Editor, HERDSA NEWS, the magazine of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia. Fellow of the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia. Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) citation for contribution to the professional development of university teachers. Honorary Senior Fellow, University of Wollongong. Author, Peer Observation Partnerships in Higher Education, guide to peer observation of teaching. Former designer and coordinator of University of Wollongong Introduction to Tertiary Teaching course for academic staff. Published research in peer observation of teaching, academic development and internationalisation of the curriculum. Phone: +61 2 4465 12187
Internationalisation of the curriculum is a major issue for academics, administrators and policy ... more Internationalisation of the curriculum is a major issue for academics, administrators and policy makers in an era of market-driven changes affecting the higher education sector. It is a key program strategy within the wider activity of internationalisation of higher education. The latter is increasingly seen by policy makers and university administrators as driven by international student mobility and the need for revenue from international student fees. These are critical issues for universities in the globally competitive market environment.
Despite its importance as a concept, it is not yet clear just what internationalisation of the curriculum means, or how it should be implemented. Thus it attracts a variety of perspectives and understandings. For example, it could be described simultaneously as a systemic reaction to the neo-liberal economic imperatives of marketisation and as an educational response to globalisation. One important outcome of the work described herein is the development of recommendations for internationalisation of the curriculum to assist and empower academics in providing international learning outcomes for their students.
The literature review carried out as part of this study revealed that only a relatively small amount of research, evaluation and guidance on internationalisation of the curriculum has been published. It was also clear that very little is known about the ways in which academics and students experience internationalisation of the curriculum.
The research reported herein was designed to fill this gap by documenting and analysing the staff and student experience. The research is therefore grounded in the interpretive paradigm and utilises case study method. Using the curricular areas of the Best Practice Guidelines for Internationalising the Curriculum (Whalley, 1997) as a framework, two summer study abroad programs and one global learning course at Australian and Singaporean universities were chosen for study. These programs were offered within science faculties however the curriculum for the study abroad programs included languages and commerce subjects. After data gathering the Presage, Process and Product structure of the 3P Model of Learning (Biggs, 2003) was used as an interpretive tool.
The cross-case analysis surfaces common themes and highlights contradictions and tensions that were seen to lead to problems in practice. In particular, the two study abroad programs were found to be top-down and failed to offer students an authentic international learning opportunity. In contrast, the third case, a global learning course, was found to be both top-down and education-led and afforded a level of international engagement for students.
Academic goodwill was found to be the most critical factor for success of internationalisation of the curriculum initiatives. Other factors that were found to have negative impacts include: the absence of theoretical frameworks underpinning internationalisation of the curriculum and curriculum planning; the non-alignment of assessment policy and practice across partner institutions; and the failure to develop student learning communities.
From the themes identified in the cross case analysis a set of recommendations for internationalisation of the curriculum is offered by the author to help academics and administrators develop policy and a disciplinary vision for courses and programs that lead to international outcomes for students. These recommendations refer to the need for: theory-based, education-led models and disciplinary visions for internationalising the curriculum; equity of student access; student engagement within and across institutions; local and transnational student learning communities; policy-based procedures and professional development and support for academics.
Peer observation of teaching is a truly effective process for ongoing change and development in h... more Peer observation of teaching is a truly effective process for ongoing change and development in higher education teaching. This guide aims to support higher education teachers through a program of skills, knowledge and ideas development to meet their own developmental aims within their immediate teaching environment. The guide explains how peer observation partnerships work, explores theoretical frameworks and related concepts and provides a guide to the whole process of peer observation of teaching including observation techniques, post observation discussion, feedback and critical reflection.
At the University of Wollongong undergraduate degrees will be delivered flexibly to a new satelli... more At the University of Wollongong undergraduate degrees will be delivered flexibly to a new satellite campus beginning in the year 2000. A training course is being developed for tutors who will work with students at the satellite campus. The course is to be highly flexible and model flexible delivery strategies.
This paper maps the influences of a flexible delivery framework on curriculum design through various design iterations. A model for the design of flexibly delivered courses is outlined.
Academics in a school of engineering at the University of Wollongong participated in a peer obser... more Academics in a school of engineering at the University of Wollongong participated in a peer observation of teaching pilot program using a partnership approach. All participants subsequently completed a questionnaire and were interviewed
about the characteristics and effectiveness of the program. The average time spent by the academics participating was approximately 5 hours. Participants’ evaluation of the program was overwhelmingly positive with outcomes including development of skills, ideas for teaching and giving feedback, and increased confidence. The development of collegiality within the peer observation partnership groups and the school was an especially strong outcome. All participants requested some kind of follow-up in the next semester or in the following year. Recommendations for similar programs in Engineering faculties and schools are provided.
