Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia
You are here
* HERDSA Connect: Doctoral Supervision Does Not Travel Unchanged: The Importance of Context
* HERDSA Community: HERDSA New Zealand Branch Year in Review
* Invitation to participate in a research study: Co-Designing a Professional Development Framework for AI-Driven and Emotion-Sensitive Educational Technologies
* CRADLE Seminar Series: ‘Assessment Design Toolkit – Embedding inclusion and security’
* Enhancing Equitable Hybrid Learning: Findings, Resources and Lessons from a Co-designed Project
* OECD-EU Research and Development Careers Survey 2026
* Invitation to participate in a study: Institutional readiness for program-level assessment in higher education
* Editorial on Hallucinated References: Journal of Studies in International Education
* 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
======================================================================
HERDSA Connect: Doctoral Supervision Does Not Travel Unchanged: The Importance of Context
Natasha Kitano, 21 October 2026
Natasha discusses the context dependent nature of Doctoral supervision and how it has changed in recent times.
Read more: https://herdsa.org.au/herdsa-connect/doctoral-supervision-does-not-trave...
------------------------------------------------------------
HERDSA Community: HERDSA New Zealand Branch Year in Review
The HERDSA New Zealand Branch has enjoyed an active year, with a particular focus on connecting colleagues across Aotearoa New Zealand, supporting the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), and creating opportunities to share research and practice.
In May, we hosted SoTL for Career-Building, an online kōrero for education-focused academics. The event attracted participants from across the tertiary sector and generated valuable discussion about developing teaching-focused academic careers and using SoTL to support career progression.
We followed this with an August online workshop offering practical advice on preparing conference abstracts and, in September, a HERDSA Revisited online event. This brought together presenters from four New Zealand universities to share research and stimulate discussion about assessment, artificial intelligence and contemporary teaching challenges.
Behind the scenes Angela Tsai and Donella Halbert, two invaluable committee members, have been working on the administration, risk management, legal and financial side of our activities.
Much of our energy is now directed towards TERNZ 2026, taking place at the University of Auckland from 25–27 November. The conference offers an opportunity for tertiary educators, researchers and practitioners to exchange ideas, build connections and celebrate educational research in Aotearoa. The programme includes interactive sessions and pre-conference workshops addressing important issues such as assessment in the age of AI, critical thinking and publishing educational research. We warmly encourage HERDSA colleagues to join us. Further information is available at www.herdsa.org.nz.
We are also delighted that Wellington has been selected to host the HERDSA international conference in 2028, providing another opportunity to strengthen connections across our community.
Our thanks go to committee members, presenters and colleagues who have generously contributed their time and expertise. We look forward to continuing these conversations and welcoming Kiwis and overseas colleagues to TERNZ in November.
Prof Susan Geertshuis
October 2026
------------------------------------------------------------
Invitation to participate in a research study: Co-Designing a Professional Development Framework for AI-Driven and Emotion-Sensitive Educational Technologies
The survey will remain open until 30 October 2026.
You are invited to participate in a research study that explores educators' experiences, perceptions, and professional learning needs relating to AI-driven and emotion-sensitive educational technologies in higher education.
How to participate
Please complete the online survey (https://utsau.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6D07lt0srmBzhxI) that will take about 10 minutes. Participation is entirely voluntary for academics and learning and teaching professional staff at higher educational institutions. At the end, you may optionally express interest in a follow-up co-design workshop.
UTS HREC approval number: HE-2026-0784.
For any questions, please contact Dr Amara Atif amara.atif@uts.edu.au or Dr Mais Fatayer mais.fatayer@uts.edu.au.
Further information: https://utsau.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6D07lt0srmBzhxI
------------------------------------------------------------
CRADLE Seminar Series: ‘Assessment Design Toolkit – Embedding inclusion and security’
Wednesday 11 November – 2.00 pm to 3.30 pm (AEDT)
In an age of artificial intelligence, how might educators design assessments that balance inclusion and assurance of learning? Register now for CRADLE's seminar on Wednesday 11 November to learn about the Assessment Design Toolkit and discover how educators can take practical steps towards more inclusive and secure assessment.
Assessment can compound existing barriers for students from equity and historically under-represented backgrounds but, in recent years, diversified assessment formats and delivery modes have enhanced inclusivity and broadened opportunities for diverse cohorts to demonstrate their learning. However, the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence has intensified concerns about assessment security and assurance of learning. Such concerns have prompted renewed interest in traditional assessment approaches like in-person exams, potentially curtailing progress towards more inclusive assessment practices. This tension raises an important question: how can educators design assessment that considers both inclusion and assessment security?
To support educators in navigating this challenge, a small team from Deakin University (Dr Nicole Crawford, Sue Sharpe, A/Prof. Joanna Tai, Dr Paige Mahoney & Alcy Meehan) have developed an Assessment Design Toolkit. It’s designed to help educators balance inclusion and security when designing or redesigning secure assessments.
