HERDSA Notices 15 October 2025

* HERDSA Blog Post: ‘Keep it simple’ to make moments of authentic learning visible
* HERDSA Community: From vision to practice: Wrapping up the Australasian Symposium on Programmatic Approaches to Assessment
* HERDSA SoTL SIG -- This Friday!!! -- The reflective academic: Experiencing forms of autoethnography in SoTL
* Are you up for a coffee and SoTL chat?
* HERDSA Webinar: The 5C Formula for Impactful SoTL Projects
* Reimagining Assessment in Uncertain Times: Dialogues from the UK and Australia
* HERDSA Online Engagement in HE (SiG event) Widening the Doors in HE: Implications for Engaging Underrepresented Students Online
* Are you ready for the launch of the new HERDSA SoTL Modules?
* Call for Contributions - WEBINAR: Identity in Teaching and Learning
* 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: ‘Keep it simple’ to make moments of authentic learning visible
Kelly Galvin, 15 October 2025

Kelly introduces us to a useful (& simple tool) for assisting students to develop reasoning and reflection tools and the best part is you can create your own tailored version of the tool!

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HERDSA Community: From vision to practice: Wrapping up the Australasian Symposium on Programmatic Approaches to Assessment
HERDSA Assessment Quality SIG, 19 September 2025

Diana Saragi Turnip shares her observations of the inaugural Australasian Symposium on Programmatic Approaches to Assessment hosted by the ASCILITE Transforming Assessment SIG and the HERDSA Assessment Quality SIG. The opening session challenged participants to "think programmatically" and set the scene for case studies of program-level assessment in medicine, allied health, business, design and science. The symposium ended with great optimism for going the next step with the realisation that cultural changed is needed if universities are to go beyond silo-based thinking, atomistic assessment and individual ownership of assessment design.

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HERDSA SoTL SIG -- This Friday!!! -- The reflective academic: Experiencing forms of autoethnography in SoTL
Friday, 17 October 2025, 12.00–1.00 pm AEDT (NSW/VIC); 11.00 am–12.00 pm AEST (QLD time)

This month, we are going to look inwards and explore how personal reflection and autoethnography can enrich our SoTL practice.

Topic: The reflective academic: Experiencing forms of autoethnography in SoTL
Date: Friday, 17 October 2025
Time: 12.00–1.00 pm AEDT (NSW/VIC); 11.00 am–12.00 pm AEST (QLD time)
Check your time zone: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html?iso=20251017T01000...

Ever wondered how your own life can become a powerful forum to develop your research and teaching skills?

Let’s unlock the power of your personal story for your academic career. This session explores various forms of autoethnography as a powerful tool for the scholarship of teaching and learning. Join us to explore auto, braided, duo, and collaborative autoethnography as a methodology for professional and personal reflection. Students and scholars can engage with these forms of reflection. You can choose to participate in a mini practice during the session or just listen in.

Presenter: Dr Kay Hammond + Student

Kay brings a rich interdisciplinary background in psychology, education, TEFL, art, and comedy. Her practice is grounded in Ako– mutual teaching and learning – and she’s known for creating inclusive, engaging learning environments. A reflective practitioner and mentor, Kay supports diverse learners and colleagues in research and publication.

Join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14343410/

Further information: Feel free to contact the SIG at herdsa.sotl.sig@gmail.com

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Are you up for a coffee and SoTL chat?
Every Tuesday fortnight 12-12:45 pm AEST (QLD time)- Next Drop In's 21/10, 4/11, 18/11, 9/12

Are you interested in SoTL? Not sure where to start? Do you have an idea but need guidance on progressing it? Then join me for a coffee and to chat SoTL.
Use this time to explore a new idea or to develop a potential SoTL project; discuss a hurdle that’s blocking the progress of your SoTL project, chat about how to disseminate key insights from your SoTL study through a publication, blog, or conference presentation, or maybe explore a different methodological approach for exploring a SoTL phenomenon. Assoc Prof. Alice Brown (#HERDSA Executive and Lead for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning - SoTL modules and New Scholars) is organising fortnightly drop-in sessions to help navigate the world of SoTL. Whether you're new to SoTL or looking for ways to publish your research, these sessions are for you. Grab your coffee and drop in for some valuable insights and discussions. See you there!

