Learning and Teaching Plan

latrobe.edu.au

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Contents

3 MessagefromtheDeputy Vice-Chancellor(Academic)

5 Ourlearningandteachingmission 

5 Ourlearningandteachingvision 

5 Ourvalues 

5 Ouracademicculturalqualities 

6 Our learning and teaching objectives

8 Ourcoreobjectives

8 1. Studentexperience

14 2. Studentemployability

16 3. Research

18 4. Unrivalledpartnerofchoice

20 Lookingaheadto2022

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTOF COUNTRYLa TrobeUniversityacknowledgesthat ourcampusesarelocatedonthelandsof manytraditionalcustodiansinVictoria. We recognise their ongoing connection to the land and value their unique contributiontotheUniversityandwiderAustraliansociety.

WearecommittedtoprovidingopportunitiesforIndigenousAustralians,both as individuals and communities throughteachingandlearning,researchandcommunitypartnershipsacross allofourcampuses.

La TrobeUniversitypaysourrespect toIndigenousElders,past,presentandemergingandwillcontinuetoincorporateIndigenousknowledgesystemsandprotocolsaspartofourongoingstrategicandoperationalbusiness.

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La Trobeaimstoberecognisedgloballyforthequalityofourstudents’educationalexperiencesandoutcomes.Inanageofrapiddigitaladvances,innovationanddisruption,educationwillbemoreimportantthaneverinempoweringlearnersofallagesandbackgroundstothrive asinformedcitizensandengagedlifelonglearners.

ThisLearning and Teaching Planpresentsanambitiousfive-yearblueprintforlearningandteachingexcellenceandeffectivenessatLa Trobe.Wecombineafocusonpreparingourstudentsandourstafffor‘dayaftertomorrow’(Hinssen,2017)thinking,whileatthesametimeemphasisingtheimportanceofgettingthebasicsofhighimpactlearningandteachingrightinthehereandnow.

Whiletechnologiesaretransformingthesocialandeducationallandscape,atopqualityuniversityeducationwillcontinuetobehighlyvalued.Nevertheless,wemustremainattheleadingedgeofcurriculumexperimentationanddigitalcreativityifweare to be relevant to our students and our communitiesoverthenextfiveyears.

Wewillcontinuetoprovideinternationallyrecognisedacademicprogramswhileatthesametimetransformingourcurriculumtoprovideapersonalisedlearningexperienceforourstudents. Wewillpushtheboundariesoftraditionaldeliverymodesandtimetablingaswepartnerwithstudentstoexplorecreativewaystobundlelearningachievementswithdigitallyenrichedblends.

Workinginclosepartnershipwithourstaff iskeytoachievingthegoalsofthisPlan. TheAcademicportfoliowillpartnerwith academicCollegesandstafftobuildcapabilityincontemporarycurriculum

MessagefromtheDeputy Vice-Chancellor(Academic)

design,tosupportthedesignoftechnology- enhanced and inclusive learning experiences,andtoshareandcelebrateexamplesofteachingexcellenceandcreativity.

UnderpinningtheLearning and Teaching PlanisaQualityFrameworkandsevenLa TrobeTeachingExcellencePrinciples,namely:passion,rigour,relevance,ethics,effectiveness,innovationandreflection.ThesePrincipleswillshapeourscholarlylearningandteachinginitiativesandwill provideacademicstaffwitharichresource to guide course and subject design and deliveryanddocumentteachingoutcomes andimpact.

Outcomesandimpactwillalsobeevidentthrougharefreshedfocusontheuseoflearninganalytics,aswellassubjectandcourseleveldatathatstaffwillbeabletousetomonitorcourse-levelperformance.Students,too,willbeempoweredtodrawonlearninganalyticstoself-assessandtodrawonsupportaimedatenhancingthelikelihoodofsuccessintheirstudies.

Employabilityandindustry-relevantgraduatecapabilitiesarekeycharacteristics oftheLa Trobegraduate.Achievingstudent successinvolvesclosecollaborationwith industrypartnersandemployerstodevelop relevantcurriculumandwork-integratedlearningopportunities.

AbespokeStudent Success and Retention Planprovidesmorecomprehensivedetailaboutstrategiesforachievingthesestudent outcomes.

Teachingexcellenceandresearchexcellencegohand-in-handatLa Trobe.ThisPlanarticulatesthecomplementarityofteachingandresearchasmutuallyreinforcinginanenvironmentwherestudentslearnfromworld-classresearchersandbenefitfromresearch-infusedcurricula.

Ourpartnerships,too,enrichthequalityandbreadthofourcurriculumofferingsandpathwaystouniversity.Ontheinternationalfront,oureducationalpartnershipsaddculturallyenrichingopportunitiesforstudentsfromover100countrieswhomakeLa TrobeUniversitytheir educational home.

