First Year Curriculum Design: Biology at the University of Melbourne
Associate Prof Dawn Gleeson
Director of First Year Studies in Biology
University of Melbourne
In preparation for the introduction of the Melbourne Model in 2008 the team involved in the teaching of first year Biology at the University of Melbourne took the opportunity to re-evaluate how we catered for the diversity of our students and how we facilitated their transition to the University. In 1999 the Vice Chancellor appointed a Transition Manager at the University of Melbourne. Since that time the position has expanded into the Transition and Orientation Program, so there is strong central support for transition. Within the Science Faculty since 2000 there has been a voluntary transition program, Science 101, which is well attended. However we wanted to address transition within the context of the teaching and organisation of our Biology program so that it appeared to students as a seamless process and not an ‘add-on’ program. This presentation will expand on some of the ideas we have introduced into the Biology program to facilitate transition to the University.
Associate Professor Dawn Gleeson - Bio
Assoc Prof Dawn Gleeson’s research interests are in the development and implementation of curriculum materials in the Biological Sciences and specifically Genetics. Dawn was part of a team (national and international) who, in 2005 was awarded a Carrick Institute Grant to investigate Enhancing the Assessment and Learning in Australian Higher Education: Biological Science. Dawn has also received several grants for the development of curriculum materials to support the teaching of first year Biology. Dawn is also involved in the development, implementation and evaluation of transition initiatives within the Faculty of Science and chairs the University Transition Working Group. In collaboration with the Learning Skills Unit and the Transition Unit, the introduction of a transition program which addresses specifically student diversity. Dawn has visited schools and polytechnics in Singapore and Malaysia and has taken a keen interest in the transition of international students academically and socially.
Dawn was a recipient of an AUTC National Teaching award in 2003 for the Biological Sciences, Health and Related Studies and within the University of Melbourne has been a recipient of the David White award for excellence in teaching within Science, Health, Agriculture, or Veterinary Science and the Faculty of Science award for Excellence in Teaching.
First Year Curriculum Design: Business at QUT
Professor Lyn Simpson
Assistant Dean Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Business
Queensland University of Technology
The Faculty of Business at the Queensland University of Technology has undertaken a major review of its undergraduate program in 2007-2008. This has provided the opportunity to work with our eight core unit coordinators in incorporating good first year curriculum design principles in the redesign of our units of study. This presentation will outline the approach we used to engage our core unit coordinators in building support across the curriculum for our first year students, and in facilitating their transition to university.
Professor Lyn Simpson - Bio
Lyn Simpson is Professor and Assistant Dean Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Business at QUT. Lyn’s role includes responsibility for teaching and learning and academic programs in the Faculty. Lyn has had a long standing commitment to promoting teaching and learning, having been appointed as one of the first QUT Academic Staff Development Associates based in a Faculty in the early 90’s. She has also been leader of the Faculty’s successful bids for international accreditation with AACSB and EQUIS, requiring considerable attention to the assurance of student learning outcomes and achieving learning goals at the program level.
Lyn is also Chair of the Australian Business Deans’ Council Teaching and Learning Network. She is currently working with other members of the ABDC T&L Network on two Carrick projects, ‘Facilitating staff and student engagement with graduate attribute development, assessment and standards in Business faculties’ and ‘Embedding the development of intercultural competence’. She was a project team member (with Assoc Profs Mark Freeman and Phil Hancock) on the recently completed ALTC funded scoping study, ‘Business as usual: A collaborative and inclusive investigation of the existing resources, strengths, gaps and challenges to be addressed for sustainability in teaching and learning in Australian university business faculties’. Lyn is also co-lead (with Prof Sue Savage) of QUT’s large commissioned 3-year project on Work Integrated Learning.
