COMMENTARY ON THE
CODE OF PRACTICE FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING
RELEVANT ANU POLICIES, EXAMPLES AND EXPLANATIONS.

[NOTE:  The Code and this Commentary are currently under review]

Each of the principles stated will be expanded.

All those involved in teaching and learning are expected to:

• Adhere to the ANU Code of Conduct as it pertains to teaching and learning practice.

The ANU Code of Conduct can be found at

http://policies.anu.edu.au/policies/code_of_conduct/policy It contains numerous examples of appropriate conduct in the teaching and learning environment. All students and staff need to be aware of and abide by the University’s Code of Conduct.

• Value and respect diversity (including, for example, diversity of culture, religious belief, age, race, gender and other personal and group-based attributes).

Teaching and learning must adhere to the University’s policies for equity and diversity, which can be found at http://info.anu.edu.au/policies/browse.asp?view=topic&node=590.  

All students and staff need to be aware of and abide by these policies. In addition, the diversity of student and staff backgrounds, opinions and views is seen by the University as a valuable resource for enhancing critical, motivated and dialogic teaching and learning. For instance, international students can often provide illuminating differences of perspective on political, social and cultural issues in the classroom. Mature students, often with prior experience in the workforce, can bring valuable models of time and work management to the process of learning. The teaching and learning environment should support and enable this diversity rather than marginalize it through expectations that student views and work patterns conform to any “ideal” norm.

• Contribute to an academic environment free from harassment, discrimination and bullying, with access to complaint procedures which will facilitate speedy and just resolutions.

• Prevention of Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying at http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_DSTU/Policies/Prevention_of_Disc_Harass_Bullying.asp
• Student Complaint Resolution policy and procedures at http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_DVC/Policies/Student_Complaint_Resolution.asp.
• Grievance Resolution policy and procedures for staff at http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_DHR/Policies/Staff_Grievance_Resolution.asp
• http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_DHR/Procedures/Fieldwork_Safety.asp#appf

Should students find they have issues of harassment, discrimination or bullying they should contact the administrative office of the relevant College (eg

• Adhere to the rules and principles governing academic honesty

The University’s policy on student academic honesty can be found at http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_DVC/Policies/Code_Practice_Student_Academic_Honesty.asp . This policy stresses the importance of academic honesty to scholarship.

While it is the responsibility of individual students (and staff) to ensure that they practice academic honesty in the teaching and learning environment, it must be recognized that the expectations for academic honesty are not always clear, and that students are often unaware of what constitutes academically honest practice, in particular at the beginning of their career at university. It is therefore the responsibility of academics, course coordinators and managers to ensure that students are made aware of the University-wide and discipline-specific principles of academic honesty early in their time at ANU.

• Contribute to the academic distinctiveness of the University which is characterized by:
  • Teaching based in research and scholarship.
  • National and international orientation of courses and course content.
  • A climate of intellectual rigour.
  • A program which blends fundamental, professional and contextual learning.
  • High levels of communication between the University, its staff and students.
  • Continuous improvement of the University’s teaching quality.

ANU’s successes in implementing approaches to learning and teaching are being seen in national awards. For examples, see http://www.anu.edu.au/CEDAM/teachingandlearning/awards/CarrickAwardees.php

Best Practice Framework for successful coursework teaching

This section of the Code identifies for students, teachers and the University and its Colleges best practices for each stage of the semester*, namely, 1. Prior to the commencement of teaching, 2. During course planning, 3. During the semester, 4. In relation to assessment and feedback, 5. At the conclusion of the semester.

*or other period over which a course is taught

Students

Students should:

Prior to the commencement of teaching

• Make arrangements so that they can attend, as far as practicable, the class times and other scheduled activities for the course they choose.

To find out what classes and other scheduled activities have been arranged for a particular course, students can go to http://timetable.anu.edu.au/ and use the timetable builder. This is also the best way to check for potential clashes between class times. If clashes occur or a student is unable to attend a class or scheduled activity it is the responsibility of that student to contact the lecturer or course coordinator and make alternative arrangements. Many courses are taped and can be listened to at a later date; many courses also have extensive notes available either in hard copy or on the web via WebCT.

• Select courses for which they have pre-requisites.

The pre-requisites for all courses can be found in Study@ANU and the Undergraduate Handbook which can be downloaded electronically at http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/handbook/index.php. If students are in need of further information regarding pre-requisites they can contact the Course Authority for the specific course. It is the responsibility of students to ensure that they have completed all pre-requisite courses to ensure they have the knowledge and skills required for the course.

• Accept that the University may be required to limit choices because of available resources.

Just as students should not be disadvantaged by for example, their admission to an honours or master degree program where the University does not possess the expertise to supervise the research topic, it is important that students recognise that an academic area might appropriately decline to approve a research topic. Students should not then insist on pursuing their preferred topic by, for example, seeking to use external supervision. At least one supervisor for a student must be a member of the academic staff of ANU or a person with adjunct or honorary status within the University.  Similarly, staff on leave or engaged in other, conflicting duties, may not be available to offer courses they previously taught, and student acceptance of the University resource limitations is appropriate.

