff members who are
particularly interested in discussing aspects of their teaching-related
practice. During 2010, we met four times, starting with a catered lunch and
going on to have conversations around a range of topics. Among these were
preparedness of students for University study; familiarisation with the skills
that students acquire in high schools prior to coming here, and their likely
expectations; assessment at tertiary level (with Prof. John Hattie of the
University of Auckland presenting and joining in discussion) and
interdisciplinary teaching and teacher identity.
rks :
Netwo
g
in
h
c
ea
2011 T
ch
23 Mar
e
n
u
J
29
ber
m
e
1 Sept
ober
19 Oct
mber
e
23 Nov
We warmly invite interested staff to join with us in these Teaching
Network meetings throughout 2011.
These are currently scheduled for 23 March, 29 June, 1 September, 19
October and 23 November from 12.00 to 2.00 in B.G.24.
In the first network meeting, the topic is teaching and PBRF synthesis, to
help staff to enhance PBRF demands with publications on teaching that
might boost their PBRF scores.
Depending on feedback from the group, later in the year we may also
discuss conducting action research on our practice, and how staff at the
University can influence relevant policies and practices here.
If you would like to get on the mailing list for these conversations, or
suggest themes of interest, please email Preetha
([email protected]).
Postgraduate
Supervisors’
Conversations
During 2009 and 2010, the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Postgraduate) and TDU
staff co-facilitated regular conversations about aspects of postgraduate
student supervision. As with the Teaching Network conversations, these
were conducted with a catered lunch to start, and mainly University of
Waikato panellists/conversation starters facilitating a range of topics. These
included:
•7•
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
uate
ostgrad
tions :
2011 P
nversa
o
C
’
s
r
iso
Superv
h
1 Marc
y
a
3M
28 June
r
tembe
27 Sep
mber
8 Nove
 Best Practice in Postgraduate Supervision
 “Hot Topics” around supervision
 Interdisciplinary supervision: composition of panels, conversations
across disciplinary boundaries, opportunities and risks.
 Cross-cultural literacy
 Co-publishing with students
 Negotiating the terrain of supervision (“MOU” between students and
supervisors)
 Best practice for encouraging and supporting Māori doctoral students
 Providing feedback on student draft writing
 Reflections on conversations to date and requests for future topics
Dates for 2011 Conversations are scheduled for 1 March, 3 May, 28 June,
27 September and 8 November. Following on from suggestions received in
the final Conversation for 2010, topics are likely to include:




Student perspectives and supervision
Supervision of creative practice (what is research?)
Managing relationships
Trans-disciplinary supervision: possibilities, potential and pitfalls
If you would like to get on the mailing list for these Conversations, please
email Preetha ([email protected]).
Teaching Advocates
Beginning in the first semester of 2010, the TDU launched the concept of a
„teaching advocate‟ in each Faculty who chose to participate in the scheme.
TDU provides a small „hospitality‟ budget to support lunches during which
teaching-related issues could be discussed, or to support a teaching-related
paper being taken to a relevant conference.
Advocates for 2010 included Michael Cameron (WMS); Donna Campbell
(SMPD); Juliet Chevalier-Watts (Law); Geoff Holmes (FCMS) and Marcus
Wilson (FSEN). An advocate for FASS (Tracy Bowell) was appointed at
the end of 2010.
The Advocacy scheme has allowed interested staff to meet and discuss
relevant teaching and assessment-related strategies; to explore the use of
Panopto to support student learning; to present papers that focus on
education at discipline-related conferences.
Under the leadership of Tracy Bowell, TDU, WCEL & FASS facilitated
their first teaching advocacy session on strategies for student engagement
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
•8•
in large classes. Alison Campbell also very generously contributed some of
her own strategies for student engagement in large classes. The atmosphere
at this session was very positive and people seem to appreciate not only the
ideas shared, but also the emerging sense of a community with a strong
interest in teaching in the Faculty.
