Teaching and learning innovation is used widely at Victoria. The Case Studies site showcases this innovative practice. The first set of cases profiles the use of technology as a vehicle to a more effective and efficient teaching. The examples are intended to stimulate others to consider how technology-mediated teaching can be applied in their courses. It is intended that future case studies will span a wide range of educational innovation, and you can suggest an idea for a new case using the feedback form at the bottom of the page.
If you would like to explore the ideas raised by these case studies or share your own innovative practice please talk to one of our learning and teaching team.
Enhancing Teaching Materials
Innovative learning and teaching materials and activities.
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A whiteboard is an integral tool for teaching in many disciplines, especially the sciences. The Lightboard allows the key aspects of a whiteboard – the ability to write and draw – to be replicated on video, without the need for extensive post-production editing. Richard Arnold was the first lecturer to use the new Lightboard at Victoria.
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Stuart worked with the software developers of Kami (was called Notable) to have a tool that allowed pdf editing, simple annotation and sharing capabilities for use with his class notes. He is now able to control the access students have to his teaching material and give students a more effective and guided notetaking capability.
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Whakawhitinga kōrero: Dialogues on sustainability Tonya Sweet and Dr Andrea Milligan |
The development of a media-based learning and teaching resource that introduces and explores the interconnections among the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) as they relate to pressing global and local issues through an interdisciplinary lens.
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Improving Lecture Experiences
New approaches to lecturing.
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Rob has used GoSoapBox as a way to interact with his students during large lectures for several years. Rob finds it useful for several reasons, such as being able to check student understanding, quickly correct misconceptions and to engage with students who would otherwise be too uncomfortable to speak out.
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Developing Creative Assessment
Innovative approaches to assessment.
Blackboard Tests for Formative Assessment Sasha Calhoun and Evan Hazenberg |
Sasha Calhoun and Evan Hazenberg recently transformed the printed exercises provided in their course notes into online quizzes in Blackboard. These were helpful for not only students in allowing them get practical experience using linguistic skills while gaining course credit, but also for teaching staff, allowing them to obtain feedback on student progress and reducing their test marking load.
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Adopting Teaching Technology
Experiences of incorporating technology into teaching.
Finding the Value of Readings with Talis Melissa Fiu and Teresia Teaiwa |
Melissa Fiu and Dr Teresia Teaiwa found the process of adopting a new system, needed for copyright compliance (Talis Aspire), allowed them to evaluate and confirm the value of their course reading materials. They also started exploring the abilities it afforded them in understanding how students were actually engaging with their course materials.
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Rethinking Course Design
Innovative course and instructional design and new modes of teaching.
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David was the first to try simultaneous teaching between Wellington and Auckland for the SIMs program using video conferencing tools. These tools enable him to be present in class in one location while teaching more students in another. David has an interactive lecturing style, but despite initial reservations, he was able to make adjustments to make the most of the remote layout.
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Matthias is using several different technological tools that we have available at Victoria, in order to make space and time for more meaningful student-teacher interactions in his classrooms. The most important change he has made for one of his second-year chemistry classes, was the introduction of the flipped classroom approach.
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Encouraging Student Interaction
Ideas for encouraging peer interaction and collaboration.
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Discussion boards have a vital role in improving both student learning and wellbeing for the fully online courses of the Science in Context programme. Over the course of several years, Rhian has fine-tuned the way that the discussion boards are used in these courses. The most successful approach so far has been the use of peer-level tutors as 'chatters' and to reward participation with bonus marks.
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Resilience in Teaching
Research and examples of resilient teaching (e.g., how learning and teaching can continue in the case of an earthquake).
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In this study, Jacqueline worked with members of the academic resilience steering committee to explore academics’ perceptions of how learning and teaching might respond to a long term disruption (i.e., an earthquake or pandemic).
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How would you run face-to-face tutorials in the event of a disaster? David used Zoom to host online statistics tutorials which mimicked the face-to-face experience. He used the same materials, questions, style of teaching that he normally employs. Students found the sessions helpful, noting that the major advantages included “taking tutorials from home”, scheduling flexibility, and getting more one-on-one feedback.
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Is it possible to teach students chemistry laboratory skills online? Suzanne set out to design an inquiry-based, online electrochemistry lab which fulfills the same learning objectives to a real face-to-face lab. Qualtrics will be used to host and collect student responses in guided activities online. The activities include videos of actual chemistry experiments, interactive simulations, and macros which enable students to balance equations in real-time. This case explored the development process including the use of existing resources. Though these labs are high resource to build, students can work at their own pace, complete them from off campus, and revisit the materials for study purposes.
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Innovative Pedagogies Project
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In a strategic initiative, the Faculty of Education and CAD are investigating innovative approaches to teaching and learning across the university, with a view to determining how best to support and facilitate pedagogical innovations that contribute to student engagement and learning. The case studies presented here report the first stage of the initiative, where award winning staff were interviewed about their teaching practices and ideas about innovative teaching.
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Constructive Alignment in Course Design Michael Dudding and Kevin Sweet |
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Kaupapa Māori and Authentic Assessment Nicola Hyland and James McKinnon |
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