• Attend orientation and induction activities which ensure that they are in   possession of the required information before the course begins.

It is reasonable for academics to assume that students have accessed all relevant sources of information with which they have been provided prior to the commencement of courses. Good starting points for accessing University-wide information before beginning studies in a particular year and semester are:

• Students@ANU home-page  (http://students.anu.edu.au/ which contains a section on administration and enrolment
  
• ANU

  College
  websites (For example: http://cass.anu.edu.au/) and offices, which will provide all necessary specific information.

During the semester

• Engage in activities to further their own learning

Tertiary level study is undertaken by students who are classified as ‘adults’. Adult learners take responsibility for their learning processes and outcomes, engaging fully in the process by questioning, negotiating, engaging in independent study, and reviewing their learning outcomes.

• Read the course outlines and familiarize themselves with the rules about plagiarism and the assessment scheme and the deadlines for the course.

Course outlines are made available to students either in hard copy directly from their lecturer or Course Authority or electronically via WebCT (https://webct.anu.edu.au/login/). The University’s policies about plagiarism can be found at http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_DVC/Policies/Code_Practice_Student_Academic_Honesty.asp?tab=1.  It is important that students make themselves familiar with these requirements as failure to comply with them can result in severe penalties such as a 0% grading for the course and possible action under the Discipline Rules.

• Take responsibility for their own preparation for, attendance at and study about courses and course material.

The workload expectation for each six-unit course is 10 hours per week. As adult learners it would be expected that students would recognise the time demands for study and work and note the incompatibility of full-time study and long hours of employment. In circumstances where high levels of paid employment are required, part-time study may be the most appropriate choice for a student taking responsibility for their own learning.

At ANU, student services available to assist students take control of their learning include the:

• Academic Skills and Learning Centre (https://academicskills.anu.edu.au/)
• Information Literacy Program (http://ilp.anu.edu.au/)
• Careers Centre and employment (http://www.anu.edu.au/careers)
• Others http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/.

Students need to take responsibility for their course and program choices, their motivation to study and their engagement with a course. Relevant academic staff and University services available to assist students should be utilised by them.

• Complete all reading and other preparation reasonably required in advance of classes.

It must be recognised that teaching and learning are two-way processes, and that even with superb courses, superbly delivered, best practice in education will not be achieved unless the students engage with the process wholeheartedly and energetically.

It is reasonable, for instance, after due explanation and warning, for tutors to require students to complete reading or other required preparatory work before attending tutorials or other classes. In cases where students who have not completed such preparation are required to leave the class, it is necessary that some measure of completion of preparation be made, such as the answering of preparatory questions, or the completion of a summary of the readings. Academics will ensure that the requirements for class preparation, and the consequences of not completing such preparation, are made clear to students in advance. It is important in the implementation of approaches to encourage student preparation that students are not disadvantaged in their capacity to undertake assessment in the course. In short, while requiring preparation and engagement of students, sufficient opportunity must be granted for the student to comply with this requirement despite a range of personal circumstances.

• Access the required course materials and University support and assistance services to enable complete engagement in the teaching and learning opportunities in the course. 

It is the responsibility of students to make arrangements to access resources in order to satisfactorily complete their studies. This includes the utilization of electronic resources such as WebCT (https://webct.anu.edu.au/login/). This may also extend to student’s familiarization with the library and its services (http://anulib.anu.edu.au/lib_home.html), as well as with the campus Information Commons (http://students.anu.edu.au/StudentITGuide/5overview.asp).  Students from language backgrounds other than English in their first year of study should also take responsibility for ensuring that their level of competence in English is sufficient for their chosen course of study, and for engaging help in developing proficiency with the English language according to their particular needs.   The policy

Assessment Arrangements for Students from Language Backgrounds Other Than English is designed to assist students in these circumstances

(http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_REG/Policies/Assessment_Arrangements_for_Students_from_Language_Backgrounds_Other_Than_English.asp?tab=1). Check with College administrative offices for College based forms.

• Access the student services of the University if in need or if advised by staff.

The corollary to the provision of assistance for students, and necessary for the best possible teaching and learning is that students need to recognise their responsibility to make use of the student services and resources which are offered.

The University provides many services for its students such as the academic skills and learning centre (http://academicskills.anu.edu.au/) and the counselling service (http://www.anu.edu.au/counsel).

The web page, http://students.anu.edu.au, provides a full outline of these and many other services available to students to assist with both their study and personal circumstances.

It is reasonable and good practice, for academics to inform students of the services available and require them to access various support services (such as the Information Literacy Program - http://ilp.anu.edu.au/) as normal elements of their study.

In relation to assessment and feedback

• Appropriately prepare and complete in a timely manner all assessment items.

