HERDSA Notice 2 September 2026

* HERDSA Connect: A love letter to learning
* HERDSA Community: Reimagining Teaching Through Digital Innovation: From Technology to Meaningful Learning
* Register for the next HERDSA Academic Development SIG Webinar
* HERDSA Victoria Branch - Series B Webinar (Part II) - GenAI Skills Continuum
* "HERDSA Revisited" webinar - hosted by the NZ Branch
* From Conference Presentation to Publication: Turning Ideas into Scholarly Outputs
* HERD call for 2028 Special Issue proposals
* Are you interested in becoming an evidenced-informed HE educator? If so, check out Module 2 of the HERDSA SoTL Modules
* CRADLE Seminar Series: 'Designing self-assessment students can actually use'
* Building a Local Education-Focused Community: From Grassroots to Momentum
* Call for submissions to a study looking at curriculum design processes in the contemporary Australian higher education context
* Free Higher Education Teaching and Learning Library

To submit an announcement for this list complete the online form at http://herdsa.org.au/herdsa-notices

A full list of HERDSA Notices is online at http://www.herdsa.org.au/latest-news

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HERDSA Connect: A love letter to learning
Andrew Woon, 2 September 2026

In this love letter to learning, Andrew reminds us that we should never stop learning, while exploring the role of higher education now and into the future.

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HERDSA Community: Reimagining Teaching Through Digital Innovation: From Technology to Meaningful Learning
Manisha Thakkar | 27 August 2026

The fifth webinar in the AUT–HERDSA Webinar Series attempted to answer the question of what it means to use digital and emerging technologies meaningfully in teaching and learning. Across very different technical disciplines the panel demonstrated that digital innovation could transform learning when it is driven by a clear educational purpose. They urged participants to start with the learning need, not the technology. The possiblities of this approach were demonstrated through case examples of making authentic learning possible at scale, rethinking assessment through digital technologies or having students explore its creative possibilities, experiment, test ideas and learn from what does and does not work. The conversation inevitably turned to generative AI and here too, the emphasis was on how we design learning, rather than simply whether we permit or prohibit a technology. The session offered no single model for digital innovation and that was one of its most valuable lessons, that it is a conversation that need to be had with every emerging technology.

Read more or watch the webinar recording: https://herdsa.org.au/news/reimagining-teaching-through-digital-innovati...

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Register for the next HERDSA Academic Development SIG Webinar
Monday, 14th September 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM AEST

Academic developers lead in different ways. Join the HERDSA Academic Development SIG for an engaging online webinar exploring the principles of distributed leadership and how they connect to your professional practice.

During this session, participants will:
* Explore the tenets of distributed leadership, known as the 6Es
* Participate in an interactive workshop
* Identify how their academic development activities align with leadership practices
* Build familiarity with the language of distributed leadership for use in professional contexts

The workshop component forms part of a research project, and participants will be invited to take part. Participation is voluntary, with further details provided upon registration.
This workshop aims to help you define and evidence your leadership for career progression.

Join us and discover the leadership activities already embedded in your work.

Further information: olga.kozar@mq.edu.au or k.shoecraft@griffith.edu.au

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HERDSA Victoria Branch - Series B Webinar (Part II) - GenAI Skills Continuum
15 Sep 2026

Webinar invitation: GenAI Skills Continuum: Educator Capabilities in the Use of GenAI Tools in Learning and Teaching
Wednesday, 15 September 2026, 1:00–2:00 pm AEST

The Gen AI Skills Continuum is an interactive framework that maps the skills educators and students need to use AI effectively and ethically – from first steps to leading practice. In this webinar, Toni Jones and Nada Jarni will discuss the following aspects: flexible skills relevant to all areas of teaching and learning; AI capability using a shared language across courses and programs; competence and confidence in using AI in your practice. Please join the Victorian branch colleagues and members for this webinar.

Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/383u22zn.
P.S.: If you have not registered for the first part, you can do so by checking this link: https://bit.ly/4cp2R0j.

