The Foundations of University Learning and Teaching (FULT) program for UNSW teaching staff consists of an intensive five-day workshop and four additional half-day workshops. The FULT program targets teaching staff with little or no experience of teaching in higher education. The program is free for all UNSW staff with a current teaching role.
FULT consists of:
There are four initial five-day FULT workshops scheduled for 2008. The dates for 2008 programs can be found on the workshops and events page.
If you wish to register for FULT or would like further information, please email FULT@unsw.edu.au
Below, you can also:
2004-05 FULT
participants receiving their completion certificates
Five-day workshop
The initial five-day workshop introduces teaching staff to the theory and practice of learning and teaching at university and assists staff in developing a conception of teaching as reflective practice that draws on their own practice, the experiences of students and colleagues, and relevant research.
This workshop includes sessions on:
- student learning
- engaging students
- developing learning aims and outcomes
- developing learning activities to support learning outcomes
- small-group teaching
- large-group teaching
- assessment
- reflective practice.
The five-day workshop also includes an opportunity for participants to facilitate a short learning and teaching session for their colleagues, which most participants identify as one of the most rewarding and enjoyable parts of the week.
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Half-day workshops
The four additional half-day workshops provide an opportunity to share and discuss issues arising in practice and to further explore topics relevant to your teaching role. These additional workshops will be offered approximately ten weeks following the initial five-day workshop, and you will be able to choose from topics such as:
- Learning and teaching ideas
- Assessment strategies
- Evaluating your teaching
- Inclusive teaching and learning
- Online learning
Participants will be invited to choose four of the half-day workshops offered. Below are details about each of the these workshops available following the initial five-day FULT program.
Learning and teaching ideas: The aim of this session is to collect and share with colleagues a range of ideas that you will be able to apply in your learning and teaching practice.
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Assessment strategies: The aim of this workshop is to build on the themes and topics addressed in the assessment session of the initial five-day workshop. Particular emphasis will be on practical assessment strategies to enhance the learning and teaching experience. Participants will explore approaches to minimise plagiarism through assessment design; use feedback to maximise learning; improve consistency in marking; and manage the workload associated with assessment. In this module you will be given the opportunity to focus on an area of assessment of particular relevance to you such as assessing group work, assessing large classes or peer and self assessment.
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Evaluating your teaching: This session aims to help you to consider the purposes of and strategies for the evaluation of learning and teaching. It will also provide an opportunity to explore means of documenting evidence of your learning and teaching practice, including the process of preparing a teaching portfolio.
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Inclusive teaching and learning: The aim of this module is to support you in developing inclusive learning and teaching strategies and practices that draw on and respond to the diversity of the UNSW learning community in the context of your courses and classrooms.
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Online learning: The aim of this module is to provide you with the chance to experience eLearning from the student perspective, and to explore some potential uses of an online learning environment in your teaching. Online discussion will focus on applications online learning from a range of perspectives, to encourage you to consider ways of enhancing student learning or problem-solving using this mode. This module will involve online discussion over several day, followed by a one-hour face to face session.
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The dates for 2008 programs can be found on the workshops and events page.
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Comments from past FULT participants
Past FULT participants have indicated that they appreciate the opportunity to take time out to reflect on teaching and to share experiences with colleagues from across the university. Below we have included some of the feedback received from FULT participants.
The skills and motivation I derived from attending the FULT program were invaluable in assisting me to make some changes to two first-year (large) courses that I [coordinate]... The ability to think in terms of objectives, graduate attributes, and assessment-driven learning has benefited me and my students immensely.
I have found FULT enormously useful in giving a framework to my teaching. It has given me a "language" in which to think about teaching... I think FULT gave me confidence in my teaching and enabled me to create a learning environment which is "friendly and accessible", according to one of my students. Some students said it was the first class in which they had EVER spoken. I also found a lot of the little "tips" from experienced teachers useful.
I have found the FULT initial week extremely useful in my practice... I have made extensive use of the principles taught in FULT in designing educational activities, developing assessments, integrating topics in order to encourage higher order thinking, and attempting to provide a stimulating, self-motivating curriculum. Without the FULT course, I would not have had the theoretical frameworks and confidence to put forward these ideas, and I believe it has stimulated a lifelong interest of my own in state-of-the-art medical education.
Learning partners were great for discussing ideas for the kinds of seminars and workshops we run - and for validating our place in the course.
The structure of FULT meant that sufficient time was allowed (five consecutive days, plus follow-up days) to allow for real change in a participant's approach and praxis. The use of learning partners was helpful to me, as it meant that a process for feedback on, and clarification of, new learning was built into the course.
I appreciate the fact that I have met lecturers from other schools and faculties whom I would never have met otherwise.
I have found the resource folders particularly helpful in trying to apply some of the principles we learned about in my teaching during the semester. I have also passed on some of the material to tutors that I am supervising, and they have also found it extremely useful.
The panel discussions were extremely useful in getting valuable insight into quality learning and teaching issues from the perspective of both students and lecturers. Further, sharing our experiences with colleagues was useful in getting feedback on our teaching practices, thus helping us to develop effective teaching strategies.
Having the opportunity to reflect on what I have been doing, and thinking of solutions for problems I had encountered, made a great difference to the way I am approaching my teaching now. Having an expert panel was good too. It is always nice to find out how senior academics have dealt with various problems. I learned a lot there.
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FULT certificate and graduation
After completing the seven days, participants receive a certificate, which they can include in their teaching portfolios and in applications for promotion and other forms of recognition.
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Register for FULT
To register please email FULT
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