TERTIARY TEACHING:

Flexible Teaching and Learning Across the Disciplines

EDITORS: Deon V. Canyon, Sue McGinty, Dale Dixon

Publication Information

First published in 2001

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Cataloguing-in-Publication data

National Library of Australia

Canyon, Deon V.

Tertiary teaching : flexible teaching and learning across the disciplines.

Bibliography.

ISBN 0 9579788 0 4.

1. College teaching - Australia. 2. Educational innovations - Australia. 3. Education, Higher - Australia.

I. McGinty, Suzanne. II. Dixon, Dale.

378.1250994

Graphic illustrator: Sue Podger.

Disclaimer: While every reasonable care has been taken to ensure that the information in this text is correct, neither the Editor, contributors, nor Craftsmen Products can accept any responsibility for the inclusion or omission of any material or for any inaccuracies in the information supplied.

Foreword

Title page | Publication Information | Foreword | Contributors | Reviewers | Articles

"The defining characteristic of the academic profession is teaching".¹

The last century has brought tremendous advances in science and technology and, as we enter the new millennium, the delivery of educational programs has clearly progressed. In doing so, education has become more widely available to millions of people worldwide, especially via the internet. One of the greatest global challenges for the tertiary education is the use of appropriate technology for the delivery of education in a variety of settings. Tertiary Teaching: Flexible Teaching and Learning across the Disciplines brings together a unique collection of case examples, which provides an additional step towards meeting these challenges.

Tertiary Teaching: Flexible Teaching and Learning across the Disciplines is a resource about innovative teaching. It profiles, analyses and celebrates the work of 10 accomplished tertiary educators from north Queensland, Australia, who have recently completed the Graduate Certificate of Education (Tertiary Teaching) at James Cook University. Drawing on contemporary theories of innovation, teacher professionalism and curriculum reform, this work provides a stimulus for some in-depth thinking about how we should teach in today's 'knowledge society'. Tertiary Teaching: Flexible Teaching and Learning across the Disciplines demonstrates the significant impact being generated by these innovative teachers in the higher education sector, as well as the wider communities in which they operate.

Tertiary Teaching: Flexible Teaching and Learning across the Disciplines presents 10 articles, including papers on fieldwork experiential learning, on-line teaching, moving away from traditional tutorial structures, teaching tourism managers, role-playing, improving writing skills, enhanced flexibly delivery, student mentorship, web-based distance education and simulation models, and practice journals.

Tertiary Teaching: Flexible Teaching and Learning across the Disciplines is not just limited to the promulgation of good practice examples. More importantly, it is designed to actively engage key stakeholders in tertiary education in informed debate and collective action with a view to increasing the level of innovative teaching within the tertiary education sector.

Students of tertiary education, university lecturers and post-secondary instructors and teachers will find these "real life" case studies contained within Tertiary Teaching: Flexible Teaching and Learning across the Disciplines a valuable educational resource.

Professor Peter A. Leggat, MACE
Associate Professor, James Cook University, Australia
Visiting Professor, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
Director-General, World Safety Organization 1997-99
2 October 2001

1. Altbach PG. (ed.) (1991) International Higher Education: An Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Garland.

Contributors

Heather Cuthbertson BCommWelf, MSoc Pol JCU

Heather Cuthbertson currently works as a Senior Policy Officer with the Office of Youth Affairs in Tasmania. She has taught social policy at TAFE and has also developed and delivered a broad range of training programs.

Her beginnings in the social sciences field was as a Residential Care Officer working with people with disabilities in both community respite and institutional care. Since then she has worked in many areas which has enabled her to have a broad understanding of the various issues and processes to be considered in social policy development.

Her interest in completing the Graduate Certificate of Education was to further develop her skills as a teacher of adult learners. She is committed to experiential learning as a means of challenging values and positively influencing the attitudes of her students where appropriate.

Dale Dixon BSc (Hons), PhD, G.Cert Ed. (JCU)

Dale is a Taxonomic Botanist with the Northern Territory Herbarium, Parks and Wildlife Commission . I was previously a contract Associate Lecturer at James Cook University. The appointment as an Associate Lecturer prompted me to further develop my skills as a promoter of learning. In my new position with the herbarium I will be developing training courses that require the staff to gain competency at certain skills.

Dr Dale Dixon Botanist Parks & Wildlife Commission of the NT P.O. Box 496 Palmerston 0831 Australia

Fiona Richards B.Admin (Tourism) (Hons), G.Cert.Ed. (JCU)

An Associate Lecturer in the School of Business at James Cook University . She teaches in both tourism and business undergraduate subjects in Townsville. Before entering tertiary teaching, Fiona was involved in regional tourism development. Fiona is currently undertaking Ph.D. studies in the area of tourism industry communication processes.