The Faculty Advocates for 2011 have now been confirmed. They are:
Juliet Chevalier-Watts (Law)
Donna Campbell (SMPD)
Nick Cavenagh (FCMS)
Marcus Wilson (FSEN)
Michael Cameron and Cheryl Cockburn-Wooten (WMS)
Tracy Bowell (FASS)
TDU staff will be working during 2011 to further support Advocates in
their roles, which encourage staff in Faculties to share best practice and
useful resources, and to strengthen teaching and learning support in the
Faculty.
We appreciate the generosity of these academics in giving their time to
enhance teaching conversations in their discipline and to support each other
in their teaching practice. We also value your support for ourselves in our
ongoing efforts to make teaching matter at all levels of the University.
Postgraduate
Certificate in Tertiary
Teaching
The Postgraduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching is another professional
development option in relation to your teaching. The Certificate aims to
enhance your ability to interrogate your own practice by introducing you to
core principles and strategies for practice, the scholarship of higher
education and tools for reflective practice. Attendance at a number of core
TDU workshops contributes to the first paper of the Certificate and this
attendance can be credited retrospectively. Assessment tasks for the first
paper relate directly to teaching or assessment initiatives that you are
undertaking in your current teaching. The second paper primarily involves
the development of teaching portfolios. For a detailed description of the
two papers, consult the paper handbook which is available on the TDU
website at http://www.waikato.ac.nz/tdu/PGCERT.shtml.
•9•
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
We have had very good feedback from past participants:
“It has been a huge difference, like night and day for myself”
“When I started with the TDU workshops I was quite clueless about
teaching so I think I’ve learnt a lot of valuable things from coming to
the workshops and talking to Dorothy”
“This experience has been one of the most positive experiences in my
university career, realizing what I didn’t know and thinking of ways of
developing oneself.”
Mentoring Programme
The University offers a Mentoring programme which is available to all
staff. Volunteer mentors and those wanting to be mentored fill in the
mentor application form indicating areas in which they can offer or are
seeking support. The TDU tries to pair people according to interests, areas
of expertise and needs which have been identified. At the end of the
academic year, we usually have an informal gathering in which participants
share their experiences of being in a mentoring partnership. Generally,
feedback has been very positive and some of the outcomes that people have
commented on are the helpfulness for research outputs, the importance of
having a place of trust and confidentiality to explore work-related matters
and the formation of long term professional friendships.
Currently, we have twenty eight people who are continuing in the
mentoring partnerships which were set up in 2010 and seventeen people
due to begin in 2011.
The Mentoring Programme is part of the Leadership and Management
Development Programme. More information about the Programme is
included on page 13 of this magazine.
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
• 10 •
Leadership and Management Development
Mike Bell, Human Resource Development Advisor, Professional Development Unit
The University Strategic Plan 2006-2009 committed the institution to
leadership and management development and charged Anna Bounds (now
Assistant Vice-Chancellor Operations) with leading this initiative to
contribute to building institutional capacity and individual capability.
The Vice-Chancellor launched the University of Waikato Leadership and
Management Development Programme in February 2009. This followed
the development of a proposal document which was signed off by the ViceChancellor‟s Committee in early 2008 and extensive consultation with
staff and managers throughout the intervening months.
The model which was adopted as the basis for the programme
evolved through input from staff, senior managers, the School
of Māori and Pacific Development, and the distinctiveness
champions appointed in 2008. It is based on nine Māori
values and described as the niho taniwha model.
The model describes the University‟s approach to
leadership as a collective process where leadership is
defined broadly through all levels of the
organisation rather than being narrowly
associated with only senior management roles.
Leadership can take the form of leading an
Niho taniwha model
organisation or a unit and also leading practice. It is often
situational and is based on the core values of aroha, kaitiakitanga, and
rangatiratanga – essentially the focus is on a strong concern for the
wellbeing and performance of individuals underpinned by effective,
systematic institutional and individual planning combined with assertive,
empowered and enabled leadership.