There appears to be a general view amongst Australian higher education developers that peer obser... more There appears to be a general view amongst Australian higher education developers that peer observation of teaching is an extremely effective form of teaching development. Informal peer observation takes place in various departments and collegial groups, however most available information about the Australian experience is in respect to the activities of educational development units. Courses in higher education for academic staff are provided by educational development units at most Australian universities, sometimes as a probationary requirement and often at Graduate Certificate level. Some of these courses involve peer observation of teaching either as a requirement or an option. In a number of universities staff are encouraged to undertake peer review which might include observation and some educational development units provide their own guidelines and checklists.
Role-play is a recognized face-to-face teaching method for developing skills, knowledge and attit... more Role-play is a recognized face-to-face teaching method for developing skills, knowledge and attitudes. It is now possible to combine the powerful learning experience of role-play with the advantages of the online environment. A case study of an asynchronous, anonymous, ...
International Journal for Academic Development, Jan 1, 2001
The effectiveness of discipline-based, collaborative teaching development activities for academic... more The effectiveness of discipline-based, collaborative teaching development activities for academic staff in universities is increasingly being reported (for example, Jenkins, 1996; Morss & Donaghy, 1998; Zuber-Skerritt, 1996). The implications of peer- learning academic ...
Long before Charles Darwin set sail on the Beagle scholars were travelling abroad to study. More ... more Long before Charles Darwin set sail on the Beagle scholars were travelling abroad to study. More than 500 years bc the Greek scientist Thales travelled to Babylon to study astronomy. On his return to Greece he was able to predict an eclipse of the sun which so disturbed the ...
Internationalisation of the curriculum is a major issue for academics, administrators and policy ... more Internationalisation of the curriculum is a major issue for academics, administrators and policy makers in an era of market-driven changes affecting the higher education sector. It is a key program strategy within the wider activity of internationalisation of higher education. The latter is increasingly seen by policy makers and university administrators as driven by international student mobility and the need for revenue from international student fees. These are critical issues for universities in the globally competitive market environment.
Despite its importance as a concept, it is not yet clear just what internationalisation of the curriculum means, or how it should be implemented. Thus it attracts a variety of perspectives and understandings. For example, it could be described simultaneously as a systemic reaction to the neo-liberal economic imperatives of marketisation and as an educational response to globalisation. One important outcome of the work described herein is the development of recommendations for internationalisation of the curriculum to assist and empower academics in providing international learning outcomes for their students.
The literature review carried out as part of this study revealed that only a relatively small amount of research, evaluation and guidance on internationalisation of the curriculum has been published. It was also clear that very little is known about the ways in which academics and students experience internationalisation of the curriculum.
The research reported herein was designed to fill this gap by documenting and analysing the staff and student experience. The research is therefore grounded in the interpretive paradigm and utilises case study method. Using the curricular areas of the Best Practice Guidelines for Internationalising the Curriculum (Whalley, 1997) as a framework, two summer study abroad programs and one global learning course at Australian and Singaporean universities were chosen for study. These programs were offered within science faculties however the curriculum for the study abroad programs included languages and commerce subjects. After data gathering the Presage, Process and Product structure of the 3P Model of Learning (Biggs, 2003) was used as an interpretive tool.
The cross-case analysis surfaces common themes and highlights contradictions and tensions that were seen to lead to problems in practice. In particular, the two study abroad programs were found to be top-down and failed to offer students an authentic international learning opportunity. In contrast, the third case, a global learning course, was found to be both top-down and education-led and afforded a level of international engagement for students.
Academic goodwill was found to be the most critical factor for success of internationalisation of the curriculum initiatives. Other factors that were found to have negative impacts include: the absence of theoretical frameworks underpinning internationalisation of the curriculum and curriculum planning; the non-alignment of assessment policy and practice across partner institutions; and the failure to develop student learning communities.
From the themes identified in the cross case analysis a set of recommendations for internationalisation of the curriculum is offered by the author to help academics and administrators develop policy and a disciplinary vision for courses and programs that lead to international outcomes for students. These recommendations refer to the need for: theory-based, education-led models and disciplinary visions for internationalising the curriculum; equity of student access; student engagement within and across institutions; local and transnational student learning communities; policy-based procedures and professional development and support for academics.
