The report concludes with comments from Professor John Rice, who is Executive Director of the Australian Council of Deans of Science:

Les Kirkup’s fellowship is a landmark in the re-invigoration of tertiary teaching and learning in science. It has long been felt that science has suffered in the estimation of students because its teaching has failed reflect its character as an activity of discovery, embracing curiosity, creativity and independent thinking challenged by evidence. Many individuals have felt this keenly, tried to change their own teaching, and put forward their good ideas to other likeminded tertiary science teachers. Nevertheless mainstream science teaching has remained unaffected.

Les’ fellowship has engaged the mainstream and created a national profile for inquiry oriented learning in science that provides a platform for its expansion. He has achieved this by operating at an organizational rather than an individual level, working with science faculties and their teaching and learning leaders directly, through workshops and activities that engage their own ideas and practices. It is, if you like, faculty sponsored professional development that role models the very inquiry oriented learning approach that Les is seeking to promote.

Professor John Rice
Executive Director
Australian Council of Deans of Science
February 2013

It has been a busy few months for the Fellowship! For more information, see the Fellowship Newsletter June 2012 which provides a snapshot on some of the more recent initiatives and events.

Regards

On the 22^nd May Les visited Chris Creagh and David Parlevliet at Murdoch to review progress on the activity they are developing through the Fellowship and to talk to them about taking their work and making it the basis of a paper in a peer reviewed journal.

On the 23^rd May Les facilitated a ‘hands-on’ workshop on IOL with Associate Professor Mario Zadnik at Curtin University. Another IOL workshop took place at Monash University on the 25^th May organised by Gerry Rainer, Theo Hughes and Chris Thompson. Both workshops were well received. Here are a couple of comments from participants:

Fantastic to be both a student and an observer of students. We need to be more aware of how students experience what we do to them.

Participant, Curtin University Workshop 23/5/2012

The best aspect of the workshop for me was road testing a real example of a 2 hour IOL activity. Great that we also had time to discuss the dynamics, challenges and practicalities of IOL activities

Participant, Monash University Workshop 25/5/2012

On the afternoon of the 25^th Les gave an invited presentation (organised by Michelle Livett) at Melbourne University, entitled: Changing practice towards inquiry-oriented learning: how do we make it happen?

More to come: The next update will include details of visits to the University of Otago, Victoria University in Wellington, Massey University and the University of Waikato (all in 5 days!)

The title of the workshop is: Experiencing an inquiry-oriented activity: How was it for you?

This workshop will explore issues of student engagement and learning through inquiry type activities by connecting with, and exploring from several perspectives, the student experience and that of staff supporting student learning.

During this workshop participants will assume the roles of students, educational developers and evaluators. No prior disciplinary knowledge is assumed or required in order to participate fully in the workshop, – the only requirement is curiosity about inquiry learning. The group as a whole will then unpack the educational value of the activity– challenges for staff, what did the participants experience, what did the observers notice about what the ‘students’ did and about what the teachers did. How could activity be improved? In what way(s) should the activity be scaffolded?

Workshop on implementing Science Threshold Learning Outcomes.

Date: 7^th Feb 2012

Place: ParkRoyal Hotel, Melbourne Airport

The Fellowship is working with influential groups and networks around the country to facilitate discussion on issues relating to inquiry in science and inquiry oriented learning.

Science Discipline Scholars, Sue Jones and Brian Yates (both of the University of Tasmania) have been instrumental in developing science Threshold Learning Outcomes (TLOs) which are outcomes that all science students should have achieved before graduation. The science TLOs have been developed through extensive consultation with academics in most universities around Australia.

Recognising that the conversation around the science TLOs has only just begun, Sue, Brian and Jo‑Anne Kelder organised a one day workshop, aimed primarily at Associate Deans Teaching and Learning in science (or equivalent) and other influential figures in the science disciplines in the tertiary sector, to maintain the focus on the TLOs and facilitate discussions around ‘where to next’ for the TLOs.

Several academics presented on the day: Liz Johnson from La Trobe, Pauline Ross from the University of Western Sydney and Simon Pyke from Adelaide University.

I was asked to ‘unpack’ TLO3, which relates to ‘Inquiry and problem solving’.

The attached zip file includes an executive summary of the day’s event, details of exemplars, and the Powerpoint slides that were presented on the day.

The site was conceived to bring together ideas, evidence, resources, people and perspectives of value to those engaged in, or about to embark upon, the development of inquiry-type activities to enhance student learning or engagement. Our not-so-hidden agenda is to stimulate and support changes in practice in undergraduate science towards inquiry oriented learning.

These ideas are outlined in this short video:

We hope that as you browse the pages of this site you will find stimulating ideas that you are inspired to adapt to your own circumstances.

Les Kirkup and Andrea Mears, January 2012

Join the expected 400 delegates in exploring  the policies, research, leadership and student outcomes we should be pursuing in higher education world-wide to establish and sustain our connections with the entire sector.

For all the information please visit HERDSA 2012.

Pratibha Varma-Nelson spoke on how these benefits can be achieved through Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) at an event hosted by Les Kirkup’s ALTC National Teaching Fellowship.

“The talk was very informative and the benefits of the PLTL are certainly impressive. I am keen for my students to participate in this learning in 2012.” Seminar participant

What was presented?

Pratibha’s December presentation concentrated on the processes, methods and preliminary results of her project and introduced the theoretical and practical elements of the PLTL model and described how technology can be used to promote cyber learning through PLTL.

The discussion around Cyber PLTL an online, synchronous, collaborative environment for conducting PLTL workshops, was particularly engaging with the effectiveness of Cyber PLTL in duplicating the proven benefits of the traditional (face-to-face) PLTL method described with preliminary results presented.

What is PLTL?
The PLTL model of teaching actively engages students in the learning process by having them solve carefully structured problems in small groups under the direction of a trained peer leader. Peer-led workshops are an effective way to engage large numbers of students with course material and each other. Improved performance and retention, development of communication and team skills, higher motivation and course satisfaction, and increased interest in pursuing further study in science are among the benefits of the PLTL approach. Read more in the PDF: Peer-Led Team Learning Pratibha Varma-Nelson.

Pratibha Varma-Nelson is Professor of Chemistry and the Executive Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Her research group is currently working on development, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination of Cyber PLTL. This project is supported by the National Science Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

 Beyond the show and tell: Putting Science TLOs into action 

The LTAS Science Project defined national agreed threshold learning outcomes (TLOs) for science degrees and also provided a catalyst for some serious conversations about the shape of the higher education  science curricula.

Les is excited about participating in the February workshop developed by Sue Jones and Brian Jones to discuss and plan for the next stage: the implementation of the Science TLOs

Together the Associate Deans (Learning and Teaching) and learning & teaching champions from across the country will look and address the following key questions:

• Why should we implement the Science TLOs?
• How do we implement the Science TLOs?
• How can we situate such implementation in evidence-based project?

Les will lead a session around inquiry and problem solving. Specifically looking at unpacking exactly what “TL03” means and providing examples of good practice that will assist us to demonstrate how our students can meet this key Science TLO.