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"HERDSA Revisited" webinar - hosted by the NZ Branch
Thu 24 Sep, 9-10 AM

This “HERDSA Revisited” webinar is hosted by the NZ Branch of HERDSA.

This is an opportunity for colleagues who were unable to attend the recent HERDSA conference in Singapore to gain insights, as well as for people who did attend to reconnect.

In this webinar, speakers who presented at the conference will share one key insight from their research-informed work or one key learning/provocation, followed by structured discussion around a shared question.

Proposed session structure
~5 min: Introductions + housekeeping
~25 min: Speakers, 5 min max each
~25 min: Q&A, open discussion
~5 min: Thanks & close

All are welcome!

Further information: https://herdsa.org.nz/news/45-herdsa-revisited-webinar-24-09-9-10-am

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From Conference Presentation to Publication: Turning Ideas into Scholarly Outputs
Friday, September 25th, 2026 - 12:00pm - 1:00pm AEST (QLD time)

Have you recently presented a showcase, roundtable, or poster at HERDSA2026 in Singapore or at any other conference?
What happens to your ideas once the conference is over?

This practical workshop explores how you can build on your conference presentation and turn your ideas, insights, and evidence into scholarly outputs — including publications and other forms of dissemination.

A/Prof Alice Brown and Dr Manisha Thakkar will explore practical tips, pathways, and considerations for developing your conference work further, including identifying suitable publication opportunities, strengthening your work for publication, and considering alternative ways to share your scholarship with wider audiences.
Whether you already have a publication in mind or are just beginning to think about where your conference work could go next, this session will help you identify possibilities and take the next step.

Bring your conference presentation, or an idea you would like to develop, or simply your curiosity about turning conference work into something more.

Further information: https://bit.ly/4hQOtle

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HERD call for 2028 Special Issue proposals
EOIs to Stephen Marshall by 30th October 2026

HERD invites proposals for a 2028 Special Issue Guest Editorial team via an Expression of Interest (EOI).

HERD Special Issues:
• Bring together research that consolidates popular, fragmented topics or begin a scholarly conversation about
an emerging but under-explored topic.
• Draw together various works that feature diverse and critical perspectives on the topic, becoming a key
ongoing source for current and future scholars.
• Involve expert guest editors in a given area or topic.

The Editors are interested in topic proposals that:
1. Are responsive to the research published by HERD in recent years;
2. Are relevant and thought-provoking with international appeal to HERD’s diverse readership;
3. Open up a new area of inquiry or meaningfully extends an existing topic;
4. Further collective knowledge of HERD readers.

Submission Guidelines
Submit your EOI as a PDF to stephen.marshall@vuw.ac.nz with the subject line "2028 HERD Special Issue EOI". Proposals may be submitted at any time prior to the deadline for 2028 consideration.

Further details via link and at T&F: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/cher20

Further information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s0BnTPtaEkOhYquNsnVWvMjvkEkFNhUL/

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Are you interested in becoming an evidenced-informed HE educator? If so, check out Module 2 of the HERDSA SoTL Modules

Module 2 of the newly redeveloped HERDSA SoTL Modules explores how evidence can support and enhance your teaching practice. SoTL isn’t just about reflecting on what works in the classroom —it’s also about using research to inform your decisions, improve student learning, and contribute to the broader conversation on teaching and learning in higher education.

In Module 2, we’ll introduce you to SoTL literature, explore why engaging with research matters, and help you find practical ways to fit it into your busy schedule.
SoTL research has grown rapidly.
- But where do you start?
- Which journals or articles are relevant to you?
- And how can you make engaging with SoTL work for your teaching style?

Module 2 of the newly developed HERDSDA SoTL Modules will help you answer those questions, giving you simple strategies to make SoTL part of your professional growth—without feeling overwhelmed.

You’ll explore what it means to be an evidence-based higher education practitioner, with practical strategies for engaging with literature and key concepts in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL).

