Draft Western Sydney University Learning & Teaching Plan

2016 - 2020

Preamble

High quality, transformational learning and teaching is core to thedistinctively student-centred Western Sydney University.

Students today:

  • Live in a globally, interconnected world
  • Embrace ubiquitous communication and information technologies that are faster, more powerful and more portable than ever before
  • Engage with multiple, flexible, formal and informal, any place, any time and any device opportunities for learning
  • Experiencedigital technologies rapidlydisrupting and reshaping the world of work
  • Want to interact, belong, achieve, succeedand make a difference.

Graduates today will:

  • be locally qualified and globally skilled citizens
  • need to be empowered technology users
  • draw on their capacities to think critically, collaborate, innovate, create, and maximise learning opportunities
  • be challenged by flexibility, choices, disruptions, changesand new ways of engaging with work
  • have unlimited potential and strive to succeed and make a difference.

The Western Sydney University Learning and Teaching Plan 2016-2020 places the student at the centre of the learning experience.

It aims to engage students as active participants in learning that is transformative, multidisciplinary and future focussed. It promotes learning and teaching in which students are enabled, enthused and engaged in reciprocal relationships with learning designs, environments, experiences and opportunities. Studentsco-construct the learning experiences and their learning outcomes. They collaborate to extend their capacities to think deeply, analyse, innovate and create – to secure their graduate success.

The Western Sydney Learning and Teaching Plan 2016-2020 acknowledges the revised national Higher Education Standards and promotes academic excellence and integrity at the highest levels.

The Western Sydney Learning and Teaching Plan 2016-2020 is underpinned by:

  • Learning as an active and reciprocal experience for learners, engaging them cognitively, affectively and operatively.
  • Learning designs that areinformed by research and which informthe scholarship of teaching and learning.
  • Learning environments that are flexible and accessible.
  • Learning spaces that are technology rich and where studentsin the learning experience determine the technology use.
  • Learning opportunitiesthat enable, enthuse and support the learner through the learning experiences.

Graduates of Western Sydney will be empowered with capacities and readiness for employability,and prepared to embrace the excitements and challenges of the early 21st Century.

Graduates of Western Sydney will exemplify the university’s standards, emphasis on quality and its evidenced based decision-making in learning designs, environments, experiences and enabling opportunities.

WSU Learning & Teaching Plan 2016 - 2020

A distinctively student focussed learning experience is at the centre of learning and teaching at Western Sydney University

and is enabled by 4 pillars that promote student success:

  1. Learning Designs
  2. Learning Experiences
  3. Learning Spaces
  4. Learning Enablers

These 4 pillars are enriched through a continuous lens on quality.

Draws on Securing Success …

1. A distinctively student-centred university

3 A unique learning experience that is innovative, flexible and responsive

Western Sydney University will design curricula and assessment that are

Future focussed (developing knowledge, skills and outcomes for the future; promoting thinking, collaboration, analysis, innovation and creation)

Multidisciplinary (in course design and in enabling students to aggregate learning modules and specialisations from across multiple disciplines)

Research-informed (and informing the scholarship of learning and teaching)

Aligned (with learning focussed outcomes, teaching and assessments)

Meaningfully inclusive of the Graduate Attributes (in particular, the Indigenous Graduate Attribute)

Strategies:

2016-2017

  1. Multidisciplinary course designs
  2. Enable and facilitate cross School course development processes that enhance degree design and quality, and afford students opportunities to select and study specialisations from across disciplines and Schools
  3. Map new course development against future-focussed employment trends, identifying and ensuring discipline knowledges, skills and capacities that are required for changing and emerging employability
  4. Develop modularised learning opportunitiesthat allow students to progressively aggregate experiences and learning credentials to attain course learning outcomes and degree success
  5. Use the University’s Curriculum Mapping Tool to regularly map, review and reimagine courses and units to assure course currency, aligned outcomes, teaching and assessment, and learning designs that support active student learning
  6. Further embed and enhance the meaningful inclusion of the Indigenous Graduate Attribute in all courses
  1. Assessment review and redesign
  2. Implement a comprehensive review to assure the validity, rigour and academic integrity of assessment and grading processes across the university
  3. Respond fittingly and expediently to the major findings of the assessment review, enhancing the rigour and integrity of processes
  4. Support a comprehensive review of assessment designsand subsequent actions, including reimagining innovative, robust assessment designs that assure:
  5. alignment and coverage of course and unit outcomes in hybrid and online learning environments,
  6. authentic implementation of a criteria and standards-based approach,
  7. a focus on assessment for learning and employability.
  8. Provide staff professional development to reimagine and enrich assessment designs and ensure robust assessment and grading processes.

