Foundation of University Learning and Teaching Program
Overview
This course is designed for university educators who are eager to enhance their teaching methods and create more engaging and inclusive learning environments. Whether you are teaching face-to-face, online, or in hybrid formats, this course offers practical strategies to enhance your teaching and better support your students. It is perfect for lecturers, professors, academic developers, instructional designers, and higher education professionals looking to refine their teaching practices.
Led by experts from Western institutions, this course provides a unique opportunity to learn from diverse educational perspectives. By blending Western teaching methods with valuable insights from Eastern educational traditions, you will gain a well-rounded approach to course design, assessment, and fostering student engagement.
This course explores key topics such as student-centred learning, effective course design, assessment strategies, and reflective practice. You will leave with actionable tools and strategies that can be immediately applied to large lectures, small seminars, or online platforms. Additionally, you will develop a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) plan to further develop your skills as an educator beyond the course.
This course will help you navigate the evolving education landscape and equip you with the skills and knowledge to create an inclusive, supportive, and dynamic learning environment for all students, regardless of their background or learning needs.
This course will help you navigate the evolving education landscape and equip you with the skills and knowledge to create an inclusive, supportive, and dynamic learning environment for all students, regardless of their background or learning needs.
Instructors
Dr Mohammad Riyadh is a leading research strategist and innovation specialist, currently serving as the Director of Global Research Partnerships at both the Australian Graduate Industry Research School (AGIRS) and ExpertGate. He’s heading up the development of what aims to become the world’s largest AI-powered research lab, designed to reshape how research is delivered, funded, and shared across sectors. At the heart of his work is a simple mission: to connect researchers, businesses, and institutions—locally and globally—to fast-track real-world, impact-driven innovation. With more than 15 years of experience in research development, academic–industry collaboration, and grant strategy, Dr Riyadh knows the ins and outs of navigating Australia’s funding landscape. During his PhD, he secured competitive funding from the Australian Government, and has since led or contributed to numerous fu... Read More
Dr. Nadine Campbell is an Academic Program Advisor at Western Sydney University (WSU) in the School of Business. With a strong academic background, she has played a pivotal role in developing the academic literacy program for both the School of Business and the School of Law. Dr. Campbell contributes to university curriculum support, advising on the design and development of academic programs to ensure they meet the needs of students and align with the latest academic standards. 's contributions at the undergraduate level include teaching critical topics such as academic integrity, plagiarism prevention, and skills in reading and comprehending academic literature. Dr. Campbell also has extensive knowledge of curriculum development. She has developed and delivered content for numerous subjects in Management and Human Resources management, including Business Academic Skills, Contemporary P... Read More
Dr Amanda Kelly is a highly accomplished professional with extensive expertise in research, leadership, and strategic management across education, policy development, and compliance. Skilled in delivering impactful programs, and managing multidisciplinary teams, Amanda has a strong commitment to equity, innovation, and excellence in complex, high-stakes environments. Dr Kelly has extensive knowledge and experience within both professional and academic environments and is currently employed as a researcher at James Cook University, focusing on strengthening the Indigenous health workforce.Dr Kelly is also a highly skilled curriculum manager, delivering large scale projects involving the analysis, design, development, and evaluation of programs across a range of faculties. A highlight of this role includes the creation of transdisciplinary subjects through the integration of various discip... Read More
Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, participants will be able to:
- Identify and address complex learning issues or challenges relevant to broader sector goals and specific institutional, school, and disciplinary priorities.
- Evaluate learning theories best suited to discipline-specific learning and teaching, ensuring a deeper understanding of how to apply theory to practice in their field effectively.
- Develop, justify, and evaluate innovative solutions to teaching and learning challenges, leveraging evidence-based scholarship to create impactful strategies.
- Integrate student-centered and inclusive teaching strategies, ensuring that teaching practices are accessible, equitable, and engaging for all students, regardless of their background or learning needs.
- Demonstrate reflective teaching expertise, utilising reflective practices to assess and improve teaching effectiveness and student learning outcomes.
- Understand and incorporate the Advance HE Professional Standards Framework (PSF 2023) into your teaching practices to maintain high academic standards and enhance professional teaching development.
- Develop a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) plan to identify areas for further growth and advancement in your teaching practices and stay at the forefront of educational development.
Structure
Day 1: Student-Centered Learning & Teaching Methods
On the first day, we'll dive into the core principles of course design, showing how to effectively align your learning objectives, course content, and assessments. You'll focus on creating clear, measurable learning outcomes and developing course materials that are inclusive and accessible for all students. We’ll also guide you through designing a course outline and curriculum specific to your subject area, ensuring it’s engaging and tailored to the diverse needs of your learners. Through interactive discussions and practical examples, you’ll start shaping a student-centered learning environment that encourages student engagement and success.
On the first day, we'll dive into the core principles of course design, showing how to effectively align your learning objectives, course content, and assessments. You'll focus on creating clear, measurable learning outcomes and developing course materials that are inclusive and accessible for all students. We’ll also guide you through designing a course outline and curriculum specific to your subject area, ensuring it’s engaging and tailored to the diverse needs of your learners. Through interactive discussions and practical examples, you’ll start shaping a student-centered learning environment that encourages student engagement and success.
Day 2: Effective Course Design and Assessment Strategies
On Day 2, we’ll cover different types of assessments – including formative, summative, and authentic assessments – and how to design them so they align with your learning outcomes. You’ll explore strategies for providing feedback that is meaningful, timely, and constructive to help students succeed. We’ll also look at how to create a range of assessments suited to your subject and learning environment. By the end of the day, you'll have a toolkit for designing assessments and feedback strategies that not only evaluate student performance but also enhance their learning experience.
