Curriculum Engagement
We seek to be known for the productive ways in which we engage with our communities and stakeholders, characterised by partnerships with our community. Our community includes the businesses, industries, government agencies, non-government organisations, professional bodies, schools, Alumni, Indigenous and ethnic communities, local community groups around our campuses and at state, national and international levels. We refer to Engagement here quite specifically as the interaction between the University and the broader community that is characterised by a two-way flow of benefits.
Curriculum Engagement refers to mutually beneficial partnerships with our communities for community and student learning as part of each course.
Why Engage? Benefits of Engaged Teaching and Learning
Our community can engage with ECU in many ways. For example, when external partners are involved in course design, the process helps to develop programs that are relevant, contemporary and valued by the community and industry. Students then enrol in a course that is industry relevant, with excellent prospects for employment. Industry colleagues help ECU colleagues to ensure that courses are relevant and appropriate to community needs.
Our long term goal for engagement is:
"to be recognised for the range and quality of our engagement activities which will be a point of differentiation for ECU, produce mutual benefits and productive relationships with the University’s various communities." (Engaging minds: Engaging communities. Towards 2020)
Engagement for learning and teaching enhances the quality of the student learning experience. The knowledge, skills and attitudes that students learn and practice through Engaged Teaching and Learning activities benefit unit and course coordinators’ experience as well. At ECU, our students offer our communities energy, enthusiasm, fresh outlooks and expertise. Successful Engagement is a win-win situation for all parties.
By responding to the needs of business, industry, government and the wider community, we aim to provide teaching opportunities, learning opportunities and research that contribute to the economic, social, cultural and sustainable development of our world. In collaboration with partners we seek to enhance student learning through relevant and up-to-date courses by incorporating workplace integrated learning and other Engagement strategies. In this way, we engender in our students a sense of community connection and consciousness that will benefit everyone now and into the future.
Engagement activities have the potential to deliver positive outcomes in:
- skills development;
- deep and conceptual learning;
- improved employability;
- benefit to our partners; and
- ECU reputation and profile.
Deep and Conceptual Learning: The authentic nature of Engagement activities provides students with opportunities for reflection and application of their knowledge and skills, helping to strengthen their understanding of their discipline.
Employability: Learning in settings with workplace relevance and application helps students to prepare in different ways for their working life and to discover and fill gaps in their education and training.
Benefit to external partner: Engagement activities provide tangible benefits to the external partner. The scope and extent of the benefit is an important indicator in checking the value and success of the Engagement. Some Engagement activities provide the external client with valuable products and services at low-cost in return for their participation and involvement.
ECU reputation and profile: An important outcome from Engagement activities is the development of the reputation of the university as a relevant place of learning and one which actively seeks to connect and bring benefit to its community.
Leadership in Engagement
An important contribution to Engaged Learning and Teaching comes from academics who take leadership roles in supporting other academics in their endeavour to increase Engagement in their unit. Leadership activities include organising other teachers to participate in Engagement activities as well as participating in staff development to showcase and share ideas and expertise, providing School and Faculty leadership.
Our Goals for the Future
Strategic Priority 1: Engaging and serving our communities1.2 To ensure that ECU’s programs demonstrate engaged practice
- Action 1.2.1 Continue to map and monitor engagement levels in the curriculum and implement actions to improve areas with low levels.
- Action 1.2.2 Expand the volume and role of Workplace Integrated Learning across the University’s courses.
Engagement through Course Design
(strategic involvement with external partners in course design)
When external partners are involved in course design, the process helps to develop programs that are relevant, contemporary and valued by the community and industry.
Active Consultative Committees
Consultative committees can play an important role in providing advice about course design. The relevant policy for consultative committees is available online at http://www.ecu.edu.au/GPPS/policies_db/policies_view.php?rec_id=0000000076 describing the structure, composition, roles and conduct of consultative committees, including how often they should meet and what advice should be sought.
Industry/community involvement in course design
Each course should be guided by strong industry/community input and involvement. Some courses are accredited by industry or professional associations.
Industry/community input and feedback
Industry/community input and feedback to the Course Coordinator are used for continuous improvement. Course revisions show evidence of uptake of the input and feedback.
