Karin Watson, Scientia Education Academy Fellow

Title: Dual mode delivery in studio - pilot study UNSW Art & Design (A&D)

Introduction and theoretical background 

COVID-19 brought with it an abrupt move to online teaching, with substantial attention devoted to upskilling students and teachers in new technologies and pedagogies, in addition to adapting content online within a very short timeframe. As COVID-19 continues to disrupt higher education worldwide, discussions are emerging whether this move should remain a temporary pivot (Nordman et al 2020) or whether higher education should consider what benefits could be included as part of a ‘new normal’ in the post-COVID university model. (Devlin 2020) 

Art & Design disciplines bring unique challenges to teaching in a post-COVID model, as classes are traditionally studio based and rely deeply on project-based assessment, student collaboration, hands-on skills and the concept of ‘learning by making’. Many of the disciplines are reliant on specialised equipment, materials, software and facilities. 

While all A&D classes pivoted online in March 2020, and adapted relatively well given the circumstances, questions arose about how long this work-around could be sustained, and how these studio courses could potentially be delivered in dual mode in future. This model would need to accommodate the specific requirements of studio facilities and teaching, while complying with government safety regulations and not disadvantaging those students and staff who were unable to attend campus. Concern was also evident for first year students who had only experienced four weeks of face to face (f2f) classes before moving online, and who had not yet been able to forge friendships and community, nor familiarity with the equipment and skills upon which much of studio learning depends. 

As such, it was proposed that the first year core course DDES1101 Studio 2, comprising of approximately 250 students, would run as a pilot for dual mode delivery in Term 3, 2020 developed and led by Karin Watson. The intention was to provide insights on how more studio classes could be adapted pedagogically to dual mode delivery in 2021 onwards, as well as inform associated operational decisions regarding workloads, staffing, timetabling and enrolment numbers which can often affect the student and teacher experience. 

Aims 

The aim of the pilot is to: 

• Provide an equitable learning and teaching experience for f2f and online students and teachers 

• Test a dual mode delivery that incorporates new pedagogies into a studio context 

• Trial the functionality and appropriateness of room sizes, new furniture and equipment layouts, audio visual capability and facilities in accordance with government health regulations in f2f environment 

• Investigate operational issues such as coordination and correlation between timetabled enrolment numbers, COVID cap numbers, number of tables/seats provided in rooms, furniture layouts, signage, ‘sit here’ stickers, etc 

• Provide feedback on staff workloads in this new model 

• Provide insights for future professional development of staff for dual mode delivery 

• Observe student and staff willingness to comply with social distancing, hand sanitising, cleaning tables, wearing of masks, etc in f2f environment 

Progress & Outcomes  

At the start of Term 3, 2020, staff and students could select their preference for mode of delivery, with 7 studio classes running in an adjusted f2f mode, and 4 studio classes running in fully online mode.

Throughout the pilot the high standard of student work submitted was noted across both cohorts, with no distinguishable differences between f2f or online students.

Similarly, UNSW myExperience student evaluations across both modes of delivery reported: 

97.5% agreement with ‘overall I was satisfied with the quality of the course’ 

98.3 % agreement with ‘I felt part of a learning community’ 

99.2% agreement with ‘The course resources helped me learn’ 

99.2% agreement with ‘The assessment tasks were relevant to course content’ 

Next steps 

Upon completion of the pilot, the Karin Watson will: 

• Prepare a report for the Head of School, Domain Deputy Heads of Schools, Faculty Academic Committee, A&D Workload working party, facilities management and student client services 

• Present reflections at the December 2020 Design Domain and Art Domain School meetings to socialise the concept and gather feedback 

• Advise on and/or provide professional development workshops/presentations for A&D staff delivering in dual mode in 2021 

• Develop a studio specific ‘Learning to learn Online’ module that students undertake before commencing first year courses.

References 

1. Devlin M. (2020). Pauses, pivots and possibilities in post-COVID-19 higher education. Campus Review. Accessed on 29 October 2020 at https://www.campusreview.com.au/2020/06/pauses-pivots-and-possibilities-in-post-covid-19-higher-education/ 
2. Nordmann E, Horlin C, Hutchison J, Murray JA, Robson L, et al. (2020) Ten simple rules for supporting a temporary online pivot in higher education. PLOS Computational Biology 16(10): e1008242. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008242 
3. Accessed on 28 October 2020 at https://journals.plos.org/ploscompbiol/article?id=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008242 

 

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Title: The UNSW Art & Design Badges Project  

Led by: Simon McIntyre and Karin Watson

Introduction 

The UNSW Art & Design Badges Project builds upon the work of two previous projects: The Learning Hubs Project (An adaptive, personalised, community centric education model: SEIF 1 Grant 2017 - 2019) which had in turn built upon the Flipped Learning Project (Innovating Learning: synthesising flipped classrooms, evolved curricula for authentic learning, academic professional development and technology:SEF#2 Grant 2014-2016).   

