Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia
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* HERDSA Blog Post: Do Educators Need to Understand the Gen Z Stare?
* HERDSA Community: HERDSA SA announces the outcome of its small grants applications for 2025!
* The Pedagogy of Student Belonging and Wellbeing Special Interest Group Meeting 25/9/25, 12pm
* Special Issue Call: Learning & Teaching with Social Justice in the University Classroom: Contemporary Approaches & Challenges
* CRADLE celebrates 10 years! "The road behind and the journey ahead" - 10th anniversary seminar
* CRADLE webinar series: New Directions in AI Research and Practice - 'Secure assessment tasks in a time of GenAI'
* Register now for the 5th National Symposium on the Student Experience and Wellbeing in Higher Education
* INVITATION | 2025 University of Sydney Business School's Learning and Teaching (L&T) Forum - 12-13 November
* Invitation to Mentor in the 2026 ACUR Undergraduate Research Program
* New articles in Higher Education Research and Development
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 Blog Post: Do Educators Need to Understand the Gen Z Stare?
Dhayani Kirubaharan, 17 September 2025
Dhayani introduces us to the Gen Z stare and how we may actually be misinterpreting it. What does the Gen Z stare reveal about generational differences and how the Gen Zers may be engaging differently?
Read more: https://herdsa.org.au/herdsa-connect/do-educators-need-understand-gen-z-...
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HERDSA Community: HERDSA SA announces the outcome of its small grants applications for 2025!
HERDSA SA is delighted to announce the outcome of our small grants applications for 2025! This initiative is aimed at building capacity at a local level with applicants from HERDSA SA partnering with other HERDSA members from different institutions within or outside of the state under leadership of a mentor to enhance their SoTL research practice. The winning teams were:
Dr Chinh Ngan Nguyen (University of Adelaide) and Ms Sandhya Maranna (University of South Australia) under guidance of Associate Professor Tania Crotti (University of Adelaide).
Dr Masha Smallhorn (Flinders University), Dr Narelle Hunter (Flinders University) and Dr Sarah Davey (University of South Australia)
Read more: https://herdsa.org.au/news/herdsa-sa-announces-outcome-its-small-grants-...
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The Pedagogy of Student Belonging and Wellbeing Special Interest Group Meeting 25/9/25, 12pm
Thursday September 25th, 12-1 pm (AEST)
The HERDSA Pedagogy of Student Belonging and Wellbeing Special Interest Group is having its first official online meeting. Please join us, Thursday September 25th, 12-1 pm (ACT).
Register for the session here: https://adelaide.zoom.us/meeting/register/KmEydJLZTNikZUvjBdZN9A
We hope to bring together a community of educators dedicated to fostering student connection, wellbeing, and engagement through evidence-informed and inclusive teaching practices. Our emphasis is on pedagogy that directly supports students, shaping learning environments where all feel included, valued, and able to thrive. We invite academics, professional staff, and educational developers to join us in sharing practice, building resources, and advancing SoTL in this space. Whether you are new to this area or already deeply engaged, we welcome you to collaborate with us in creating meaningful change in higher education.
Further information: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14727248/
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Special Issue Call: Learning & Teaching with Social Justice in the University Classroom: Contemporary Approaches & Challenges
Abstracts close Friday 6th October
We welcome 500 word extended abstracts to a Special Issue focused on social justice in and out of university classrooms for the Innovations in Education and Teaching International (IETI) journal, co-edited by a team at Western Sydney University, A/Prof Tai Peseta, Dr Ashlee Gore, Dr Peta Hinton, Dr Sky Hugman and Dr Ana Rodas as part of the Critical Pedagogies Research Group. The call closes on Friday 6th October, 2025. Visit the link below to learn how you can contribute.
Further information: https://tinyurl.com/3euyrfpk
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CRADLE celebrates 10 years! "The road behind and the journey ahead" - 10th anniversary seminar
Wednesday 15 October - 2.00 pm - 3.30 pm (AEDT)
Deakin University's Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE) celebrates its 10th birthday in 2025. From its modest beginnings with Foundation Director Professor David Boud, CRADLE has grown in reputation and influence as its members have pursued a research agenda encompassing assessing for learning, learning in a digital world, and assessing through and for work.
What is the CRADLE model and how does it seek to influence teaching, learning and assessment in higher education? In what areas is it making a difference?
Join us at Deakin Downtown or online to celebrate 10 years of CRADLE, as the current team - co-directors Prof. David Boud and Prof. Phillip Dawson, Prof. Margaret Bearman, A/Prof. Joanna Tai, Dr Juuso Nieminen, Dr Thomas Corbin, and Dr Jack Walton - reflects on our successes and what still lies ahead.
Further information: https://cradle-10th-anniversary-celebration.eventbrite.com.au/?aff=herdsa
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CRADLE webinar series: New Directions in AI Research and Practice - 'Secure assessment tasks in a time of GenAI'
2.00-3.00 pm (AEDT), Thursday 23 October
The proliferation of generative AI (GenAI) continues to pose challenges for educators seeking to ensure their assessments remain valid and secure. Bringing together leading assessment and academic integrity scholars and practitioners, this online-only webinar will discuss the urgent question of how to design secure assessment tasks in a time of GenAI.
Program-level approaches play a critical role in securing assessment, but their success seems to depend on what happens at the level of individual tasks. After all, it is difficult to see how course-wide reform can compensate if assignments themselves are vulnerable. The focus of this webinar is therefore on assessment change at the task level, asking: what kinds of assessment tasks work well – and which are no longer fit for purpose – now that students can readily access GenAI?