Students who do not submit assessable work on time cannot expect the same response regime as their peers. It is important, however, that when extensions have been granted, attempts are made to provide feedback to students so that their progress in the course is not jeopardised.

• Respect the academic and professional integrity of those making assessment judgments.

While students should expect to receive feedback in assessment that helps them improve their work, academic staff have, at times, found repeated requests for more detailed explanations of their grading decision to verge on harassment. Students need to recognise that academic staff are qualified to make assessment judgments and that respect should be accorded to those judgments. 

• Access the appeals and complaint procedures, if necessary, without recrimination in relation to their teachers.

Procedures for appeal are available in the case of assessment. See http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_REG/Policies/Assessment_Review_and_Appeals.asp and the Examinations Rules at  http://www.anu.edu.au/cabs/rules/ExamsRules.pdf

At the conclusion of semester

• Complete evaluation forms in a serious manner to enable staff to evaluate their course and/or teaching.

This ongoing evaluation of the teaching processes at the University allows for the continuous improvement of its courses over time. The evaluation of teachers and their courses is done by the Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods (http://www.anu.edu.au/cedam/evaluation/).

• Provide any other feedback to the teachers or the University to assist with quality assurance.

This can be done directly to the teaching staff or to the relevant

Teachers

Teachers should:

During course planning

• Coherently structure courses and organise and deliver them in a manner appropriate to the needs of students at that level

The organisation of a course may be clear to staff, yet remain unclear to students, unless the structure and rationale are made explicit by academics both orally and in the course documentation such as at the WebCT course site and reading bricks. Issues for which clarification may be necessary include, but are not limited to:

• • The relationship, in terms of structure and content, between components of a course (such as between lectures and tutorials);
  • The relationship between course goals, taught content and required assessment tasks;
  • The distinction between the expectations for courses at different levels (for instance, between a first-year and a third-year course);
  • The role of pre-requisite or assumed prior knowledge.
    
• Provide explicit and appropriate learning outcomes for every course, including both the subject-specific and the transferable capabilities the course aims to develop

Outcome-based learning is a central concept in modern approaches to learning in higher education. Framing the goals of a course in terms of expected learning outcomes, i.e. what a student should be able to know, do, or understand, rather than in terms of what an academic intends to deliver, has been something of a paradigm shift for much education in universities worldwide. Some detailed background information, including advice in the writing of learning outcomes, can be found at http://www.catl.uwa.edu.au/current_initiatives/obe/outcomes

Increasingly, students, academics and government are placing emphasis on the generic or transferable skills developed by a university education. Ideally, learning outcomes for a particular course will specify not only the subject-specific knowledge and skills being developed, but also those of more general applicability. Examples of such transferable skills include critical thinking, written and oral expression, research skills, team-working skills, and so on. The website http://www.clt.uts.edu.au/ATN.grad.cap.project.index.html indicates how this is done in some other universities.

• Create interactive learning environments, rather than environments in which the student is merely a passive recipient of information

Interaction, with an active role for the student in the classroom, has long been a distinguishing characteristic of excellent higher education. Traditionally, this has been in the form of tutorials in most subjects, and in lab- and studio-based work in certain disciplines such as the sciences and the creative arts.

Recently, increasing class sizes and staff-student ratios have made the provision of interactive learning environments more difficult. On the other hand, new technologies for teaching and learning have opened up new possibilities for engaging students. Those designing and delivering courses should seek to respond to positive and negative changes in the learning environment to enhance the quality of these environments for students. The Inquiry Learning website (http://www.anu.edu.au/cedam/ilearn) provides discussion and examples of inquiry learning in practice at the ANU.

• Foster the valuing of diversity and encourage the development of international, multicultural, gender and indigenous and other perspectives

As noted earlier, the diversity of student and staff backgrounds, opinions and views is seen by the University as a valuable resource for enhancing critical, motivated and dialogic teaching and learning. In addition to this, the values of equity and diversity can be included not just in the classroom, but in the curriculum itself. The quality of education can be enhanced by the inclusion of socially and culturally diverse points of view, as well as by new methods and ways of doing things as developed through the inclusion of people with a range of cultural and social backgrounds.

The University has units such as the JABAL Indigenous Higher Education Centre (http://www.anu.edu.au/jabal) and runs exchange programs, and study abroad programs (in the Faculty of Asian Studies) which contribute to the general valuing of international and diverse point of view within the University. Information relating to the more general services and opportunities available under the ANU’s student equity scheme can be found at http://www.anu.edu.au/equity/_resources/_student_equity.html.

Courses such as the Indigenous Cultural Awareness Session are also available to staff members to help further this goal (http://info.anu.edu.au/hr/Training_and_Development/index.asp)

• Provide interdisciplinary contexts and connections stemming from the subject matter

The idea of interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning in higher education has received much attention in recent years. There are those who advocate a broader, more interdisciplinary approach for its own sake, as a challenge to more traditional degree structures that concentrate on the development of deep disciplinary speciality.

