Past Projects
Swinburne Professional Learning carries out project-based curriculum renewal initiatives in support of Swinburne's Professional Learning Model, a key feature of Swinburne’s 2015 Vision.
Further information on major initiatives currently completed is provided in the list below.
Additional projects related to learning and teaching have been funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC). For further information on the ALTC funded projects review the list of ALTC grant recipients.
| Communications in the Curriculum: |
Well-developed communication skills are an essential attribute in today’s workplaces. Employer surveys however, indicate that these skills are not always well developed in university graduates as they might be. Recent studies have also found that English language proficiency can be an obstacle to employment for international student graduates.
The ‘Communications in the Curriculum Project’ is a two year program designed to address the development of students’ communication skills in Swinburne undergraduate courses. The initiative is divided into two separate, but related projects.
Project Reports
- Project Summary
- Progress report December 2008
- Progress report April 2009
Documents of Interest
- SALNA Information for students
- Language Assessment Discussion Paper
- HAT 213 Publicity Flier
- Course Finder Information for HAT213
This project is aimed at establishing ways to develop the English language proficiency of students. It is focused on a range of initiatives:
- Methods to identify current undergraduates who need additional help in developing their English language skills,
- Development of a program of studies in English language communication suitable for these students
- Systems to refer students to appropriate methods of language and academic support within the university.
Dr Tim Moore
Project Officer
Communications in the Curriculum
Professional Communication Skills |
Project Manager: Ms Gab Pretto | Concluded 2010 |
This aim of this project is to work collaboratively with staff to identify and investigate different ways of enhancing student oral and writing abilities by embedding or integrating communication activities within class activities and assessment
As part of the pilot, units of study have been selected from two science programs – Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) and Bachelor of Science (Biomedical Science) – and two ICT programs (Bachelor of Business Information Systems and Bachelor of Computing).
Through participation in the selected programs, it is anticipated that students would develop generic skills and capabilities consistent with the Swinburne Professional Learning Model (SPL), as well as expand their career opportunities
Team-Based Learning (TBL): An In-Class Strategy for Going Beyond Covering Content
Team based learning (TBL) is an instructional strategy that is based on procedures for developing high performing learning teams that can dramatically enhance the quality of student learning – in almost any course. TBL refocusses a lecture from the lecturer conveying concepts to the student groups' application of key concepts. As classes become larger, more diverse and face-to-face time more limited, the need for active learning becomes stronger. Team-based learning increases individual and group engagement in class and encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning and can be utilised in many diverse teaching settings.
Larry K. Michaelsen (PhD. in Organisational Psychology, The University of Michigan) is David Ross Boyd Professor Emeritus at the University of Oklahoma, Professor of Management at Central Missouri State University, a Carnegie Scholar, a Fulbright Senior Scholar (three awards) and former editor of the Journal of Management Education.
At the completion of the Curriculum Framework Project several recommendations were posed to Higher Education Faculties, Research Centres and Swinburne Research in the form of the Discussion Paper: “Pathways to Research”, (Mazzolini, Buzwell, Lee and Pocknee, December 3, 2008). As well as reporting the variations around how Honours were graded, these researchers identified scope for programs to enable more students to have exposure to research experiences in their undergraduate degree.
In this project several avenues will be explored:
- Investigate the viability of encouraging Faculties to invite high achieving students (ascertained by grades at the end of first year) to enrol in the Electives+ Research and Development modules.
- Encourage Tier One Research Centres to offer research experiences for credit to selected undergraduate students over summer.
- Investigate other flexible options for Honours levering off the Common Modular Structure
- Provide a baseline document that summarises Honours degrees offered Swinburne University of Technology in 2009 according to Faculty.
- Interview a selection of academics and researchers to ascertain viability of incorporating a suite of units incorporating current Swinburne initiatives (Electives+; Common Modular Structure).
- Recommend a model for Honours programs or suite of Honours programs.
- Communicate and share across the university and prioritise recommendations for adoption of best practice.
Project Manager
The Swinburne University of Technology website currently indicates that there are 44 different Masters by Coursework programs on offer across all Faculties, excluding Swinburne Sarawak. These programs accounted for 20.9% of all students, 46.5% of all international Higher Education students in 2007 (Higher Ed Pocket Stats 2007). This project will review current coursework masters programs to identify characteristics of strong programs, challenges faced and future potential for strengthening the position of Swinburne University of Technology in the coursework masters market.
Project aims:
- Scope current Masters by Coursework degrees currently offered by each Faculty, with particular attention to length, cohort, modularity, the post-graduate education experience.
- Interview discipline based faculty personnel to determine current strengths of coursework masters programs, aspects of the learning experience that they would like to strengthen, and examples of best practice that might be adopted more widely across Masters programs
- Develop recommendations for adoption across disciplines to promote best practice in Masters by Coursework and position university in competitive market.
