[Herdsa] [HERDSA]: News on St.Patricks Day 17th March 2010

Wed Mar 17 12:24:46 EST 2010

Dear List Members

This week we have:

	HERDSA News on RSS Feed

	Resources about `Clickers'

	Forthcoming Workshop

	Forthcoming Conferences

	Position Vacant at the University of the Sunshine Coast

	News of Higher Education

1) HERDSA News on RSS Feed

Subscribers to HERDSA news updates through the RSS feed from the HERDSA web
site should note that the RSS link has now changed.  The HERDSA RSS channel
is http://www.herdsa.org.au/?cat=4&feed=rss. 

If you have any problems with this contact Peter Kandlbinder
Peter.Kandlbinder at uts.edu.au

2) Resources about `Clickers'

The Science Education Initiative* has created a set of resources about
effective use of personal response systems ("clickers") for student
engagement and formative assessment -- most notably a set of high-quality
videos giving an inside look at clickers being used in the classroom and
teacher and student opinions about them.  The response to these videos so
far has been enthusiastic.  We thought that you might be interested to know
about these resources -- please disseminate them widely.

Here are the three main resources of interest:

1.  Clicker Videos
http://STEMvideos.colorado.edu
This page houses a suite of short, well-produced videos on the rationale for
using clickers, the details of how to use them effectively, and the research
supporting their use.  Videos are 5-15 minutes long.  These also live on
YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/geekgirl54

2.  The Instructor's Guide to Effective Use of Personal Response Systems
http://www.cwsei.ubc.ca/resources/files/Clicker_guide_CWSEI_CU-SEI.pdf
This comprehensive guide discusses pedagogical aspects of clickers in a
great amount of detail.

3.  A resource website on clicker use 
http://STEMclickers.colorado.edu.  
This page contains many helpful links, including quality clicker question
banks, articles, and the videos.

*These resources were created by the Science Education Initiative at the
University of Colorado (http://colorado.edu/sei) and the Carl Wieman Science
Education Initiative at the University of British Columbia
(http://www.cwsei.ubc.ca/).

For further information contact Stephanie V. Chasteen, Ph.D.  
Science Teaching Fellow - Physics, University of Colorado
Stephanie.Chasteen at Colorado.EDU

3) FORTHCOMING WORKSHOP

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ENHANCEMENT WORKSHOP - GOOD PRACTICE PRINCIPLES 
The Workshop is designed as a forum for academics to come together to
analyse and discuss critical issues surrounding English language support and
development of international students in the Higher Education Sector.  In
order to promote debate the Workshop will commence with 3 short papers
presented by speakers from the University of Melbourne (Dr Sophie Arkoudis),
Griffith University (Professor Sally Borbasi) and the University of New
South Wales (Associate Professor Sue Starfield) that describe different
approaches to English language enhancement and the complexities associated
with their implementation including the perceptions/reactions of
disciplinary based academic staff. The papers will culminate with a series
of trigger questions designed to capture audience participation and the
sharing of ideas, thoughts and opinion on this highly topical issue.   

Registration for this event is essential. Places are limited. 

When:  12.00pm-4.00pm Tuesday 13 April 2010 
Where:  Activities Centre, Griffith University Gold Coast campus, Griffith
University Parklands Drive, Southport, Queensland 

To register:  Contact Leslie Murphy at gier at griffith.edu.au or phone +61 7
3735 5779 by 2 April 2010 for catering purposes 

This workshop is a precursor to the APAIE 2010 CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 

APAIE is the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education and it is
the 5th Annual Conference.  The theme of the conference is Educating for
Extremes: educating for global challenges in a rapidly changing world. 

Conference website at www.apaie.org.