This Code does not stipulate the desirability of one approach over the other. There are already many excellent courses and programs at the ANU that offer students a variety of disciplinary perspectives, and that make full use of a range of expertise and resources from across the University. Those responsible for the development and delivery of courses should seek to make use of the resources of the University as a whole in providing the best possible educational experience for its students.

• Create opportunities for experiential learning, through internships, work-practice and work-placement.

The ANU already has several excellent work-based learning courses available to its students. Some, such as the internship program, Australian National Internship Program (ANIP - http://www.anu.edu.au/anip/), capitalise on the unique role and location of the

• Provide consistency and equity in the organization and delivery of courses taught by more than one lecturer

Courses can be taught by more than one lecturer for a range of reasons. These include the ‘smorgasbord’ approach used in some first year classes, to streaming of students for reasons including class size, differing preparation levels and differing goals within the student body. In cases where one course is taught by more than one lecturer it is important that students have equitable access to educational opportunities in line with their educational goals. Specifically, students attending courses taught by more than one lecturer should not be disadvantaged in attaining educational outcomes through differences in expectations of prior knowledge, course content or assessment.

• Provide courses which foster a deep approach to learning, reflective practice, and develop a spirit of inquiry in the student

Deep approaches to learning, active learning, reflective practice, and inquiry-based learning are characteristics being developed as part of the Inquiry Learning project (http://www.anu.edu.au/cedam/ilearn/inquiry/ ) as well as many other courses across the university. A wealth of literature exists on pedagogical approaches that develop these attributes. A useful introductory article on deep vs. surface approaches to learning, with references, can be found at http://www.ntlf.com/html/pi/9512/download.pdf.

• Provide courses which develop critical thinking, conceptual understanding, and an awareness of the contingent nature of knowledge

The ability to think critically, and to make informed and independent judgments as to the status of argument, opinion and research, are often seen as the hallmarks of a graduate.

Such skills and understanding are most usually understood as attributes of courses in the humanities. There are many examples of their effective implementation in a wide variety of disciplines. An example of best practice, with regard to critical thinking in the teaching of Information Systems, has been given by the AUTC (http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/04/case25.html).

• Provide courses which engage with research

Teaching at the ANU has the potential for a unique basis, building on the ANU’s reputation as

The 1998 Boyer Report into undergraduate education at research universities in the

• Provide courses which meet the appropriate workload demands (6 units requires 10 hours of student work per week in a 12 week semester including formal class time).

Total learning time for students is broken down between “contact” hours and independent learning. A normal semester-long, six-unit course will require formal contact hours and additional hours of independent study. The total learning time required for a six unit course will normally be about 10 hours per week for most full-time students.

Of course, practice must vary given the type of learning environment and discipline. Lab- and workshop-based work will usually involve more timetabled or “contact” time; individually-supervised research or development of specific musical or artistic skills will usually involve less contact time and more independent learning. Problem based, clinical, or learning during field trips may involve inconsistent and irregular learning times and contact with teachers.

Teaching conducted in other modes (intensive, on-line, block) should be designed with the total contact of 130 hours for other six unit courses in mind.

The description of each course should indicate the number of formal contact hours.

• Design courses which contain diagnostic tools to enable early identification of students who are in need of additional support.
• Design courses which contain explicit assistance for beginning students making the transition to higher education both at undergraduate and postgraduate level and for domestic and international students.

Given the increasing diversity of student background on entry to higher education, there is a developing need for mechanisms to assist all students making the transition to the higher education learning environment. Crucial to the successful identification of students who may benefit from early additional academic skills and learning assistance, in particular those making the transition to higher education, are mechanisms built into individual courses for making this identification. Early, formative, small-scale but comprehensive assessment tasks are one such tool. Embedding an element of genuine self-reflection on the part of the student is another important aspect of this process. In addition, the availability of teaching staff for individual consultations with students, and developing an atmosphere in which such consultation is encouraged, is also vital for providing students with the support that will give the best chance of academic success.

During semester

• Provide course outlines that contain the names and contacts details for teaching staff, contact times when these are known, the web address of the WebCT course site, if there is one for the course and relevant rules or policies such as those that relate to academic progress or to plagiarism.

It is expected that course outlines including the assessment details will be provided to students not only in hard copy by week two of teaching but on the WebCT site for the course. Assistance for staff in doing this can be found at http://information.anu.edu.au/daisy/infoservices/971/977.html or by e-mailing WebCTHelp@anu.edu.au.

• State weekly times for students to seek advice on individual courses.