2018-2020

  1. Multidisciplinary course designs

Assessment of progress, review, refinement and addition of strategies

  1. Assessment review and redesign

Assessment of progress, review, refinement and addition of strategies

Measures of Success:

  1. Improved student ratings on the quality of their course experiences and graduate outcomes, with particular improvements in the areas of:
  2. Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) - ‘Overall Satisfaction’;
  3. University Experience Survey (UES) - ‘Teaching Quality’ and ‘Learner Engagement’;
  4. Graduate Destination Survey (GDS) - ‘Percentage of undergraduate students employed full-time and part-time’.
  5. Recognition of Western Sydney University as an institution that offers innovative and future focussed programs that align with graduate success
  6. Percentage of new course approvals that align with future-focussed employment trends egas identified in Deloitte (2013), Detailed employment forecasts and CEDA (2015), Australia’s future workforce
  7. Increases in preferences and enrolment data for Western Sydney University courses
  8. Positive feedback from student focus groups
  9. Increased proportion of courses with evidence that the Indigenous Graduate Attribute is effectively embedded
  10. Evidence of quality assured assessment practices and quality enhanced assessment designs

Securing Success

3.4 Offer professional learning and postgraduate courses that are responsive to the changing needs of the professions and emerging forms of work

3.5 Offer a curriculum that is informed by the University’s research and which promotes inter-disciplinary engagement

3.6 Offer innovative courses that respond to changing global employment markets and industry and community needs

3.8 Ensure the development and inclusion of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Graduate Attribute within all courses

2 Learning experiences

Western Sydney University will create learning experiences that embrace

Reimagined and transformative approaches to learning (seamlessly infusing learning resources, including digital technologies, thatactively engage and challenge students in learning)

Flexibility in time, place and mode of engagement (enabling students to access learning opportunities in face to face, blended/hybridand/or online modes; on campus, off campus or in the field)

Experiential and work integrated learning

Internationalising and globalisingexperiences

Leadership opportunities (Promoting Career Advantage + program across undergraduate courses)

Strategies:

2016-2017

  1. Continuum of flexibility
  2. Target courses and units, progressively and strategically, for fully online delivery mode that employs exemplary and innovative learning-focussed pedagogies
  3. Build on the Blended Learning Strategy, to continually review and refresh learning pedagogies and hybrid delivery of all courses to enable students to have choice, in a continuum of flexibility, of the way in which they will engage and learn
  4. Enhance opportunities for students to include at least one of a wide range of student internationalising experiences in their courses
  1. Work integrated learning
  2. Integrate experiential and work integrated learning (WIL) experiences in all undergraduate courses
  3. Develop and promote a voluntary Career Advantage+ Program available to undergraduate students

2018-2020

  1. Continuum of flexibility

Assessment of progress, review, refinement and addition of strategies

  1. Work integrated learning

Assessment of progress, review, refinement and addition of strategies

Measures of Success:

  1. A positive shift along the continuum of flexibility in program offerings, with an increased proportion of courses available to students in online modes
  2. Recognition of Western Sydney University as a leading institution in online delivery that is exemplary, innovative, and learning-focussed
  3. Increased percentage of units that are equal to or above the blended learning quality mark
  4. Improved student ratings on the quality of their course experiences and graduate outcomes, with particular improvements in the areas of:
  5. Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) - ‘Overall Satisfaction’;
  6. University Experience Survey (UES) - ‘Teaching Quality’ and ‘Learner Engagement’;
  7. Graduate Destination Survey (GDS) - ‘Percentage of undergraduate students employed full-time and part-time’.
  8. Increased proportion of courses integrating experiential and work integrated learning
  9. Greater percentage of completed students who undertook a work integrated learning unit
  10. Increased number of students participating in internationalising experiences
  11. A positive trend in students participating in the Career Advantage+ Program

Securing Success

1.5 Ensure that all learning and personal support services positively differentiate the UWS student experience

1.8 Develop more employment-based and volunteering programs and experiences that promotes personal development, industry and civic engagement and career readiness

3.2 Use technology innovatively to provide students with access to authentic, engaging and diverse learning experiences tailored to their interests, capabilities and aspirations

3.3 Enrich the student experience by increasing internationalisation of the curriculum

Western Sydney University will createlearning environmentsin spaces that are

Learner focussed(enabling students to engage collaboratively, meaningfully and iteratively with learning resources and with each other, as and when they need)

Technology rich (seamlessly infusing digital technologies for learning and supportive of learning)

Innovation spaces (providing opportunities to think, collaborate, innovate and create)

A mix of formal and informal learning environs

Located on campuses and in selected learning centres, both locally and internationally

Vibrant, modelling and promoting sustainability, environmental and social responsibility and cultural awareness

Strategies:

