Richard. Baker@anu.au Deputy Dean Colleges of Science Australian National University

1. Encouraging deep learning some egs from the Australian National University “The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled” (Plutarch, c46–127 AD) Richard.Baker@anu.edu.au Deputy Dean Colleges of Science Australian National University

2. Lots more detail on things I talk about today on my webpage - Google “Richard Baker ANU

3. http://fennerschool-people.anu.edu.au/richard_baker/teaching.htmlhttp://fennerschool-people.anu.edu.au/richard_baker/teaching.html

4. Encouraging Deep Learning • ANU context • Egs from my teaching • Plenty of time for discussion

5. Why I teach • I have been inspired by some inspirational teachers • Teaching can make a difference

6. Some principles underpinning my teaching: student learning can be enhanced by: • Constantly improving our courses by having a wide array of reflective skills and evaluation methods – good teaching is opportunistic, intuitive and iterative • Thinking outside the box –other ways of doing things • Encouraging peer learning and developing other life-long learning skills • Empowering students by giving them ownership of their learning as far as possible • Connecting the known with the unknown • Having students come to classes prepared to learn

8. Personal reflections from my teaching • 1st year “Resources, Environment and Society” • 2nd year “Viet Nam field school” • 3rd year “Environmental Policy and Planning” • 4th year Honours supervision • Masters by course work students • PhD supervision

9. SRES1001 a combined arts – science course • Resources, Environment and Society (SRES1001) was born out of the desire to combine Arts Faculty and Science Faculty approaches to understanding the relationship betweenpeople and the environment. • The course has attracted mainly Arts and Science students but has also had students from 32 different degree programs including students from all 6 of ANU’s undergraduate Colleges (Arts & Social Sciences, Asia & the Pacific, Business & Economics, Engineering & Computer Science, Law, Medicine & Health Sciences, Science)

10. An interdisciplinary course • The course aims to present science in a way that is accessible to Arts students, and social science in a way that is accessible to Science students. • It integrates the practical vocationally oriented aspects of first year Forestry, with first year Geography’s broad ranging society-environment concerns and first year Sociology’s emphasis on critical thinking.

11. SRES1001 aims to • present an interdisciplinary, multidimensional approach to society-environment studies; • present and analyse multiple perspectives on environmental problems; • embed academic skills and information literacy into the curriculum; and • encourage students to be active learners through posing questions, investigating problems and participating in collaborative learning.

12. Research-led nature of course • Course established in response to my reading of the literature on the first year experience at Australian universities • Focus my teaching around my research with Indigenous people on resource management and Indigenous knowledge systems • First lecture for example asks them to consider Yolgnu metaphors of learning and how they might apply to their university careers • Focus on building up student research skills • Weekly two hour panel where researchers and policy makers engage in debates

13. Focus on reflection - Learning portfolio comment • This would have to be the first time I've been asked to reflect on the way that I learn, and subsequently it's got me thinking about how I actually do it.

14. Structure of course • Each week a one hour lecture and a two hour panel discussion/debate • Weekly two hour tutorials (10-15 students and a tutor) based around readings, role-plays and case studies - advanced study option where students have to devise a tutorial exercise for their peers • 3 tutorials shared this year with National University of Singapore course - use of wikis and YouTube to share material http://uk.youtube.com/user/ANUSustainability • field trip to the University’s coastal campus, with a strong focus on exploring the contested and inherently political nature of environment-society issues. • All videoed streamed at http://fennerschool-lectures.anu.edu.au/lectures/SRES1001/

15. Need to assist students to be prepared for learning • The Commencing Study at the ANU - The Experience of the 1999 Undergraduate Cohort found that 47% of first year students were unprepared for classes. • Of these 18% of students reported never reading suggested materials with a further 29% only sometimes preparing for class. • Also of significance was the finding that 45% of first year students were not comfortable participating in group discussions.

16. Assisting students to be prepared to learn • Such findings made us realise the value of a process where students are required to prepare for tutorials and are supported in developing skills in effective preparation. • Tutorials have a one page summary “entry ticket” • Such findings also made me conscious of the fact that there are many other areas where students feel inadequately prepared to contribute.

17. The course includes many other examples of support to assist student learning e.g. support for • learning how to frame questions that students are required to pose to guest speakers; • learning how to make observations and notes on field trips; • critically assessing the validity of various web pages; • producing and delivering PowerPoint presentations to their peers, orally and via the web - examples at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xL1eFvcEATg • researching and writing their first university essay.