The project provides students with skills training in the form of ‘packages’ outside of existing courses, and a badging system that tracks a student’s progress and completions. Students are provided with suggested pathways and badges relevant to their courses and program through the course outline system. The packages include online resources and quizzes which can be accessed anywhere and at any time, and (if required) students can sign up for a ‘bootcamp’ to seek support or extend their knowledge further. The project aims not only to upskill students, but to also prevent repetition of the same skills taught in different courses, saving time and associated cost but also freeing up more time for teachers to engage with higher order thinking in studio. It also responds to the diverse student cohort that present to class with different skills, as well the increasing need to provide flexible, personalised learning experiences. 

The project is ongoing as more staff contribute to the building of skills packages, and the Badge System becomes embedded within the faculty culture. It is currently expanding to include professional development badges for staff that attend workshops or training sessions, as well as reaching outwards to other existing UNSW programs, such as the Michael Crouch Innovation Centre’s (MCIC) Founders program, to integrate a broader and richer student and staff experience. 

Theoretical Background 

The project addresses two key areas, namely the perceived value of the badges and the need to ensure the project remains sustainable, relevant and scalable. 

Carey et al (2018) found that in higher education contexts, skills-based badges (ie requiring evidence of mastery and evaluation) are considered more meaningful than those awarded for participation alone, with badge purpose, transferability, and learning objectives regarded as most important.  The Badges project provides skills packages that mirror disciplinary and industry standards and embeds them into curriculum, assessment project briefs and learning outcomes throughout the programs. Progression through the badges are tracked through a digital ‘traffic light’ system, and the badge awarded only once the requirements are successfully achieved.  

While online initiatives such as these are worthwhile, Stiles (2004) indicates that many institutions fail to address how these might become sustainable and embedded into institutional practice, by focussing only on the introduction and implementation of the initiatives (DfES, 2003, Stiles, 2004) 

The Badges Project adopts a holistic faculty and program approach by integrating badges into the curriculum, course outline system, resource bookings and a personalised student and staff Badges Dashboard. This approach not only coordinates between various faculty facilities, but also provides a dashboard that tracks the successful completion of badges, and provides direction and opportunities for students to plan and pursue skills required for future career pathways.  

Progress / Outcomes / Next steps 

Across the three projects, the badging system has achieved as follows: 

1. Provides, tracks and archives all the mandatory proficiencies and inductions in the 2D, 3D and 4D Making Centres at UNSW Art & Design. The system links to the UNSW SafeSYS system 

2. Provides skills training and tracking for courses throughout the programs at Art & Design  

3. Provides optional upskilling for students according to their study or career pathways 

The project is currently:  

4. Expanding the dashboard to include faculty professional development activities of staff (eg Convenor Induction workshops, Permanent Staff Teaching Inductions, etc) 

5. Expanding beyond the faculty to link or integrate with existing UNSW resources such as the MCIC Founders program  

Acknowledgements 

Participants in the three projects are extensive and include staff (academic and professional) and students from UNSW Faculty of Art & Design. Please refer to the Project Reports for detailed role descriptions. The MCIC Founders program currently being integrated at A&D is being implemented by Carly Vickers.  

References 

1. Carey, K.L., Stefaniak, J.E. (2018). An exploration of the utility of digital badging in higher education settings. Education Tech Research Dev 66, 1211-1229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-018-9602-1 
2. Department for Education and Skills, “Towards a Unified e-Learning Strategy”, (Nottingham: DfES Publications, 2003), 6  
3. Stiles, M., & Yorke, J. (2004). Embedding staff development in elearning in the production process and using policy to reinforce its effectiveness. Paper presented at the The 9th SEDA Conference, Birmingham. Accessed 28 October 2020 at http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.476.3279&rep=rep1&type=pdf 

 

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Title: Course Development Program at Art & Design 

Led by: Simon McIntyre and Karin Watson

Introduction

The Art & Design Course Development Programs (CDP) were established in 2018 by Associate Dean Education Simon McIntyre to facilitate coordinated course development for completely redesigned Bachelor of Design (BDes), Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), and Bachelor of Media Arts (BMA) programs at Art & Design. Every course in the BDes and BFA was written with the support of the CDP, and two disciplinary studios in the BMA were created by industry professionals taking part in the process.   

