Creating an innovation in teaching
toolkit
Drawing upon the presentations and presenters’ own teaching experiences, participants discussed
considerations in developing a new course on Southeast Asia and listed innovative ideas that could
possibly be integrated into such a course.
Innovative teaching methods on Southeast Asia
Online learning
The policy roundtable included a panel on online learning which highlighted some ways that online
programs can be used to support students learning, which led to some discussion about the value of
online teaching itself. While many participants saw blended learning (a combination of face-to-face and
online content), the discussion also highlighted possible ways to integrate online content in a way that
enhances the student experience.
Considerations
- Many students still enjoy face to face contact and find it more interesting than online learning.
Thus, online learning needs to consider how to deeply engage students with the material.
- Students often preference online modules when they are already employed in relevant jobs
and/or at higher levels of study as it is more flexible.
- There will always be some disciplines that lend themselves to online teaching better than
others.
- Blended learning seems to be the ideal approach; online technologies need to replace or at
times substitute for face-to-face. It becomes a supermarket situation when students can go in
and choose what medium they want. Providing a range of options allows us to account for
different students’ learning styles, and integrate these differences into course delivery.
- When considering a new course, there is great scope to develop online and face-to-face
content that are complimentary. It is much harder when the course is already established and
you are trying to find ways to ‘slot’ in online content.
- If academics don’t get the technology and can’t explain it to their students, uptake of new online
tools may be slow. Staff are under a lot of pressure and, at present, they can only really learn to
do these things in their own time. Departments/Faculties should acknowledge that staff require
dedicated time to understand and develop their skills in using new technology. Only then can
they take theses relevant technologies and apply them to their own teaching.
- Expectations of students online are different to face to face students. Online students expect
24-hour assistance. Teachers must set strict guidelines and expectations for student
participation in online tutorials.
- One option for blended learning is to use a limited contact mode: intensive face-to-face
sessions over a few days and then have the rest of the course online
- Staff teaching hours are shaped by the respective university’s format, which sets aside certain
times for lectures and tutorials. Online learning does not necessarily have those boundaries.
Tips for the toolkit
- Students tend to respond very positively to videos from tutors. These don’t have to be too shiny,
for example tutors could introduce themselves to students online via a short video filmed on a
mobile phone.
- Using online & social media tools for teaching i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Blackboard, Google tools,
live chats, YouTube channels. The live chats provide a good opportunity to ask questions and
simulate a classroom in a flexible way.
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Classroom innovation
The panel on classroom innovation presented a range of ideas that could be adopted for inclusion in
courses. Subsequent discussion honed in on the careful consideration that needs to be put into
developing group work activities, as well as the benefits of using simulations as learning tools.
Group work
- Students sometimes find working in groups unfair and inequitable. It’s often a problematic
format so teachers need to be mindful of how it is integrated and how it is presented and
rationalised to the students.
- Is the need for group work assessment discipline specific?
- Large tutorials of 25 students can be difficult to work with and thus group work becomes a
default out of necessity.
- In Southeast Asia, there are so many dimensions and it’s so diverse that group work can be a
way to cover everything.
- The relationship between assessment and group work needs to be made very clear.
- It is possible for marks to be different based on students’ contributions to the group.
Case studies for simulations
- Selecting appropriate ‘case study’ for simulations. The case study scenarios should address
real-world problems.
- If the course is Southeast Asia-wide there will always be current events and initiatives to draw
ideas from. Lecturers must spend time to plan and make sure the case study is relevant and
appropriate.
- If students are role-playing, provide them with a clear outline of what their roles and resources
are so they can effectively understand the challenges and opportunities faced by the
person/group they are trying to represent.
Tips for the toolkit
- Do a cultural assessment at the beginning of the course to get an idea of what students already
know and so you can target classes to address knowledge gaps.
- Ensure that groups are diverse by assigning them based on student details. Creating groups
where there are a variety of ages, cultural backgrounds (international student/local student) and
genders allow students to maximise their interpersonal experience from group work, as well as
reducing the risk of alienation and bullying within the groups themselves.