Different faculties, departments and other academic areas have different policies regarding individual appointments with staff. Many staff adopt “consultation hours” – times in which they will be available in their offices to respond to student questions. Others prefer to handle inquiries via email in the first instance. Many academics report frustration with the amount of time they have to discuss academic issues with students, owing to great pressures to complete administration and research. It is the responsibility of not only academics, but also academics’ supervisors and of

• Ensure that conflict of interest situations are handled appropriately and in accordance with University policy

Conflict of interest occurs when a University student or member of staff has outside interests that impinge on their ability to conduct their activities at the University with integrity. The University’s policy on Conflict of Interest and Commitment  (http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_DRO/Policies/Conflict_of_Interest.asp) has as its basis three main principles. These are:

o        disclose always;

o        manage the conflict where appropriate; and

o        prohibit any activity when necessary to protect the public interest or the interests of the University.

In relation to assessment and feedback:

• Follow the University policies on the nature and timing of assessment

These policies can be found at http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_REG/Policies/Determination_of_Systems_of_Assessment.asp?tab=1 and http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_REG/Policies/Assessment_Review_and_Appeals.asp?tab=1

In line with these policies, teaching staff should indicate:

• whether past examination papers can be accessed and where from (see also http://anulib.anu.edu.au/online/exams/)
• whether examination questions will be released prior to open book and/or closed book examinations
• whether there will be model answers and past examination answers and how these can be accessed and when
• the practice for students to be able to inspect non-returnable assessment and consult the lecturer about their performance in the assessment.

Provide clear, timely and accessible information about the nature of and criteria for assessment in all their courses.

Recent research has highlighted the important role assessment plays in defining the goals and purpose of learning for students[1].Timely and complete information about assessment is important to ensure fair and transparent treatment for students. This information is also fundamental in shaping students’ attitudes to learning, hence the importance of clearly linking course goals to assessment requirements.

Many areas of the University contribute to assessment processes. Assessment ranges from highly informal tutorial tasks where feedback is the priority, for which criteria are stipulated by individual tutors, through to major dissertations that represent the majority of a student’s work for a degree, and in which the University is ultimately responsible for establishing assessment criteria. Issues of examination timetabling and procedures for the submission of coursework are also relevant to students’ understanding of assessment requirements.

• Explicitly link assessment requirements to desired learning outcomes specified as part of the course goals

Learning outcomes are discussed above. Not only is it best practice for the aims and objectives of courses to be couched in terms of student-centered learning outcomes, but also, that these outcomes are linked to assessment in a way that is clear to the student. If a course aims to develop a particular balance of skills, knowledge and understanding, then the assessment requirements need to reflect that it is precisely this balance that is being assessed.

• Give constructive and developmental feedback on all items of formative assessment the student completes appropriately.

Some areas of education at the ANU already define expectations as to the nature and timing of feedback on work submitted. See for instance the ANU Code of Practice - Supervision in Higher Degrees by Research   at http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_DVC/Policies/Supervision_in_Higher_Degrees_by_Research.asp, Determination of Systems and Consultation on Assessment at  http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_REG/Policies/Determination_of_Systems_of_Assessment.asp?tab=1   and Assessment Review and Appeals policy at

As a general rule, students should be able to expect feedback on work submitted for assessment. The time frame for this may vary. For instance, assessment that is essentially aimed to provide feedback and skills improvement, and/or for which the feedback is vital for examination preparation, may well have a faster normal turnaround time. Assessment that is essentially aimed at assessing an overall standard of performance and/or that requires external examination may require a longer period of time.

Note that in situations where students do not initially complete the work within the expected timeframe (such as when they are granted an extension on the basis of illness), it is not reasonable for the student to expect the work to be returned with feedback at the originally specified time.

Teachers should ensure that documentation that specifies assessment requirements, criteria, and submission dates also stipulates the process and time whereby the students will receive feedback on the assessed work.

• Not demoralise or humiliate students through verbal or written feedback about assessment

Feedback given to students is intended as a learning tool and should therefore be in the form of constructive criticism, never gratuitous belittlement. If a student feels they have been unfairly demoralised or humiliated they should contact the Dean of Students (http://www.anu.edu.au/dos/index.html).

• Conduct assessment equitably, accountably, within appropriate assessment periods, and with external examination or moderation where appropriate

With good reason, students often consider the processes surrounding assessment to be the most important they encounter in the course of their studies. Students can reasonably expect the assessment of their work to be conducted equitably, rigorously and accountably in all cases.

All documents and records held regarding students, including in this instance examiners’ reports or other documentation to do with assessment, must be made available to those individuals on request (the University is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (1982) – see http://www.anu.edu.au/records/foi.php#_Freedom_of_Information ). Such records need to clearly and objectively evaluate students’ work against published criteria for assessment.

The University’s statement on Privacy and Acceptable Use of Information Provided by Students is published in the Undergraduate Handbook (http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/handbook/) and in the SEAP Guide (http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/SEAP_guide/)

All teaching staff involved in assessment need to adhere to these principles. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of College Deans to ensure that assessment procedures and practices in a Faculty/Research School/University Centre are fair, consistent and accountable.