The CDP comprise a series of 6 workshops spread over 6 months, with developmental milestones in between, and regular peer review sessions of course designs to ensure alignment and quality. Workshops were developed and run by a changing team including academic Karin Watson, Educational Developers Amy Teale, Fiona Nicolson, Nikki Hayes, Jillian James, and Natalya Oliveira, and professional staff including team leaders Luke Killen and Jim Ward. This diverse team provided pedagogic and practical guidance and support to academics during the process.   

Theoretical Background and Aims

The CDP were designed to establish a programmatic approach to course development, giving academics authoring individual courses the opportunity to work alongside peers with an overarching guiding plan in place to ensure that courses scaffold into each other at individual year levels, and align to the program learning outcomes. Each CDP has a focus on pedagogy and technology, integrating the Digital Uplift process into a professional development context to ensure that any use of technology is appropriate, sustainable and meaningful for students.   

This approach has created an environment where knowledge and insight are shared freely, creating a strong sense of professional community and comradery (Wenger, E., 2011; Wenger, E., White, N., & Smith, J., 2010). During conceptualisation and peer review of designs, academics collaborate with peers from other programs and disciplines with different knowledge and skill sets, and with the professional staff who manage the practical implementation of the student experience on campus. The resulting Zone of Proximal Development of this arrangement (Daniels, H., 2001; Vgotsky, L., 1997) has helped participants in the programs develop a more holistic approach to course design as they are learning in a community with different skill levels and knowledge.  

Progress and Outcomes

To date the program has included:  

• 4 x CDP Programs (6 x 3 hour workshops each over 6 months) 

• 72 New courses created over 6 programs 

• 46 Courses completed Digital Uplift in collaboration with PVCE 

• 44 Academics received professional development through CDP series  

• 2 Deputy Heads of School 

• 6 Educational developers 

• 6 Professional Staff 

MyExperience results for courses created through the CDP process have consistently been higher than existing courses in the faculty and were also more successfully adapted to online delivery during the COVID-19 crisis due to the use of more complete Moodle sites and digital resources. Most of those involved in the programs have also seen an improvement in teaching satisfaction since participating.  

Next steps

Academics within the CDP communities continue to work with each other to continually review and improve the courses they have created based upon student feedback and their fit with other courses in their program. In addition, the CDP has set a new standard for course development at Art & Design and has evolved to include a less-formalised mentorship model. This allows individual academics to benefit from the wisdom and knowledge of the extended CDP community when creating or revising courses without having to go through a formal program. As of 2020, 17 academics are taking part in a mentor-based CDP process with seasoned academics and educational developers to revise and improve courses in response to recent program reviews. This process will continue as BAU we move forward into 2021. 

References

1. Daniels, H. (2001). Vygotsky and Pedagogy. London ; New York: Routledge/Falmer.  
2. Vgotsky, L. (1997). Educational Psychology, (R. Silverman. Trans.).  
3. Wenger, E. (2011). Communities of practice: A brief introduction. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1794/11736  
4. Wenger, E., White, N., & Smith, J. (2010). Learning in Communities. In U.-D. Ehlers & D. Schneckenberg (Eds.), Changing Cultures in Higher Education (pp. 257-283): Springer Berlin Heidelberg. 

Evolving leadership, administration, professional development, and culture to establish a substantial, scalable, blended learning strategy at UNSW Art & Design 

Introduction and Aims: The UNSW Inspired Learning Initiative (ILI) has been an important catalyst for kick-starting Blended Learning and the wider discussion about digital uplift at UNSW Art & Design. However future funding is limited, and as such ILI will only impact a maximum of 40 courses and falls short of addressing cultural change and the associated implications of blended learning on other operational areas of the Faculty.  

This SEIF2 project aims to complement and extend upon ILI by developing a cohesive Blended Learning Strategy that informs all operational areas of the Faculty, including executive, administration, teaching and resources. The masterplan serves as an impetus for widespread culture change across all areas to facilitate the uptake of digital pedagogies to be effective, efficient, scalable and sustainable. This will expand the impact and capability of staff and faculty well beyond these selected ILI courses and help improve the quality, personalisation and flexibility of the student learning experience.  