To learn more about the Toolkit, and how educators might design assessment for both inclusion and security, join us at 2.00 pm (AEDT) in person at Deakin Downtown or online.
Further information: https://cradle-seminar-assessment-design-toolkit.eventbrite.com.au/?aff=...
------------------------------------------------------------
Enhancing Equitable Hybrid Learning: Findings, Resources and Lessons from a Co-designed Project
13 November 2026
Hybrid learning isn’t just a delivery mode - it’s a design challenge. This webinar shares findings from a CAULLT‑funded project that applied the Pedagogy-Space-Technology framework together with constructive alignment.
Find out about the practical guide, whole-unit and session-level planning tools and implementation support for educators that resulted from this project and learn how these resources were applied across disciplinary contexts to examine formative pre- and post-project evidence of changes in educators’ approaches to hybrid design.
Find out more and register here. https://lnkd.in/gGqS9xCp
Further information: secretariat@caullt.edu.au
------------------------------------------------------------
OECD-EU Research and Development Careers Survey 2026
Take part today and help put the spotlight on the world’s R&D community
Take ten minutes to help shape the future of research and development careers.
You are one of millions of R&D professionals around the world shaping science and innovation. Policymakers influence the decisions your work and career depend on, but good policy depends on good information. Contributing your perspective helps ensure those decisions are well-informed.
The OECD and EU have joined forces to develop a new international survey of personnel working in research and development. It takes around ten minutes to complete. The insights it generates will help policymakers and the wider community understand how R&D work and careers are evolving. Taking the time to respond ensures that your voice and experience are reflected in the evidence base guiding future policy on R&D careers.
This survey forms part of the work of the Research and Innovation Careers Observatory (ReICO) which brings together, for the first time, internationally comparable data, statistics, and policy-relevant evidence on the careers that drive science, technology, and innovation, covering more than 50 countries. For more information on the ReICO initiative, visit https://oe.cd/reico or contact us at reico@oecd.org.
Your answers are strictly confidential. Every response counts.
Access the survey: https://oe.cd/RD2026
------------------------------------------------------------
Invitation to participate in a study: Institutional readiness for program-level assessment in higher education
Researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) are seeking academic and professional staff at Australian universities to participate in a study exploring the institutional conditions that shape readiness for program-level assessment (PLA) and related curriculum transformation.
Participants should be involved in teaching, learning, curriculum design, assessment or academic development, and have at least six months’ relevant experience in program-level assessment, curriculum transformation or a related institutional initiative.
Participation involves a one-on-one online interview via Microsoft Teams, taking approximately 40–60 minutes.
Please review the Participant Information Statement and Consent Form (PISCF) and, if interested, complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form:
PISCF: 18. PISCF_Online_Interview_PLA_Study v2.0 clean.pdf - https://unsw-my.sharepoint.com/:b:/g/personal/z3541122_ad_unsw_edu_au/IQ...
EOI form: Complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form - https://unsw.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9ZhkEfUL2bvBG2q
This study has been approved by the UNSW Human Research Ethics Advisory Panel (HREAP D – Biomedical), Project Id 10236.
For further information, please contact Diana Turnip, PhD Candidate, Faculty of Medicine & Health, UNSW Sydney, at d.turnip@unsw.edu.au.
------------------------------------------------------------
Editorial on Hallucinated References: Journal of Studies in International Education
"False references, whatever their origin might be, indicate a significant break in the evidentiary standards that are expected of work published in peer-reviewed journals."
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10283153261498993
------------------------------------------------------------
New articles in Higher Education Research and Development
‘Think Twice Before Doing a PhD’: an autoethnography of doctoral affect through songwriting, Aide Chen, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2743012
Supervisors’ taboos in doctoral supervision: working outside ideals of excellence, Karla Brücknerová, Jakub Vlček, Jana Navrátilová, Barbora Nekardová, Tomáš Lintner, Boglárka Belovecová & Kristýna Šejnohová, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2739887
Gender discrimination in academia: a study on perceived and experienced discrimination among Polish academic staff, Katarzyna Ćwirynkało, Monika Parchomiuk, Marta Cichy & Piotr Wojnicz, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2739889
Mentor and mentee experiences in a formal academic development fellowship: a duo-ethnography of the HERDSA fellowship program, Nira Rahman & Rachael Hains-Wesson, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2743015
Narrating academic disengagement in Chinese higher education: institutional withdrawal and faculty identity work, Lina Sun, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2722400
Engaging the learner: measuring engagement dispositions in blended and technology-enhanced higher education, Shaun McCarthy, Edward Palmer, Nickolas Falkner, William X. Q. Ngiam & Kit Double, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2739891
------------------------------------------------------------
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.
