Learning and Teaching Committee
(A standing committee of Academic Board)
Meeting 1/2015 of the Learning and Teaching Committee commenced at 3.15 pm on Tuesday 3 February
2015 in the Sir George Lush Meeting Room, Building 3a, Clayton campus.
MINUTES
1
There were present:
Professor Darrell Evans (Chair), Professors Marilyn Baird, Ben Canny, Assoc Prof Angela Carbone, Mr
Gavin Dixon, Ms Tammy Fitzgerald, Ms Kara Gilbert, Mr Mark Hatwell, Dr Nell Kimberley, Mr Vincent
Lau, Dr Sarah McDonald, Ms Natalie Mitchell, Ms Margaret Murphy, Professor Ann Nicholson, Assoc
Professor David Paganin, Assoc Prof Moira Paterson, Ms Saranya Ramesh, Assoc Prof Kris Ryan, Ms
Lisa Smith, Mr Loris Strappazzon, Ms Kate Tregloan, Dr Paul White, Ms Anna-Mart van Wyk.
Apologies:
Professors Chris Davies, Mahendiran Nair, David Paganin, Assoc Profs Alan Reid.
In attendance: Ms Kristina Kaulenas (University Planning and Statistics) (item 6.3), Ms Jenny Arnett
and Ms Kate Thorpe (eSolutions) (item 7.3), Ms Rhonda Hinds
New members: The Committee welcomed new members Professor Chris Davies (nominee of the
President, Academic Board), Ms Saranya Ramesh (undergraduate student member), Mr Vincent Lau
(postgraduate coursework student member, Dr Anna-Mart van Wyk (the MSA representative, with
Professor Alwyn Louw the alternate.), Ms Tammy Fitzgerald (student career and employability) and
Dr Sarah McDonald (alternate for Assoc Prof Susanna Scarparo).
2
Arrangement of Agenda and Starring of Items
No additional items were starred.
The Committee agreed that all items on the agenda not starred be adopted without discussion, and
that the actions recommended be taken or the information therein noted.
3
Minutes
3.1 The Minutes of Meeting 8/2014 of the Learning and Teaching Committee, held on Tuesday 16
December 2014, were confirmed subject to amendment to item 7.1 (Special Consideration
Policy and Procedures Working Group) - “Requested that further consultation be undertaken in
particular with including the President, Academic Board …”.
Members noted, in particular, that:
A disconnect between FIT and eSolutions is apparent, which is causing the university to miss out
on discipline-specific expertise during user acceptance testing of new systems/processes.
Some functionality from Unit Guide Web Editor was not present in Unit Guide Manager.
Members were advised that this would inevitably occur when moving to an enterprise-wide
system, but that the UGM business requirements had met the working group’s specifications.
3.2 The Committee noted the updated schedule of action items.
3.3 The Committee considered the request for clarity around the proposed implementation date for
the Cumulative Grade Point Average at Monash University Malaysia and determined that the
CGPA would be implemented at MUM for students commencing their course on or after 1
January 2008 (consistent with Monash GPA implementation).
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4
Chair’s Business
4.1
Chair’s Report
The Chair provided an update on the Monash Education Academy, to be officially launched on
Wednesday 18 March. An Academy Executive Council would also be appointed in March, with
annual KPIs to be endorsed by LTC. Members noted that as the mission of the academy is to
inspire and promote teaching excellence, it was important that the Academy evolve into an
ideas-driven entity.
The Chair reported on a range of other issues of current interest including:
−
The need for inclusion in proposals coming before the Committee of a short, focused
background component, incorporating an outline of potential risks and benefits.
−
Extension of congratulations to recipients of Student Recognition Prizes for 2014:
Art, Design and Architecture
Sophie Takach, Ho Yu (Kylie) Li, Tama Abeynaike
Arts
Kelly Anderson, Victoria Radnell
Business & Economics
Lucien Armstrong, Luke Sell
Education
Madaline (Maddy) Curtin
Engineering
Laura Bird, Matthew Taylor
Information Technology
Chantal Garcia, Nyashe Chiwutsi
Law
James Hill
Science
Tim Ziegler
MNHS
Christie Bennett, Stacey Lang
Pharmacy
Irene Nguyen, Isaiah Abad
−
An update on proposals for the 2015 Battle of the Brains.
−
Convening of a group to consider the learning space needs for the new Learning and
Teaching Building.
−
The proposed Audit and Risk Management (ARM) internal audit of exam/assessment
processes, emphasising the importance of the Committee’s control of the academic
aspects of this exercise and noting that the OVPLT would work with ARM to ensure
appropriate delineation of responsibility and complementarity of approach.
−
Developments relating to the Peer Review of Assessment Network (auspiced by the
Office of Learning and Teaching).
The Committee also received a short report on development of the new Student Futures
platform, which aims to enable students to more readily articulate the value of co-curricular
activities, with a view to enhanced job-readiness and employability.