Further information: https://unisq.zoom.us/j/559083948

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HERDSA Webinar: The 5C Formula for Impactful SoTL Projects
Tue 28 Oct, 12–1 pm Sydney | 11–12 pm Brisbane | 11:30–12:30 pm Adelaide | 9–10 am Perth | 2–3 pm NZ

What sets apart impactful SoTL projects from those likely to stall?

Join Associate Professor Alice Brown (HERDSA Executive and SoTL Portfolio Lead) and Dr. Olga Kozar (Macquarie University) for a refreshed, popular workshop, where you’ll consider the 5C’s approach for selecting a promising research topic.

1. Concern
2. Common Ground (Context)
3. Crack in Knowledge (Complication)
4. Your Contribution
5. Course of Action

This framework will help you to conceptualise and develop a strong Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project. Whether you’re exploring innovative practices, tackling challenges, refining methods, or engaging with student feedback, this session will empower you to design a high-potential project. Bring your ideas and let’s brainstorm together how YOU can select the most impactful research topic.

Further information: https://tinyurl.com/HERDSA5COct

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Reimagining Assessment in Uncertain Times: Dialogues from the UK and Australia
Wednesday, 5 November 2025 | 5.30–7.30 pm AEDT

Join us for a timely bi-national webinar exploring how assessment is evolving amid complexity, innovation, and change. This event is jointly hosted by the HERDSA Assessment Quality SIG and the ASCILITE Transforming Assessment SIG.

Professor David Tree (Vice Dean Education / Professor of Life Sciences Education, Brunel University London, UK) will discuss integrated and synoptic assessments in biomedical and life sciences, highlighting emerging data on student characteristics and equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Professor Peter Bryant (Associate Dean Education / Professor of Business Education, University of Sydney, Australia) will explore how generative AI is reshaping assessment design, policy, and academic practice.

Free online event. All welcome.

Further information: https://lnkd.in/gGwpmwJc

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HERDSA Online Engagement in HE (SiG event) Widening the Doors in HE: Implications for Engaging Underrepresented Students Online
Save the date - Thursday November 20th - 11am AEST (QLD time) - NSW daylight saving time 12pm

Globally, a key priority in higher education is to increase equity of access for students and successful degree completion. These outcomes are not only transformative for students but also directly benefit the institution, positively impact national productivity, the economy, and contribute to a more diverse and skilled workforce. There is a notable trend for underrepresented students to gravitate towards online study, drawn by its flexible learning format. Yet, while widening the doors to underrepresented students is commendable, it comes with significant responsibility for all stakeholders. Online teachers are evidencing significant effort, innovative practice, and focused attention on strategies to enhance engagement and learning online. However, limited attention has focused on exploring how online environments and practices may require nuancing to respond to the diversity of learning styles and considerations to afford success and enable equity in students to flourish. This HERDSA Online SiG event starts by sharing key insights from an innovative project that explored this issue. The study employed think tank methods and methodology and invited two groups of experts - those with online learning expertise and research background and those with equity expertise - to contribute insights to the question What would an increase in online enrolments of underrepresented students mean for the online teaching and engagement strategies we currently employ? Participants are then invited to share their considerations and discuss future implications and recommendations for key stakeholders who are committed to supporting equity of opportunity and success for underrepresented students who choose to study online.

Further information: Register - https://unisq.zoom.us/meeting/register/QJx6GbL8QSezRWffgIezXA

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Are you ready for the launch of the new HERDSA SoTL Modules?
Launch date mid November

HERDSA is excited to announce the upcoming release of the newly updated HERDSA SoTL Modules.

