Central Queensland University is embarking on a small revolution in university learning and teaching, focussing upon changing the ways students are taught and assessed.

According to CQU Deputy Vice-Chancellor Jim Mienczakowski CQU is moving away from old style teaching models and is focusing more on the student experience and student need.

“We have a responsibility to look after the needs of our students and provide support where we can. We’ve listened to our students’ comments about courses and are providing solutions to some common problems.”.

“We understand our students are unlikely to all have OP1 backgrounds and we are committed to appropriately supporting them throughout their degree. This move acknowledges our belief that with support they’ll succeed. It is important that we give added value to our students who have come from diverse learning backgrounds and simply don’t try to emulate the sandstone approach to student learning.”.

Professor Mienczakowski said some changes would include the establishment of foundation courses for all new students to help with the transition to university, as well as limited assessment in their first term. “I believe students should not be tested until it’s meaningful. Assessment needs to make sense to the student and their learning.”.

Other changes will also include assignment tracking and a means of intervening and giving students help before problems arise.

Universities have been administering and assessing courses the same way for decades and “it’s our responsibility to get academics thinking differently” about teaching and learning.

CQU has introduced the new studies program, the Graduate Certificate in Flexible Learning, accessible to all CQU staff, to help the new wave in learning management to take place. The program provides a mechanism for increasing interest in the professional dimensions of learning and teaching as a core element of academic work.

The program also aims to improve the learning and teaching environment at CQU by adopting or adapting innovation in flexible learning and teaching.

Two students from the first cohort of the Graduate Certificate, Danya Hodgetts and Shaune Sinclair this week explained their need to study the program.

“I’ve been teaching in tertiary education for 18 months and wanted to brush up on flexible learning skills. I was hoping to gain skills to better support my students who are mainly distance students,” said Ms Hodgetts, a lecturer in Human Movement Science at CQU.

“An understanding of the needs of our students is critical for the effective design and support of technology-based flexible delivery systems at CQU,” Flexible Delivery Services Manager in CQU\'s Information Technology Division, Shaune Sinclair said.

Photo: CQU Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Jim Mienczakowski congratulates two CQU staff members for being in the first cohort studying the Graduate Certificate of Flexible Learning.