4.2
2015 Calendar of Activity
Members noted the draft Calendar and were requested to forward any amendments to the
Secretary.
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5
Better Teaching, Better Learning
5.1
Technology Outlook - the Monash View
The Committee had before it the 2014 NMC Technology Outlook for Australian Tertiary
Education, which was used as a catalyst for commencing a conversation around strategic
directions for the use of technologies to support learning and teaching at Monash.
Invited to consider whether the 12 ‘technologies to watch’ presented in the Report were
consistent with the Committee’s views, members focused discussion on ‘Bring Your Own
Device’, noting that whilst it had the potential to be transformative, nevertheless a range of
issues required attention including licensing, access to printing and Wi-Fi network capacity.
The Committee affirmed the need to set aside time to consider and debate directions in
technology and agreed that future meetings would include a focused question for
consideration as a highlight item.
Action Items
Item
Responsibility
1. Agenda item – technology focus Chair and Secretary
5.2
6
Due
Each meeting
Equella Update
The Committee received and noted the status report on the enterprise-wide roll-out of
Equella.
Other Key Issues for 2015
6.1
Monash Education Academy - Fellowship Scheme
The Committee noted that:
−
The purpose of the Monash Teaching Fellowship Scheme is to recognise exceptional
leaders, celebrate achievements and distinguished imprints in teaching and learning
and provide academics with a pathway to gain or enhance international recognition
for their role as an educator within higher education.
−
At the launch of the Academy, the 10 members of the Executive Council (one from
each faculty, nominated by the faculty Deans) would be inducted into the Fellowship
Scheme by the Vice-Chancellor.
−
There would be potential for induction of Honorary Fellows in the Fellowship Scheme.
Actions
Item
Responsibility
Due
VPLT
2. Resolve status of adjuncts
(eligibility to become a fellow or
Honorary Fellow)
6.2
New model for Student Discipline
Item deferred to LTC Meeting 2/2015.
6.3
SETU Implementation
The Committee considered a report which outlined how the high-level recommendations
approved by Academic Board in November 2014 would be implemented for Semester 1/2015,
the timelines for implementation and required changes to operational processes, and the
plans for engaging with faculties throughout the implementation process.
The Committee considered, in particular, the following three recommendations requiring its
endorsement of specific actions and generally endorsed the approach to their implementation
(suggesting several additions to the survey items/item bank) recommended by the project
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team:
R2. Revise the University-wide and educator specific items to more clearly align with our
strategic learning and teaching quality frameworks.
Action: LTC endorsed the amended survey items and explanatory statements.
R3. Replace the current faculty-wide items with unit-specific items, chosen from an item
bank.
Action: LTC endorsed the proposed interim solution of additional item selection by
ADEs.
R18. Limit the number of individual educators evaluated to those teaching > 25% of a unit
Action: LTC endorsed abandonment of this recommendation until issues of role
definition for teaching staff and accuracy of teaching staff data can be resolved.
Actions
6.4
7
Item
Responsibility
Due
3. Guidelines for screening/
distribution of qualitative data
Ms Kaulenas
LTC 2/2015
Establishing a Typology of Units
Item deferred to LTC Meeting 2/2015.
Updates from LTC Working Groups
7.1
Use of Animals in Coursework Programs Working Group
Item deferred to LTC 3/2015.
7.2
English Language Proficiency Development Working Group (ELPDWG)
Item deferred to LTC Meeting 2/2015.
7.3
Unit Guide Solution Working Group
The Committee received the report on Unit Guide Manager (including what had worked well
and whether further improvements were required) requested by Meeting 8/2014. A number
of concerns around project scale, unrealistic timelines, acceptance testing and functionality
were raised during discussion.
Members noted that a presentation would be made to the March meeting on the outcomes of
faculty experiences using UGM (soft launch) during January and February.
Actions
Item
Responsibility
Due
4. Report on faculty experiences
during ‘soft launch’.
5. Plans for Semester 2/2015 rollout
6. Policy around UGM access
levels.
Dr White
eSolutions
LTC 2/2015
7.4
Learning Styles and Teaching Spaces Working Group
Final item (if required) deferred to LTC 2/2015.
7.5
Learning and Teaching Pedagogical Principles
No report to this meeting.
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8
Policies and Procedures
8.1 Student Complaints and Grievances Policy and Procedures
The Committee noted that the revised Student Complaints and Grievances Policy and
Procedures required some further refinement and would be presented to LTC 2/2015.
Actions
Item
Responsibility
7. Further amend draft Student
Ms N Mitchell
Complaints and Grievances P&P
8.2
Special Consideration Policy and Procedures
Item deferred to LTC Meeting 2/2015.
8.3
Cancellation of Units Policy and Procedures
Item deferred to mid-2015.
Due
LTC 2/2015
9
Faculty and Other Reports
The Committee received and noted the Minutes of Meeting 10/2014 of the Faculty of Business and
Economics Faculty Education Committee.
10
Items of Other Business
Nil.
11
Next meeting 17 March 2015.
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