Teaching & Learning

I have worked in the education sector for more than 20 years and have developed a strong set of skills and abilities related to education, higher education in particular.

Experience

In my teaching, I have always strived to be innovative in style and responsive to learner needs. My ability to adapt to learner needs identified during the teaching and learning process is core to my teaching philosophy, which is grounded in social constructivism and recognising the importance of the diversity that my learners bring to the learning space. The success of these aspects of my teaching is evidenced through the positive feedback and appreciation that I receive from students and colleagues. At USQ, I teach postgraduate courses focused on higher education and the scholarship of teaching and learning. In these courses, the students are academics who are seeking further qualifications in higher education. These academics are working in various further and higher education contexts, both internal and external to USQ. As the cohort is typically small, I have implemented a mentoring and coaching approach to teaching to provide personalised support to enhance students’ development as higher education practitioners. My teaching approach in these courses is also underpinned by implementing a dialogic feedback approach, and this is evidenced through comments from students that “I just felt the need to let you know I am in awe of your marking! The effort you have gone into in making comments has blown me away! … you certainly achieve a standard above the feedback I provide” and “Thanks so much for this – I’ve got to admit that I was a bit teary listening to your audio comment, it truly helps remind me that all the stupid late nights and tired days are worth it!!!” Moreover, I see academic development as one facet of teaching, albeit with a very diverse group of learners who may not always see themselves as learners because they more often have the role of academic teacher. I believe that my adaptable approach to teaching and my ability to teach in diverse situations is critical to my role.

Skills & Abilities

My key education-based skills and abilities are listed below, but I am constantly learning more and exploring more in order to continue to develop myself as an educator, an academic developer, a researcher, and a learner.

  • Initiate, design, develop, deliver, and evaluate academic development and learning on topics including scholarship, grants and awards, online learning, assessment, and learning and teaching in higher education contexts

  • Design, develop, coordinate, and facilitate academic development events, workshops, and retreats that are tailored to specific requirements of individuals and Schools, with the University goals in mind

  • Design, develop, facilitate, evaluate, and iterate learning and teaching orientation for new academics focusing on online learning and institute-specific learning and teaching environments

  • Plan, develop, implement, manage, and evaluate courses and programs in all delivery modes

  • Design, develop, implement, and evaluate courses delivered online through learning management systems and using ePortfolios

  • Design, develop, implement, and evaluate materials for courses and programs that are delivered in a blended mode

  • Effectively use innovative and contemporary teaching approaches for 21st century learners and their contexts

  • Successfully use technology inside and outside the classroom to encourage learning and participation

  • Explore and evaluate the potential of adopting new technologies to the classroom environment

  • Assess and appropriately respond to individual learner needs, concerns, and interests

  • Tailor core materials to learner needs based on the skills and abilities of the cohort as a whole while maintaining personalised atmosphere

  • Provide individualised and tailored learning experiences within different learning environments

  • Maintain a flexible teaching style that adjusts to meet learner needs and the learning environment

  • Identify and respond to the needs and requirements of learners

  • Develop courses and programs based on a simple outline of what is desired by the institution or by the learners