PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR ACADEMIC AND GENERAL STAFF: INTEGRATED ELEARNING

As part of the University’s strategy to improve the learning experience of students across the physical and virtual learning spaces, the University is continually upgrading its elearning systems. These systems support the student experience of learning across physical and virtual learning space.

Sydney eLearning runs workshops that aim to support academic and general staff to become familiar with the role of the university elearning enterprise systems in successful experiences of learning. These are part of a broader program of development for staff with the Institute of Teaching and Learning.

The workshops focus on the range of teaching and learning tools available in these systems and how they support communication, collaboration, assessment, presentation and administration. These systems include, but are not limited to, the university learning management system, ePortfolios, eCommunities, text-matching systems, web conferencing and streaming and mobile resources.

Register for a workshop by clicking on the link in the right-hand menu. Upon registration to a workshop, you will be allocated a Learn Playground site for experimentation. You will be notified of these details prior to the workshop.

Upcoming Workshops

Fundamentals workshops comprise a 2 hour introduction to the university Learning Management System. The introductory workshop investigates strategies for enhancing the student learning experience by exploring the functionality of the university Learning Management System (LMS).

Focus workshops are 2 hour workshops that cover in detail, the assessment, grading, communication and collaborative functionality of the LMS and how these support the integration of teaching with other elearning systems to enhance the student experience of learning.

Alternatively, there are 2 hour refresher workshops for those who have attended a previous focus workshop and are needing to refresh their understanding of the functionality and utilisation of specific tools within the university Learning Management System (LMS).

The University LMS is one of a number of components of the virtual learning space and the student experience involves the integration of these components with the formal and informal learning environments (physical learning space).

Extension workshops have a strong focus on best practice in teaching in an integrated environment. These workshops investigate how the university elearning systems, including the university learning management system, ePortfolios, eCommunities, Adobe Connect and Lectopia, allow for advanced levels of communication, collaboration, assessment, presentation and administration across the university's virtual and physical learning spaces.

It is strongly recommended that staff have attended a Focus workshop before registering for an Extension workshop.

Sydney eLearning and the Institute of Teaching and Learning (ITL)

As eLearning is now an integral part of the teaching and learning experience at the University of Sydney, it is informed by the same scholarly principles and practices that underpin all quality teaching and learning. Sydney eLearning is working with the Institute for Teaching and Learning (ITL) to provide all staff with an opportunity to integrate sound teaching and learning principles and practice with elearning development.

Three times a year, the ITL offers a 2-day program which complements the eLearning workshops. The program addresses how best to facilitate learning, as well as how to enhance understanding, and provides teaching staff with some practical teaching skills. It looks at practical models and methods that can be used to enhance student learning in a variety of contexts and how to integrate all elements of good curriculum design. For further information and/or to enrol, go to:
http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/programs/P&P/default.htm