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Strategic Plan For the Teaching Development Unit

List of Contents

  1. Background
  2. Goal
  3. Mission Statement
  4. SWOT Analysis
  5. Strategies
    1. Strategy 1: Create awareness within SoBS
    2. Strategy 2: Encourage academic staff to use more interactive learning materials
    3. Strategy 3: Encourage academic staff to implement existing / new surveys
    4. Strategy 4: Provide support to academic staff for fund rising
    5. Strategy 5: Directly contact users and potential users of eLearning materials
    6. Strategy 6: Continue to support flexible learning initiatives
    7. Strategy 7: Continue to standardise WebCT sites
    8. Strategy 8: Provide technical support to academic staff in finding ways to encourage independent student learning
    9. Strategy 9: Continue to provide technical expertise on the development of interactive support programs
  6. Appendix

Teaching Development Unit Background

The Teaching Development Unit (TDU) was established at the beginning of 1998 by the Head of School to develop interactive multimedia courseware for inclusion in curricula of units offered by the School of Biological Sciences (SoBS). The TDU is managed by a committee and is responsible to the Teaching Committee. The TDU is located in room 519 in the Carslaw building level 5.

The TDU is involved in many aspects of the development of the Unit of Studies (UoS) including:

Other functions performed by staff of TDU include;

The TDU has established a University-wide presence and has been asked by a number of other departments on campus to construct learning resources. These contracts were delivered on time and within budget.

Prior to September 2003 one full-time continuing and one full-time contract courseware developers were appointed to the TDU. Casual and part time graphic designers and web developers were employed as needed. Following the resignation of one developer, only one full time developer is being supported by SoBS.

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Goal

Technological innovation and global competition are transforming higher education. Creating lifelong learners who are effective, critical and creative thinkers necessitate innovative inquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning that include the adoption of appropriate learning technologies. The TDU provides electronic learning resources with the goal of leading the SoBS to use advanced technology to improve student learning and make delivery of learning resources more efficient. To achieve this end,

  1. continue supporting development of computer assisted learning resources for UoS in SoBS,
  2. three full time staff will be appointed by the end of 2007,
  3. the TDU will also engage in profit making opportunities using electronic learning materials and the expertise of staff where appropriate.

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Mission Statement

  1. The TDU will continue to develop high quality instructional courseware materials delivered electronically according to the needs of staff of the SoBS.
  2. The TDU will pursue continuous quality improvement in courseware development, and support academic and technical staff to develop and apply appropriate technology to student learning.
  3. The TDU will create a "Content Management System" template to be used in various UoS to increase effective use and management of resources and reduce workload time for academic staff.
  4. To achieve enhanced learning, the TDU will:
    • Create interactive electronic resources to involve our students in the excitement and challenge of learning, thereby enhancing independent learning by students
    • Support learning technology innovation and adoption
    • Develop courseware of the highest standard
    • Ensure developments are pedagogically sound
    • Distribute learning resources effectively
    • Encourage academic staff to engage electronic learning materials for their teaching
    • Support efforts to increase income from learning materials and their development
    • Liaise with similar people and groups to ensure developments are current and relevant.

The TDU is committed to:

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SWOT Analysis of the TDU

Strengths

The TDU has developed a significant body of high quality diverse learning resources. The developments were produced on time and within budget. These resources have enabled the TDU to on-sell development capability resulting in independent income that has contributed to supporting the unit. The TDU has a sound reputation within the University of Sydney.

Weaknesses

The staff changes have weakened the unit through loss of expertise. Current staffing levels can simply provide support for existing learning resources, without development and exploration of new approaches. The use of electronic resources is primarily focused on junior units of study. The level of support and quality of learning resources are not appreciated by staff who have little exposure to the junior units.

Opportunities

We are now in the electronic age where many resources are available in digital form. This applies to learning resources. The experience developed by the TDU staff and the materials that have been developed provide SoBS with a sound basis to expand the resources made available electronically, and to exploit our expertise to develop resources for other users. The University of Sydney has explicitly supported information and communication technology (ICT). The TDU is in a very sound position to support the needs of the School in ICT for learning.

The TDU must find ways to increase income to enable support of staff for continuing development of high quality and diverse learning resources.

Threats

Loss of expertise. The SoBS is not able to financially sustain a second position within TDU.

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Strategies

1. Create awareness within SoBS of the crucial importance of eLearning in the future of tertiary education.

Developmental plan:

Encourage discussions within SoBS of the likely developments in student learning: -

Work with staff to enable students to access relevant learning materials: -

Provide support for staff to see how they may develop eLearning as a mechanism to reduce time spent on face-to-face contact while providing a sound-learning environment : -

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2. Actively encourage academic staff to use more interactive, student-centred learning materials and provide advice and support on the development of those materials.

Developmental plan:

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3. Encourage academic staff to implement existing/new surveys for their eLearning material

Developmental plan:

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4. Provide support to academic staff for fund rising

Developmental plan:

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5. Directly contact users and potential users of eLearning materials with the goal of becoming part of the consortia developing new resources in learning projects.

Developmental plan:

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6. Continue to support flexible learning initiatives such as use of the WEB as a resource base, the development of Laboratory Simulations, and Internet learning opportunities.

Developmental plan:

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7. Continue to standardise WebCT sites for each unit of study across the School, ensuring each unit of study is professionally designed, visually presentable and has an appropriate cognitive structure.

Developmental plan:

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8. Provide technical support to academic staff in finding ways to encourage independent student learning.

Developmental plan:

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9. Continue to provide technical expertise on the development of interactive support programs to academic staff for their teaching.

Developmental plan:

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Appendix

Projects completed to date include:

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