Peer observation of teaching is a truly effective process for ongoing change and development in h... more Peer observation of teaching is a truly effective process for ongoing change and development in higher education teaching. This guide aims to support higher education teachers through a program of skills, knowledge and ideas development to meet their own developmental aims within their immediate teaching environment. The guide explains how peer observation partnerships work, explores theoretical frameworks and related concepts and provides a guide to the whole process of peer observation of teaching including observation techniques, post observation discussion, feedback and critical reflection.
At the University of Wollongong undergraduate degrees will be delivered flexibly to a new satelli... more At the University of Wollongong undergraduate degrees will be delivered flexibly to a new satellite campus beginning in the year 2000. A training course is being developed for tutors who will work with students at the satellite campus. The course is to be highly flexible and model flexible delivery strategies.
This paper maps the influences of a flexible delivery framework on curriculum design through various design iterations. A model for the design of flexibly delivered courses is outlined.
Academics in a school of engineering at the University of Wollongong participated in a peer obser... more Academics in a school of engineering at the University of Wollongong participated in a peer observation of teaching pilot program using a partnership approach. All participants subsequently completed a questionnaire and were interviewed
about the characteristics and effectiveness of the program. The average time spent by the academics participating was approximately 5 hours. Participants’ evaluation of the program was overwhelmingly positive with outcomes including development of skills, ideas for teaching and giving feedback, and increased confidence. The development of collegiality within the peer observation partnership groups and the school was an especially strong outcome. All participants requested some kind of follow-up in the next semester or in the following year. Recommendations for similar programs in Engineering faculties and schools are provided.
There appears to be a general view amongst Australian higher education developers that peer obser... more There appears to be a general view amongst Australian higher education developers that peer observation of teaching is an extremely effective form of teaching development. Informal peer observation takes place in various departments and collegial groups, however most available information about the Australian experience is in respect to the activities of educational development units. Courses in higher education for academic staff are provided by educational development units at most Australian universities, sometimes as a probationary requirement and often at Graduate Certificate level. Some of these courses involve peer observation of teaching either as a requirement or an option. In a number of universities staff are encouraged to undertake peer review which might include observation and some educational development units provide their own guidelines and checklists.
Role-play is a recognized face-to-face teaching method for developing skills, knowledge and attit... more Role-play is a recognized face-to-face teaching method for developing skills, knowledge and attitudes. It is now possible to combine the powerful learning experience of role-play with the advantages of the online environment. A case study of an asynchronous, anonymous, ...
International Journal for Academic Development, Jan 1, 2001
The effectiveness of discipline-based, collaborative teaching development activities for academic... more The effectiveness of discipline-based, collaborative teaching development activities for academic staff in universities is increasingly being reported (for example, Jenkins, 1996; Morss & Donaghy, 1998; Zuber-Skerritt, 1996). The implications of peer- learning academic ...
Long before Charles Darwin set sail on the Beagle scholars were travelling abroad to study. More ... more Long before Charles Darwin set sail on the Beagle scholars were travelling abroad to study. More than 500 years bc the Greek scientist Thales travelled to Babylon to study astronomy. On his return to Greece he was able to predict an eclipse of the sun which so disturbed the ...
We have conducted a radar-driven observational campaign of main-belt asteroids (MBAs) focused on ... more We have conducted a radar-driven observational campaign of main-belt asteroids (MBAs) focused on X/M class asteroids using the Arecibo radar and NASA Infrared Telescope Facilities (IRTF). M-type asteroids have been identified as metallic, enstatite chondrites and/or ...
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Books by Maureen Bell
Despite its importance as a concept, it is not yet clear just what internationalisation of the curriculum means, or how it should be implemented. Thus it attracts a variety of perspectives and understandings. For example, it could be described simultaneously as a systemic reaction to the neo-liberal economic imperatives of marketisation and as an educational response to globalisation. One important outcome of the work described herein is the development of recommendations for internationalisation of the curriculum to assist and empower academics in providing international learning outcomes for their students.
The literature review carried out as part of this study revealed that only a relatively small amount of research, evaluation and guidance on internationalisation of the curriculum has been published. It was also clear that very little is known about the ways in which academics and students experience internationalisation of the curriculum.
The research reported herein was designed to fill this gap by documenting and analysing the staff and student experience. The research is therefore grounded in the interpretive paradigm and utilises case study method. Using the curricular areas of the Best Practice Guidelines for Internationalising the Curriculum (Whalley, 1997) as a framework, two summer study abroad programs and one global learning course at Australian and Singaporean universities were chosen for study. These programs were offered within science faculties however the curriculum for the study abroad programs included languages and commerce subjects. After data gathering the Presage, Process and Product structure of the 3P Model of Learning (Biggs, 2003) was used as an interpretive tool.