Project Manager
The Swinburne Podcasting Initiative, culminating in the launch of Swinburne on iTunes U, draws together quality podcast material from across the University to highlight the research strengths, teaching excellence, student accomplishments and unique aspects of Swinburne University of Technology. It has its origin in the Digital Learning Initiative but focuses specifically on developing the skills of academics in this digital media format and also explores how podcasts can be integrated into courses to improve the student experience.
The resulting content is of interest to a wide audience including current and potential students and researchers (both local and international), alumni, industry partners and anyone with an interest in Higher Education. It also provides students an avenue through which they can broadcast their work.
You can sample some of highlights of podcast material from around the University and find out how to contribute at Swinburne on iTunes U
Dr Lisa Germany
Project Manager
In 2005/6, a review of units of study from faculties was undertaken. This review indicated that there were a number of highly regarded learning and teaching practices currently operating that had wider applicability. In particular, there were well-structured examples of highly engaging learning experiences based around authentic, group and interdisciplinary major projects.
Key elements identified in these units also included their relationship to Swinburne's graduate attributes, that they were industry-relevant, open-structured and learner-centred in their design, often collaborative in nature, and aimed to encourage students to engage in self-direction and critical self-evaluation in a professional context.
The project team worked with faculties and discipline groups to develop project-based and authentic project topics, to share ideas across the university, and to develop learning and teaching related resources.
Nicki Lee
Academic Coordinator,
Experiential Learning
Project Reports
- Project Summary
- Progress report September 2006
- Progress report December 2006
- Progress report August 2007
Documents of interest
Links of interest
Sessional teaching staff are a key group of Swinburne staff who will benefit from additional support to maintain quality teaching. Sessional staff contribute greatly to the teaching performance of the university and many enhance programs by bringing relevant industry experience.
In recognition of the important of sessional staff, Higher Education funded an initiative in 2003, Sessionals @ Swinburne, in order to provide coordinated and consistent induction support for new sessional staff members. This current project builds on that initiative in order to develop a coordinated approach to providing ongoing, sustainable support for all sessionals.
In this project, the following have occurred:
- A report of the currently successful sessional staff initiatives and resources has been complied and distributed (see below).
- Sessional staff have been surveyed as to their needs;
- Reports based on both the quantitative and qualitative data arising from the sessional staff survey have been written and presented to stakeholders for feedback;
- Following the compilation of the feedback an action plan was developed and presented to DAC (see below).
Associate Dean (Teaching Quality)
Swinburne Professional Learning
Documents of interest
The “Improving Graduate Outcomes” project aimed to ensure Swinburne provides excellent outcomes for graduates, and in the process improves Swinburne’s performance on the LTPF indicators.
The project offered a range of initiatives:
- Implementation and support of Careers in the Curriculum (CIC) across Higher Education
- Trialing use of “The Interviewer” web-cam based software enabling students to practice interview skills and receive valuable feedback on their interview performance.
- A pilot program of offering postgraduate scholarships for unemployed graduates into a limited range of Graduate Certificate programs.
Associate Dean (Teaching Quality)
Project Reports
| Integrating Professional Placements into the Curriculum* | Project Manager: Ms Cathy Pocknee | Concluded 2008 |
The Integrating Professional Placements into the Curriculum project builds on Swinburne’s well established model for IBL by developing and coordinating a wider range of professional placement opportunities which are more firmly linked to the curriculum.
The Cooperative Education Office worked with faculties and their staff to identify a range of credit bearing opportunities for students. New Cooperative Education programs are based on the principle of combining academic education with practical work experience. These new programs aim to give students the opportunity to apply classroom theory to practical work situations.
Cathy Pocknee
Academic Coordinator
Cooperative Education
Project Reports
The Internationalisation of the Curriculum project was aimed at preparing the University to address internationalisation of the curriculum by identifying how academic staff might review their own teaching practice, and also how the structures supported the development of an internationalised curriculum.
The goals of the Project were to:
- Develop effective teaching & learning and support strategies to assist all students to develop skills where they will be able to perform “(professionally/socially) in an international and multicultural context”;
- Develop recommendations for effective support for staff delivering both local and trans-national teaching programs to culturally and linguistically diverse student cohorts
- Internationalisation of the Curriculum - Discussion Paper (2007)
- Provision of support for Faculties in raising awareness in preparation for the AQUA review (internationalisation theme);
- Internationalisation of the Curriculum Showcase July 2008
- Provision of specific Academic and non-academic professional development (2008);
- Collection of online readings held in the Library – Subject materials online
- New Graduate Certificate in L&T Unit LTS505 Higher Education in an International Context
- Faculty Reports – delivered
- Final Internationalisation of the Curriculum Report
Project Officer – Interntionalisation of the Curriculum
Academic Development Advisor
Swinburne Professional Learning