There has been great
support from colleagues
across the University who
want to use leadership
and management
practices to inspire and
enable others to achieve
individual and
institutional excellence.
The nine values translate into effective university processes and systems
which must be properly understood and implemented to ensure leadership
effectiveness and the success of the programme. The following table
outlines these key elements:
Anna Bounds (Assistant Vice-Chancellor)
• 11 •
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
What
Evidence
How
Aroha
Concern for the
wellbeing of others
and the
organisation
Organisational environment
and culture of concern
Effective induction
Professional development
Professional Goal Setting
Recognition
Kaitiakitanga
Stewardship and
building for a
sustainable future
Sound business practices
Effective communication
and change management
Planning, implementation, review and
improvement continuous improvement cycle
Rangatiratanga
Leadership and
authority to act
Decisive, well-informed,
empowered managers
Management development
Forums
Wairuatanga
Purpose, vision, and
strategic plan
Common understanding and
willingness to adapt
Induction
Professional Goal Setting
Research plan
Teaching & Learning plan that incorporates
leadership development
Whanaungatanga
Community and
belonging
Engagement with the local
community and
stakeholders
Team building
Induction
Tautokotanga
Advocacy and
support
Supportive collegial
behaviours
Mentoring
Forums
Kotahitanga
Unity and shared
decision making
Ownership of decisions and
performance goals
Professional Goal Setting
Effective meetings
Strategic planning
Manaakitanga
Welcoming and
people friendly
Effective systems and
relationships
Induction
Systems review
Continuous improvement and Quality Assurance
Tautikatanga
Balance and equity
Staff satisfaction and
retention
Diversity
Equal Employment Opportunity
Health & wellbeing initiatives
Distinctiveness
One University
Processes &
Systems
The programme has been developing since 2008 and includes a wide range
of initiatives.
Forums and Networks
A number of forums and networks have been developed to encourage
leading practice and the development and enhancement of leadership skills
for particular cohorts. Examples of these are the Chairpersons‟ Leadership
Forum, Managers‟ Leadership Forum, Teaching Network, Student Support
Network, Faculty/School Finance Managers, Women Professors‟ Network,
and New Zealand Women in Leadership (NZWIL) Programme Alumni. In
2010, the Senior Leadership Team (http://www.waikato.ac.nz/hrm/pd/
leadership/slt.shtml) commenced more formal development activities and
they are progressively evaluating how their individual and collective
leadership can be improved. Many other groups also operate formally and
informally, where opportunities for conversation are provided around
specific topical issues, sharing systems and practices, and generally include
a mix of more and less experienced members who encourage mutual
development.
These groups typically operate best with a specified coordinator who
arranges meetings on a regular basis and facilitates the transfer of
information between members and from external sources. The mode is
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
• 12 •
conversational and the environment is generally relaxed and informal
where there are no “dumb” questions and include high levels of
participation and interaction. Members benefit from interaction both within
and outside the regular meetings and behave as learning communities.
There are typically high levels of ownership and the format and content of
meetings is generally decided by the group itself.
Meetings are normally only one to two hours and can be as frequent as
once a month, or as seldom as two or three times a year. They are helping
to develop some common and agreed One University approaches and
provide opportunities to evaluate and improve university systems and
processes as part of the University‟s commitment to quality assurance and a
cycle of continuous improvement.
One off Events
These are usually in the form of one day conference-style events such as
the highly successful Women in Leadership Day and WCELfest and may
include a mixture of keynote speakers and interactive workshops. They are
often arranged around a topical theme and are attended by a wide cross
section of staff, making them excellent information sharing, networking
and motivational opportunities.
Mentoring
The University of Waikato Mentoring Programme was reintroduced in
2009 and provides an opportunity for a less experienced staff member to
meet regularly with a more experienced mentor to assist them with a
particular area of personal or professional development. The mentoring
partnerships may be of limited duration, or may continue over a number of
years, depending on the needs and availability of the individuals involved.
