Course Information

The University Learning and Teaching (ULT) Course is offered to all University of Wollongong academic teaching staff and casual teaching staff through the Academic Development Unit of ASD at no cost.

The ULT is a professional development program for practising university teachers that offers an opportunity to enhance teaching effectiveness. It is a teaching course that integrates teaching skills, reflection and the experience of actual teaching within a cooperative learning environment. The course offers immediate practical support as well as a framework for long-term reflective practice and continuous development.

The ULT Course is comprised of three units:

Unit 1: The Teaching Skills workshops – a 5 day face to face Workshop program (PDF)
Unit 2: The Learning Through Teaching Project (LTTP)
Unit 3: A relevant scholarly project - negotiated with the ULT Unit 3 Coordinator

Staff completing ULT can apply for 8 credit points of advanced standing towards further postgraduate studies in Education.

The ULT Course is designed to be completed over one or two sessions. An extension beyond two sessions may be granted where requested.

The Teaching Team

ULT Coordinator, UNIT 1 & 2 Coordinator

Dr Catherine Layton Lecturer, Academic Development Phone (02) 4221 5628 Email: cathlay@uow.edu.au Consultation by appointment

UNIT 3 Coordinator

Dr Geraldine Lefoe Associate Professor, Academic Development Phone (02) 4221 3193 Email: glefoe@uow.edu.au Consultation by appointment

Online Enrolment

Unit Descriptions

Unit 1: Teaching Skills Workshops Program

The workshop program provides immediate and practical assistance to academics new to the University of Wollongong to enable them to start their own exploration of teaching in higher education. Workshops are interactive and include discussion, experiential and interactive learning. The workshop activities culminate in the Teaching Practice session in which each participant plans and facilitates a learning activity for a small group of colleagues in the course and receives feedback on the activity.

Attendance at the workshops is required for course completion.

Unit 2: Peer Observation

How are our students experiencing our teaching?

Are these experiences helping them to learn effectively?

What evidence do we have that our teaching is effective?

How can we teach more effectively?

Unit 2 provides the opportunity to ask these questions, to find answers and to act through an independent study program of peer observation, feedback and reflection leading to submission of a Peer Observation Report.

You work with a Support Colleague from your faculty who will observe and provide feedback on your teaching and provide an opportunity for your to observe and discuss one of their classes. You also receive feedback on your written report from the ULT Coordinator.

Before you commence the process, we encourage you to identify appropriate colleagues within your Department, School or Faculty and explore their willingness to undertake the Support Colleague role. It is important to choose someone who is a relatively experienced teacher (with at least two years of full time teaching at UOW) and who has the personal skills to be a 'critical friend'.

Unit 3: Negotiated Project

This project explores the nexus between teaching, learning, assessment and evaluation through completion of a negotiated independent study project of a scholarly nature. Examples include subject evaluation, curriculum review, resource development, literature review, autobiographical essay.

Negotiated Project Handbook (.pdf)

Assessment

Each of the ULT Units has Assessment components. For further details please refer to the Course and Unit Guides. Attendance at workshops is a requirement for course completion. Your participation in the course is required in order to meet the collegial learning aims of the ULT Course.

Results are recorded as either 'ungraded pass' or 'fail'.

Please see the ULT Course Guide for detailed information.