Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia
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* HERDSA Connect: What does it actually mean to secure an assessment?
* HERDSA Community: HERDSA Pedagogy of Student Belonging & Wellbeing SIG: Community Update
* The CAULLT/HERDSA Award for Outstanding Leadership in Research and Development in Higher Education
* The next HERDSA Academic Development SIG Webinar happens next week
* HERDA Online Engagement SIG Webinar: Evolving Educator Roles in the Contemporary Higher Education Landscape
* HERDSA SoTL SIG -- Next Friday! -- Navigating SoTL Ethics Applications: A Practical Guide for SoTLers
* HERDSA SoTL Module Users are invited to joing the HERDSA SoTL Module Community Catchup
* Save the date for this HERSDA Workshop- From Conference Presentation to Publication: Turning Ideas into Scholarly Outputs
* Save the date - Moving through the 5C's for developing and refining SoTL research projects
* Are you interested in developing a SoTL project? Then Module 3 of the HERSDA Modules 'Foundations of producing SoTL' is for you
* Interactive / Interdisciplinary workshop to collaborate on practical oral assessment protocols.
* CRADLE Seminar Series: 'Designing self-assessment students can actually use'
* Have you been involved in a curriculum design project in the past 5 years? Add your voice to a study into curriculum design processes now underway
* 2nd Prevention Imperative: Universal Wellbeing Conference 2026
* CRADLE 2026 International Symposium Panel – ‘Beyond grades’
* Symposia invitation: “Pedagogies of Hope in Higher Education” from 9–20 November 2026 (free, online, hybrid of live and anytime)
* Free Higher Education Teaching and Learning Library
* Invitation to Participate: AI and Social Learning in Online Education
* Academic Writing and Leadership Sentiment: paired survey
* 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 Connect: What does it actually mean to secure an assessment?
Ben Harris-Roxas, 9 September 2026
Ben poses a simple but vital question: What does it actually mean to secure an assessment?
Read more: https://herdsa.org.au/herdsa-connect/what-does-it-actually-mean-secure-assessment
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HERDSA Community: HERDSA Pedagogy of Student Belonging & Wellbeing SIG: Community Update
The HERDSA Pedagogy of Student Belonging & Wellbeing SIG met on the 27th August 2026, with around 30 people registered. Hosted via Zoom, the meeting was a lovely opportunity to reconnect after the HERDSA Conference, welcome new members and revisit what we hope to achieve together.
Members introduced themselves and shared the different ways they are supporting student belonging and wellbeing through teaching, curriculum design, accessibility and inclusion, professional practice, research and institutional initiatives. It was wonderful to hear about the breadth of experience and interest across the group.
We also used a Padlet to share practical ideas, resources, areas of expertise and possible topics for future collaboration. The Padlet remains open, so members can continue the conversation and add ideas when convenient: Please email us for the link herdsasigpsbw@gmail.com .
The meeting reminded us how valuable it is to have a supportive community where educators can share ideas, build connections and encourage one another. We look forward to continuing the conversation and welcoming members to future meetings. Further information and resources will be shared through the SIG’s LinkedIn group. Join the HERDSA Pedagogy of Student Belonging and Wellbeing SIG goto LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14727248/
Further information: herdsasigpsbw@gmail.com
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The CAULLT/HERDSA Award for Outstanding Leadership in Research and Development in Higher Education
6 pm AEST on 14 September 2026
The CAULLT/HERDSA award for Outstanding Leadership in Research and Development in Higher Education recognises evidence of innovative and effective leadership in higher education.
Evidence of innovative and effective leadership should be provided to support one of the following areas of leadership:
Leadership in professional learning
Leadership in the scholarship of learning and teaching
Leadership in collaboration and partnership
Leadership in governance
Leadership in the enhancement of teaching and learning
Leadership in inclusion
Leadership development
To nominate for the 2026 CAULLT / HERDSA award for Outstanding Leadership in Research and Development in Higher Education, please submit the completed application form by 6 pm AEST on 14 September 2026. Late applications will not be considered.
Applicants must be current financial members of CAULLT and/or HERDSA.
Award winners will be announced at the 2025 CAULLT Conference on 23 October 2026.
Further information: https://www.caullt.edu.au/caullt-herdsa-award-for-outstanding-leadership...
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The next HERDSA Academic Development SIG Webinar happens next week
Monday, 14th September 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM AEST
Looking at academic development through the lens of distributed leadership
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.