...the focus is on a
strong concern for the
wellbeing and
performance of
individuals based on
effective, systematic
planning and assertive,
empowered leadership.
Twice a year applications are invited from individuals who either wish to
mentor or be mentored in specific areas (such as developing leadership or
management capability, research or teaching skills, etc.) and applicants are
matched as closely as possible with some operating guidelines provided so
that the pair can get the most from the partnership. Typically the
conversations are of mutual benefit and we are seeing meaningful
engagement between colleagues with mentoring capability developing
through experience.
Workshops and Seminars
A number of workshops are offered each year to enhance specific skills and
knowledge. Examples include half day Management Enhancement
Workshops (Managing Change, Managing a Budget, Managing Staff,
• 13 •
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
Effective Meetings, etc.), half day Performance Management seminars, two
hour Action Learning workshops, Managing an Aging Workforce, and
more.
Events are generally widely advertised and are designed to assist managers
to develop a range of tools to enhance their roles.
Typically workshops and seminars are introductory in nature. They provide
a wide range of information, models and processes about a particular topic,
but it is only through application and experience that capability is
developed.
Postgraduate Certificate in Leadership in Higher Education
This qualification took two years to develop and is being offered for the
first time in 2011 with a cohort of 20 staff from the University and partner
tertiary institutions. The programme was developed jointly by the Faculties
of Management and Education with input from the School of Māori and
Pacific Development. The entry level of staff is restricted and the
programme is designed to build the capability of staff within leadership
roles. The programme is spread over two years and costs are covered by
the University‟s staff fees concession arrangements.
Further cohorts are expected to admitted in 2012 and 2013 – depending on
demand.
Future Developments
We are currently investigating options around developing research
leadership and have started planning a General Staff Day for later in the
year, the theme of which will be “service excellence and leadership”.
We also expect to conduct another staff survey either later in 2011 or early
2012 to help measure progress toward goals across a range of areas –
including the development of leadership capability. The 2009 staff survey
was very well subscribed to with 67% of staff participating and we are
hoping to increase this number to assist with planning for the next three
years and help enhance our existing programme.
The past three years have been a busy and exciting time in the area of
leadership development and it has been both a privilege and a pleasure to
work with the many very talented and committed leaders who are making a
huge contribution to the wellbeing of staff and the University.
You can find further information about the Leadership and Management
Programme online at www.waikato.ac.nz/hrm/pd/leadership.
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
• 14 •
WCeL Initiatives
Nigel Robertson, eLearning Designer, Waikato Centre for eLearning
The Waikato Centre for eLearning (WCEL) is a University centre with a
remit to develop and support the use of eLearning across the
University. The Centre has a deliberate mix of staff to allow it to operate
effectively at the juncture of academia and technology. This includes
pedagogical and technical expertise and recently has expanded its reach to
include digital literacy more generally.
Learning organisations understand the need to develop their staff to support
continual improvement of practice. In the light of a rapidly changing
technological environment and its impact on education, research and
workplace practices, development of digital literacy has particular
significance. In order to retain its position as a world class leader, the
University needs to provide every opportunity for the workforce to grow
and develop.
Pressure is also exerted on the digital literacy requirements of staff by the
expectations of school leavers entering university. Students within early
childhood, primary and secondary education are being groomed for
technological engagement as outlined in the NZ Digital Strategy 2008. It is
therefore vital that this engagement can be nurtured and enhanced within a
tertiary environment by staff who have the digital literacy to support this
ongoing engagement.
WCEL has an overarching view that good eLearning is about good
teaching. It is critical that a teacher is working to a sound pedagogy,
whether they are employing educational technology in their teaching
practice or not. Digital technologies are pervasive and the use of
educational technology has been mainstream for many years
now. WCEL‟s approach is to focus on developing digital competencies,
the corollary of which is agile and flexible staff, able to adopt, adapt and
adjust in today's rapidly changing environment. Remember video recorders
and how much effort you put in to setting it to record something when you
were out? Where are they now? The skills specific to that technology are
no longer needed, but you will still be transferring what you learned then to
your use of other technologies today. At a simple level Play >
Fast forward >>
Rewind <<
will all help you understand parts of tools such as Panopto, Audacity,
Windows Media Player. It‟s not the technology itself, but how you use and
apply it.
