2008 Humanities and Social Sciences Projects
Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program - audio-based learning and teaching
The project aims to assist with multiple items in the ‘Entrepreneurship and Innovation’ program in the Faculty of Economics and Business. It is anticipated that the project outcomes will be useful to both undergraduate and postgraduate units in the discipline.
Planned work includes:
- sequencing and presenting revision materials which are currently in the form of audio interviews with experts in the disciplines.
- creating technical guides for staff involved in the yearly production of online case-studies and for students who must complete an audio reflection assignment
- working with the academic to improve the instructions to students and the marking criteria for existing assignments
Assistance with Transition Program 2008: ‘Government and International Relations’ and ‘Political Economy’
The Schools of Political Economy, and Government and International Relations were previously part of the Faculty of Economics and Business and have now been incorporated into the Faculty of Arts. Consequently online units of study need to be migrated from the Blackboard 7 LMS hosted by Economics and Business, to the University-wide LMS (CE6) and academic staff need training and support to facilitate the change from one system to another. An eLearning Designer based in Arts eLearning has been employed to run the Transition Program and Sydney eLearning is providing project hours and expertise to assist.
Enhancement of Existing eLearning Site SCWK6920: Mental Health Practice Standards
Sydney eLearning is working with the academic facilitators to review the existing unit in the University LMS, which has been delivered fully online to students since 2006. Adjustments are being made to improve student engagement and retention rates, encourage a more cohesive online community and develop appropriate management strategies for the facilitators during site delivery.
Enhancing Learning Opportunities in Field Education in Social Work
Strategies are being developed and implemented to improve the communication between the multiple stakeholders – students, academics, field educators and administrators - in the field education placement program, using the existing University LMS (CE6) site. It is hoped that this will make it easier for the field educators to participate fully in the program, provide greater support for students and streamline the management of the site.
BDST6905 – Healing in Buddhism
Work has commenced on developing an online postgraduate unit of study in the University LMS (CE6) for blended learning. The use of online assessment, online discussions and the feasibility of creating a student repository of research material will be explored and it is hoped that the completed site design of BDST6905 may be transferable to other units in the Buddhist Studies program.
Contemporary Rhetoricians – The ENGL1000 project (phase two)
The online unit for ENGL1000 in the University LMS (CE6) is being developed further with additional multimedia and activities, continuing the work done in 2007. The videos that are currently presented on the site, plus any new multimedia files will be streamed as part of the University streaming project pilot.
Music Education - Professional Experience and Education Coursework Online (Music Practicum stage 2)
The professional experience in music education site which was begun in the 2007 ‘Music Practicum’ project is being further developed in response to the academic facilitators’ experiences of delivering the site, student feedback and ongoing changes to the curriculum. Work involves splitting the existing site into three self-contained sites, devising narrated Powerpoint presentations, incorporating audiovisual case-study material, making improvements to the reflective journal activity and developing a distinctive branding for the sites.
Legal Research Online
Legal research is taught by the Faculty librarians in blended mode to first and third year students enrolled in the Faculty of Law. This project will enhance and develop the existing sites LAWS1013 & LAWS1019 in the University LMS (CE6), assist with the development of online revision materials for the third year students to free up face-to-face sessions for more appropriate uses, and adapt the legal research content materials for delivery in a site that will be made available to all students of Law including postgraduate and LPAB students.