The modules introduce you to the nature, purpose, and process of the scholarship of teaching and learning, and act as a capacity-building resource to assist you in developing and refining your SoTL knowledge and skills.

It all starts with a simple “I wonder?”—a question that can spark greater student success and open new doors for your professional growth. The HERDSA Scholarship of Teaching and Learning modules invite you to follow a group of educators—just like you—who are new to SoTL, as they work their way from first…. Curiosity… to real impact. Along the way, you’ll engage with interactive challenges, guided reflections, and practical examples that make every concept come alive. From introducing the concept of SoTL to understanding why SoTL matters, you’ll move into Becoming an Evidence-Based HE Educator, learning how to ground your practice in solid research.

You’ll build the Foundations of Producing SoTL by exploring ethics, scope, and planning, then diving into SoTL Research Methods, such as action research, surveys, observations, interviews, and more. Next, you’ll connect your questions to larger conversations in a Module focused on SoTL Theoretical Frameworks, and then start to conceptualise and design your own inquiry and SoTL Project.

As you Implement Your Project, you’ll navigate real-world challenges in data collection … and learn from other people’s hurdles and roadblocks.

We have a key module to support you in Analysing and Interpreting Data, where you will explore how to turn raw data into meaningful insights. Finally, in the modules focused on disseminating Your Findings & Achieving Greater Impact, you’ll learn to share your results in ways that influence colleagues, inform policy, and spark lasting change.

Each of the HERDSA Modules are packed with relevant practical activities and real-life scenarios and examples that guide you through four phases of learning….discover….explore….engage….and connect, with opportunities to delve deeper into each topic if you want!

Further information: Enquire at https://forms.office.com/r/pkXF0BN5F4

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Call for Contributions - WEBINAR: Identity in Teaching and Learning
Deadline 12:00 noon GMT, Nov 17 2025; Webinar 13:00-14:00 GMT Jan 29 2026

How identities interact in teaching and learning is one of five “grand challenges” for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning identified by ISSOTL (2024).

This international webinar brings together colleagues to explore how personal experiences, perceptions of self, and demographic characteristics shape experiences of teaching and learning.

We encourage contributions showcasing empirical research, presenting theoretical frameworks or reflecting on experience, including the sharing of good practice. Contributions can be a 15 minute paper or a 5 minute lightning talk. The webinar will be on Zoom. Each proposal will be reviewed based on:
1. Its relevance to the Grand Challenges for SoTL #4
2. The extent to which it demonstrates an understanding of SoTL issues and/or existing scholarship in the field
3. The contribution of the paper/talk to the understanding of identity in teaching and/or learning

Questions? Dr Carol Robinson, co-chair of the ISSOTL Grand Challenge #4 subgroup. Email: carol.robinson@york.ac.uk

Further information: https://tinyurl.com/5xhm77z3

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New articles in Higher Education Research and Development

Developing an evidence-based pedagogical framework through investigation of current practice in teaching employability skills inherent to online groupwork, Terrie Paterson, Murray Prideaux & Riccardo Welters, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2025.2549416

What’s in a name? Indigenist Standpoint Pedagogy shakes up our settler-colonial academic identities, Nicola Wunderlich, Peta Jeffries, Sarina Kilham, Wesley Ward, Andrew Peters & Catherine Allan, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2025.2552312

The feedback process as a scaffold of evaluative judgement, Cedomir Gladovic, Joanna Hong-Meng Tai, Kelli Nicola-Richmond & Phillip Dawson, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2025.2559635

AI-augmented heutagogy: a framework for fostering self-determined learning and agency in higher education, Siew Hiang Sally Ng & Joel Weijia Lai, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2025.2564977

Inclusive assessment design: students with disabilities speak out, Juuso Henrik Nieminen, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2025.2564995

https://www.linkedin.com/company/herdjournal
https://bsky.app/profile/herdjournal.bsky.social

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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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