“What does it really mean to use digital innovation and emerging technologies meaningfully in teaching and learning?” 

This question was at the heart of the fifth AAUT–HERDSA Webinar Series session: ‘Reimagining Teaching Through Digital Innovation: From Technology to Meaningful Learning’. The panel brought together three 2024 Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) Citation recipients, A/Prof Jahan Hassan (CQ University), Dr Bill Platz (Griffith University) and Mr Paul Van Opdenbosch (Queensland University of Technology) for a rich conversation chaired by Dr Pranit Anand (HERDSA Executive, Senior Lecturer in Cyber Security Management and Education, UNSW). 

Across very different disciplines from cloud computing and IoT, to studio art, animation and virtual production, the panel demonstrated that digital innovation could transform learning when it is driven by a clear educational purpose. 

Start with the learning need, not the technology 

Perhaps the strongest message to emerge from the discussion was the importance of putting pedagogy before technology. 

Rather than asking “What technology can we use?”, educators were encouraged to start with: 

What do we want our students to learn, what barriers are they experiencing, and what learning experience do we want to create? 

Technology can then become a means of addressing those needs in meaningful and equitable ways. Jahan highlighted the importance of iterative refinement, using student feedback to continually improve how technology is incorporated into learning. 

Making authentic learning possible at scale 

Jahan shared CQ University's virtual learning environment for cloud and Internet of Things students, which enables geographically dispersed students to remotely interact with real sensors and hardware, including robotic equipment. This approach addresses the challenge of providing authentic, hands-on experiences to students across different locations, while maintaining learning equity. 

Importantly, the technology was not the innovation on its own. The learning activities surrounding it were carefully designed and refined through student feedback. Students reported strong experiences of hands-on learning, with the skills developed also supporting pathways into research and industry. 

Rethinking assessment through digital technologies 

Bill challenged the assumption that technology necessarily makes assessment less authentic. 

In his studio art courses, moving assessment online through process-based learning, e-portfolios and digital documentation resulted in more than 90% of students strongly agreeing that assessment was clear and fair compared with less than half previously. 

The shift enabled students to make their learning process visible: documenting, reflecting on and archiving their work rather than being assessed primarily on the final product. The e-portfolio also created a meaningful professional artefact that students could take with them beyond university. 

Learning by doing and being willing to experiment 

Paul's virtual production work at QUT offered another perspective. Students learn within a highly immersive environment involving motion capture, LED walls, virtual environments and multiple technologies. 

But the emphasis is not simply on learning how to use the technology. Students are encouraged to explore its creative possibilities, experiment, test ideas and learn from what does and does not work. 

His advice to educators wanting to innovate was simple: give it a go, experiment and bring students along on the journey. In doing so, students develop not only technical capabilities but the confidence and mindset to innovate themselves. 

Designing for inclusion, not just access 

The discussion also highlighted that digital innovation does not automatically create inclusive learning. 

Jahan described combining synchronous online sessions, independent learning and group activities to support students across different locations and learning contexts. This blended approach provides opportunities for students to receive guidance when navigating complex technologies while also developing independence and peer learning. 

Bill similarly reflected on how students experienced his digital assessment environment as more accessible and equitable, giving them greater opportunity to take risks and learn through their process. 

What about GenAI? 

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. 

Jahan argued for using GenAI as a thinking partner rather than allowing students to outsource their thinking. Authentic learning activities can require students to apply, test and critically evaluate what AI produces in real contexts. 

This reframes GenAI not simply as a challenge to education, but as an opportunity to rethink what authentic learning and assessment can look like. 

A conversation worth continuing 

The session offered no single model for digital innovation and perhaps that was one of its most valuable lessons. 

The contexts were very different, but a common principle connected all three examples: 

Meaningful digital innovation begins with the learning challenge, involves students in the process, is refined through evidence and feedback, and uses technology intentionally to create learning experiences that might otherwise be difficult or impossible to achieve. 

As Jahan succinctly put it: put pedagogy before technology. 

We thank our panellists A/Prof Jahan Hassan, Dr Bill Platz and Mr Paul Van Opdenbosch, and to Dr Pranit Anand for leading such an engaging conversation. Thank you also to everyone who joined the webinar and contributed questions to the discussion. 

Couldn’t join us live? You can now catch up on the conversation and revisit the insights from our panellists by watching the recording here: https://youtu.be/j-a1O44Q_Y4

Coming up next 

The AAUT–HERDSA Webinar Series continues on 24 September with our next session focusing on Innovative Assessment. 

We look forward to continuing the conversation and exploring how assessment can be reimagined in response to the changing higher education landscape. 

Keep an eye out for registration details and join us for the next conversation.