Facilitator:Steve Rowe, School of Commerce and Management, SCU, <stephen.rowe@scu.edu.au>

Title:Using Collaborative Web tools to improve teaching and learning.

Outline:A new generation of Web-based collaborative tools has opened the door for a wide range of more authentic assessment task for students, and real potential to treat students as a single group of participants, irrespective of their location. This extends to an opportunity for real flexibility in the range of learning and teaching approaches that can be offered and utilised. Ideas for re-thinking the way we use scarce academic support resources can be explored. The ability to significantly address progress towards graduate attributes in a more realistic manner can be addressed.

The objective of the SIG is to invite people to share, showcase, explore and share any experiences and research undertaken with any of these new generation tools, stepping beyond but not replacing asynchronous tools that have been the focus of much activity in online approaches. While Elluminate Live! will be used for contributions by external contributors during the day, practices adopted using any similar tools (e.g., Centra, Horizon-Wimba, Breeze) are welcomed. The ability to have debates, presentations, interviews, real-time assessment feedback, group process monitoring are some examples that might e covered across a number of disciplines. A visit to the SCU Coffs Harbour Education Campus to discuss cross-sector potential (University, TAFE and High School) may also be arranged.

More details can be obtained directly from the facilitator. The detailed program for the day will be posted here closer to the conference.

Biographical Details: Steve Rowe is an auditing lecturer at the Lismore campus of Southern Cross University with 20 years delivery experience. Since 2000 he has been actively involved in developing online delivery approaches for his undergraduate and postgraduate courses. He has been the driving force behind the successful introduction of Elluminate Live! at SCU. He has presented papers at national and international conferences about his approaches and has used the new generation tools for national and international delivery. Steve is an associate member of the advisory panel on a London University (London Knowledge Lab) research project for developing pedagogical models for effective online delivery. His work in this area was recognized with a 2006 Vice-Chancellor Award for Excellence in enhancing student learning.

Top

Outline:This SIG is for Australian and International University Web site managers. Topics for discussion among attendees include key issues identified by  Australian University Web site managers (administrative, technical, research outcomes, current work approach and other topics open for discussion) during recent discussion and research (extension of previous research) conducted by Karey Patterson. This year's workshop will see presentations and discussion from a cross section of University Web site managers on a variety of important and interesting topics (topics and speakers to be confirmed). The aim of the group is to develop a best practice and benchmarking facility for University Web site managers and to provide an informational resource and support group of industry peers.

Biographical Details: Karey holds MEd (T&D) and B.Bus (Hons) degrees with majors in computing, business management and marketing. He has a wide range of industry experience as a Web site designer, project manager and educational technologist (standards development and deployment systems for Web-based courses). He completed his Masters post-graduate research into interface design and navigational systems and usability with particular reference to educational Web sites. His research into Web site technologies, usability and management processes of large enterprise Web sites helped form the basis for the UniSites initiative. Karey is also the director of NTech Media an award winning technical solutions company with clients from a variety of sectors in Australia and the globe.

Top