Postponed. New date and Venue TBA.

Presenter: Dr Sarah French, Project Manager, Melbourne CSHE

The idea of ‘going to university’ is integrally tied to the concept of the university campus as a physical place. The campus provides students with the opportunity for social and intellectual engagement with a scholarly community and gives meaning to the learning experience. However, in the twenty first century, a series of changes to the educational environment have impacted upon the ways in which students engage with the campus, prompting universities to look at the role of the physical campus afresh. This presentation considers the role that space and place play in higher education and identifies some of the key benefits of campus-based learning. It traces the history of the university campus and examines the ways in which shifts in student participation, educational philosophies, learning space design and the channels of delivery have redefined the campus experience. The seminar aims to stimulate discussion on the role that the physical campus will play in the future of higher education and how the value of the campus experience might be preserved and strengthened. More...

Wednesday, 19th of August, 2015
13:00-14:00

Old Metallurgy-202 (Room 2), University of Melbourne (map)
Presenter: Professor James Pellegrino, University of Illinois at Chicago

This seminar will focus on some of the ways in which assessment is being re-conceptualized in the U.S. higher education context, especially in areas of STEM education. At the core of this effort is a reconsideration of what it means to “know” and “understand” science and the implications for what and how we assess proficiency in science. A new definition of proficiency, expressed as performance expectations, spans K-12 through higher education and extending into areas of graduate and professional education.  We will consider what lies at the core of this new conception of proficiency and some of the challenges and opportunities it poses for assessment design and use in contexts ranging from tests for Advanced Placement in college courses to classroom and course assessments, to changes in the AAMC’s Medical College Admission Test.

To regsiter for this seminar please complete the online form. More...

Friday 14th August 2015
11:30am-12:30pm
Rivett Theatre, Redmond Barry Building (note: venue changed from previously advertised; correct as of 3 August 2015)
University of Melbourne, Parkville

It has been nearly four years since the first MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) were offered by Stanford University. MOOCs are now offered to tens of millions of learners worldwide, by hundreds of top universities. MOOCs are no longer an experiment - the learning, reach, and value they offer are now a reality. Daphne will show how MOOCs provide opportunities for open-ended projects, intercultural learner interactions, and collaborative learning. She will discuss some of the data that we are collecting from MOOCs, and what we are learning from these data about both courses and learners. Specifically, she will discuss a variety of measurable aspects of course design and how these choices affect learner behavior, satisfaction, and retention. Daphne will also describe both the data and examples of the kind of transformative impact that can be derived from providing millions of people with access to the world’s best education.

This seminar is now full. Please click below to be waitlisted.

Register for the waiting list. More...