Goingforward,thisPlanissupportedthroughannualactionplansthroughwhich wewillmonitorprogressandsuccess.Ilookforwardtocollaboratingwithourstudents,staff,communityandindustrypartnersaswecontinuetoprioritiselearningandteachingexcellenceandinnovationatLa Trobe.

Professor Kerri-Lee Krause DeputyVice-Chancellor(Academic)

Our learning and teachingmission ToprovideanoutstandingstudentexperiencetoallLa Trobestudents inthedomainsofteachingquality,learnerengagement,learning resources,studentsupportandskilldevelopment.

Our learning and teaching vision TheexperienceoflearningandteachingatLa Trobeallowsourstudents and teachers to achieve their individual and shared learning goals.

Our values Thisapproachisbasedonourvaluesof: y inclusiveness,diversity,equityandsocialjustice y pursuingexcellenceandsustainabilityineverythingwedo y championingourlocalcommunitiesinMelbourne’snorthandregionalVictoria y beingwillingtoinnovateanddisruptthetraditionalwayofdoingthings.

AccountableWeplanfor,conductandactontheresultsofevaluationofourlearningandteachingperformanceandholdeachotheraccountable.

ConnectedLearningandteachingatLa Trobeisacollaborativeendeavour,acrossourSchoolsandDepartments,ourcommunities,andinthenationalandinternationalhighereducationsectors.

InnovativeWeareopentonewandchallengingevidence-basedideas,andseektoadaptandimplementthebestofthesefortheneedsofLa Trobestudentsandstaff.

CareWerespecttheneeds,rolesandexpertiseofallinvolvedinlearningandteaching–students,professionalandadministrativestaffandacademicstaff.

Ouracademicculturalqualities OurvisionisunderpinnedbyLa Trobe’sculturalqualities:weareconnected,innovative,accountableandcare.Collectively,thesequalitieswillguideourstudent-centredapproachtoensuringourstudentsaregiventhegreatestpossibleopportunityforsuccess:

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Objectivesandenablers Whatwewilldo Howwewillmeasuresuccess

1.Studentexperience 1.1 Ensureaconsistentapproachtoqualityacrossallaspectsofthestudentlifecycle,regardlessofcampusorlocation.

1.2 Designaninnovativeacademicprogram,relevantandresponsivetotheneedsofstudents,industryandthecommunity,thatprioritisesacademicsupporttoimprovetheprogressionandcompletionratesofallstudents.

1.3 Establishastaffengagementanddevelopmentstrategytopromotegoodpracticeandscholarlyevidence-basedcourseimprovements,recognitionandrewards,regardlessofcampusorlocation.

1.4 Embedprinciplesofrespect,safetyandsecurityacrosstheLa Trobelearningcommunity.

La Trobehassetitselfthetargetofbeingtop12inAustraliaandtopinVictoriaforhighqualitystudentexperienceandlearningoutcomes(asmeasuredbystudentsuccess,retentionandcompletionratesforallstudents,andtheStudentExperienceSurveyandPostgraduateResearchExperienceQuestionnaire).

2.Studentemployability 2.1 Furtherembedemployabilityinthecurriculumandensure opportunityandbenefitisconsistentforstudents,regardless ofcampusorlocation.

2.2 Furtherdevelopstaffcapabilityforembeddingemployabilityinthecurriculum.

La Trobehassetitselfthetargettobetop12inAustraliaandtopinVictoriaforgraduatesinfulltimeemployment(asmeasuredbytheGraduateOutcomesSurvey).

3.Research 3.1 EnhanceLa Trobe’srecognitionofcreativity,commitment,inquiry,andcriticalanalysisinbothteachingandresearch,placingparticularvalueonsituationswheretheseoccuracross both domains.

3.2 Fosterresearch-informedteaching.

Top250inARWUandtop300inQSand THErankingsby2022.

4.Unrivalledpartnerofchoice 4.1 Developanindustry-informedcurriculum.

4.2 Continuetoinnovatethroughpartnerships.

Doublepartnershiprevenuefromresearch andeducationby2022.

La Trobeisproudofitshistoryofrichlydiverse student cohorts and has long recognisedthatmanyofitsstudentsare firstinfamilytoattenduniversityand,for manyofourinternationalstudents,the firsttostudyoverseas.Thereisrecognition thatthediversityofthestudentcohortisincreasing,andtheneedsofstudentsarecomplexastheyseektobalancetheirstudieswithemployment,caringresponsibilitiesandfamilyandcommunityexpectations.Contemporaryuniversitiesmustmeettheseexpectations.