Theoretical Background: This project builds on and develops strategies to action the UNSW Scientia Education Model, in particular ‘Being Digital’ and ‘Inspired Learning Through Inspiring Teaching’. 

Prior to 2002, a lack of institutional strategy was regarded as one of the main barriers to the implementation and embedding of eLearning in tertiary institutions. (Smith, 2002). Since then, many institutions have included eLearning into their Learning and Teaching Strategies, however most address the introduction and/or implementation of eLearning but fail to address how these might become embedded in institutional practice (DfES, 2003, Stiles, 2003) in order to remain sustainable and scalable. The successful embedding of eLearning in institutions is often impeded by the failure to effectively introduce culture change or to address change management. Critical issues such as ‘one off’ staff development training, irregular consolidation of progress, little or no evaluation, and lack of follow through serve as further obstructions (Stiles, 2004). 

Consistently applied, truly innovative Blended Learning fundamentally changes the practice of teaching. If all aspects of faculty operations do not evolve considering this, then it becomes difficult to effectively scale and embed blended learning across the faculty in a consistent and sustainable manner.  

Progress / Outcomes: While the project scope was to devise a proposed BL strategy by the end of 2018, through early implementation it has already initiated cultural change and ‘buy in’ across all areas of the faculty where there has been significant uptake of digital pedagogies.  This has enhanced the quality of blended learning and provided greater flexibility in timetabling and course design to facilitate an improved, personalised student experience. The sustainability and scalability of the model has been supported through integration with other faculty and UNSW projects, and by embedding it in professional development programs, timetabling, skills proficiencies, sessional staff inductions and student communication.  

To date this has been achieved through: 

• provision of guidelines and templates of best practice for staff to adopt and adapt in teaching and technical support 
• a professional development program comprising 5 workshops. To date 2 x PD programs have been facilitated which involved 29 academic staff and 7 Educational Developers covering 6 A&D programs and 40 courses in total. 
• integration with Bachelor of Design and Bachelor of Fine Art program redesign, A&D Hubs Skills Packages (SEIF#1 grant), A&D online proficiencies and inductions, and A&D online course outline system 
• integration with UNSW Inspired Learning Initiative (to date 15 courses completed) and 3+ model 
• guidelines for sessional staff inductions 

Next steps: There will be widespread implementation, evaluation and finalisation of the strategy at A&D throughout 2019, with a view for wider dissemination beyond the faculty.  

References:

• Department for Education and Skills, “Towards a Unified e-Learning Strategy”, (Nottingham: DfES Publications, 2003), 6   
• Smith, T. (2002) Strategic factors affecting the uptake, in higher education, of new and emerging technologies for learning and teaching. York: Technologies Centre, [online] www.techlearn.ac.uk/NewDocs/HEDriversFinal.rtf 
 
• Stiles, M., & Yorke, J. (2004). Embedding staff development in elearning in the production process and using policy to reinforce its effectiveness. Paper presented at the The 9th SEDA Conference, Birmingham.

Acknowledgements: 

Implementation and input into this project have been collaborative and widespread, and include the Executive, Academic, Professional and Technical Staff, Educational Developers, PVCE and students as partners. 

Faculty level contributions

• Academic Committee
• Quality Committee
• Portfolio Entry Applications assessor
• Academic Advisor
• Formative Peer Reviewer of Teaching

UNSW level contributions

• UNSW Scientia Education Academy
• Education Focussed Champion
• Summative Peer Reviewer of Teaching
• Academic Lead - New Education Focussed Support Community of Practice
• Member - Student Feedback and Digital Assessment CoP, Online Learning and Innovation CoP, Student Wellbeing Co

Memberships:

• Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)
• Higher Education Research and Development of Australasia (HERDSA)
• Society of Learning Analytics Research (SoLAR)
• International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (ISSOTL)

Current Projects:

OnTask 2016 - 2019
Delivery of timely, personalised and actionable student feedback at scale (University of Sydney, University of South Australia, UTS, UNSW Sydney, University of Texas at Arlington, University of Edinburgh), Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) Strategic Priority Commissioned Grant $345,000

UNSW Art & Design Blended Learning Strategy 2017 - 2018
Evolving leadership, administration, professional development, and culture to establish a sustainable, scalable blended learning strategy, (Watson, Teale,) UNSW Scientia Education Investment Fund (SEIF) Grant $50,000

