TATAL: Talking about teaching and learning
Intended audience
Delegates who have a couple of years teaching experience and want to develop their own understanding
and awareness of their teaching philosophy; those with more experience who want time to reflect on
their teaching and learning; Associate Deans Education, Academic Developers and champions for
teaching and learning who seek to use TATALs (Talking about Teaching and Learning) to foster a
serious approach to teaching and learning in their institution.
Learning Outcomes
Participants will enhance their awareness and understanding of their beliefs and values that underlie
their teaching and learning practice through reflection on their teaching philosophies and those of their
colleagues.
Workshop Description
TATAL makes us think about how we teach and also about how we align our teaching with
the scholarship of teaching…”it makes me aware of how research can underpin and
strengthen my teaching. And it’s fun”. (TATAL participant 2012)
TATAL workshops develop cohorts of reflective practitioners who meet regularly to enhance their
teaching and the learning of their students. Participants reflect on and share their practices which
include practices in areas aligned to the conference themes: Expanding disciplinary boundaries and
interprofessional education; integrating academic and learning support; the scholarship of teaching
and learning; designing professional learning to support change and collective and individual
activism and resistance. Participants can continue the TATAL experience after the conference
through Skype, with a view to beginning the HERDSA Fellowship process. HERDSA TATAL Perth
will start with a full day pre-conference workshop and finish with a session over breakfast on day 2 of
the conference.
Pre-conference workshop (full day) Facilitators and participants will start by establishing a safe
collaborative environment in which to investigate the challenges and successes of teaching and
learning. Participants will begin to construct their teaching philosophy statement by free writing their
response to the following questions: Why is being a teacher important to me; what personal
experiences inform/motivate my teaching today?; and Why are these experiences important enough for
me to remember them today? Through free writing, sharing and reflecting, participants will further
explore their beliefs about teaching and learning, why they hold those beliefs, and how those beliefs
are played out in their teaching context. By the end of the day participants will have the framework of
a personal teaching philosophy and have begun a draft philosophy statement.
Session during conference/breakfast Day Two (one hour) During this session participants will
engage in a Skype session with TATALers from another part of Australia. Participants will arrange
dates for future online meetings where they can begin to construct a teaching portfolio in a safe,
collegial and collaborative environment.
Post-conference: TATAL groups will continue, face to face for Perth participants and virtually for
participants from geographically diverse regions, to prepare teaching portfolios.
Facilitator Bibliographies
John Gilchrist
Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, john.gilchrist@acu.edu.au
John Gilchrist is a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian Catholic University Academy of Law. He is
a HERDSA Fellow and a member of various TATAL communities.
Robert Kennelly
University of Canberra, Canberra, Robert.Kennelly@canberra.edu.au
Robert Kennelly is a pioneer HERDSA Fellow, a life member of HERDSA, a teacher of management, a
researcher in reflective practice and is the co-founder of the community of practice groups called
TATAL.
Abigail Lewis
Edith Cowan University, Perth, abigail.lewis@ecu.edu.au
Abigail Lewis is the clinical coordinator and a lecturer in Edith Cowan University’s Speech Pathology.
A recent HERDSA fellow she has a passion for teaching and the SoTL.
Ainslie Robinson
University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Ainslie.robinson@nd.edu.au
Dr Ainslie Robinson is an Academic developer and joined the University of Notre Dame Australia in
2012 having previously held positions at UWA and Macquarie University. Ainslie joined TATAL in
2013 and continues to participate in that group.
Gesa Ruge is Assistant Professor at the University of Canberra, HERDSA Fellow and TATALer. Her
teaching and learning expertise is in constructed alignment for student-led learning, assessment and
skills development.
Stuart Schonell
University of Tasmania, Hobart, stuart.schonell@utas.edu.au
Stuart Schonell is a Senior Teaching Fellow at the University of Tasmania. Stuart (TATALer since
2012) teaches and researches in HRM and educational leadership and advises on curriculum
development and academic teaching development.
Kate Thompson
University of Sydney, Sydney, kate.thomson@sydney.edu.au
Kate Thomson is a lecturer in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Sydney and began
TATALing in 2011. Her interests include informal conversations, technology, and academic
development.
Note
Lunch is provided
This workshop is sponsored by HERDSA and is offered free. However, participants must purchase the
TATAL workbook (hardcopy or interactive PDF) as part of the registration.
 Hardcopy $25

Interactive PDF $20