Gianna Moscardo Ph.D.

Gianna Moscardo is a Principal Research Fellow working with a team of researchers in the Tourism Program at James Cook University. The team is interested in the sustainable development and management of tourism and recreation in natural settings. Her qualifications are in psychology and she has a particular interest in understanding how to better communicate with people who visit natural areas so they enjoy their experience and have a greater appreciation of the importance of the places they visit.

June Bode

June Bode is employed as a Learning Adviser at JCU. She graduated in the UK and worked as a geography teacher and lecturer in Britain and Nigeria before moving to live in Australia. A major focus of her work at JCU is helping students improve their writing skills.

Heather Lovatt BCW, GCTT (JCU)

Heather Lovatt is a practitioner in the Human Services Industry and currently works for the Department of Families as Area Manager, Service Development and Planning. Heather is a graduate of James Cook University with a Bachelor of Community Welfare and a Graduate Certificate of Tertiary Teaching to her credit. Other studies with Central Queensland University have taken a Management focus. Heather currently tutors for the JCU Mackay Study Centre and is embarking on further research studies that will enhance the knowledge and practice base for Foster Care in Queensland.

Lucinda Reck BA(CQU), GCTT (JCU)

Lucinda has worked in the government and non-government human services sector for the past 18 years. Her roles have been many and varied and have included the co-ordination of youth crime prevention projects and juvenile justice initiatives, statewide training processes for youth workers as well as the development and resourcing of community based agencies. Currently Lucinda works with the Department of Families as a Regional Youth Development Officer as well as being the Administration Coordinator and a tutor for James Cook Universities, School of Social Work and Community Welfare activities in Mackay, North Queensland. Lucinda has a passion for the development of creative and innovative learning processes that encourage a passion for life long learning.

Peter Hanley B.E. (UQ), Dip.Ed. (UQ), M.Eng.Sc.(JCU)

Peter Hanley began working life as a Civil Engineer both here in Australia and for four years in South-East Asia. He has worked in community development work in Townsville and taught Science and Maths in a local Secondary School before coming to work at JCU in 1991. At JCU he is employed as a Learning Adviser with a particular focus on Science and Engineering students. A major involvement for Peter over the past five years has been coordinating the student mentor scheme on the Townsville campus. A spin-off from studying the Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching for Peter has been working with academic staff he has met on the course on a number of satisfying collaborative projects.

Deon Canyon B.Sc.F. (UniTechPNG), B.Sc.Hons.I (JCU), Ph.D. (JCU), GCert. Tertiary Teaching (JCU)

Deon is a Lecturer in Medical Entomology and Environmental Health and Head of the E-Public Health Group in the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. His involvement in the GCTT program prompted Deon to conduct research with a focus on developing and evaluating web-based disease prevention and control simulation models for education of the public health workforce. A successful grant in this area and other positive influences resulted in Deon forming the E-Public Health Group whose mission is to research, develop, evaluate and promote health support tools and more appropriate flexible learning methods, that conform to best-practice flexible learning pedagogy, via online and CD-based materials.

Ryan Daniel B.M.Hons.I. (JCU), M.M. (UniCapeTown)

Ryan Daniel graduated from James Cook University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Music degree with First Class Honours and a University Medal. In 1995, he was awarded a postgraduate scholarship to complete a Master of Music degree at the University of Cape Town, which he was awarded with distinction. In 1999 Ryan returned to take up a tenured position as associate lecturer in music at James Cook University, where he is responsible for the performance and professional studies subjects. He is currently a part-time Ph.D. student where he is researching alternative strategies for tertiary piano teaching.

Reviewers

Professor Robin McTaggart
(Pro-Vice Chancellor, JCU)

Professor Tony McMahon
(Head of School, Social Work and Community Welfare, JCU)

Professor Phil Pearce
(Head of School, Business and Tourism, JCU)

Associate Professor Rob Gilbert
(Head of School, Education, JCU)

Dr. Steven Campbell
(Lecturer, COMVAT – Music, JCU)

Dr. Leone Bielig
(Senior Lecturer, Tropical Plant Sciences, JCU)

Dr. Neil Black
(Lecturer, Tourism Program, JCU)

Ms. Sue Devine
(Lecturer, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, JCU)

Mr. David Lindsay
(Lecturer, School of Nursing Sciences, JCU)

Mr. Phil Turner
(Lecturer, Academic Advisor, School of Engineering, JCU)

Rev. Wayne Melrose
(Research Officer, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, JCU)

Ms. Nicky Harvey
(Associate Lecturer, School of Nursing Sciences, JCU)

Ms. Deb Day
(Music Technologist, Queensland Education)

Ms. Joy Rutledge
(Postgraduate Student, Tourism Program, JCU)

Ms. Julia Bray
(Nursing, JCU)