Learning Hubs 2017 - ongoing
An adaptive, personalised community centric education model ( McIntyre, Ward, Killen, Watson, Goddard, Greenwood, Teale, Velonaki, Flanagan, Bown, Davies, Khut, Jones, Stevens, Brown, Weymouth, Kriss, Kuchelmeister, Miller, Dunn), UNSW  SEIF Grant $200,000

Digital Assessment 2018 - 2019
Empowering students and supporting teachers through innovative student-oriented educational practices (Lutze-Mann, Eaton, Sulway, Watson, Mak, Binder, Bilbao, Dedova, Carlon, Amberber, Lapere, Holdom, Davis, Mansfield, Velan, Oliver, Chen, Kanapathipillai, Taylor, Liu, Sherry, Angstmann), UNSW Education Focused Foundation Funding Grant, $192,000

UNSW Art & Design Course Development Program 2018 – ongoing
Creation and Delivery of professional development fellowship program for A&D staff undertaking curriculum development and Inspired Learning Initiative for new Bachelor of Design program

Learning to Teach Online MOOC 2015 - ongoing
The MOOC is designed to help existing educators establish or improve their own online or blended teaching practices, and is suitable for all teachers in higher education, elementary, college, vocational or private education.

 

Awards:

2019 The KPMG Inspiring Teacher Award in a First Year Undergraduate Program - nomination (Watson, K)
The award celebrates teachers who create rich learning environments and provide a consistently excellent educational experience for students. All 2019 UNSW students enrolled in a first year undergraduate program were invited to nominate and vote to determine the recipient of the award.

2019 UNSW President's Award - nomination for 'Driving Innovation' (Watson, K)
The President's Award is a peer nominated award for staff to recognise and celebrate those who light up UNSW by actively demonstrating the UNSW 'Values in Action'. Nominees are recognised not only for what they do but how they approach their work; and their ability to energise colleagues and be supportive. 

2018 Senior Fellow Higher Education Academy UK (now Advance HE) (Watson, K)
Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) constitutes internationally accredited and quality-assured professional recognition that I have successfully evidenced "a thorough understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning support as a key contribution to high quality student learning", including successful peer engagement, influence and leadership. 

2017 UNSW Scientia Education Academy Fellow (Watson, K)
Appointed as one of 35 members of the UNSW Scientia Education Academy. The Academy comprises outstanding UNSW educators who have achieved recognition at the University, national or international level through significant learning and teaching activities, grants, awards, fellowships, major national or international projects or professional society recognition.

2015 The International WHARTON-QS STARS AWARDS 2015: REIMAGINE EDUCATION (Simon McIntyre, Karin Watson, Negin Mirriahi) for ‘The Learning to Teach Online’ Programs - Regional Award: Oceania (2nd place)

2015 The International WHARTON-QS STARS AWARDS 2015: REIMAGINE EDUCATION (Simon McIntyre, Karin Watson, Negin Mirriahi) for ‘The Learning to Teach Online’ Programs – Arts and Humanities Award (2nd place)

2015 The International WHARTON-QS STARS AWARDS 2015: REIMAGINE EDUCATION (Simon McIntyre, Karin Watson, Negin Mirriahi) for ‘The Learning to Teach Online’ Programs – Nurturing Employment Award (Joint 3rd  place)

2015 International ACPI: THE E-LEARNING EXCELLENCE AWARD (Simon McIntyre, Karin Watson, Negin Mirriahi) for ‘The Learning to Teach Online’ Programs - Finalist

2012 International MERLOT CLASSICS AWARD (Simon McIntyre, Karin Watson) for ‘The Learning to Teach Online’ Project  - Faculty Development Board award for ‘Exemplary Online Learning Resources’

2011 AUSTRALIASIAN SOCIETY FOR COMPUTERS IN LEARNING IN TERTIARY EDUCATION (ASCILITE) AWARD  (Simon McIntyre, Karin Watson) for ‘The Learning to Teach Online’ Project  - Innovation and Excellence Award

2010 DEANS AWARD (UNSW ART & DESIGN) (Karin Watson) - Outstanding Teaching Innovations

2008 AUSTRALIAN LEARNING AND TEACHING COUNCIL (ALTC) CITATION (Linda Corkery, Ann Quinlan, Ben Roche, Karin Watson) – Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning