Teaching@Sydney is a blog, website, newsletter and place for staff and students to contribute and share anything related to teaching and learning at Sydney. This platform has a long history that began in 1996 in the form of the print publication Synergy, where staff from around the University wrote about learning and teaching innovations. In 2009, we moved online, with articles shared monthly via an email newsletter. By 2016, the readership had grown to over 3,800. In support of the new education strategy’s drive to develop a culture that values and promotes outstanding teaching, August 2016 saw the launch of Teaching@Sydney in its current interactive and collaborative format.
What’s in Teaching@Sydney?
Posts on Teaching@Sydney are categorised by Faculties, as well as by a number of sections:
- Sydney updates – University-wide learning and teaching updates such as those relating to tools, learning spaces or policy
- News and events – University-wide workshops, conferences, talks, announcements, updates on grants and awards
- Teaching tips – Innovative tools, examples or guidelines for teaching, learning and assessment
- Educational excellence – Interviews, showcases of grant and award winners, stories about educational success or innovative works in progress
- Teaching research – Reviews, conference updates, research findings, theory
Contributors
We invite staff and students from across the University to write and share anything related to learning and teaching at Sydney. The site allows you to share and view teaching tips, examples of educational excellence, news and updates, and teaching research. You can contribute your post to your Faculty’s dedicated category, and also to other broader sections (e.g. Teaching Tips) that target a wider University readership. Potential stories might include examples of innovative teaching, an encouraging story of student engagement, an exciting learning and teaching project, an impactful tool or approach, or news about a recent grant, publication or award.
If you have a University of Sydney unikey, you can find out more about how to contribute, or just Contribute a post
Editors
Teaching@Sydney is edited by a small group from the Division of Teaching and Learning team within the DVC (Education and Students) Portfolio.
Danny Liu is a molecular biologist by training, programmer by night, researcher and academic developer by day, and educator at heart. A multiple international and national teaching award winner, he works at the confluence of artificial intelligence, learning analytics, student engagement, educational technology, and professional development and leadership. He is a Professor of Educational Technologies in the DVC Education and Students Portfolio at the University of Sydney, co-chairs the University’s AI in Education working group, and leads the Cogniti.ai initiative that puts educators in the driver’s seat of AI. He is editor-in-chief of Teaching@Sydney.
Samantha Clarke (SFHEA) is Associate Professor (Education-Focused) in the Division of Teaching and Learning and an Honorary Associate in the School of Geosciences. A marine geologist turned academic developer, she serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of Teaching@Sydney and leads the university-wide Modular Professional Learning Framework and Peer Review of Teaching programs for university educators. Sam works with educators to create engaging, inclusive learning experiences for students, with expertise spanning educator professional development, equity-focused teaching, and educational technology innovation, including the award-winning Cogniti AI platform. Her contributions have been recognised through international, national, and university teaching awards. Connect with her at linkedin.com/in/samanthalclarke/
Alix Thoeming (SFHEA) is an educational design manager in the Division of Teaching and Learning team, and managing editor of Teaching@Sydney. Formally trained as an archaeologist, she has held both faculty and PSU academic and professional roles, and has received two Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence. Alix has a background in first-year teaching and student transition to university, supporting students at risk of attrition at scale, and academic training and development. Her professional interests include learning analytics, strengths-based pedagogies, and the responsible and ethical use of generative AI technologies.
Jessica Frawley is Associate Professor of Academic Development and Leadership. Her teaching and research focus on enhancing educational practice, curriculum innovation, and technology integration in higher education. As Director of the Sydney Educational Fellowship Program, she leads the university’s strategic partnership with AdvanceHE to provide international recognition of educators. She is a strong advocate for students-as-partners approaches, having led the university’s inaugural Students-as-Partners Roundtable and the development of the Student Partnership Charter (2024). Her scholarly work includes collaborations with colleagues across Australia and internationally, and she has published through books, journal articles, and conference papers. She teaches into the Graduate Certificate of Educational Studies (Higher Education) and across other programs of academic and professional development. She serves as one of the founding Managing Editors to Teaching@Sydney and consulting editor for the international journal College Teaching.
Eszter Kalman is Associate Professor (Education-Focused) within the Division of Teaching and Learning at the University of Sydney. Her teaching and research focus on academic development, educational innovation, and the effective use of technology in higher education. As Program Director for the Graduate Certificate of Educational Studies (Higher Education) and the Sydney Professional Certificate, she leads programs that support educators in developing their teaching practice and achieving professional recognition. She is a strong advocate for collaborative professional development, co-leading the Educators Community of Practice, a network of over 600 members focused on enhancing teaching excellence across the university. Her scholarly work includes contributions to communities of practice, assessment innovation, and educational technology integration. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK) and serves as a mentor and assessor for the fellowship program, supporting colleagues in their professional development journeys.
Mary C. Wright is currently serving as Professor of Educational Scholarship at Division of Teaching and Learning, DVC (Education and Students) at the University of Sydney, Australia. Prior, Mary served for over eight years as Associate Provost for Teaching and Learning, Executive Director of the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, and a Professor (Research) in the Department of Sociology, Brown University. Previous to Brown, Mary worked at the University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching for 13 years.
We wish to thank James Tracy for lending his substantial technical expertise to the design and development of this platform.