• 15 •
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
Through a different lens, the technology itself can also have importance
and guide or suggest what we might best do with it. Donald Norman, in his
seminal book, The Psychology of Everyday Things, defined the perceived
affordance of a thing, as that which we realise a thing is good for or will
achieve well. For instance, we could sleep in a chair and sit on a bed but
most of us will choose to do the opposite! Our professional development
therefore tries to help people make these choices. In an educational context
this may help identify a discussion board as good for discursive interaction
whereas a blog offers a more personal narrative and reflective space.
WCEL has taken an approach which addresses these aspects of capacity
and capability in the professional development of our staff. We have also
been prepared to work at the edge and across the borders of our own
discipline. Ultimately our aim is enabling the best outcomes for all our
learners, both students and staff. Our input is based around university staff;
their output is better teaching, research and administration. To achieve this,
we have developed a variety of initiatives ranging in scale from individual,
just-in-time support to the University-wide WCELfest.
WCELfest was conceived as an opportunity for staff to share their
eLearning practice and to learn from each other. Teaching interventions
have a context, and while workshops provide opportunities to discuss
achieving a desired outcome or applying a particular technology, it can be
very powerful to hear the first hand experiences of practitioners. While the
WCELfest organisers welcome all contributions, our focus has always been
on sharing practice and local case studies.
WCELfest has had a great attendance and support in the three years it has
run. Staff evaluations have been very positive and an increasing number of
external visitors have attended. Besides helping our own staff,
this helps locate our University within its regional
community. Ako Aotearoa, New Zealand‟s National Centre for
Tertiary Teaching Excellence, has been enthusiastic about this
model and provided financial support in each year that it has run.
WCEL offers a wide range of professional development
workshops throughout the year. Comprehensive Moodle
workshops are offered before the start of each semester with the
aim of preparing staff to choose appropriately from among the
variety of tools available in Moodle and then apply these confidently in
their teaching. A different two-hour workshop is scheduled in each week of
February, June and November. For the time-pressured, condensed “digest”
versions of these workshops run over two consecutive days in teaching
recesses. Comprehensive online resources are also available for self-paced
learning.
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
• 16 •
While much of the eLearning at the University of Waikato is mediated
through the Moodle learning management system, WCEL recognises that
there are many online tools that lie outside of Moodle and that have
potential for facilitating learning. With this broad view of eLearning,
WCEL staff offer regular monthly workshops themed according to what we
perceive as the most common issues in eLearning. From online discussion,
whether facilitated with Moodle or Voicethread, to plagiarism and Turnitin,
the workshops cast a wide net and focus on why eLearning technologies
can make your teaching more effective and efficient. Additionally WCEL
also runs regular workshops on other centrally supported educational
technologies such as Panopto and Google Apps. While the workshops
described above are open to all staff, organisational units within the
University are encouraged to contact WCEL for sessions focused around
their specific needs.
Workshops are not the only model for skill development and so we have
been exploring how eLearning pilots can allow staff to develop their own
practice in authentic and context-sensitive ways. The purpose has been to
contextualise skill development in a self directed but supported
fashion. Staff come up with the initial idea for their pilot and WCEL
provides development, logistical and pedagogical support. The model has
had mixed results but has included some notable successes, leading to
improved student outcomes, research publications and practice
dissemination. Staff have also reported increased confidence in their own
abilities; a key aim in becoming an agile professional in today‟s
environment.
Beyond the specific focus of supporting academics in the use of technology
for teaching, WCEL looks to embed the development of digital literacy for
all staff, whether involved in teaching, research or administration. This
year we will begin a number of initiatives around enhancing digital literacy
across the university. These will continue an approach that enables staff to
think of their digital literacy as transformative and transferable, rather than
simply the acquisition of a specific set of skills.