2016-2017

  1. An exemplary 1PSQ (1 Parramatta Square)
  2. Create technology rich, flexible learning environments, collaborative study areas and personal learning spaces that enable, enthuse and engage undergraduate and postgraduate students in active and innovative learning and research
  3. Trial and explore new learning environments through a teaching innovation centre at Kingswood campus, including the technology rich classroom prototype, incubator space and video/media lab
  4. Explore and design exemplary pedagogies that enable learners to engage flexibly and seamlessly with technologies to enhance their learning outcomes
  5. Provide ongoing professional development for staff to engage with new pedagogies that focus on learning, and employ flexible and seamless infusion of technologies
  1. Learner focussed environments
  2. Progressively develop all formal learning spaces on campuses as collaborative and learner focussed environs
  3. Strategically locate Learning Centres that enable students expanded local access to Western Sydney University learning resources and to engage in collaborative, supported learning experiences

2018-2020

  1. An exemplary 1PSQ

Assessment of progress, review, refinement and addition of strategies

  1. Learner focussed environments

Assessment of progress, review, refinement and addition of strategies

Measures of Success:

  1. Recognition of 1PSQ as a leading exemplar for flexible, learner-focussed and technology rich learning environments
  2. Improved student ratings on the quality of their course experiences and graduate outcomes, with particular improvements in the areas of:
  3. Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) - ‘Overall Satisfaction’;
  4. University Experience Survey (UES) - ‘Teaching Quality’ and ‘Learner Engagement’;
  5. Graduate Destination Survey (GDS) - ‘Percentage of undergraduate students employed full-time and part-time’.
  6. Increases in preferences and enrolment data for Western Sydney University courses
  7. Increasing proportion of learning spaces that are redesigned and ‘flipped classroom’ enabled

Securing Success

3.2 Use technology innovatively to provide students with access to authentic, engaging and diverse learning experiences tailored to their interests, capabilities and aspirations

3.7 Expand flexible and creative modes of course delivery through high quality and engaging on-campus, online and hybrid programs in response to emerging student needs and workforce demands

Western Sydney University will provide enablingopportunities for high quality learning and teaching that

Engage and support the learners, their independent learning progress and success

Are informed by scholarship and evidenced-based decision-making

Promote exemplary standards, and alignment with the draft higher education standards framework

Pursue academic integrity

Promote and acknowledge staff excellence, innovation and scholarship in teaching and learning.

Strategies:

2016-2017

  1. Learning Analytics Project
  2. Implement the Learning Analytics project and support staff understanding of data for enhanced evidence-based decision-making about learning designs and students’ engagement with learning experiences
  3. Implement 5 yearcyclical reviews of Schools and courses, employing student feedback, course performance data, stakeholder feedback, student voices and learning analytics to ensure evidenced-based decision-making about course quality assurance and quality enhancements
  1. Academic Integrity Revision
  2. Develop and implement a new Academic Integrity Framework and monitor impact
  1. Academic Support
  2. Implement a coordinated and cohesive Academic Literacy Support program and Mathematics Education Support program for students through The College, The Library and Schools
  3. Continue to enhance the Tertiary Education Pathways (TEP) and Student Transition and Retention for Success (STaRS) programs to encompass support for student progression to graduation.
  4. Align professional development for staff to support and promote learning and teaching in which students are enabled, enthused and engaged in reciprocal relationships with technology rich and future focussed learning designs, environments, experiences and opportunities.

2018-2020

  1. Learning Analytics Project

Assessment of progress, review, refinement and addition of strategies

  1. Academic Integrity Revision

Assessment of progress, review, refinement and addition of strategies

  1. Academic Support

Assessment of progress, review, refinement and addition of strategies

Measures of Success:

  1. Positive trend in the proportion of academic staff in each school engaging with Learning Analytics
  2. Improved student ratings on the quality of their course experiences and graduate outcomes, with particular improvements in the areas of:
  3. Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) - ‘Overall Satisfaction’;
  4. University Experience Survey (UES) - ‘Teaching Quality’ and ‘Learner Engagement’;
  5. Graduate Destination Survey (GDS) - ‘Percentage of undergraduate students employed full-time and part-time’.
  6. Positive student and staff feedback on the Misconduct Rule and implementation of the Academic Integrity Framework
  7. Improved attrition, retention and progression rates
  8. Positive trend in proportion of staff applying for Teaching Excellence Awards

Securing Success

3.9 Monitor the performance of courses on the basis of demand, attractiveness and quality using a course lifecycle model

3.10 Continue to support teaching that engages students as active participants in their learning and development

6.6 Equip and train staff in the use of emerging technologies which encourage innovation and efficiency

6.7 Foster a strong culture and track record of successful renewal and innovation, achieved through the determination, creativity and hard work of all staff

6.8 Continue to invest in cutting edge technology to ensure staff and students benefit from an excellent and modern learning environment

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