• Give feedback within a reasonable time before they sit the final examination in the course.

Feedback given on assessment items submitted throughout the course is a valuable learning tool for students. Through this feedback, students can become aware of their own strengths and weaknesses in terms of both the knowledge of subject matter and their own learning strategies. In this way, the feedback given by the teaching staff is a valuable resource for students in the lead up to the final exam.

• Not schedule a final examination in the last two weeks of semester

Policies and practices on the timing of assessment are set out in the Determination of Systems and Consultation on Assessment at http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_REG/Policies/Determination_of_Systems_of_Assessment.asp?tab=1

• Provide timely access to the final results for courses - in particular, results should ordinarily be available before the student is required to enrol in the next semester’s courses

The existing University calendar ensures that students receive their results in good time. It is the responsibility of teaching staff, administrative staff in ANU Colleges involved with the processing of assessment results, and of College Deans, to ensure that the deadlines set by the University are met.

• Submit final grades for each student for the course

This is particularly important for final year students for whom graduation is reliant on their passing all courses. Final grades for a course may also impact upon the students’ future enrolment decisions.

At the conclusion of semester

• Give students the opportunity to give constructive feedback on their experience
• Use results they obtain through such feedback to improve the course for future student groups

The University has adopted the principle of regular evaluation by students of their courses across the University’s educational provision. This is often through questionnaires, focus groups and other services.  No one evaluation process has yet been found that meets the requirements of all stakeholders (staff, students, managers, the Government, and the general public), or that addresses the particularities of teaching and learning in different disciplines. Nevertheless, some 80% of the University’s courses are regularly evaluated through mechanisms developed or provided by the Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods. See http://www.anu.edu.au/CEDAM/evaluation/. A robust, self-reflective culture continues to develop at the ANU from within local areas and the ANU policy on course evaluation is subject to regular review.

It is the responsibility of College Deans and to ensure that all students have the opportunity to give evaluation and feedback on their experience of studying within the faculty, and that such feedback is genuinely used in the processes of teaching and course development.

• Give constructive feedback to the College Executive Committee Chair or Dean on the state of teaching facilities including equipment and the number and adequacy of rooms
• Provide input to reviews and planning of online or other teaching and learning systems or enhancements

An example of this is the Flexible Learning Working Party that was held in 2006. The report that arose from this working party http://info.anu.edu.au/OVC/Committees/040PP_Education/_uecmtg1_2007/166flexiblelearningreport_finalnov07.pdf  places emphasis on the University’s utilization of electronic resources and non-traditional teaching methods to enhance the learning process for its students. In order then for the University to achieve this goal, it is important for staff to provide feedback as to how these teaching systems are working, and what further developments could be made.

The University and its Colleges

The University and its Colleges should:

Prior to the commencement of teaching

• Provide to students coherently structured programs and courses, which are organised and delivered in a manner appropriate to the needs of students at that level

This is the responsibility of the College Dean and should be done well enough in advance of the commencement of teaching as to allow students to make decisions about enrolment in such courses. Having a well-planned course structure is also essential to the quality of teaching at the University.

• Provide orientation and induction decisions which ensure that students are in possession of required information before the program or course begins
• Provide students with clear, timely, reliable and accessible information about processes and criteria for enrolment in courses, the availability of courses, timetable details, course content and structure, and assessment requirements

A recurring issue of importance to students is that of clear and timely information about all aspects of their courses. This is particularly important for the increasing number of students pursuing combined degree programs. Academics and those responsible for planning courses need to be aware that the majority of ANU students need to coordinate requirements from more than one

Some guidelines include:

• • The publication of available courses, admission requirements (including prerequisites), timetable, and other information relevant to students’ enrolment, ideally at least three months before the beginning of courses (e.g. Study@ANU; and http://timetable.anu.edu.au/).
    
  • While flexibility is encouraged to meet student needs, awareness of the arrangements that students might have made, or might need to make, to meet published requirements makes planning and predictability in academic teaching calendars a priority.
    
  • The Undergraduate Handbook and Study@ANU website not only list course availability and content but the proposed assessment for each course specified in terms of the number and types of proposed assessment items (e.g. two 2,500 word essays and a final examination). Addition of weightings to these specifications would be best practice (e.g. two 2,500 word essays (50%) and a final examination (50%).
    
  • The final determination of assessment requirements for courses, after consultation with students, no later than the end of the second week of the course. See the Determination of Systems and Consultation on Assessment at http://info.anu.edu.au/policies/.
    
• Involve teachers in the planning and ongoing development of all courses which they are expected to teach 

Where possible, it is important for all academic teachers – whether permanent or sessional, full- or part-time, to be part of the planning of courses and their ongoing development. Excellence in teaching is linked both to the academics’ understanding of how a lecture, seminar or other class contributes to the overall aims of the course, and to the academics’ sense of engagement with and ownership of the subject matter.