References
Ministry of Economic Development. (2008). The draft digital
strategy 2.0: Achieving our digital potential. Wellington:
Ministry of Economic Development.
Norman, D. A. (1988). The psychology of everyday things.
New York: Basic Books.
• 17 •
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
Action Research Workshop & Guest Speaker
Dr Pip Bruce Ferguson, Teaching Developer , Teaching Development Unit
An action research workshop is planned for later in the year, currently scheduled
to be on 31 August. Pip Bruce Ferguson, whose PhD thesis looked at the use of
action research in tertiary contexts, will run this workshop, which will introduce
staff to the history and basic principles of action research, and some ways that it
might be used to improve practice in University settings.
This workshop is based on the approach used by Prof. Jean McNiff, who is
currently planning to visit the University in November (dates to be confirmed).
Jean is an internationally-active action researcher with a lengthy publication
record, and an abiding interest in encouraging teachers to research their own
practice.
If you are initially interested in attending either the workshop or Jean‟s sessions
(depending on confirmation and times/dates) then please email Preetha
([email protected]).
Action Learning, Action Research
Association (ALARA) 2011 Australasian
Conference
Riverglenn, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 26-27 September 2011
Action and change: Creative responses for new challenges
We live in rapidly changing times marked by complexity, uncertainty
and anticipation. During such times individuals, organisations and
communities may take the opportunity to generate optimistic and
future-oriented strategies. Action Learning and Action Research are
approaches which are highly effective in tackling complex (wicked)
problems.
Contact [email protected] or visit website,
www.alara.net.au
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
• 18 •
How do I justify my contributions to new
institutional epistemologies for a new scholarship of
educational knowledge?
Paper by Jean McNiff, presented to BERA Annual Research meeting,
“
This paper is part of my ongoing action enquiry into how I explain
how I hold myself accountable for my work as I seek to contribute to
the development of new epistemologies for a new scholarship of
educational knowledge (Whitehead 2009). I conduct this enquiry in a range
of contexts and with a range of participants: teachers in a South African
township (McNiff 2010); teachers in European schools (see for example
Roche 2007; Glenn 2006, both working in Ireland); zookeepers in South
African zoos (McNiff in preparation); and teacher educators in South
African and UK higher education (McNiff and Naidoo 2007).
In this paper I wish to focus on what I am doing in UK higher education,
for a specific reason. The reason is that, in York St John University, where
I currently hold a part-time position, the policy intent is to develop a form
of institutional research that will enable the university to evaluate its own
practices. I hope to be involved in this. It is therefore my responsibility, and
my need, to be clear about how I understand the concept „institutional
research‟ and what it involves. This paper therefore takes as its focus my
desire to understand the nature and purposes of institutional research within
a broader conceptual context of the nature and purposes of educational
research; and within, of course, a broader political context of performativity
and bureaucratic accountability (Ball 2008). My hope is that the kind of
institutional research imagined at York St John University could provide an
evidence base for what could become a new curriculum for Higher
Education.
The paper therefore explores the idea of what might constitute a new
curriculum for Higher Education, what needs to be done to develop one,
and what some of the implications may be. It also takes the form of a report
of work in progress, and, as such, is presented with a view to inviting
critical responses from peers as to its scholarly and practical merit, and its
potential transformational capacity for informing new thinking
and practices. I would welcome any critical responses to the paper
as it will appear on my website shortly.
.”
Jean’s website, which contains a large number of her publications and accounts of her international
work, is www.jeanmcniff.com.
