student feedback and leadership - Office for Learning and Teaching

Part B: Building Leadership Capacity - DSC: Property, Construction & Project Management ART Report9.3 Background and Project FocusThe overall focus of the ART project is on improving student feedbackby improving the School’s learning facilities. Over the past several years,the School has expanded by the inclusion of the two additional existingprograms migrated from the Business College and creation of a newundergraduate program. The incorporation of a common first year acrossthe four programs has had the consequence of increasing the size of classesfrom 60 – 70 to in excess of 200 students. Two of the existing learningspaces have not been renovated since Building 8 was constructed in theearly 1990s. These spaces are badly in need of attention. As the projectevolved, opportunities arose to address other matters relating to thestudents learning experiences.What courses were the subject of this project? Give total student numbersand breakdown how it was taught at the start of the project. Include any otherrelevant information about the profile of the students and the context ofdelivery.BUIL1154 –85 students. Previously the course was taught as conventionallectures with group assignments and an examination. Students are final yearconstruction management students.BUIL1107 – 212 students. The previous course was taught via three one andone half hour lectures by an internal staff member following which the studentsundertook exercises in a semi-supervised way. This is a common CAD courseacross the four undergraduate programs offered by the School for studentscommencing their studies.What were the central themes or issues being addressed in the project?The method used involved focus group/s of students, with questionsdeveloped from the following themes:1. Preferred learning style – individual or group, role play exercises,experiential learning, work integrated learning and reflective journal/diary.2. The types of facilities that promote good learning and teaching practicesin the areas of information technology and communication with regardto services, infrastructure and access.3. The types of facilities that promote good learning and teaching practicesin the areas of learning and teaching spaces with regard to large lecturetheatres, seminar rooms, tutorial rooms.4. Learning and teaching styles with regard to delivery to large groups, smallgroups, tutorials, workshops. The use of project/problem-based learning,model building, drawing, practical exercises, site visits, field trips and landsurveying exercises.5. Student/staff interaction with regard to accessibility, emails, DLSdiscussion board.6. Feedback types to enhance learning including online tests, writtenor verbal.Page 121