REGISTER HERE https://events.humanitix.com/september-2026-herdsa-academic-development-...
Further information: olga.kozar@mq.edu.au or k.shoecraft@griffith.edu.au
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HERDA Online Engagement SIG Webinar: Evolving Educator Roles in the Contemporary Higher Education Landscape
Thursday 17 September
Evolving Educator Roles in the Contemporary Higher Education Landscape
Date: Thursday 17 September 2026
Time: 1:00-2:00pm AEST
Location: Online (you will be emailed a calendar invite and Zoom link prior to the webinar)
In this session three curriculum designers/third space practitioners share their perspectives on evolving educator roles in the contemporary HE landscape. The session involves experience exchange, insights about their current paper, discussing relationality, trust, and collective intelligences in the context of current views of AI in education.
Dr Juliana Peloche is a Senior Curriculum Designer at Edith Cowan University. With a doctorate in AI in education and over two decades of teaching experience across three continents, she works at the intersection of curriculum design, AI literacy, and inclusive practice. A third space professional herself, Juliana is passionate about empowering educators and learning professionals to shape how AI is used - and who gets to lead in an AI-enabled future.
Dr Charmaine Herfkens-Fernandez is a curriculum designer at Edith Cowan University. In her role, she collaborates with academic staff to design student-centred, active learning experiences, and assessments. She is passionate about developing curriculum informed by Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles and enhancing the quality of online learning. Charmaine has a strong interest in leveraging learning technologies to enhance teaching and learning and is exploring professional development approaches to support AI literacy among educators.
Jenelle Browning is a Curriculum Designer at ECU and collaborates with academic staff to design creative, student-centred learning environments and assessments informed by Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Jenelle believes that when educators and designers work together, they create the conditions for every student to thrive.
Further information: https://bit.ly/4qUTzzr
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HERDSA SoTL SIG -- Next Friday! -- Navigating SoTL Ethics Applications: A Practical Guide for SoTLers
Friday, 18 September 2026 - 12–1pm AEST (NSW/VIC/QLD)
This month, Dr Suzanne Bonner will guide you through navigating SoTL ethics applications.
Ethics approval can feel like a major hurdle for new SoTL practitioners. In this SIG session, we will share practical tips and strategies for putting together a strong teaching and learning ethics application, drawing on committee experience, extensive ethics work in teaching and research, and current experience reviewing SoTL-focused applications. We will walk through key steps, including when and why to apply, how to use the NHMRC guidance effectively, and common questions that often slow applications down. The session will invite questions to help address common sticking points in ethics applications.
Presenter: Dr Suzanne Bonner (University of Queensland)
Facilitator: Jennifer Sun (University of Sydney)
Register here: https://unisq.zoom.us/meeting/register/LCd16NSwTD2N9ecfXKWzOg Register for one or all of our SIG sessions this year!
To stay connected, join our LinkedIn group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14343410/
About the presenter
Dr Suzanne Bonner is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland. She received her PhD from Queensland University of Technology (QUT), where her thesis focused on applied econometrics for policy evaluation. Suzanne joined UQ in 2021, where her substantive role includes teaching cost-benefit analysis (CBA), shaping how students and professionals apply economic principles to real-world resource allocation and investment decisions. She also serves as Program Leader for the Bachelor or Economics. Prior to joining UQ, Suzanne was a lecturer at Macquarie University and Griffith University. Her more recent research has concentrated on the economics of education, the teaching and learning of CBA, and ethics in economics.
Further information: Contact the HERDSA SoTL SIG at herdsa.sotl.sig@gmail.com
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HERDSA SoTL Module Users are invited to joining the HERDSA SoTL Module Community Catchup
22 September
A benefit of HERDSA membership is access to the HERDSA SoTL Modules — a collection of 10 modules designed specifically for the HERDSA community.
The modules support national and international scholars to develop and refine their Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) knowledge, skills, and practice.
Connect, share, and learn with others
The HERDSA SoTL Module Community Catchup is an informal opportunity for people working through the modules to connect with others on a similar journey.
Join us to:
• share what you are currently exploring in the modules
• discuss questions, ideas and emerging insights
• hear how others are engaging with the modules
• exchange experiences, resources and helpful tips
• connect with the growing HERDSA SoTL community.
These casual catchups are a chance to learn with and from one another, and help make your SoTL journey a little less solitary.