Looking forward to you joining us to dive in and explore SoTL together!
• The updated HERDSA SoTL Modules are free and a significant benefit for HERDSA financial members.
• For current HERDSA members - please access the redeveloped HERDSA SoTL Modules by logging into the MY DASHBOARD link on the HERDSA website.

Further information: Non HERDSA members please enquire at https://forms.office.com/r/qtb6nfxqAd

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CRADLE Seminar Series: 'Designing self-assessment students can actually use'
Wednesday 16 September – 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm (AEST)

Self-assessment becomes formative when it is designed into what students do next. Register now for CRADLE's seminar on 16 September to hear A/Prof. Juan Fraile (Universidad Francisco de Vitoria) explore how formative self-assessment can be designed as a practical route into students’ self-regulated learning.

Formative self-assessment can be understood as a set of carefully designed learning situations in which students are helped to monitor their understanding, compare their responses against criteria or examples, interpret feedback, identify gaps, and make better decisions about what to do next. In this sense, self-assessment is closely connected to feedback, evaluative judgement and self-regulated learning. Arguing that effective feedback is not simply information transmitted by the teacher, but a process that depends on what learners do with that information, this seminar will shift attention from the amount of feedback teachers provide to the quality of the learning actions that feedback makes possible. The session will present practical examples of classroom activities that can be implemented with or without digital tools, with an emphasis on practical designs that teachers can adapt to their own contexts.

To learn more about how self-assessment, feedback and retrieval practices can be designed to help students become better judges of their own learning, join us at 2.00 pm (AEST) in person at Deakin Downtown or online.

Further information: https://cradle-seminar-self-assessment-students-can-use.eventbrite.com.a...

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Building a Local Education-Focused Community: From Grassroots to Momentum
Wednesday 30 September, 12.00–1.15pm AEST | Online

Across Australian universities, local education focused communities are creating spaces for colleagues to connect, share practice, build visibility and advocate collectively for recognition and support. What may begin with a small group of colleagues can develop into a community that creates opportunities well beyond those available to individuals working alone.

The Australian Teaching and Education Focused Academic Network (TEFA) is bringing together a great online panel with Karin Watson (UNSW), Karena Waller (University of Melbourne), Mary Wright and Eszter Kalman (University of Sydney) for a practical conversation about how they have built and sustained local EF communities. The panel will explore how these communities got started, how they built momentum, what helped create institutional visibility and support, and what they have learned along the way.

This will be followed by a TEFA Community Conversation, giving participants an opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas across institutions. All are welcome.

Further information: Register here: https://events.humanitix.com/efcommunity

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Call for submissions to a study looking at curriculum design processes in the contemporary Australian higher education context

A study looking at curriculum design processes in the contemporary Australian higher education context is underway. Our goal is to better understand (and eventually improve) the process of designing curriculum. We’d be grateful for your participation and support in sharing the invitation to participate with colleagues and peers in your institution or broader networks.

We’re keen to hear from people in all kinds of roles, at both university and non-university providers: learning designers, librarians, alumni engagement officers, folks in marketing and student recruitment, program admins, technical staff, leaders and (of course) teaching academics.

You can access the survey online at https://griffithuw.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bq0tjMEHK3xzAmG or feel free to reach out directly for opportunities to contribute via group or individual interviews.

Further information: Julie Robert, j.robert@griffith.edu.au or Peter Kandlbinder, Peter.Kandlbinder@uts.edu.au

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Free Higher Education Teaching and Learning Library

HERDSA member Professor John Dearn is downsizing his large academic library and he has150 texts (in 12 wine boxes) in very good condition dealing with higher education theory and practice. He would be unhappy to consign these to landfill and is seeking any individual, institution or organisation that would be interested in receiving some or all of them as a donation.

If you would like the library please contact John Dearn at jmdearn@gmail.com

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In the spirit of reconciliation HERDSA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australasia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past, present and emerging.

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