Disconnection and humanising teaching
Recently there have been reports of a growing phenomenon of disconnection among students in the media. I’m sure that many of us can relate…
Jisc’s new principles of good assessment and feedback
In case you missed it, Jisc has recently published an excellent resource on the principles of good assessment and feedback. A UK not-for-profit organisation, Jisc…
Creating a positive learning environment using classroom norms
The first few weeks of a new semester are vital to creating a sense of belonging for students and setting expectations for the semester…
Principles for first year transition in 2022 and beyond
A successful transition to university is key to developing a sense of belonging. Belonging is strongly associated with retention, student satisfaction and achievement. In…
Assessment in first year – what the evidence tells us
Transition to university in 2022 Throughout 2020 and much of 2021, students will have had variable school experiences, with fewer opportunities to learn study skills,…
Encouraging collaborative learning
What is collaborative learning? Recently, a fantastic new resource for staff has been launched on the hows and whys of using collaborative learning with…
Learning to learn after lockdown: the transition journey from alpha to omega
Transition is key to developing a sense of belonging which is itself strongly associated with retention, student satisfaction and achievement. At Sydney, even in…
Principles guiding education at Sydney
What will ‘normal’ teaching look like in 2022 and beyond? The challenge of balancing teaching for students who are either in Sydney or overseas…
Referencing in first year – what’s the point?
Being able to reference correctly is often taken to be a fundamental academic competency and core to the values of academic scholarship. In assessments…
With living voice: the power of oral examinations
The oral exam, sometimes referred to as a “viva voce” or just “viva”, is most commonly associated with the formal defence of a PhD…