• 19 •
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
EDULEARN11 (3rd International Conference
on Education and New Learning Technologies)
CCA-EDUCAUSE conference
3-6 April 2011, Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre,
Darling Harbour
http://ccaeducause.caudit.edu.au
Showcasing Research Supervision:
Experiences, Reflection, Transformation
7,8 April 2011, Swinburne University of Technology
http://www.supervision2011.com/
Invitation to National Practice-based
Education Summit
7th April - a colloquium at CSU Sydney Olympic Park, 1314 April - 2 day residential at CSU Bathurst,
http://csusap.csu.edu.au/~jhiggs/altc/pages/
pbe_summit.html
International Postgraduate Supervision
Conference: 'Promoting a culture
of postgraduate scholarship'
4th, 5th and 6th of July, 2011, Barcelona (Spain)
http://www.edulearn11.org
2001 ANZCA (Australia New Zealand
Communication Association) conference
University of Waikato, 6-8 July 2011
http://wms-soros.mngt.waikato.ac.nz/ANZCA/
Call+for+Papers.htm
Action Learning, Action Research Association
(ALARA) 2011 Australasian Conference:
Action and change: Creative responses for
new challenges
Riverglenn, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, 26-27 September
2011
www.alara.net.au
ePortfolios Australia Conference 2011:
Making a difference - Showing the difference,
17-18 October in Perth, Western Australia at Curtin University
18-21 April 2011, Stellenbosch, South Africa
www.postgraduate2011.co.za
HIGHER EDUCATION SUMMIT 2011
27-29 April 2011, Sofitel Brisbane
http://www.highereducationconferences.com.au/
‘Problem Based Learning (PBL) Today &
Tomorrow’
May 26 & 27, 2011, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
www.facilitate.ie
Critical Discussions about Social Inclusion
June 10, 2011, University of Wollongong
http://aall.org.au/forum/critical-discussions-about-socialinclusion
Internationalisation of Pedagogy and
Curriculum in Higher Education:
Exploring New Frontiers
University of Warwick, UK, 16-17 June 2011
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/detail/2011/
academyevents/16_17_June
11th Diverse International Conference:
use of visual media in education.
Developing Innovative Visual Educational
Resources for Students
Chief Supervisor and Doctoral Exam Convenor
Workshop
The Postgraduate Studies Office is holding a Chief Supervisor
and Doctoral Exam Convenor Workshop on Tuesday 10th May
9am – 1pm with lunch included.
This workshop is designed for all new chief supervisors, and for
experienced chief supervisors who would like a refresher or
can add value to the session by participating in best practices
conversations.
There will also be a session to inform of processes and
procedures around oral exam convening.
All staff interested in attending this event need to RSVP during
March to ensure a seat and a coffee on arrival, lunch is also
provided and space is limited. RSVP’s will be collated through
[email protected].
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us
on ext 6310 or [email protected].
28th-30th June 2011, Dublin
http://diverse2011.dcu.ie/
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
• 20 •
Teaching Development Events 2011
MARCH
Postgraduate Supervisors’ Conversations  Tue, 1 Mar (12.002.00)
Exploring your teaching and learning beliefs (Tauranga) 
Tue, 15 Mar (9.00-12.00)
Introduction to course design (Tauranga)  Tue, 15 Mar
(1.00-4.00)
Becoming a Reflective Practitioner (Tauranga)  Wed, 16
Mar (9.00-12.00)
Principles of Assessment (Tauranga)  Wed, 16 Mar (1.004.00)
Evaluating Your Teaching (Tauranga)  Thu, 17 Mar (9.0011.00)
Teaching Network  Wed, 23 Mar (12.00-2.00)
PGCert(TertTchg) meeting  Wed, 30 Mar (1.00-3.00)
MAY
Appraisal Call—Semester A (Request for questionnaires) 
Mon, 2 May
Postgraduate Supervisors’ Conversations  Tue, 3 May (12.002.00)
PGCert(TertTchg) meeting  Wed, 25 May (1.00-3.00)
AUGUST
Nominations for Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards open 
Mon, 1 Aug
Getting Published workshop  Tue, 23 Aug (9.00-12.00)
Waikato Experience Induction Morning Tea  Wed, 24 Aug
PGCert(TertTchg) meeting  Tue, 30 Aug (1.00-3.00)
Action Research workshop  Wed, 31 Aug (9.00-12.00)
SEPTEMBER
Teaching Network  Thu, 1 Sep (12.00-2.00)
Nominations for Faculty Teaching Excellence Awards close 
Fri, 2 Sept
Appraisal Call—Semester B (Request for questionnaires) 
Mon, 5 Sept
Compiling a Teaching Portfolio workshop  Fri, 16 Sep (10.0011.30)
Postgraduate Supervisors’ Conversations  Tue, 27 Sep (12.002.00)
OCTOBER
Teaching Network  Wed, 19 Oct (12.00-2.00)
JUNE
Teaching Development workshops  7-17 June
Postgraduate Supervisors’ Conversations  Tue, 28 June
(12.00-2.00)
Teaching Network  Wed, 29 June (12.00-2.00)
 TDU staff are available on an ongoing basis for teaching
observations, individual consultations, focus groups and
support in preparing teaching portfolios.
