Annual Report - Swinburne University of Technology

Swinburne University of Technology
placements. In addition, an alternative Work Integrated
Learning subject is available, where students undertake a
contractual work related project, with an academic
supervisor.
Within the University, many corporate and academic units
employ students on IBL placements. The Corporate and
Divisional Marketing Offices employ IBL students each
year as Marketing Assistants in Higher Education & TAFE,
and as Student Promotions Officers at Swinburne Lilydale
and the Finance Department employed two students in
2002 rather than employing casuals. In previous years IBL
students have subsequently been employed by these
departments on completion of their course.
Quality Assurance
Academic Unit Review
A major activity for Swinburne Lilydale during 2002 was
the piloting of the Academic Unit Review process. The
Review comprised self-evaluation and external review, and
resulted in a Developmental Action Plan, which has been
incorporated into the Divisional Strategic Plans.
Subject and Course Evaluation
A comprehensive review of the University’s subject
evaluation processes for higher education divisions began
in 2002, with a revised survey instrument piloted in Hong
Kong in 2002 and the 2002/3 summer semester. Improved
and simplified reports have been produced. In the Higher
Education Division, follow-up of subjects with low ratings
each semester is a priority, as these ratings are used as
part of the Division’s performance based funding model.
Swinburne Lilydale also follows up low rating subjects and
tracks improvements.
In the TAFE Division, a range of evaluation activities
occurred, including the evaluation of ICS courses, and all
short courses through participant feedback forms. In other
schools, evaluation was linked to newly introduced
courses, specific industry streams, pre-apprenticeships
and courses with significant numbers of teachers.
during 2002 which provided students and staff with
wireless access to the Swinburne network while on
campus. The Information Resources Group managed the
University’s participation in the statutory copyright licenses
administered by Copyright Agency Ltd and coordinated by
the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee. The University
was subject to copyright monitoring over Oct-Dec 2002,
which drew praise from the surveyors, A C Nielsen.
The Information Resources Group also completed
implementation of its online reserve project and extended
the system to include exam papers. This is part of a
broader strategy to develop Swinburne’s online information
resources on a 24/7 basis. Equipment was upgraded at
the Wantirna and Croydon Campuses to improve facilities
for students, and training programs for Swinburne staff
were run jointly with Learning and Teaching Support and
the TAFE Division.
Learning and Teaching Support continues to provide
educational advice, materials development support,
education design, graphic design, programming, and
subject delivery to schools in the higher education
divisions. Support was provided in 2002 for business and
psychology summer schools and for the Masters in
Writing, graduate diploma courses in Integrative Medicine,
e-Business and subjects offered through Open Learning
Australia. An online learning and teaching site was
provided for all current Higher Education subjects. Work
was also undertaken with Swinburne Press to be able to
provide on demand printed material for staff and students.
Learning and Teaching Support worked with the Careers
and Employment Unit to develop an online careers
program for students to complement the successful
Careers in the Curriculum program. As well as offering
careers and employment workshops to staff and students
throughout the year, the Unit continued to develop its
online material enabling students to enhance their jobhunting
skills.
Annual Report 2002
Corporate Support
The Information Technology Services Department and
Learning and Teaching Support work together to ensure
appropriate infrastructure is available to support the
University’s online subject delivery systems. Both
departments also cooperated in the pilot Wireless Project
www.swin.edu.au
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