Science & Maths TL News: March 2016
Welcome!
This month is the first of our new format with the ACDS TL Centre combining with SaMnet to bring you news, views, events and ideas in one extended package.
The ACDS Teaching and Learning Centre is maintained by the Australian Council of Deans of Science (ACDS) to support Science Faculty leaders of learning and teaching. Our
website includes updates on activities around Australia, links to other discipline education networks and resources from our projects on the Science Threshold Learning outcomes and more recently Work-Integrated Learning. This year, the ACDS has become the host for the SaMnet newsletter and the ACSME conference.
SaMnet is a national network that brings together university academics to collaborate on national issues in university science and mathematics educations.
ACDS TL Centre News
Evidence-based practice for teaching and learning
If you haven’t already seen it, take some time out to read a special edition of the journal Nature on ‘Building the 21st century scientist’ (vol 523 pp255-376) published 16 July 2015. Stephen Bradford and colleagues have published a powerful call for evidence-based practice in teaching and learning (pp 282-284). As the authors say, ‘every university now has at its disposal the tools to improve undergraduate STEM teaching, and no defensible reason for not using them.’
ACDS WIL project: Lighthouse projects
Six projects in work-integrated learning for science have been supported through the ACDS WIL in Science project funded through the Office of the Chief Scientist. Projects will report during the year through regional meetings and at a second national WIL in Science workshop in December 2016. The project will add material to the ACDS TL Centre site during the year.
On the ACDS TL centre website
• New ideas in T&L: February draws on the experience of the SaMnet project to reinforce the value of teaching teams that include complementary expertise and can leverage external connections. Thanks again to our resident blogger, Dr Kelly Matthews…
• Presentations from the ACDS FYiSM workshops for first year leaders in science and mathematics are available from our website. Rich feedback from participants is being summarized for circulation shortly
Dates for your diary: ACDS Teaching and Learning conference - July 21-22
The annual ACDS Teaching and Learning Conference for Faculty leaders is back in Sydney this year at the University of Sydney on July 21 and 22. The conference invites Associate Deans Teaching and Learning and nominated leaders to network and explore current issues.
Cheers, Liz
Prof Liz Johnson, Director ACDS TL Centre