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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…
Latest Posts
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…
AI-enhanced learning in oral histopathology with Dr Histopathix
byOral and Maxillofacial Pathology is the study of diseases that affect the teeth, mouth, jaws, and gums, and is one of the core areas…
Designing meaningful student engagement with course readings
byCourse readings are central to student learning, yet they’re often treated as a routine, grudging task rather than a designed learning experience. On average,…
Teaching Chinese classical literature in Australian classrooms through close reading and creative adaptation
byHong Lou Meng (紅樓夢), also known as The Dream of the Red Chamber, is one of the most celebrated works in the canon of Chinese classical…
What we learned from our first year of education-focused SoTL grants
byWhat happens when you give education-focused academics funding to investigate their teaching questions? A year on from the first round of Education Focused (EF)…