Drop in when you can — whether you are just getting started, midway through the modules, or further along your SoTL journey.
- Next Community Catchup: Tuesday September 22nd, 2026
- Time: 11:30-12:30pm (AEST - QLD time)
These sessions will not be recorded. They are intentionally informal and conversational, creating space for open discussion and connection.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Further information: Join us via the TEAMS link - https://bit.ly/4gIPXgo
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Save the date for this HERSDA Workshop- 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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Save the date - Moving through the 5C's for developing and refining SoTL research projects
Thursday October 29th, 2026 - 11:30am-12:30am AEST (Queensland time)
Recognition of the value of the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) has grown significantly over the past decade. Yet many tertiary educators are yet to engage with SoTL. This is concerning given that SoTL can contribute directly to improved teaching quality, student success, and career progression. This presentation introduces a SoTL facilitation and planning tool – the 5C's framework, which
helps in demystifying and serving as a catalyst for enabling the SoTL process and reducing some SoTL participation barriers.
Join Associate Professor Alice Brown (UniSQ, HERDSA Executive and SoTL Portfolio Lead) and Dr. Olga Kozar (Macquarie University) for this engaging and refreshed workshop exploring the 5C Formula for identifying and developing strong SoTL projects:
- Concern
- Common Ground (Context)
- Crack in Knowledge (Complication)
- Your Contribution
- Course of Action
This practical framework will help you conceptualise and refine SoTL ideas with clarity and purpose. Whether you’re exploring innovative teaching practices, tackling persistent challenges, or engaging with student feedback, this session will empower you to select and design a high-impact SoTL project.
Bring your ideas and join the conversation!
Further information: https://bit.ly/3SwaQ51
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Are you interested in developing a SoTL project? Then Module 3 of the HERSDA Modules 'Foundations of producing SoTL' is for you
In Module 3 of the redeveloped HERDSA SoTL Modules we invite you to think about developing and moving through your own SoTL project. Whether you're continuing from previous modules or just beginning your SoTL journey, this module will guide you through the foundational stages of project development using the 5C Approach—Concern, Common Ground, Crack in Knowledge, Contribution, and Course of Action. You’ll explore how to identify a meaningful teaching or learning issue, connect it to existing research, and begin shaping a project that contributes to both your practice and the broader educational community.
A good project starts with a clear focus—and that’s where the 5C framework can help. This module will guide you through each step, helping you define a project that is practical, relevant, and manageable. You’ll also hear from educators who have used the 5C’s framework to inform and strategically approach their research.
By the end, you’ll have a structured plan to start your SoTL journey with confidence.
As well as engaging with Module 3, you may be interested in the following webinar focused on the 5C’s - https://herdsa.org.au/news/5c-framework-your-blueprint-sotl-research
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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Interactive / Interdisciplinary workshop to collaborate on practical oral assessment protocols.
Tuesday the 15th September 11am -1pm from Megaflex 3 RMIT Melbourne . Hybrid event .
AssocProf Jing Qi and Assoc Prof Ana María Ducasse are running an interactive workshop during Social Science week face to face and hybrid from RMIT on
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/can-students-defend-their-thinkingassess...
Can students defend their thinking ? An assessment & AI professional judgement .
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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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Have you been involved in a curriculum design project in the past 5 years? Add your voice to a study into curriculum design processes now underway
30 September
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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2nd Prevention Imperative: Universal Wellbeing Conference 2026
8 -9 October 2026
Are you interested in preventing harm, suffering, and poor wellbeing in New Zealand?
Would you like to contribute to preventing child and adult suicides, sexual and family violence, crime and addictions, mental and chronic health conditions?
Would you like to increase educational engagement and achievement, home ownership, workplace safety, productivity and a more cohesive society?
The above are the focus of the 2nd Prevention Imperative: Universal Wellbeing Conference being held on the 8th and 9th of October, 2026.
Learn about the evidence-based Universal Wellbeing Model, new research, solutions, innovations, and practice advances in Wellbeing Science.
Hear about the NEW Universal Wellbeing Charter and the vision to develop community led activities to reduce the above poor wellbeing metrics in New Zealand.
Special Registration rate for community, NGO, Charities, NFP, FWI graduates, students and the retired.