La Trobeseekstoensurethequalityofthestudentexperienceacrossallaspectsofthestudentlifecycle,fromtheinitialtransitionexperience,throughtheacademicexperience,thestudents’engagementwithcampuslifemorebroadly,andthe

graduateexperience.The importanceofthestudentexperienceisacknowledgedinthecreationofthetwonewpositionsofthePVCStudentSuccesstooverseestudentsupport,orientationandtransitionandemployability;andthePVCLearningQualityandInnovationtooverseestaffengagementanddevelopment,teachingqualityandcurriculuminnovation.CentraltothesuccessoftheseportfoliosarestrongandeffectiveworkingrelationshipswiththeColleges,DivisionsandUnitsoftheUniversity,withwhomtheycollaboratetoinnovate,leadanddeliverthestudentlearningexperience.

An outstanding student academic experiencerequiresengagedandcapableacademicstaff.TheLearningandTeachingPlanencompassestheLa TrobeTeachingExcellencePrinciplesthatarticulatethedistinctiveexcellenceexpectationsofLa Trobeteachers.ItanticipatesthecreationofanewLa TrobeLearningandTeachingAcademyandcommitstohighleveladviceandsupportforcurriculumleaders and teams.

ThesecondcoreobjectiveoftheStrategicPlanisgraduateemployability.Weareaddressingin2018agrowingrecognitioninAustraliaandgloballythatanundergraduatedegree is no longer enough to guarantee graduatessatisfyingcareers. Employersareincreasinglydemanding

‘workready’graduateswhodemonstratecareercapabilitiesandskillsinadditionto traditional graduate attributes. Our studentswanttobeassuredthattheir studieswillprovidereturnoninvestmentandensurepersonalgrowthandprofessionalrelevance.Producingemployablegraduatesisnowanintegralaspectofuniversityeducation.Anexplicit,coherentandintegratedemployabilityfocuswillenableLa Trobetoattractandretainhighqualitystudents.

Thethirdcoreobjectiveisresearch. Wevaluetheteaching-researchnexus andseektoensurethatteachingandresearchareplacedonanequalfooting intermsofrecognitionandreward.BotharevitalaspectsoftheUniversity’ssuccess and must be valued and celebrated.

Thefourthcoreobjectiveistheconceptofpartneringtoenhancestudentexperienceandoutcomes.La Trobe’sStrategicPartnershipFrameworkprovidesdirectiontoensurethecreationandmanagementofitseducationalpartnerships.

ThesefourobjectivesoftheLa TrobeStrategicPlan2018-2022aresupportedbythreeenablers:theseareOne University Many Communities; Operational Excellence; and Revenue Growth.TheseenablersfindexpressionintheLearningandTeachingPlaninourrecognitionoftheimportanceofLa Trobe’smulti-campuscharacteranddrivetowardsinternationalisation;intheimperativetoattractandretainthebestteachingstaff;andintheneedtore-visionourportfolioofcourseofferings,diversifyingand‘unbundling’ourofferingstobettermeetthediverseneedsofourstudentcohorts.

LearningandteachingatLa TrobemustalsorespondtothequalityimperativesoftheTertiaryEducationQualityandStandardsAgency(TEQSA)andtheHigherEducationStandardsFramework.Whilethisframeworkembedsqualityassuranceprocesses,La Trobeseekstogobeyondqualityassurancetopromotesystematic,evidence-basedqualityenhancementacrossallaspectsofthestudentlifecycle.ThePlanshouldthusbereadinconjunctionwiththenewLa TrobeQualityandStandardsFramework,whichplacesthestudentexperienceatitscentre.

ThequalityoflearningandteachinginLa Trobe’sCollegesandSchoolswillbeoperationalisedthroughthisPlan.ThefirsttwoyearsoftherollingimplementationplanwillbedevelopedseparatelybutshouldbereadinthecontextofthisPlan.

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Ourlearningandteachingobjectives

TheLearningandTeachingPlan2018-2022buildsontheUniversity’sStrategicPlan2018-2022.AttheheartoftheUniversity’sStrategicPlanisthestudentexperience.Itisthis firstcoreobjectiveoftheStrategicPlanthatistheprimary focusofthisLearningandTeachingPlan.

Our learning and teaching objectives

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La Trobeseekstoprovideanexcellentstudentexperienceacrossallaspectsofthestudentlifecycle:fromtheinitialtransitionexperience,throughtheacademicexperience,thestudents’engagementwithcampuslifemorebroadly,andthegraduateexperience.Itsintentionistoprovideahighqualitystudentexperienceacrossbothcurricularandco-curricularengagement:anexperiencebasedinLa Trobe’svalues(inclusiveness,diversity,equalityandsocialjustice,thepursuitofexcellence,sustainability,communityandwillingnesstoinnovate)andreflectiveoftheculturalqualitiesofconnectedness,innovation,accountabilityandcare.

Inensuringanoutstandingstudentexperience,theUniversitycommitstopartneringwithitsstudentsoverthenextfiveyears.Itisnolongerthecase that universities can assume thattheyknowwhatisgoodforstudentsandwhatstudentswanttoachieve.Courses,subjectsandservicesneedtobeinformedbythestudentperspective.Studentneedsalsorequirea‘ joinedup’approachtoserviceprovision.

