Learning and teaching guidelines

The following guidelines provide a framework of expectations for all courses proposed and delivered within our organisation. As a tutor, it is your responsibility to ensure that these guidelines are reflected in your course proposals, outlines, materials and delivery. Course proposals which fail to address the requirements of these guidelines will not be approved and courses which do not deliver on these guidelines will be removed from our program.

Structure provides direction to participants.

Has your course got a clear structure? Has each teaching session got a clear form so that participants understand the logic of each topic/theme to be covered?

Clearly articulated expectations, goals, learning outcomes and course requirements increase student motivation and improve learning.

What is the overarching learning objective(s) for the course? Have these been clearly stated? Are the learning outcomes included on the course outline/proposal? Have you included the learning objective(s) for each component of your course?

Learning is more effective when participants' prior experience and knowledge are recognised and built on.

How is this achieved in your course? How do you ensure that participants' experiences are utilised in their learning? How do other participants learn from each other in this regard?

Ensure there are activities that are interesting and challenging, and also create opportunities for participants to enjoy, enhance the learning experience.

What parts of your course will participants enjoy?

Effective learning is supported when participants are actively engaged in the learning process at every stage.

How does your course ensure a continuous learning journey which is connected from one teaching period to the next? How do participants know this?

Effective learning is supported by a climate of inquiry where participants feel appropriately challenged and activities are linked to evidence.

What evidence are you using? Do you provide a reading list? Do you provide information and data to support content?

Self-reflection allows participants to explore their experiences, challenge current beliefs, and develop new practices and understandings.

How does your course achieve this? How do you achieve this in each class?

Participants become more engaged in the learning process if they can see the relevance of the course to professional, study and personal contexts.

How does your course achieve this? How will ensure that your course remains relevant and up-to-date? How do you inform participants of the process you use to achieve this?

If dialogue is encouraged within the class it leads to a community of learners, student motivation and engagement can be increased.

What processes do you have in place to achieve this?

Participants learn in different ways and their learning can be better supported by the use of multiple teaching/learning methods and modes of instruction (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, and read/write).

What different modes of learning do you use in your course?

When participants are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning, they are more likely to develop higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation and be better prepared for lifelong learning.

How do you ensure this in your course?

Learning can be enhanced and independent learning skills developed through appropriate use of information and communication technologies (ICT).

What use of ICT do you make? Have support staff been notified of your requirements? Have participants been made aware of this prior to the commencement of the course.

Meaningful and timely feedback to participants improves their learning, even in courses without formal assessment.

How do you ensure that this occurs? When does feedback occur?

Our participants have diverse backgrounds, values and beliefs.

Please ensure that your choice of content, language and behaviour is appropriate for all participants, regardless of age, gender, background and beliefs. You are contracted to us in your professional role, not for your personal ideology, and your professionalism at all times is expected. Have you read the University of Sydney’s Code of Conduct?

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Ref: based on Emeritus Professor A. Lee’s guidelines www.guidelinesonlearning.com