Further information: https://www.nzcdi.ac.nz/prevention-imperative-nz-2026
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CRADLE 2026 International Symposium Panel – ‘Beyond grades’
Wednesday 14 October – 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm (AEDT)
What might the future of higher education look like, if the sector was to rethink grading? Join us on Wednesday 14 October for CRADLE’s 2026 International Symposium Panel and hear from three experts – Prof. David Boud (CRADLE, Deakin University), Prof. Rola Ajjawi (University of British Columbia), & A/Prof. Lauren Hansen (Deakin University) – as they reflect on the future of grading.
Despite widely reported criticism, grading systems persist in most higher education contexts. If we were to reassemble how student achievement is institutionally represented, what might grades – or whatever emerges after them – look like? Facilitated by CRADLE’s Dr Juuso Nieminen, this panel will consider what the future of grading might look like in higher education, with each panellist offering a provocation on reimagined grades.
Join us for this interactive session at 2.30 pm (AEDT), in person at Deakin Downtown or online, to discuss how we might move beyond grades towards more meaningful ways of recognising student learning.
Further information: https://cradle-symposium-panel-2026-beyond-grades.eventbrite.com.au/?aff...
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Symposia invitation: “Pedagogies of Hope in Higher Education” from 9–20 November 2026 (free, online, hybrid of live and anytime)
Runs across 9-20 November 2026
We invite you to “Pedagogies of Hope in Higher Education: Capturing Visions of Hopeful Pedagogies” (a free symposium thanks to a Massey University grant), and encourage you to share this invitation.
Rather than a conventional conference paper, we invite participants to contribute one image (photograph, artwork, drawing, collage, or other visual) that says something about how you conceptualise or practise hope in higher education, accompanied by a short written, audio, or video reflection.
Across the two-week symposium, contributions will form a collective online collage alongside anytime and live discussions, keynote presentations, and creative workshops. We are interested in hope in all its complexity: uncertainty, questions, things that have not quite worked, and commentaries on the limits of hope are very welcome.
We know everyone is busy, so you can be as involved as and when and wherever you are.
Alice Beban, Elaine Khoo, Clare Mouat (The Hope Collective)
hopeinhighered@gmail.com
Further information: Full details, themes and registration form: https://perc.ac.nz/wordpress/pedagogies-of-hope-in-higher-education/
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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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Invitation to Participate: AI and Social Learning in Online Education
As part of an ongoing PhD project, we’re interviewing online educators and learning designers to explore how AI and social learning can support online learner experiences. We’re interested in the experiences of those involved in teaching, designing, and building online learning, and in understanding why they include, exclude, or reshape these aspects in courses.
If you self-identify as someone who teaches online courses or designs online courses as either a learning designer or academic developer who uses AI tools to support learning, we invite you to participate in a 30-40 minute online interview.
Please find more information and express your interest here: https://forms.gle/c7Z5USGCgEcR7aBJ7
This project has received ethics approval from AU HREC (4935). For further queries, please contact the principal investigator:
Wimu Thommadurage, Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning (C3L), Adelaide University
Email: wimukthi.thommadurage@adelaide.edu.au
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Academic Writing and Leadership Sentiment: paired survey
Calling on academics who are who are interested in the nexus between academic writing capability and academic leadership. Part of a broad program of research into academic leadership, this paired survey asks about your confidence with academic research writing tasks related to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL). You will be asked to rate your confidence one week after completing the first survey across the same academic research writing tasks. In the interim, some respondents will have participated in an academic writing development activity, some will not.
The analysis will pair answers across each survey, conduct time-lag analysis and evaluate the effectiveness of providing academic writing development opportunities. Please note - your data will be kept completely confidential. Your email is needed to send you the second survey.
Thank you for considering completing the surveys (estimate 12 minutes each).
Survey 1 link: https://lnkd.in/gP96XMmH
Further information: https://lnkd.in/gP96XMmH
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New articles in Higher Education Research and Development
Advancing programmatic assessment in dietetics through a multi-institutional community of practice, Gemma Jenkins, Claire Palermo, Therese A. O'Sullivan, Alexander M. Clark & Leesa Costello, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2722381
Enacting ‘Pedagogies of Kindness’ through attitudes of ‘Positive Regard’, Paul Tobin & Ciara Kelly, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2722418
Self-promotion on social media: the emotional experiences of Hong Kong PhD students, Hassan Nejadghanbar, Guangwei Hu & Wei Wei, https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2026.2722407
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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.