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Rethinking foreign language learning through graphic narratives
byStudents today rarely read only words, but constantly move between images, video, text, and design in their everyday lives. Outside the classroom, they scroll…
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A guide to Honours oral exams
byFor most Honours students, the thesis represents the culmination of their year’s work, a single written document that stands as the primary evidence of…
Improving first-year teaching: Insights from students on what works
byThe transition to higher education is never an easy or simple process. Being thrust into independent adult learning is a dizzying shift for Sydney’s…
Rethinking foreign language learning through graphic narratives
byStudents today rarely read only words, but constantly move between images, video, text, and design in their everyday lives. Outside the classroom, they scroll…
Making complex topics tangible using collaborative whiteboards
byImagine walking into a first-year undergraduate class and asking students to explain feedback loops, interdependencies, or emergent behaviour. For many students, these ideas feel…
How weekly group randomisation transformed student collaboration and belonging
byGroup work is a fundamental aspect of active learning, providing students with opportunities to collaborate, problem-solve, and develop essential teamwork skills. It enables students…
Rubrics: More than a marking tool
byAssessment drives learning. At the University of Sydney, it serves three interconnected purposes: supporting students to act on feedback and improve (assessment for learning), developing students as independent,…
How Padlet supports relational feedback
byMid-semester is a tricky time. Students are deep in the rhythm of the unit, assessments are looming, and any feedback we gather needs to…
Engagement doesn’t have to be visible
byWhen we picture an engaged student, we tend to envisage the similar things: a hand raised, a question answered, a contribution offered without hesitation….
Why feedback matters (and matters more) for open assessments
byThe ability and availability of generative AI tools — which can complete many of our assessments, including quizzes, assignments, reports, reflections and presentations, potentially…
Guide for markers of open assessments
byPurpose of this guide This guide supports markers working with open (Lane 2) assessments which are designed as assessment for learning and where any AI…
What peer review for teaching is actually like
byMost of us teach in relative isolation. We plan our classes, deliver them, and move on – rarely with the chance to see how…
Developing Self-Regulated Learners with an AI Career Coach
byHow do we help students become independent, self-directed learners, especially when AI tools make it tempting to skip the hard and deep thinking? Self-regulated…
Assessments for learning, equity, and agency in a first-year unit
byAssessment redesign is rarely driven by a single factor. In a first-year, first-semester Occupational Therapy unit at the University of Sydney, several pressures and…
Recognising the individual in collaborative learning
bySome months ago, I received an email from a mature, domestic student that prompted a moment of reflection: “Truthfully, you are the only educator…
Five ways to help first year students become better learners
byThe University of Sydney’s 2026 Transition Symposium* asked a deceptively simple question: Do we actually teach students how to learn? Keynote speaker Professor Sally…
The many firsts of the first-year experience
byIn the first week of semester, a student stopped me on campus. My staff lanyard must have been a beacon to this nervous student…
The importance of the first three weeks for Chinese students
byResearch on student retention and success consistently shows that the first weeks of semester matter. Research into the student experience of transition, including Kift’s transition…
Writing Course Learning Outcomes that strengthen quality, clarity and integrity
byWhen students have crossed the stage at their graduation and have left the Great Hall one last time, how do we know what they…
Navigating sensitive materials in the curriculum and classroom
byOne core purpose of universities is to test ideas against evidence. Sometimes that means engaging with material that is confronting, contested, or deeply personal…
Using AI simulations to support students’ compassionate practice for aged care clinical placements
by“Are you, my daughter? Take me home!” You pause, look around, and realise that neither the question nor the request reflects reality. You are…
How are medical students actually using AI in their research projects?
byArtificial intelligence (AI) tools are now widely used by students across higher education. The pace of development has made it challenging for both students…
Active Learning Anywhere
byPractical techniques for effective engagement in flat‑floor, tiered, online, and hybrid classes The start of the academic year is always an exciting time for…
What we learned from 400+ Interactive Oral Assessments in STEM
byBy 2024, we faced a familiar challenge around assessment integrity: quiz answers and podcast assignments came back polished and well-produced, but we needed to…
Supporting first-year transition to university at Sydney
byA student’s first year at university is the springboard to their learning journey. Making a successful transition to university is crucial to helping students…