Benchmarking
There are many ways to benchmark a course. Courses may be benchmarked by comparing the course with a similar course at another Australian university.
Engagement through Units in a Course
When external partners are involved as collaborating partners with the unit coordinators in the teaching and assessment of units, each unit will be relevant, contemporary and valued by the community and industry.
Engagement through Unit Delivery
When external industry partners act as collaborating teachers, students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes can be enhanced. At the same time, the external partners can learn from their university experience, as they reflect on and articulate their own experience and knowledge and engage in critical inquiry about the workplace with students.
When external industry partners act as collaborating teachers, students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes can be enhanced. At the same time, the external partners can learn from their university experience.
Guest expert practitioners from industry may
- present lectures in person
- present lectures via video
- present via simulation
- facilitate tutorials on campus
- facilitate workshops or seminars on campus
- participate in on-line discussion with students
Sessional staff may bring current workplace knowledge and understanding to student learning, as may external partners if they work in relevant industry or have worked recently in a relevant industry.
Students may be taught and learn off campus during
- a site visit
- a field trip
- a workshop or seminar
- a TAFE course or unit
- practicum
- a performance
- competitions
- an activity day in school or the community
Students may attend or participate in events run by professional bodies or industry organisations as part of the unit.
Engagement through Course Products and Services (Authentic Assessment)
Often students develop a product or provide a service for external use that contributes positively to our community as part of their assessment and learning activities.
Often students develop a product for external use that contributes positively to our community as part of their learning activities and assessment. Students may also provide a service as a positive contribution to the community as part of their learning activities and assessment.
There is relevance and authenticity in the learning experience as well as the assessment and the product or service is of tangible benefit to others.
The student does not usually need to go to the workplace. However, the product or service must be delivered to the potential end-user.
Students practice and develop their skills in relevant and meaningful applications increasing their employability.
Industry practitioners may act as assessors and their feedback is received by the student. Ideally the feedback from the industry partner
Engagement through Workplace / Community Activity
University students often provide services and support to members of the external community. Often these services contribute significantly to the lives of others.
University students often provide services and support to members of the external community. Known as community service and service learning, these activities may involve students being active members of clubs or organisations which provide services that help to improve the lives of others as well as their own. Often the services make a big difference in the lives of others.
Students learn, develop and practice skills through active participation in thoughtfully organised service-oriented activities. These activities are conducted in the community or workplace. They meet the needs of and provide benefit to the community and are linked to specific learning outcomes in the unit.
These activities are coordinated with the community partner. Community service activities are generally student-generated and student-led. The University reputation and profile can be strongly enhanced through these philanthropic activities.
Unlike Workplace Integrated Learning (WIL), this is not practicum and these activities do not include Volunteering.
These Workplace Community Activities are integrated into the unit learning and assessment plans.
Through these activities, students may learn planning, organisation and other life skills that will be useful for employment but these activities may not be directly targeted towards work or work skills and/ or specific discipline knowledge.
Ideally, structured learning through community activity assists students to reflect on how their experience was a benefit to the community as well as what they learnt from their experience.
Engagement through Workplace Integrated Learning (WIL)
Workplace Integrated Learning (WIL) is a distinctive form of learning experience that incorporates students being in a workplace setting as a component of learning.
We aim to give our students the opportunity to learn through participation in a workplace belonging to one of our community partners. This provides many learning opportunities denied in classroom settings. Work placements (e.g. practicum) help students develop their capacity to apply their knowledge and skills and to streamline the transition from university to the workplace. We aim to create sustainable workplace integrated programs by ensuring that the community partner is advantaged by the student placement so that the relationship is mutually beneficial.
Workplace Integrated Learning (WIL) is a distinctive form of learning experience that incorporates students being in a workplace setting as a component of learning. Students apply generic and specific knowledge and practical skills from on-campus learning to a workplace setting.
WIL provides meaningful experience that is intentional and organised as a pre-determined programme of activities with formalised partnerships.
The organisations derive benefit from additions to their workforce and help to train potential employees to the standards required.
Some courses have WIL as a designated unit; others have WIL as a component of a unit. WIL may be over distributed days and/or continuous days and can be for a full semester.