La Troberecognisesthatstudentsare not interested in institutional organisationalstructures–rather,theywantaccesstothesupportandservicesthattheyneed,inatimelyfashion,andprovidedwithastrongcustomer service ethos.

Atthesametime,La Troberecognises thattheneedsofstudentsarechanging.Itsofferingsmustmeettheseneeds.Tothisend,overthenextfiveyears,La Trobewillseektoengenderlearningthatislifelongand‘lifewide’(thatis,offeringlearningopportunitiestosupportindividuals’aspirationstorealisetheirpotentialintheworldofwork,andmorefullycontributeintheirrelationshipsandcommunities). Wewilldothisbydiversifyingandunbundlingourcourseofferings;bymeetingstudentneedsforaccessandflexibilitybymeansofdiverse offerings,includingexecutiveeducation,shortcoursesandmicro- credentialing:aswellasincreasingstudentoptionsthroughonlineofferingsandothertechnologically-enhancedmeansofacademicengagement.

Anoutstandingstudentexperienceisenabledbyengagedandcapablestaffwhoputthelearneratthecentreofwhattheydo.Suchstaffbuildacademicprogramsandtheircomponentparts,aswellasstudentsupportaroundstudentneeds,notassumingwhatthoseneedsmightbe.TheLearningandTeachingPlanwillfurtherthegoalofanoutstandingstudentexperiencebystrategiesaimedatattracting,retaining,supportinganddevelopingoutstandingstaff,includingoursessionalstaff.Withspecificreferencetothestudentacademicexperience,

La Trobe’sexpectationsofexcellencearearticulatedintheLa TrobeTeachingExcellencePrinciples,whichwillprovideaframeworkforbestpracticeinstaff-student academic engagement. TheDeputyVice-Chancellor(Academic)Portfolio,throughLa TrobeLearningandTeaching(LTLT)andStudentSuccess,willprovidestrategicadviceandpracticalresourcesforcurriculumleaders and teams to achieve highimpactcourseandsubjecttransformation.

La Trobehassetitselfthetargetofbeingtop12inAustraliaandtopinVictoriaforhighqualitystudentexperienceandlearningoutcomes(asmeasuredbystudentsuccess,retentionandcompletionratesforallstudents,andtheStudentExperienceSurveyandPostgraduateResearchExperienceQuestionnaire).

1.1 Ensureaconsistentapproachtoqualityacrossallaspectsofthestudentlifecycle,regardlessofcampusorlocation y La Trobewillpartnerwithitsstudentstoensurequalityacrossthestudentlifecycleandprovideopportunitiesforstudentstopartnerintheco-designofcurriculumandlearningexperiences.Tofacilitatethis,La TrobewillincreaseformalconsultationmechanismswithstudentsatUniversity,CollegeandSchoollevelandenhanceopportunitiesforstudentfeedbackthrougharangeofchannels.ThePVCStudentSuccesswillleadoureffortsinstudentpartnership,whicharediscussed in more detail in the StudentSuccessandRetentionPlan.

y La Trobewillprioritiseevidence-basedqualityenhancementacrossallaspectsofthestudentlifecycle.ThiswillincludeAnnualCourse Monitoring to enable course teams to monitor and enhanceacademicqualityinasystematicandtimelyway.Wewillcontinuetoprioritisetargeted,evidence-basedenhancement initiatives to ensure thesystematicimprovementofteachingquality.

y La Trobewillundertakeastocktakeofeffectivelearningandteachinginitiatives,disseminatingandadoptinggoodpracticeacrosstheUniversity.

y La Trobewillreviewandrefreshitsstudentevaluationsurveyframework to ensure that feedbackprovidesasoundevidencebaseforsubjectandcourseinnovationandrenewalandiseffectivein‘closingtheloop’withstudents.

y La Trobewilldevelopandenhanceitscapacityinlearninganalytics.Analyticsassistteachers andsupportstafftoimprovecurrentofferings.Theyenhanceteachingeffectivenessandefficienciesandinformsupportiveinterventionstoimprovestudentoutcomes.OverthelifeofthePlan, systems,processesandunderlying architecturewillbeenhancedtoenableLa Trobetofocusonbetterdevelopinglearneranalytics,thatis, analyticsdesignedtoengageandenablestudentstoself-regulate,toreflectontheirfeedbackandtodetermine their learning goals.

Our core objectives

1.Studentexperience

La Trobewilldeliveraconsistentlyhighqualitystudentexperience.

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1.2 Designaninnovativeacademicprogram,includinganonlineprogram,thatisrelevantandresponsivetotheneedsofstudents,industryandthecommunityandthatprioritisesacademicsupporttoimprovetheprogressionandcompletionratesofallstudentsInthecontemporaryenvironment,changeisinevitableandLa Troberecognisesthatitmustcontinuouslyinnovate,improveandbeopentonewwaysofworking.OverthelifeoftheLearningandTeachingPlan,wewillencourage‘disruptivethinking’,utilisetechnologywithpurposeandensureface-to-faceencountersaddvaluetothestudentexperience.Ourlearning and teaching environment willbeagileandeffective.Wewillusedata,research,partnersandnetworkstoleadandinnovate,inarapidlychanging educational environment.

y La Trobewillundergoacomprehensivecourseportfolioreviewandrefresh overthenextfiveyears,makingmarket-informed,evidence-baseddecisionsatkeypointsinthecourselifecycletoensurethatourofferingsrespondtostudentandindustrydemandsandaddressstudentneed,suchasgreaterflexibilityandaccess.FuturedevelopmentswillbuildonthedisciplinaryknowledgeandexpertiseofLa Trobeacademicstaff,andthelessonslearnedfrompreviouscoursetransformations.Wewillproactivelypursuenewopportunitiesandcourseandsubject rationalisation based on businessintelligence.Wewillextendoureducationalreachtosecureourfutureandenhanceourincomestreamswithoutsacrificingqualityandreputation.

y La TrobewillincreaseitsonlineofferingsoverthelifeofthePlan. Onlinestudygivesstudentstheflexibilitytostudywhereverandwheneveritisconvenient.OnlineofferingsprovideaccesstoaLa Trobeeducationforstudentswhocouldnototherwisebepartofourlearningcommunity.Overthenextfiveyears,La Trobewilltrial,evaluateandfurtherdevelopafullyflexible,personalisedrangeofofferingsthatallowourstudentstostudyentirelyonlineorfacetoface,ortotakesomesubjectsonlineandothersfacetoface,accordingtopreferenceorneed.Wewillalsoextendthereachofouronlineprogramstotheinternationallearningcommunity.Accessandengagementwithonlineofferingswillbedesignedwithchangingtechnologiesanduserpreferencesinmind.

y La Trobewilloffermorealternativestotraditionalawardofferings.Thereachofeducationhasbeenextendedbynewtechnologiesandtheneedto‘upskill’toensureongoingemployabilityandcareerprogression.Educationshouldnowbeavailableacrossthelifespan,preparingindividualsfornewphasesoflifeandnewcareerchallenges.Itshouldnotonlybelifelong,but‘lifewide’,offeringlearningopportunitiestoindividualsasworkers,citizens,familymembers,communitymembersandindividuals.Tothisend,La Trobewill‘unbundle’itsofferings,whereappropriate,toprovidenewopportunities,includingshortcourses,executiveandprofessionaldevelopment.

1.3 Establishastaffengagementanddevelopmentstrategytopromotegoodpracticeandscholarlyevidence-basedcourseimprovements,recognitionandrewards,regardlessofcampusorlocation.We noted earlier that an outstanding studentacademicexperienceisenabledbyengagedandcapablestaffwhoputthelearneratthecentreofwhattheydo.Suchstaffprioritiseintellectuallyengagingandindustryrelevantacademicprogramstomeetstudentneeds.ThePlanseekstoensureanoutstandingstudentexperiencethrough strategies aimed at attracting,retaining,supportinganddevelopingoutstandingstaff,includingoursessionalstaff.Prioritywillalsobegiventorecognisingandrewardingeducationalchampionsofchangeandimprovement.

y TheLa TrobeTeachingExcellence Principleswillbeembeddedwithin theUniversity.ThePrinciples,whicharticulateLa Trobe’sexpectationsofexcellence,willguidebestpracticeinacademicengagementoverthelifeof thePlan.

ThePrincipleswillunderpinthesuccessfulrecruitment,development,recognitionandretentionofacademicstaff atLa Trobe.

y La Trobewillreviewitsprofessionaldevelopmentofferingsforstaff,toensureacontinuedbuildingofcapabilityanddevelopmentofnewskillsinresponsetocontemporarystudentneeds,regardlessofcampusorclinicallocation. Newskillsinclude,butarenotlimitedto,theabilitiestodesignandteachdiverseofferingsincluding short courses and executiveeducation;todesignandteachdigitally-enabledofferings,includingwhollyonlineofferings;tosupportlearnerswithparticularneeds;andtoanalyseanddrawinferencesfromlearningdata.Thisreviewwillalso investigate access and ease ofnavigationtoonlinemodules,aswellastheirupdateandeffectiveness.LTLTwillpartnerwiththeCollegesandSchoolstocreatetailoredandeffectiveprofessionaldevelopmentopportunities.

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y La Trobewillfurtherenhancestaff capabilityby:

– improvingthevisibilityofservices thatprovidestaffsupportandinformation;

– ensuringstaffhavequalityprofessionaldevelopmentavailablewhereandwhenstaffneedthatsupport.

– enhancing the digital and data literacyofourstaffthroughtargetedprogramsofstaffdevelopment.La Trobe’slearningandteachingculturewillembracetheLa Trobeculturalqualitiesofaccountability,innovation,careandconnection.

– embedding inclusive teaching designanddeliveryacrossallitsprograms.

y La Trobewillacknowledgeandrewardteachingexcellenceand innovationthroughthecreationoftheLa TrobeLearningandTeachingAcademy.MembershipoftheAcademywillbeattheinvitationoftheDeputyVice-Chancellor(Academic),in recognitionofteachingexcellence. AcademyFellowswill,inturn, providelearningandteaching

leadershipacrosstheUniversity anddisseminateLa Trobeexcellencetothewidercommunity.TheAcademywill facilitatecollaborationtoshare goodpractice,promoteinnovation andcreativeproblemsolvingwithin andacrossdisciplines.

1.4 Embedprinciplesofrespect,safetyandsecurityacrosstheLa Trobelearningcommunity y La Trobewillprovidetailoredlearningsupportforstudentsat allcampusesandmodesofstudy. Wewillachievethisbysupportingacademicstafftodesigncurriculum thatscaffoldsacademicskillsdevelopmentandconnectsstudentstotheservicesofferedthroughtheLa TrobeLearningHubandstudentadvisingnetwork.

y La Trobewillembedinclusiveteachingdesignanddeliveryacrossitsprogramsandofferings.La Trobewillensureour learning environment is safe,relevant,motivatingandsupportiveforallstudents.

y La Trobewillembedcross-andinter-culturalskills in learning andteachingtosupportourstaffandstudentstolearnfrom,understandandexperiencedifferentculturalcontexts.This isessentialtosuccessin a global environment.

The Teaching Excellence Principles

Overallkeyperformanceindicatorsforaconsistentlyhighstudentexperience

INDICATORS1. School, course and subject

performance as evidenced through Annual Course Review indicators.

2. Student satisfaction with the quality of experience at subject level (via Student Feedback on Subjects).

3. Student ratings on the Student Experience Survey (SES).

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ProducingworkreadygraduatesiscorebusinessforLa TrobeandimprovinggraduateemployabilityoutcomesisacorepillaroftheUniversity’sStrategicPlan.La Trobehassetitselfthetargettobeinthetop12inAustraliaandtopinVictoriaforgraduatesinfulltimeemployment,asmeasuredbytheGraduateOutcomesSurvey.Achievingsuccesswillrequireawhole-of-universitycommitment,astrongcurricularfocusfromfirsttofinalyear,deepindustryengagementandashareddefinitionofemployability.EmployabilityatLa Trobeisdefinedas:Activitiesandexperiencesthatsupportthedevelopmentofknowledge,professionalskillsandpersonalcapabilitiestoenhanceagraduate’slifelongprofessionalsuccess.Anemployabilityfocus,industry-relevantgraduatecapabilitiesandtheEssentialsarekeycharacteristicsoftheLa Trobestudentexperience.

TheCareerReadyAdvantageprogramisthecornerstoneofouremployabilityframeworkandLa Trobewillbuildonthisbasetoenhance the graduate outcomes throughtargetedapproachestoembeddingindustryrelevantknowledgeandemployabilityskillsinto the curriculum.

ThisaspectoftheLearningandTeachingPlanshouldbereadinconjunctionwiththeStudentSuccessandRetentionPlan,whereco-curricularsupportforgraduateemployabilityisconsidered.

2.1 FurtherembedemployabilityinthecurriculumOverthenextfiveyears,La Trobewillensurethatemployabilityis systematicallyembeddedinthe curriculum,tobuildonandsupplementCareerReadyandto ensure that students have the requisiteskillsandattributestobeworkready.Employabilitycannotbeapiecemealexercise.Tothisend,

y La Trobewillundertakeastocktakeofeffectivestudentemployabilitypracticesandoutcomestodate,disseminatingandadoptinggoodpracticeacrosstheUniversity.

y La TrobewillrefreshtheEssentials andtheGraduateCapabilitiesstatementsandensuretheGraduateCapabilitiesandtheCareerReadyCapabilitiesareconsistent.Tothisend,theUniversitywillpartnerwithindustryandalumnitoensuretheCapabilitiesareindustry-relevantandreflectcontemporaryglobalworkforceneeds.

y La Trobewillembedemployability skillsdevelopmentintoeverycourse. Inpartnership,wewilldevelopthe La TrobeEmployabilityCurriculum Framework,andprovidesupporttoacademicstafftoensurethat therenewedgraduatecapabilitiesandopportunitiestodevelopstudentemployabilityareembedded in all undergraduate andpostgraduatecoursesacrosstheUniversity.

y La Trobewillexpandopportunities forstudentstoengageinwork-basedlearning.TheUniversitywillbroadenourcurrentdefinitionofWorkIntegratedLearning(WIL)toincludetherangeofwork-basedexperiencesopentoourstudents,includingprojectbased,volunteer,flexibleandvirtualexperiences.

y La Trobewillidentifyandrespondtoemergingskillsgapsinthecontemporaryworkplace bysuchmeansas‘toppingup’standarduniversityqualificationswithshortcyclequalificationsandmicro-credentialing.Wewillensureourgraduatesdeveloptransferrableskillsandarewellpreparedforcareerchangesoverthetermoftheirworkinglives,andabletoadapttocareersthatmightnotyetexist.

2.2 Furtherdevelopstaffcapabilityforembeddingemployabilityinthecurriculum y La Trobewillenhancestaffcapabilityforteachingandintegratingemployabilityby developingaprogramoftargetedstaffdevelopment. Thiswillenabletheintegrationofemployabilitycapabilitiesinthecurriculum,buildingonexistinggoodpracticeinworkintegratedlearning(WIL).

2. Student employability

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Overallkeyperformanceindicatorforstudentemployability

INDICATOR1. Performance on the Graduate

Outcomes Survey (GOS).

ProducingworkreadygraduatesiscorebusinessforLa TrobeandimprovinggraduateemployabilityoutcomesisacorepillaroftheUniversity’sStrategicPlan.

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ThePlanseekstoensurethatresearchandteachingareequallyvaluedascomplementaryactivities.Therelationshipbetweenteaching and research is vital to thesuccessoftheUniversity,butitisoftenassumed,oroverlooked.Therearemanylinkages,however:effectiveteachingisenrichedbyhighqualitydisciplinaryresearch;thescholarshipoflearningandteachingcaninformandenhanceteachingpracticeandpolicy;andteachingcanenrichanacademic’sresearch.TheTeachingExcellencePrinciplesexplicitlyacknowledgeandvaluetheteaching-researchnexusintheprinciplesofrigourandreflection.AsHattieandMarsh(2004)haveobserved,theevidenceofthenexusbetweenteachingandresearch‘shouldberobust,actedupon,andesteemed’.

3.1 EnhanceLa Trobe’srecognitionofcreativity,commitment,inquiry,andcriticalanalysisinbothteachingandresearch,placingparticularvalueonsituationswheretheseoccuracrossbothdomains y La Trobewillensurethatitsprocessesofselection,retention,promotionandreward,valuelearningandteachingandresearchinequalmeasure. Wewillrewardcreativity,commitment,inquiry,andcriticalanalysisinbothteachingandresearch,placingparticularvalueonsituationswheretheseoccuracrossbothdomains.La Trobewillalsoensureitsprofessionaldevelopmentisevidence-based,and that academics are guided onhowtoimprovetheirpracticebasedonfeedback.

y La TrobewillensurethatlearningandteachinggoalsarearticulatedinCareerSuccess,thatstaffaresupportedinachieving,andheldaccountablefor,theirgoals,andthatsuccessin achieving these goals is acknowledgedandrewarded.

y Theacademicpromotionpolicywillberefreshed to recognise andrewardrigorous,peerreviewedscholarlyteachingandpedagogicresearch,providingforcareerprogressiontothehighestprofessoriallevel.Academicstaffwillbesupportedinpracticalwaysto assist them in documenting evidenceofoutcomesandimpactin this regard.

3.2 Fosterresearch-informedteaching y Theteaching-researchnexuswillbevaluedinlearning,inparticular,inrelationto‘students’knowledgeofcurrentresearch,demonstrationsoftheresearchprocessesinthearea,ademonstrationofandcommitmenttotheprinciplesofresearchenquiry,andaneagernessto(re-)searchformoreunderstandingofthearea’(HattieandMarsh,2004).

3. Research

Wevaluetheteaching-researchnexus,and willensureevidenceofitisrobust,actedupon,and esteemed.

L A T R O B E U N I V E R S I T Y16

Overallkeyperformanceindicatorforresearch

INDICATOR1. Top 250 in ARWU and top 300 in QS

and THE rankings by 2022.

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Overrecentyears,therehasbeenincreasingemphasisontheimportanceofuniversitypartnershipsand collaborations designed to increaseengagementwithindustryandcommunity.Barnett(2018)contendsthattheuniversity’scomplexityandinterconnectionswiththebroaderworldhaverelevanceinsevenparticular‘ecosystems’–knowledge,socialinstitutions,persons,theeconomy,learning,culture and the natural environment. Whiletheuniversity’srolemightdifferbetweentheseecosystems,ithasaresponsibilityto‘workoutitsownpossibilitiesinpromoting[their]wellbeing’(page9).

Fromalearningandteachingperspective,itisvitalforourstudentexperienceandforgraduateemployabilitythatLa Trobedevelopsandsustainsproductiveeducational,research,alumni,industryandcommunitypartnerships.

Importantly,wemustalsopartnerwithoursessionalstafftoensurethatwebenefitfromtheirskillsandexpertisetofosteranoutstandingstudentexperience.