18. Evaluation strategies for SRES1001 have included a wide mix of qualitative and quantitative student, peer and self-evaluation including: • End of course summative student evaluations; • mid-course student group evaluation run by an external facilitator;

19. Learning Portfolio- on mid course feedback session • “This is the first class where I have done a mid unit evaluation. I think this is a fantastic idea that should be much more prevalent around Uni. My classmates shared my enthusiasm for how the course has been going so far, yet we still gave some constructive feedback which will hopefully help with further improvements. I wish all my units at Uni were this oriented to maximising learning potential!”

20. Evaluation methods cont. • peer evaluation via observation of classes by staff from the Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods and Information Literacy Program and by the involvement of over 50 guest panelists; • self and peer evaluation via weekly teaching team meetings; • student self reflection in learning portfolios; • end of semester focus groups and research project interviews; • Ongoing contact with many students after finishing the course (and finishing university);

21. “Opening minds” “they really kind of pushed you into having this open mind. And the whole theory that several truths can coexist. Which makes it a lot easier in your other subjects when they say something that you don’t completely agree with. You don’t turn off any more, you start to think about things more and that’s something this course encouraged.” (Focus group, 2003)

22. SRES2017 Viet Nam Field Trip • Taught in country for 16 days • Prior to going weekend of workshops • Intensive language component first week • Two home stays - on in Da Nang other in small village

23. Assessment • 5%: Learning goal statement due 2 months before we go • 25-40% Group work - based on final presentation given on 2nd last day in Viet Nam (your group must all agree on the same %) • 10-30%: Vietnamese language improvement to be assessed at mid-point of trip in oral exam • 30-60%: Learning portfolio that will encourage critical observation and reflection skills due one week after the field trip finishes • http://fennerschool-people.anu.edu.au/richard_baker/teaching/SRES2017/assessment.htm

28. Keys to creating circumstances for deep student learning • Created a peer based learning environment - shared learning goals, wikis to collaboratively develop research project http://fennerschool-people.anu.edu.au/richard_baker/teaching/SRES2017/groupwork.htm • Small diverse class - every faculty and year of study • Reading about research and small group work including “pearls of wisdom” from past and present class on making group work work • Modelling team work by team teaching course

29. Confronting research and personal issues - jolting students into a new mind space • Research - “what is development”, made real by seeing people without safe drinking water or with seasonal food shortages • Personally - demanding home stays in Da Nang and in a remote village. Learning survival Vietnamese • Key is to extend students outside their comfort zone but to have a safety net when they need it

30. Learning Portfolio extracts • The most interesting thing for me was learning that the majority of stuff you learn at university goes unused, but it’s the actual procedures and mindset that helps you in the field - Batchelor of Resource Management Student • Vietnam was much more than just six credit points. It was a life changing experience. Through exploring the themes as mentioned above we were able to learn about ourselves, group work, Vietnam and first hand experience the highs and lows of cross cultural research - Batchelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (Sustainability) • I will never read a journal article with the same naivety I once had, learning first hand and having the opportunity to conduct such raw primary research will be a valued experience in my future academic career. -Law Student

31. “Environmental Policy and Planning” (EPP) • Taught since 1994 - 3rd (final year) undergraduate course. • Like many other courses at ANU has wide range of students from different academic and cultural backgrounds

32. Assessment • Essay or webpage to share with class based on tutorial topic that they have facilitated 30-40% • Tutorial Facilitation 20% • Learning Portfolio 10-30% • Briefing Paper 15-30% - egs at http://uk.youtube.com/user/ANUSustainability

33. Briefing paper exercise - Learning Portfolio • What a great assignment! I think it was a very appropriate way to end the course, allowing us to put everything we have learnt into practice and learn a practical tool that we are likely to use in the future. I think essays are important in developing writing and grammatical skills, however, rarely are they used in the real world … The skills and knowledge that I gained from EPP are already proving to be useful I the real world

34. Graduate course mirrors the undergraduate one - same lectures and tutorials but separate session each week and extra assement • Seminar on environmental policy and planning that works in your country - http://fennerschool-people.anu.edu.au/richard_baker/SRES3028/postgrad_info/previous_talks_2008.html

35. International students • Make up 10-20% of class each year • Last year had a student run tutorial on public participation in environmental planning run by East Timoresese student involved in post Indonesian reconstruction, a Bhutanese community forester and a Japanese environmentalist. • This year a Filipino graduate of the class on a return visit to Canberra gave a class on her work taking the Australian landcare model back to her country

36. Teaching approaches • Use of web to share material between parallel graduate course and undergraduate course eg seminars on environmental policy and planning that works in their country • Interactive lectures/workshops, student run tutorials that build on issues raised in lectures a week after I run workshops with each group of student facilitators on how to best facilitate learning on that topic

37. Learning Portfolio 2004 • Facilitating a tutorial is an interesting experience, while you feel inadequate for the task you hold the possibility of creating quality learning. It is interesting to reflect on different personalities within a group and how they may work or not work with each other. One thing I learned is that enough research is never enough.

