Tertiary Education Management Conference 2006

Integration For a New Generation – Technological solutions for linking core functions of teaching and

learning

K Connoley

2006 TERTIARY EDUCATION MANAGEMENT CONFERENCEWhat We Do Makes A Difference

27 – 30 August, Hilton Hotel, Sydney

Kathy ConnoleyActing Faculty General Manager

Faculty of Arts

‘Innovation in Faculty Administration – Finding efficiencies for both administrative and

academic staff’

IntroductionThe Teaching and Learning Group in the Faculty of Arts, Deakin University has successfully implemented Stage One of a Teaching and Learning Database. This database is first of its kind at Deakin, and it aims to integrate the core functions of:

• Academic Staff Leave• Academic Workloads• Curriculum Maintenance • Educational Development• Quality Assurance Reporting• Unit Chair and Assessment Panel Maintenance• Unit Guides• Query Function and Reporting

Introduction cont…

The Database provides a repository of information that can be used from operational and strategic decision making. A sophisticated query function, and, in doing so, illustrating its adaptability and flexibility, and potential to be used by both academic and administrative staff.

This is an ongoing development project, offering significant potential to further integrate continuous quality improvements through teaching and learning activities undertaken within the Faculty of Arts.

BackgroundHow the database was conceived

A driving force behind the database project has been:

• The increasing reporting requirements being imposed on Faculties by University decision makers.

• Quality reporting is more increasingly being sought from Universities throughout Australia, as governments progressively want to see evidence of efficient and effective spending of public funds.

• Decreasing staff budgets and the need to find efficiencies.

T&L Group PortfolioThe Teaching and Learning Group (TLG) is responsible for a broad strategic portfolio, and works closely with the School Executive and academic staff in the three Schools.

The TLG’s portfolio of responsibilities includes:

• Curriculum Maintenance• Course Development and approval• Quality Assurance• Educational Development • School Administration

Refer overleaf for details

T&L Group Portfolio

Curriculum & Publications

Curriculum maintenance• Establish an ongoing review of Faculty

curriculum approval processes in line with University processes and protocols;

• Manage curriculum approval processes;• Secretary to CC;

• Updates on Callista, Unit Database,BRUCE and Faculty Database;

Provision of various curriculum reports;• Provision of appropriate advice to Faculty

staff on curriculum matters.

Publications• Undergraduate & Postgraduate Handbook;

• VTAC and VICTER.

Administration & Projects

• Course material development ensuring Knowledge Media support to academics ismanaged strategically (KM Priority List);• Facilitate production of the unit guides;

• Teaching and Learning Grants and Awards;• T&L Budget and Staffing;

• Faculty Schedule;• Database;

• Facilitate production of Honours Booklet;• T&L Staff Guide (includes relevant T&L

Policies and Procedures);• Statistical reports and analysis.

Quality Assurance & Policy

• Accreditation & Re-accreditation;• Course Revisions & Discontinuations;

• Discipline Reviews.

Policy & Procedure• Implement Faculty T&L operational plan;

• Quality Assurance Reporting;• Implementation of relevant University

Teaching and Learning policies and procedures;• Development and implementation of

Teaching and Learning Faculty instructions;• Secretary to Faculty Teaching and

Learning Committee.

Educational Development

• Develop and implement strategies to enable ongoing integration of online teaching and

learning within the Faculty;• Establish, implement and review relevant

Faculty instructions, procedures andguidelines relating to online teaching;

• Manage the day-to-day operations of DSO• Provide advice and support to the Faculty on

the design, development and delivery oflearning resources;

• Assess and review the training needs of Faculty staff and coordinate the provision of appropriate professional development

School Staff

School of Communication & Creative Arts:

Administrative Officer Assistant to School Executive

Administrative Assistant

School of International & PoliticalStudies:

Administrative OfficerAdministrative Assistant

School of History, Heritage & Society:Administrative Officer

Administrative Assistant

School Administration

• School Executive support;• General School Administration

• Academic advisory boards;• Assessment panels;

• Head of School support;• Apply Workload model;

• Handbook and Curriculum changes;• Facilitate production of Unit Guides;

• Maintenance of Unit Chairs;• Finance and school budget;

• Course Materials development;• Quality Assurance processes and reporting (Unit Reviews, Assessment Reports, SETU,

Course Reviews);• Administration of Honours;

• Sessional appointments/payments;• Academic Leave;

• Staffing, Academic Probation & PPRs;• Open Day & Orientation Week.

Teaching and Learning GroupFaculty of Arts

Proposed Benefits

• Sustaining excellence through Quality Assurance and Continuous Quality Improvement.

• Develop an ‘Innovative’ solution to the increased quality assurance reporting requirements.

• Find efficiencies through the use of technology.

• Empower Faculty staff, both Administrative and Academic.

• Centralise core Teaching and Learning functions within the Faculty.

Overview

In response to the University’s Quality Assurance Framework, the Teaching and Learning Group aimed to develop user friendly systems to promote a culture of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) rather than ‘Compliance’.

The development of a Teaching and Learning Database provided an effective tool to achieve this.

University & Faculty Plans:• Strategic

• Operational • Business

Curriculum Planning:• Course Review Working Party

• Educational Development• Course and Unit Reviews

• Accreditations• Re-accreditations • Course Revisions

Faculty & University approval processes:

• School Executive• Curriculum Committee

• Faculty Board• PRC

• Coursework Awards Review Committee

(Accreditation Committee)

Quality Assurance Framework:University and Faculty Policies and procedures

• Assessment• Excellent Courses

• Experiential Learning• Plagiarism

• International Consideration• Common Core Learning Materials

Implementation of UniversityPolicies and procedures:

• Assessment Panels• Unit Guides

• Faculty Instructions

Quality Assurance Reportingand Evaluation

• Unit Evaluations• Unit Reviews

• Assessment Reports• Course Reviews

Teaching & Learning Activities

T&L continuous Quality Improvement Cycle

Structure of Database

• Flexible and User Friendly

• Align data structure with Callista

• Curriculum data sourced from Callista

• Ability to develop and amend queries

Development Team

• Kathy Connoley

• Tamara Harvey

• Di Johnston

• Jane Acopian

• Peter Huf (Consultant)

Now lets check out the Teaching and Learning

Database….

http://caligula.bcs.deakin.edu.au/dev/arts/menu.asp

Implementation Strategy

• Trial database functions for Summer Semester, including quality assurance reporting

• Limit functionality to Teaching and Learning Group during implementation phase

• Commence processing of curriculum amendments on database

• Education and training provided to staff

Planned to release functional database to allFaculty staff throughout 2006.

Feedback, review and analysis

• Meet with Key stakeholders

• Review and analyse issues uncovered in testing phase

• Refine active modules

Future Development

• ‘Fine Tuning’ in response to implementation phase

• Optional release to other Faculties

• Additional Modules including:- Workload Model- Educational Development

• Development of potential partnerships with other Universities

Conclusion

This paper has described the initial development of a Teaching and Learning database project that is set to alter traditional practices within the Faculty of Arts in meeting quality reporting, and in integrating other core teaching and learning activities.

Further development and implementation of the database has the potential to further enhance teaching and learning administrative processes, while providing a prototype for the University that may be used to design and develop a corporate system that meets the needs of other faculties and the University.

Thank-you!

Kathy ConnoleyDeakin University, Faculty of Arts

AUSTRALIA

Tertiary Education Management Conference 2006

Morning Tea

Please reconvene at 11.15am