Particularly important is the involvement of the teaching staff with processes of course evaluation and development. Course evaluation is most importantly a tool for quality enhancement, and this comes about when such evaluation is seen as constructive and directly relevant to the concerns and responsibilities of academics.

All academics, supervisors of academics, College Deans, Directors and heads of area, need to ensure that teaching staff have the opportunity to be involved in the planning and development of courses on which they are expected to teach.

• Provide access by appointment to appropriate Faculty/Research School/University Centre or College staff to students seeking advice on their overall program of study (including combined degree programs)

It is important for students to be able to seek advice on their programs in order to ensure, for example, that they are doing the correct amount of units to gain a major in a particular subject area, or that they have enough units to graduate on time.

• Provide appropriate staff development opportunities to teachers to enable them to deliver courses to an adequate standard, to be in a position to offer appropriate advice and guidance to individual students, and to remain up-to-date in pedagogical methods and technologies

The ANU offers an increasing variety of professional development to its academics. Apart from locally-run programs within ANU Colleges, and individual professional development activities undertaken by staff, there is also an award program (Graduate Certificate in Higher Education) and a number of courses and one-off seminars offered by the Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods and other areas of the University (see http://sts.anu.edu.au/teaching/ and http://www.anu.edu.au/CEDAM/). For graduate students involved in teaching, the University offers the Graduate Teaching Program and the opportunity to enroll in the Grad Cert HE. (http://www.anu.edu.au/graduate/gtp/ and http://www.anu.edu.au/CEDAM/1_graduate_programs/index.html).

Even for excellent, experienced academic teachers, professional development should be seen as part of normal academic duties. There is an increasing rate of change to the university teaching and learning environment, brought about through changes in pedagogical practice, student expectations, University initiatives such as the iLearning project, and developments in teaching and learning technology. Academics and managers need to accommodate academics’ professional development needs as a standard element in teaching workloads.

All academics’ supervisors, and College Deans, Directors and heads of area, need to ensure that teaching staff have access to appropriate development to support the teaching they are required to undertake.

• Provide teachers with the support and assistance services to allow the development and delivery of courses

Staff need access to the same University support and assistance services in order to enhance their courses. This includes for example access to the Library’s Digital Media Suite for training in information literacy and updates on technology. Sessional staff has access to the Information Literacy Program (http://ilp.anu.edu.au/), which trains them in teaching information literacy skills to their students. Academic Skills and Learning Services (https://academicskills.anu.edu.au/) also provide training for sessional teaching staff. Scholarly Technology Services (http://sts.anu.edu.au/), the Research Student Development Centre (http://researchstudents.anu.edu.au/) and CEDAM (http://www.anu.edu.au/CEDAM/) supply related services to all staff.

• Specify workloads for both staff and students who are associated with courses to be reasonable, and consistent with established benchmarks

It is becoming increasingly well documented that students are required to accept paid employment in order to resource their studies. According to the AVCC’s report ‘Australian University Student Finances 2006’, 81.5% of students were involved in paid employment, with the average hours worked per week being 14.8. These figures were significantly increased since the last survey in 2000. The financial pressure on students and the subsequent need to undertake paid employment can put considerable pressure on full-time students for whom the 40-hour workload described above can be difficult when undertaken with part-time work. In circumstances where high levels of paid employment are required, encouraging part-time study might be the best option for the student concerned. All teachers, CourseAuthorities, College Deans and Faculty/Research School/University Centre Directors need to ensure that the workload requirements of all courses are in line with University expectations.

For teaching staff, the ANU policy on workloads can be found at http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_DHR/Policies/Hours_of_Work.asp?tab=1. Workload expectations are negotiated at local (Faculty/Departmental/School/Centre) level. It is the responsibility of academics’ supervisors to ensure that the preparation, delivery, assessment, evaluation, and professional development workloads associated with the delivery of a course are reasonable, equitable, and consistent with University benchmarks.

The salary schedule for sessional staff identifies between two and four hours development time as normal in the preparation of a one-hour lecture and that one-hour’s preparation is required for each hour of tutorial work. 

It is acknowledged that for class preparation involving significant input of new research and knowledge that significantly longer preparation times are common.

• Provide access to students to a diverse range of teachers who, by their appointment to the University, can be expected to possess the qualifications, experience, scholarly understanding and pedagogical ability appropriate to the nature and level of the course

The ANU possesses one of the most highly qualified and experienced body of academic staff of any Australian university. The University regards maintaining this position of national leadership as one of its most important priorities in the area of education. It is one of the reasons why the ANU is the institution of choice for many students.

It is incumbent on supervisors, heads of academic areas, and College Deans and Faculty/Research School/University Centre Directors to ensure that staff are appropriately qualified and experienced to deliver the courses they are required to teach. This requirement must inform several types of management decisions in the University:

• Appointment processes and deliberations must adequately reflect the teaching responsibilities, as well as research and other responsibilities, of the position being filled.
  