Facilitated by CRADLE’s Dr Thomas Corbin, this panel will look beyond in-person exams to highlight both emerging strategies and enduring principles for secure assessment in a time of GenAI. The panel will offer practical insights for educators grappling with today’s rapidly changing assessment landscape, and consider future directions for research and practice.
Panellists
• Professor Phillip Dawson, CRADLE, Deakin University
• Professor Cath Ellis, Western Sydney University
• Professor Danny Liu, University of Sydney
• Kane Murdoch, Macquarie University
Join us online for the third seminar in CRADLE's New Directions in AI Research and Practice series.
Further information: https://secure-assessment-tasks-in-a-time-of-genAI.eventbrite.com.au/?af...
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Register now for the 5th National Symposium on the Student Experience and Wellbeing in Higher Education
Friday 24 October 2025, 9.00am - 4.30pm
Higher education is undergoing a profound transformation. Many young people are questioning the value and relevance of a university education. Fewer students are coming to campus or engaging in the social and relational fabric of university life beyond mandatory classes. Meanwhile, institutions face shifting expectations and rising mental health concerns among students, in addition to the rapid integration of artificial intelligence. In this evolving context, universities must rethink how they foster student engagement, connection, and wellbeing.
Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on reimagining the student experience and enhancing student wellbeing in a rapidly changing world.
The keynote address on Motivation and Wellness in University Learners will be delivered by Professor Richard M. Ryan, Professor at the Institute for Positive Psychology & Education (ACU) and co-developer of Self-Determination Theory.
Further information: https://go.unimelb.edu.au/87gp
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INVITATION | 2025 University of Sydney Business School's Learning and Teaching (L&T) Forum - 12-13 November
12-13 November 2025
The L&T Forum committee would like to invite you to the University of Sydney Business School's Learning & Teaching Forum 2025, where colleagues from across the University of Sydney Business School and beyond will share their innovative teaching practices and educational research. The L&T Forum will be held on Wednesday, 12 November 2025, and it will be presented in a mixed mode, utilising both face-to-face and online platforms, to ensure everyone has an opportunity to participate. Register here: https://business-comms.sydney.edu.au/pub/pubType/EO/pubID/zzzz682aac64b3...
The theme of this year's forum will be The Future of Business Education – Disruption, Design, and the Student Experience.
Our confirmed keynote speaker for the Forum is Margaret Bearman, Research Professor within the Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE), Deakin University, with qualifications in both computer science and education. Margaret has researched higher and professional education for over two decades. She is particularly well known for her work on assessment practices, feedback, and university education in the digital world. Notably, she co-led the construction of national principles guiding Australian university assessment reform in the context of artificial intelligence.
More event information on the Forum, including our fantastic program of presentations, can be found on the L&T Forum website: https://ltf-business.sydney.edu.au/.
2025 Learning and Teaching Research Symposium - Thursday, 13 November 2025
Building on the success of last year’s Business Education Research Seminar, we will also be running a half-day Learning and Teaching Research Symposium on Thursday, 13 November 2025. This will be an online-only event, and interested colleagues are encouraged to attend.
Further information: https://ltf-business.sydney.edu.au/
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Invitation to Mentor in the 2026 ACUR Undergraduate Research Program
31 December 2025
The Australasian Council for Undergraduate Research (ACUR) invites your organisation to support the 2026 Undergraduate Research Mentoring Program by sharing this opportunity with experienced staff who may be interested in serving as mentors.
About the Program
The ACUR Mentoring Program connects undergraduate and honours students with mentors from academia, research institutes, and industry. Mentors provide valuable guidance on research skills, career planning, and professional networking. The program is designed to be flexible and low-commitment while offering high impact for students and mentors alike.
Activity Timeline
Mentor EOIs Open Now – 31 December 2025
Mentee EOIs Open 1 – 31 December 2025
Matching Period 1 – 15 February 2026
Pair Notifications Mid-February 2026
Introductory Session (30 min) Late February 2026
Mentoring Sessions (4 × 1 hr) March – May 2026
Final Wrap-Up Session (30 min) Mid–Late May 2026
Mentor Commitment
- Attend a 30-min introductory Zoom session and a 30-min wrap-up session
- Hold four 1-hour mentoring sessions with a mentee between March and May
- Offer advice on research skills, academic and career pathways, CV/interview preparation, and professional insight
Why Encourage Staff to Mentor?
- Contribute to developing the next generation of researchers and professionals
- Showcase your organisation’s leadership in research training and industry engagement
- Strengthen partnerships between academia, research, and industry
If you are able, we kindly ask that you circulate this opportunity within your organisation and encourage interested staff to submit an Expression of Interest by 31 December 2025 via the form Mentor EOI Form
Further information: E: mentoring@acur.org.au E: chair@acur.org.au
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New articles in Higher Education Research and Development
The Carousel: a mutual and parallel learning approach to design for societal transformation, Daniëlle Ramp & Caroline Hummels, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2025.2514512
Gender comparison of Jewish ultra-orthodox PhD students, Adi Binhas & Yaffa Moscovich, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2025.2548272
Development and validation of short version of university-program student engagement questionnaire (SUPSEQ), Juming Jiang, Alex Shum, Ronnel B. King, Lily M. Zeng & Luke K. Fryer, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2025.2548275
Evolution of academic roles, the emergence of education focused roles, and the policy solutions needed for building resilience in education focused academic roles in higher education, Pauline M. Ross, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2025.2548280
Exploring the current status and influencing factors of Scholarship of Learning and Teaching (SOTL) among Chinese university faculty in centers for learning and teaching, Lisha Liu, Mengyuan Liu, Saidi Yu, Huan Song & Shuoqi Song, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2025.2548276
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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.