On Day 2, we’ll cover different types of assessments – including formative, summative, and authentic assessments – and how to design them so they align with your learning outcomes. You’ll explore strategies for providing feedback that is meaningful, timely, and constructive to help students succeed. We’ll also look at how to create a range of assessments suited to your subject and learning environment. By the end of the day, you'll have a toolkit for designing assessments and feedback strategies that not only evaluate student performance but also enhance their learning experience.
Day 3: Feedback, Reflective Practice, and Professional Development
On the final day, we’ll focus on reflective teaching and how this practice can help you continuously improve your teaching. You’ll be introduced to methods and tools for reflective practice that will support your ongoing development. We’ll also help you create a personal Continuous Professional Development (CPD) plan so you can continue refining your teaching skills long after the course ends. Through reflective exercises and goal setting, you’ll leave with a clear plan to ensure your professional growth and enhance your teaching practice in the future.
Learning Assessment
On the final day, we’ll focus on reflective teaching and how this practice can help you continuously improve your teaching. You’ll be introduced to methods and tools for reflective practice that will support your ongoing development. We’ll also help you create a personal Continuous Professional Development (CPD) plan so you can continue refining your teaching skills long after the course ends. Through reflective exercises and goal setting, you’ll leave with a clear plan to ensure your professional growth and enhance your teaching practice in the future.
Learning Assessment
To ensure a comprehensive evaluation of participants’ progress and understanding of each module, the program adopts the following assessment method:
Quizzes and Tests: Short quizzes to assess participants' understanding of key concepts introduced in each session.
The passing mark for this program is 50%, and participants are required to maintain an overall minimum 75% attendance for each module to successfully complete the course.
Assessment
The assessment is designed to evaluate participants' ability to apply the key concepts learned throughout the course in real-world educational settings. By completing this assessment, participants will demonstrate their proficiency in student-centered learning, effective course design, assessment strategies, and reflective practices.
Design a Student-Centered Course Outline (50%)
Task:
Create a detailed course outline for a hypothetical university course that integrates student-centered learning principles. The course should include clear and measurable learning outcomes, a structured syllabus, and an alignment of content, activities, and assessments. The course can be in any discipline or subject area of your choice.
Create a detailed course outline for a hypothetical university course that integrates student-centered learning principles. The course should include clear and measurable learning outcomes, a structured syllabus, and an alignment of content, activities, and assessments. The course can be in any discipline or subject area of your choice.
Key Elements to Include:
- Course title and description
- 3-5 measurable learning outcomes (SMART goals)
- Weekly or session-by-session breakdown of course topics and activities
- Assessment methods (formative and summative)
- Resources required (e.g., readings, technology, guest speakers)
Length: 1,000 words
Assessment Design and Feedback Strategy (50%)
Task:
Design one formative and one summative assessment that aligns with your course outline (from Part 1). For each assessment, provide detailed instructions for students and an evaluation rubric. Additionally, create a strategy for providing meaningful and timely feedback for each assessment.
Design one formative and one summative assessment that aligns with your course outline (from Part 1). For each assessment, provide detailed instructions for students and an evaluation rubric. Additionally, create a strategy for providing meaningful and timely feedback for each assessment.
Key Elements to Include:
- Detailed instructions for the formative assessment (e.g., quiz, project, group activity)
- Detailed instructions for the summative assessment (e.g., final paper, exam, presentation)
- Evaluation rubrics or criteria for each assessment
- A feedback strategy (how, when, and what feedback will be given to students)
Target Audience
This course is for anyone who wants to develop a deeper understanding of best practices in university teaching, build stronger relationships with students, and create more dynamic, student-centered learning environments, regardless of their specific discipline or teaching format (face-to-face, online, or hybrid). In particular, the following educators who want to enhance their teaching practices and create more inclusive and engaging learning environments would benefit the most.
Lecturers and Professors: University-level teaching staff seeking to refine their teaching methods, incorporate modern educational practices, and better engage students in the classroom.
Academic Developers: Professionals focused on supporting faculty development to enhance their knowledge of effective teaching strategies and help other educators improve their practices.
Instructional Designers: Those involved in course design and curriculum development who wish to deepen their understanding of student-centered learning and how to integrate it into course materials.
Postgraduate Students and Early-Career Academics: New educators or those pursuing teaching as a career who need a strong foundation in teaching and learning principles.
Educational Leaders and Managers: Leaders who are responsible for setting teaching standards and fostering teaching excellence among their staff within educational institutions
Industry Professionals: Those involved in learning and development who want to gain insights into how to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry expectations, enhancing the employability of their students.
Recommended Resources
Upon registration, participants will gain access to a wide range of resources on the Learning Management System (LMS), which will support their learning throughout the course. Additionally. all resources can be downloaded for future reference and used for ongoing professional development beyond the course.The resources include:
Recommended Readings: Curated academic articles, books, and journals to deepen your understanding of each module’s topic.
Videos: Instructional videos and lectures from leading experts in the field, offering further insights into key concepts and practices.
Case Studies: Real-world examples and case studies to illustrate the application of course content in various educational contexts.
Supplementary Materials: Additional tools, templates, and resources to support your course design, assessment strategies, and teaching practices.
Certificates
Upon successful completion of the course requirements, participants will receive a
certificate of completion from ExpertGate.