NOVEMBER
Visiting academic: Jean McNiff  Dates TBC
Postgraduate Supervisors’ Conversations  Tue, 8 Nov (12.002.00)
Teaching Network  Wed, 23 Nov (12.00-2.00)
DECEMBER
Celebrating Teaching Day  Tue, 6 Dec (9.00-12.30)
Website: www.waikato.ac.nz/tdu
Email: [email protected]
• 21 •
MARCH/APRIL 2011 • TDU TALK
March/April
Professional Development at a Glance
Tue, 1 Mar (12.00-2.00) Postgraduate Supervisors’ Conversations
Tue, 1 Mar (1.00-3.00) eLearning Workshop: Discussion Boards—the Basics
Tue, 1 Mar (1.00-3.00) Mail and Calendar for those who have migrated to Google Apps
Tue, 8 Mar (1.00-3.00) Mail and Calendar for those who have migrated to Google Apps
Wed, 9 March (8.45-12.15) Introductory Session
Wed, 9 March (1.00-2.00) Law Teaching Excellence Session
Wed, 9 March (2.00-4.00) Panopto Session
Tue, 15 Mar (9.00-12.00) Exploring Your Teaching and Learning Beliefs (Tauranga)
Tue, 15 Mar (1.00-4.00) Introduction to Course Design (Tauranga)
Tue, 15 Mar (1.00-3.00) Mail and Calendar for those who have migrated to Google Apps
Wed, 16 Mar (9.00-12.00) Becoming a Reflective Practitioner (Tauranga)
Wed, 16 Mar (1.00-4.00) Principles of Assessment (Tauranga)
Thu, 17 Mar (9.00-11.00) Evaluating Your Teaching (Tauranga)*
Tue, 22 Mar (1.00-3.00) Mail and Calendar for those who have migrated to Google Apps
Wed, 23 March (12.00-2.00) Teaching Network
Tue, 29 Mar (1.00-3.00) Mail and Calendar for those who have migrated to Google Apps
Tue, 5 Apr (1.00-3.00) Mail and Calendar for those who have migrated to Google Apps
Wed, 6 Apr (10.00-12.00) eLearning Workshop: Online Assessment
Wed, 13 Apr (8.45-12.15) Introductory Session
Tue, 19 Apr (10.00-12.00) Moodle Digest One
Wed, 20 Apr (10.00-12.00) Moodle Digest Two
For details or to register, visit www.waikato.ac.nz/hrm/pd
* Please note change in date from original programme
Make a space at your place for teaching
Some of the best learning happens through conversation and most of the working life of academics is focused around the
department. So why not make the occasional space for conversation about teaching in your department?
Produced by:
TEACHING DEVELOPMENT UNIT | WĀHANGA WHAKAPAKARI AKO | UNIVERSITY OF WAIKATO
Private Bag 3105 | Hamilton | New Zealand
Phone: +64 7 838 4839 | Fax: +64 7 838 4573 | [email protected] | www.waikato.ac.nz/tdu