• Teaching development opportunities need to explicitly address the requirements for teaching expertise of individual members of staff, both in terms of the type of professional development undertaken, and adequate arrangements in terms of staff workload for such development to be successfully completed.
  
• Team-teaching and other mentoring processes need to be used proactively by managers to ensure the development, maintenance and enhancement of staff expertise, as appropriate to the level and experience of individual staff.
  
• Decisions to introduce new courses, or to offer particular courses in particular semesters, need to be made bearing in mind staff expertise as an issue of paramount importance.

During semester

• Provide adequate resources for the satisfactory development, delivery and completion of all offered courses

It is the responsibility of College Deans and Faculty/Research School/University Centre Directors to ensure that all courses offered by a

Faculty/Research School/University Centre are adequately resourced.

No student should be placed in a situation in which staff or material resource issues have a deleterious effect on their chances of successfully completing a course or program. An example might be the admission of a student to an honours or master degree program where the University does not possess the expertise to supervise the research topic.

Academics should not be expected to deliver a course where the resources are demonstrably inadequate for the fulfillment of the course objectives. An example might be a course, which relies on student access to a specific piece of laboratory equipment, where the time available for access to the equipment is too small to meet the requirements of the number of students enrolled.

• Offer equal access to learning resources (such as libraries or electronic resources) at a level and quality appropriate to the requirements of the course

Course content, structure, and assessment requirements should always be formulated in the light of available learning resources. It is the responsibility of College Deans and Faculty/Research School/University Centre Directors, in cooperation with those responsible for all types of learning resource provision, to ensure that all courses offered by a Faculty/Research School/University Centre are not only appropriately resourced, but also that students have equal and adequate access to these resources.

• Provide services which provide University-wide teaching and learning opportunities

This can extend from the provision IT services, to the creation of professional development opportunities for teaching staff.

In relation to assessment and feedback

• Handle appeals and complaints quickly and fairly and according to the rules of the University, and free from recrimination

In particular, College Deans should be satisfied that the procedures in place for students to raise genuine concerns about their assessment should be free from the potential for conflict of interest. Procedures which initially require students to consult with their academics and examiners to seek clarification of marks awarded are excellent in that they allow deep and genuine feedback for the student (http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_REG/Policies/Assessment_Review_and_Appeals.asp). However, students must also have the opportunity available to them to raise issues of concern, where genuine, through an objective and unprejudiced process.

At the conclusion of the semester

• Treat the results of evaluations of courses in a manner that respects the professional integrity of teachers

Often, student evaluation of courses produces some anxiety in the minds of those responsible for the design and delivery of courses. This is sometimes because they feel that students will not be able to give a balanced evaluation until – sometimes years later – the full benefit of the course has been realised. This is a reasonable anxiety, and needs to be respected by those who have the responsibility to act on the results of evaluation.

Sometimes, academics feel that the results of evaluation will be used out of context, and be subject to misinterpretation, such as when a major innovation is being introduced for the first time. Again, it is reasonable that results be interpreted in the light of issues such as available resources, staff workloads and experience, and less definable factors such as the learning culture of the particular academic area. Again, this is reasonable, and means that evaluation data need to be interpreted by those with a good knowledge of the academic area – supervisors, heads of department, and in some cases Faculty Deans and Research School/University Centre Directors. Evaluation data should not be used so as to provide publicly available “league tables” of academics, courses or small academic areas.

Finally, ‘over-evaluation’ (like over surveying) can produce ennui in the evaluated group and their responses may not be as thoughtful or as rigorous as required for some of the uses to which they are put. In general, it will be the academics themselves who know when and what they need to evaluate in order to provide the best information for their reflection, improvement and growth. Recognising the professional integrity of academics is the best way to ensure appropriate evaluation, which will be used for systematic review and improvement.

• Fully recognise teaching quality in the performance review and promotion practices of the University as assessed by means that might include, but would not be limited to, student surveys.

One incentive for the attainment of excellence in teaching is for this to be clearly and unambiguously recognised in the promotions and performance review processes and policies of the University. Likewise, genuine and robust attention to teaching quality on the part of managers and supervisors is important to ensure that appropriate measures, such as teaching development opportunities, are put in place in situations in which teaching quality needs to be improved. It is vital for those responsible for the management of teaching and learning to place due emphasis on teaching quality, in the interests of both the academics and their students.

University policies on promotions and ‘Supporting Our Staff’  http://info.anu.edu.au/hr/salaries_and_conditions/policy_info/academic_promotions/index.asp; http://info.anu.edu.au/Policies/_DHR/Policies/ Supporting_Our_Staff.asp?tab=1) give due emphasis to the teaching activities of academic staff. It is important that these emphases are fully implemented.

[1]  For instance, Richard James, Craig McInnes, Marcia Devlin, Assessing Learning in Australian Universities, AUTC publication, 2002. p.8

This is a new statement.