- Using peer groups or buddy systems for students so that they get feedback from a peer before
they submit assignments, providing an extra, built-in, level of support.
- Create an assessment scheme where the group activity provides a starting point for selfassessment. For example, students are graded on the outcome of their group work as well as
their personal reflection on how the group assignment went.
- Using group work to cover a range of dimensions in the course, particularly as Southeast Asia is
such a diverse region. Assigning projects on various aspects of a topic then having students
report back to the class is a logical way of covering different perspectives.
- Leverage the student peer assessment. You could set up a grading system where students are
assessed on the feedback they give to others. Then students get feedback from both peers and
the lecturer.
- A ‘wildcard’ is a scenario exercise in which students have to develop a response on the spot.
For example, if teaching a course involving activism and diplomacy, you could ask students
what they would do if faced with a range of different (and believable) scenarios, such as being
forced to develop a statement to the UN General Assembly in 30 minutes or meeting an
influential diplomat by chance in a bathroom. You could ask students to come up with their own
versions of ‘wildcards’ and integrate them into the course.
- Setting up in-class debates in which students themselves are the moderators, to teach skills in
managing debates.
- Online pin boards can be used as a place to post ‘background information’. All students from
the course can get involved by posting things they find online.
- For courses that are not Southeast Asia specific, lecturers can choose to include case studies
or examples from the region in order to familiarise students with what is happening in Southeast
Asia. Inserting bits of information here and there as a means for improving Asia-awareness
without students having to do Southeast Asia specific courses.
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Tips for the toolkit: Methods of assessment
- Hold a conference at the end of the course as a form of feedback. Each student has to present
a ‘paper’.
- End user feedback as a form of assessment.
- Online debates via a forum, which can be particularly good for students who are shy.
- Blog pieces which allow students to reflect on their learning experience and discuss the work
they undertook for the course.
- Oral examinations in which students give a short presentation before case studies/guest
lecturer.
- Assessing students on their response to wild card scenarios.
- Ask students to create a digital presentation/short documentary to give the assessment an
additional practical element. This allows student to build their own digital media skill while
completing their course assessments.
Linking/engaging students with Southeast Asia
The panel on innovative in-country teaching showcased some impressive short-term mobility initiatives
that allow Australia students to travel to Southeast Asia and participate in programs that go far beyond
‘student tourism’. The discussion on student engagement in Southeast Asia broadened to address how
best to link students with Southeast Asia and ensure that learning leads to deep connections and
personal links with the region.
Tips for the toolkit
- Using Skype (or other video conferencing tools) to bring international experts, local NGOs or
other experience contributors into the classroom.
- Leverage alumni networks to assist with in-country programs.
- Establishing friendships with local students using online programs such as UniBRIDGE.
- Finding ways to engage students who don’t have the language skills, such as using ‘buddy
systems’ in-country with local students.
- Using #hashtags (e.g. #USYDNCP) as way to help those students engage online and promote
the overseas experiences to the broader student community.
- In-depth pre-departure briefing that outlines the cultural context of where they are going for
students who do not have much background in the region.
- Using external guest speakers who can draw upon their lived experiences to give students an
idea of what it is like in different cultural contexts.
- Create information packs for students travelling overseas.
- Set programs up around a ‘real world’ theme so they can see how they knowledge they are
gaining relates directly to the real-life situation.
Other resources and ideas
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Calling on colleagues. Is someone at another university teaching doing something similar? Why
not collaborate with them?
The creation of a university-wide database which outlines all the courses being taught on
Southeast Asia and the staff members teaching them. Lecturers can then source expertise
within the university for guest speakers or contacts for student questions.
Having a database of programs/ resources that teachers can draw on.
A site where lecturer can reflect on what works what doesn’t work from the existing programs.
Having access to common spaces where teachers and students working on similar topics can
share interesting materials including slides, articles, clips and links to relevant social media
campaigns. An example of this is collaborative pin boards/Pinterest to share ideas, which could
potentially be cross disciplinary and/or cross institutional.
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