Annual Report 2008 - Central Queensland University

Learning &
Teaching
CQUniversity has continued its strong engagement with the ALTC through the
submission of award, citation and grant applications and attendance at ALTC-run or
ALTC-supported events, seminars and workshops.
The Promoting Excellence Initiative (PEI) was established in late 2007 to provide
one-off funding to build and/or consolidate the capacity of institutions to
engage constructively with the programs of the ALTC. The PEI aims to foster a climate
of collaboration and the valuing of diversity and inclusiveness across the sector.
The Promoting Excellence Initiative, and through it, the University’s ability to
send more staff to attend ALTC events has provided opportunities for increased
cross-institutional links and the sharing of good practice. Staff have indicated their
appreciation for and the value of these opportunities. The Initiative has also helped to
focus our activities in enhancing learning and teaching in line with the Management
Plan for Learning and Teaching, and has supported key activities such as bringing
expert visitors to regional Queensland, and holding writing and capacity building
workshops to enable more staff to engage with ALTC grants and awards.
PEI funding enabled CQUniversity to host nine expert visitors in 2008. All visitors
provided a seminar, with some also providing a workshop or providing advice/
information to smaller groups. All seminars were well attended, with over 170 staff
participations, and were videostreamed for later viewing by staff not able to attend
the seminar.
Students
throughout regional
Queensland are
able to access
free one-to-one
tutoring thanks
to a CQUniversity
sponsored service
available at local
libraries..
Visitors:
• Professor Belinda Tynan (10 March 2008) on capacity building and writing
ALTC grants;
• Dr Elizabeth McDonald (13 March 2008) on ALTC activities;
• Associate Professor Phil Morgan (26-27 March 2008) on applying for ALTC
awards for Excellence in Teaching;
• George Payne, University of South Africa (23 June 2008) on teaching
excellence;
• Professor Geoff Crisp (18 August 2008) on writing ALTC grants;
• Professor Ron Oliver (8 September 2008) on ICT, ALTC Competitive
Grants, Fellowships – via videoconference;
• Professor Lynne Hunt (11 September 2008) on how to promote system-wide
change in learning and teaching;
• Associate Professor Kym Watty (6 October 2008) on assessment;
• Professor Lee Harvey (8 October 2008) on quality in higher education –
via videoconference.
Two writing workshops were held to assist staff improve their applications for the
increasingly competitive citations, awards and grants areas. The first workshop
was facilitated by Professor Geoff Crisp (University of Adelaide) and focussed on
previous grant applicants, with the aim of converting expressions of interest for an
ALTC to full proposals for an ALTC grant, and converting successful internal grants
to ALTC grant applications. The second workshop was facilitated by an internal
expert, Associate Professor Roberta Harreveld, and had a wider target audience
which included staff previously involved in grant applications as well as those ready
to start submitting applications. The second workshop focussed on capacity building
and linking experienced staff to staff new to learning and teaching and ALTC grants.
54