Engaging diverse students through the curriculum: some strategies
Dr Judy Skene
Manager, Student Support Services
The University of Western Australia
The diversity of our First Year students, both in their backgrounds, life experiences and preparedness for study, provides us with a challenge. How do we aid their transition so that they engage with their course and their peers and have a quality experience? This session will feature strategies to support student diversity through the curriculum, drawing on resources often available in universities and in partnership with professional staff.
Dr Judy Skene - Bio
Dr Judy Skene is Manager, Student Support Services at The University of Western Australia and coordinates UniSkills, a first year transition program for international students and those students who are from schools or groups under-represented in UWA's student population. She also coordinates UniDiscovery, an outreach program that aims to widen access and raise aspirations for tertiary studies. Her research interests are equity and access and the transition to tertiary study, student teamwork and the use of Web 2.0 technologies to aid student engagement. In 2007 she received an ALTC citation and in 2008 led a successful ALTC program award in the category of the First Year Experience for the UniSkills program.
Diverse Student Cohorts and First Year Curriculum Design
Associate Prof Alf Lizzio
Acting Dean, Learning and Teaching (Health)
Griffith University
This session will provide an overview of the challenges and opportunities that a diverse student cohort brings to university education. We will consider a set of related questions:
- What are the predictable ways in which students are different?
- What are the implications of this diversity for our educational practice?
- What is the role of our own attitudes and behaviour?
- How might we more effectively respond to student diversity through both curriculum and the design of learning environments?
Associate Professor Alf Lizzio - Bio
Associate Professor Alf Lizzio has contributed to the implementation and evaluation of processes to support commencing students’ engagement at the course, degree program and institutional levels of practice. He has held a number of leadership positions in learning and teaching and has published widely on the student experience in higher education. In 2008 he received a national ALTC Award for Teaching Excellence in the Social Sciences.