The cross-case analysis surfaces common themes and highlights contradictions and tensions that were seen to lead to problems in practice. In particular, the two study abroad programs were found to be top-down and failed to offer students an authentic international learning opportunity. In contrast, the third case, a global learning course, was found to be both top-down and education-led and afforded a level of international engagement for students.
Academic goodwill was found to be the most critical factor for success of internationalisation of the curriculum initiatives. Other factors that were found to have negative impacts include: the absence of theoretical frameworks underpinning internationalisation of the curriculum and curriculum planning; the non-alignment of assessment policy and practice across partner institutions; and the failure to develop student learning communities.
From the themes identified in the cross case analysis a set of recommendations for internationalisation of the curriculum is offered by the author to help academics and administrators develop policy and a disciplinary vision for courses and programs that lead to international outcomes for students. These recommendations refer to the need for: theory-based, education-led models and disciplinary visions for internationalising the curriculum; equity of student access; student engagement within and across institutions; local and transnational student learning communities; policy-based procedures and professional development and support for academics.
Papers by Maureen Bell
This paper maps the influences of a flexible delivery framework on curriculum design through various design iterations. A model for the design of flexibly delivered courses is outlined.
about the characteristics and effectiveness of the program. The average time spent by the academics participating was approximately 5 hours. Participants’ evaluation of the program was overwhelmingly positive with outcomes including development of skills, ideas for teaching and giving feedback, and increased confidence. The development of collegiality within the peer observation partnership groups and the school was an especially strong outcome. All participants requested some kind of follow-up in the next semester or in the following year. Recommendations for similar programs in Engineering faculties and schools are provided.
Despite its importance as a concept, it is not yet clear just what internationalisation of the curriculum means, or how it should be implemented. Thus it attracts a variety of perspectives and understandings. For example, it could be described simultaneously as a systemic reaction to the neo-liberal economic imperatives of marketisation and as an educational response to globalisation. One important outcome of the work described herein is the development of recommendations for internationalisation of the curriculum to assist and empower academics in providing international learning outcomes for their students.
The literature review carried out as part of this study revealed that only a relatively small amount of research, evaluation and guidance on internationalisation of the curriculum has been published. It was also clear that very little is known about the ways in which academics and students experience internationalisation of the curriculum.
The research reported herein was designed to fill this gap by documenting and analysing the staff and student experience. The research is therefore grounded in the interpretive paradigm and utilises case study method. Using the curricular areas of the Best Practice Guidelines for Internationalising the Curriculum (Whalley, 1997) as a framework, two summer study abroad programs and one global learning course at Australian and Singaporean universities were chosen for study. These programs were offered within science faculties however the curriculum for the study abroad programs included languages and commerce subjects. After data gathering the Presage, Process and Product structure of the 3P Model of Learning (Biggs, 2003) was used as an interpretive tool.
The cross-case analysis surfaces common themes and highlights contradictions and tensions that were seen to lead to problems in practice. In particular, the two study abroad programs were found to be top-down and failed to offer students an authentic international learning opportunity. In contrast, the third case, a global learning course, was found to be both top-down and education-led and afforded a level of international engagement for students.
Academic goodwill was found to be the most critical factor for success of internationalisation of the curriculum initiatives. Other factors that were found to have negative impacts include: the absence of theoretical frameworks underpinning internationalisation of the curriculum and curriculum planning; the non-alignment of assessment policy and practice across partner institutions; and the failure to develop student learning communities.
From the themes identified in the cross case analysis a set of recommendations for internationalisation of the curriculum is offered by the author to help academics and administrators develop policy and a disciplinary vision for courses and programs that lead to international outcomes for students. These recommendations refer to the need for: theory-based, education-led models and disciplinary visions for internationalising the curriculum; equity of student access; student engagement within and across institutions; local and transnational student learning communities; policy-based procedures and professional development and support for academics.
This paper maps the influences of a flexible delivery framework on curriculum design through various design iterations. A model for the design of flexibly delivered courses is outlined.
about the characteristics and effectiveness of the program. The average time spent by the academics participating was approximately 5 hours. Participants’ evaluation of the program was overwhelmingly positive with outcomes including development of skills, ideas for teaching and giving feedback, and increased confidence. The development of collegiality within the peer observation partnership groups and the school was an especially strong outcome. All participants requested some kind of follow-up in the next semester or in the following year. Recommendations for similar programs in Engineering faculties and schools are provided.