38. Graduate student from the former USSR comment on supertutorial - tutorials • “I learnt from the tutorial … the ability to lead a group and inspire them to work … To work effectively with a classmate … The best way to test and improve what one has learned is to try and teach others!”

39. Electronic network of former students • have used email to keep in touch with about 600 of the graduates • Engage them in my teaching electronically and also class based for those still in (or visiting) Canberra • 160 of them working in Environment Planning and Policy areas and details of their current positions - bottom link on my webpage

40. 2005 Expert panel of EPP graduates • Anne Leo - Executive Officer Office of the Secretary - Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage • David Kilham - Senior Policy Advisor, Approvals and Wildlife Division, Department of the Environment and Heritage. • Lisa Blanch - Project Officer Greenhouse Gas Abatement Program Industry and Markets BranchAustralian Greenhouse Office • Ruth Doran - Scientist Bureau of Rural Sciences, AFFA • Nathan Wales - GIS project officer Department of the Environment and Heritage. • Rebekah Hamed, Strategic Policy and Projects, Dept of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria • Catherine Mobbs - Research Coordinator Land and Water Australia

41. 2007 Panelists: tips on getting a job and making a difference in the workplace • Ian Stace - Science Teacher • Martine Franco - Thematic Coordinator National Land & Water Resources Audit • Keith Conley, Head Ursula Hall • Peter Wilson, Operational Support Unit, Australian Partners Branch, AusAID • Colin Wiltshire, Asia Pacific Section, International Strategies Branch, Portfolio Strategies Division Department of Health and Ageing • Laura Holbeck - Policy Officer International Section Department of the Environment and Heritage • David Kilham - Senior Policy Officer, Legislation Policy Section, Approvals and Wildlife Division, Dept of the Environment and Heritage.

42. 2008 Panelists • Annie Sanderson 2003 SKM consultancy • Karen Lummis, Dep Env 1998 Environmental Stewardship Program Caring for our Country Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts and Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry • Libby Pittard 2005 Graduate, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. • Anneke Staring 2005 National Site EMS Coordinator for Dept of Defence • Jason Forest 1997 Planning Project Manager, ACT Planning and Land Authority • Joanne Mitchell 1997 Project Manager Regional Coordination Program- South East Office NSW Department of Premier & Cabinet • Deb Cleland 2005 DEWHA in Environmental Approvals in the biodiversity offsets team of the EIA Policy Section

43. Conclusions - sorry nothing particularly original here! We can create the circumstances for deep learning by creating • Scaffolding to support independent and peer based learning • Developing new assessment items that encourage independent and peer based learning • Using our former students in our teaching • Give students real ownership over their learning • If we get students out of their comfort zone but don’t scare them silly! • With lots of hard work from us

44. References • Boyer Commission on Education Undergraduates in the Research University (1998) Reinventing Undergraduate Education: A blueprint for Americaﾕs research universities. Available at http://naples.cc.sunysb.edu/Pres/boyer.nsf • Jenkins, A. and Mick Healey 2005 Institutional Strategies to link teaching and research - The Higher Educational Academy www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/ourwork/research/Institutional_strategies.pdf • Jenkins, A, Mick Healey and Roger Zetter 2007 Linking teaching and research in disciplines and departments, The Higher Educational Academy http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/research/teaching • Jenkins, A. et al 2003 Reshaping Teaching in Higher Education: Linking Teaching and Research, Kogan Page • Le Heron, R., Baker, R. and McEwen. L. Co-learning: Re-linking Research and Teaching in Geography, Journal of Geography in Higher Education. Oxford: March Vol.30, Iss. 1: 77-88 • McInnis, C., James, R and McNaught, C. 1995 First Year on Campus: Diversity in the Initial Experiences of Australian Undergraduates, Centre for the Study of Higher Education University of Melbourne, produced by the Australian Government Publishing Service • Newitt, P. (2007) Stimulating our Talented: The Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) program. UniServe Science Symposium Proceedings Science Teaching and Learning Research including Threshold Concepts, 140-146. Pearson, M. et al 1999 Commencing Study at the ANU - The Experience of the 1999 Undergraduate Cohort, Report by the Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods, Australian National University. • Scott,P. (2002) A lot to learn: we are all researchers now, Education Guardian, January 8th, p13. Available at education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,628918,00.html • Wilson, A.N, Howitt, S.M. and Wilson, K.F. (2007) Research-led education: challenges and experiences, UniServe Science, Symposium Proceedings Science Teaching and Learning Research including Threshold Concepts, 154-160.