La Trobe’spartnershipsaredesignedtobringbenefittoallparties:theUniversitybenefitsinmanyways,includingenhancedopportunitiesforstudents.Ourpartnersbenefitfromaccesstoourinnovationandresearch,aswellasengagingwithouroutstandingstudents.La Trobe’spartnerships,increasingly,areglobal,multidisciplinaryandcollaborative and must be characterisedbyclarityofpurpose,transparency,accountability,goodcommunicationsandasenseofcommunity(La Trobe University Partner of Choice Governance Framework: Guidance for La Trobe Personnel,p3).

Our global educational partnershipswithinternationaluniversitiesandnetworksimprovethestudentexperience,providevaluablecareeropportunitiesforbothstaffandstudents,andcontribute to innovation in both teaching and research.

Mostimportantly,asnotedearlier,fromtheperspectiveoftheLearningandTeachingPlan,La Trobemustpartnerwithourstudentsto ensure an outstanding student experience,studentsuccessandstudentemployability.Opportunitiesforstudents,andemployers,toparticipateintheco-designofmodes,contentandoutcomesofstudentlearningwillbecreated.

Overallkeyperformanceindicatorforunrivalledpartnerofchoice

INDICATOR1. Double partnership revenue from

research and education by 2022.

Creatingopportunitiesforco-designofmodes,content andoutcomesofstudentlearning.

4. Unrivalled partner ofchoice

4.1 Developanindustry-informedcurriculumIndustrymayengagewithcurriculumdevelopmentatdifferingdegreesofintensity:frompotentialemployersservingonCourseAdvisoryCommittees;topartnershipsbetweentheUniversityandindustrytocreatecustomisedexecutiveeducationandprofessionaldevelopment;todirectengagementofindustrymembers as adjuncts and professorsofpractice.Overthe lifeofthePlan,La Trobewillenhancealltheseavenuesforindustryparticipationincurriculumdevelopment.Ourcurriculaandassessmentswillbedesignedorre-designedincollaborativepartnershipwithourstudents,potentialemployers,alumniandrelevantprofessionalbodiestoensurerelevanceandcurrency.

4.2 ContinuetoinnovatethroughpartnershipsPartnershipshavebeenasourceofrapidgrowthwithinLa Trobe’sprogramportfolio.

TAFEpartnerships,inparticular,provideimprovedaccesstotertiaryeducationforparticipants.OverthelifeofthePlan,La TrobewillimplementitsCourseworkPartnershipsStrategytoensure itspartnershipsaresuccessful andmeetitsqualitystandards. Wewillalsoinnovatethroughindustrypartnershipsfortechnology-enhancedlearning.

L A T R O B E U N I V E R S I T Y18 L E A R N I N G A N D T E AC H I N G P L A N 19

Lookingahead to 2022

By2022,La TrobewillhaveathrivinglearningandteachingcommunityfoundedontheLa TrobeTeachingExcellencePrinciples.Effectivenessinlearningandteachingwillbevaluedandrewardedinequalmeasurewithresearch.Ourstudentswillhaveanoutstandinglearningexperience,andbeengaged,activeandresponsiblelearners.Ourstaffwillbepassionate,engaged,knowledgeableandsupportedintheirwork.Wewillbeknownforourthoughtleadershipand innovation in learning and teaching.

LearningandTeachingFramework

The following associated La Trobe strategy documentation and plans should be read in conjunction with the Learning and Teaching Plan 2018-2022:

y La Trobe Strategic Plan 2018-2022 y La Trobe Teaching Excellence 

Principles y Student Success and Retention Plan y Indigenous Education Strategy y Globalisation Plan 2018-2022 y Graduate Capability Framework y The La Trobe Academic y Strategic Partnership Framework.

A two year rolling implementation plan will follow on from this Learning and Teaching Plan.

ReferencesBarnett, Ronald (2018) The ecological university: a feasible utopia, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, London New York NY.

Hattie, John, and Herbert W Marsh (2004) ‘One journey to unravel the relationship between research and teaching’ in Research and teaching: Closing the divide? An International Colloquium, pp. 18-19.

Hinssen, Peter (2017) The Day after Tomorrow: How to survive in times of radical innovation, Lannoo Meulenhoff-Belgium

Disclaimer:Everyefforthasbeenmadetoensuretheinformationcontainedinthispublicationisaccurateandcurrentatthedateofprinting.

PublishedbyLa TrobeUniversity,October2018.La TrobeUniversityisaregisteredproviderundertheCommonwealthRegister ofInstitutionsandCoursesforOverseasStudents(CRICOS).

CRICOSProvider00115M.L A T R O B E U N I V E R S I T Y20

ContactLaTrobeLearningandTeaching LaTrobeUniversity Victoria3086Australia

T+61394795694

latrobe.edu.au DC35

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