4) FORTHCOMING CONFERENCES

4.1 The 27th ascilite annual conference is being held at the UTS campus
(Sunday workshops and conference welcome) and the Novotel Sydney, Brighton
Beach, Sydney Australia on 5-8 December 2010. 

ascilite 2010 reflects on  the theme of 'curriculum, technology &
transformation for an unknown future'. Papers and presentations are invited
that explore developments, experiences and future possibilities in the
following areas:

		leadership, policy and strategy

         	learners, learning and educational practice

		academic development practices

	      industry relationships

	      mobility of learners, teachers and workers

	      innovation and technology

Submissions for full and concise papers, symposiums and workshops will be
considered. The deadline for submission of papers is June 21st 2010.

Keynote speakers are:

Dr Martin Oliver, Reader in ICT in Education, London Knowledge Lab,
Institute of Education, UK

Professor Jan Herrington, School of Education, Murdoch University, Australia

Dr Lev Gonick, Vice President, Information Technology Services, Chief
Information Officer, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

ascilite 2010 is being jointly hosted by The University of Technology Sydney
(UTS), The University of Queensland (UQ) and Charles Sturt University (CSU).
Initial information is available at the ascilite 2010 conference website
http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/sydney10/.

Sponsorship or other enquiries to ascilite2010 at conferenceit.com.au 

We look forward to welcoming you to ascilite 2010 in Sydney, Australia. 
Kind Regards,
Mr Simon Housego (UTS), Dr Caroline Steel (UQ) and Professor Mike Keppell
(CSU)
ascilite 2010 conference convenors

4.2 Enhancing Learning Experiences in Higher Education: International
Conference will be held on 2 - 3 December 2010 at the University of Hong
Kong (HKU).

As an inaugural conference on teaching and learning in higher education
hosted by the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning (CETL),
HKU, the theme of the conference as suggested by its title is "Enhancing
Learning Experiences in Higher Education".  Submission of abstracts is
invited which should embrace the conference theme and subthemes of the
following - 

1. Transition and the first year experience

2. Literacy across the curriculum

3. Experiential learning and co-curricular

4. Outcomes-based approaches to student learning (OBASL)

5. Assessment and feedback

6. Diversity and multicultural experience

7. Enhancing learning through technology

8. Learning communities 

9. Continuing education and professional development

10. Problem based learning (PBL)

11. Postgraduate student experiences

12. Generic skills in higher education

The deadline for abstract submission is on 31 May 2010.  For more details,
please refer to the conference website:
http://www.cetl.hku.hk/conference2010/

4.3 Registration is open for the Academic Identities Conference to be held
at the University of Strathclyde, 16-18 June, 2010.

Full information is available on the web site,
http://ewds.strath.ac.uk/Default.aspx?alias=ewds.strath.ac.uk/aic and
booking is available from http://ewds.strath.ac.uk/aic/Booking.aspx

5) POSITION VACANT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF THE SUNSHINE COAST

The University of the Sunshine Coast is seeking a dynamic and engaged
full-time Academic Development Officer to coordinate the final year of the
Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) Promoting Excellence Project
at USC. The project is a three-year initiative to enhance and embed
institution-wide engagement in the schemes and initiatives of the ALTC,
which concludes in December 2010. The fractional (.8FTE) role will suit a
colleague who has a strong background in academic development, understands
the ALTC, engages in scholarship of teaching research and is particularly
strong in planning, delivering and evaluating professional development. 

Applications close at 5pm on Monday 29 March 2010. 

Go to http://www.usc.edu.au/University/Employment/AcadDevelopOff.htm for the

position description and application details.

6) News in Higher Education

AUSTRALIA: Higher education: world's most effective?
Australia's higher education sector has the potential to be the most diverse
and therefore among the most effective in the world, according to leading
international expert Professor Frans Van Vught. In an address last week to
the LH Martin Institute's executive seminar series at the University of
Melbourne, Van Vught praised new policy initiatives being introduced to the
sector.
Full report on the University World News site
http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20100312111947547

AUSTRALIA: Mathematics in crisis
It has been described as "the handmaiden of the sciences", but the state of
mathematical sciences in Australia has deteriorated to a dangerous level. A
report released last week says universities should provide additional
mathematics-enabling courses and improve co-operation between education and
mathematics faculties.
Full report on the University World News site
http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20100312111509731

Roger Landbeck
List Moderator