Skip to content | Change text size
 

Values for High-Quality Teaching and Learning Procedures

Please note that these procedures have not yet been revised or converted to the new format .

The university will aim to reflect the eight ‘teaching values’ that are described in the Values for High-Quality Teaching and Learning Policy. Not all areas of the university will exhibit these values in a consistent way – within a large and diverse organisation, there will always be some variation – but the values should guide staff as they reflect upon their own teaching practices and also inform the normal university planning process, for example during the development of plans and policies for learning and teaching.

To assist in this aim, the Quality Subcommittee of Education Committee will submit an annual report to Education Committee that evaluates the provision of a high-quality teaching and learning environment. Some indicators will be identified for each ‘teaching value’ to assist the university in evaluating where it is performing well, and where it may need to improve. The faculties, divisions, the library and CeLTS will assist in this process by providing appropriate evidence and data to the Subcommittee each year. A nominated senior member of staff in each faculty and area will be responsible for assisting the Subcommittee with the collation of this evidence.

Based on an analysis of these indicators, the annual report will propose some recommendations of issues and practices that need to be addressed to enable the university to achieve its strategic objectives. In particular, this process will also be integrated with the development of each version of the university Learning and Teaching Plan (or its successor).

The annual report will also identify a limited number of exemplars of current good practice in high-quality teaching and learning at Monash University, to celebrate and publicise those achievements. These exemplars will then be published on an appropriate website in the university. The exemplars need not be exhaustive and may be updated in subsequent annual reports.

For each ‘teaching value’, some examples are provided below to indicate how these values may be realised in a teaching context at Monash University. These examples are not intended to be comprehensive, but rather to illustrate the ‘spirit’ of the value.

1. Maintaining excellence in academic standards of quality-assured programs

This is exemplified by:

  • Appropriate benchmarking of academic standards in related courses against comparable institutions both nationally and internationally;
  • Moderating systematically the academic standards of courses and units across all modes and locations;
  • Ensuring the implementation of appropriate and consistent academic and English language admission requirements, and evaluating their effectiveness;
  • Pursuing continuous improvement in courses, units and teaching materials through routine implementation of the ‘Monash quality cycle’;
  • Evaluating courses and units routinely for their ‘fitness for purpose’ in relation to both to their own objectives and the university’s values; and
  • Utilising regular course monitoring based upon appropriate quality indicators, benchmarking, and measures of the quality of the learning environment.

2. Nurturing an environment for intellectual stimulation, innovation and creativity

This is exemplified by:

  • Acknowledging scholarship in its broadest sense, as a basis for excellence, innovation and creativity;
  • Recognising the nexus between teaching and research, and incorporating a research culture into the curriculum;
  • Promoting an open, informed and reflective approach to theories, concepts and contexts;
  • Welcoming debate and encouraging positive ideas for improvement;
  • Facilitating communication and collaboration across the university;
  • Providing students with an intellectually stimulating academic environment in which they can enjoy learning and learn effectively;
  • Providing a pleasant physical environment that is conducive to reflection and learning, and minimises unnecessary distractions; and
  • Encouraging university staff to act as positive role models "who not only skillfully explore the frontiers of knowledge, but who integrate ideas, connect thought to action, and inspire students" (Boyer, 1990).

3. Recognising student learning needs

This is exemplified by:

  • Providing opportunities, through appropriately designed curricula and assessment, for students to develop lifelong learning skills and acquire the Monash graduate attributes in a faculty or course-specific context;
  • Emphasising communication skills as an integral component of all courses;
  • Embracing a student-focussed approach to learning that recognises the diversity of individual learning styles;
  • Where appropriate, broadening students’ range of learning styles so that they are more able to meet the challenges of an ever-changing society;
  • Utilising teaching and learning strategies that engage, stimulate and challenge students, allow intellectual pursuit and broaden their ways of learning;
  • Providing opportunities for students to support each other, to be able to feel part of, and to have the opportunity to contribute towards, the university community;
  • Ensuring that assessment is balanced in both its approach and quantity, and is appropriately related to the learning objectives of a unit or course;
  • Communicating clearly the academic expectations of students and providing them with prompt and appropriate feedback on their queries and work;
  • Maintaining and enabling high-quality teaching and learning facilities and resources;
  • Providing appropriate flexibility of delivery modes of courses and units;
  • Where appropriate, maintaining flexible course structures that provide opportunities for students to change the emphasis of their studies during the course;
  • Providing accurate and helpful advice to students on appropriate choices of courses and units to meet their educational objectives;
  • Allowing students to broaden their education through taking suitable elective subjects from other faculties and discipline areas; and
  • Recognising and providing support of student learning and development needs, including identifying and responding to factors that affect student progress.

4. Recognising staff teaching needs

This is exemplified by:

  • Facilitating targeted and equitable professional development opportunities across the university in both teaching and research contexts;
  • Supporting and actively encouraging both academic and support staff to undertake professional development opportunities that enhance their effectiveness to provide quality teaching and learning environments;
  • Implementing effective teaching strategies that are informed by research, scholarship of teaching and learning, and professional practice;
  • Identifying and celebrating exemplary teaching practices from across the whole university community;
  • Recognising and rewarding excellence in high-quality approaches to teaching that are appropriate in the context of individual disciplines;
  • Acknowledging the increasing complexity of the teaching environment by providing appropriate facilities and training to meet the needs of all teaching staff, including those on sessional and honorary appointments;
  • Providing an induction program for all new academic staff, and additional mentoring where appropriate;
  • Encouraging a team-based approach to the development of courses and teaching materials;
  • Providing appropriate time release and funding for staff to develop approved new courses, units and teaching approaches;
  • Maintaining and enabling easy access to important teaching resources and tools; and
  • Elucidating the respective teaching and learning roles and responsibilities of both staff (faculty and divisional) and students.

5. Embracing organisational and cultural diversity

This is exemplified by:

  • Aligning, where appropriate, campuses and programs with their cultural, intellectual and physical environment;
  • Encouraging and facilitating the sharing of teaching and learning experiences and knowledge across the university – upwards, downwards and laterally;
  • Involving staff at different campuses in the co-development of courses and units;
  • Managing, within an overarching strategic framework, devolved processes for course approvals and quality management;
  • Providing opportunities for a diverse range of students to achieve their highest learning potential, particularly those from under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds (including indigenous Australians); and
  • Providing opportunities for students to develop an awareness of cultural diversity and to be inclusive in their outlook.

6. Incorporating an international focus

This is exemplified by:

  • Preparing students to perform capably, ethically and sensitively in international and multicultural professional and social contexts;
  • Integrating the ethos of internationalisation of the curriculum through the learning and teaching operations of the university;
  • Acknowledging that the national and cultural diversity of the student body can enhance the quality of teaching and learning;
  • Wherever appropriate, incorporating international and/or intercultural perspectives in each course (in addition to the diversity of local perspectives);
  • Expecting that all units should be culturally inclusive and, wherever possible, should allow for disparate student backgrounds; and
  • Recognising that multilingualism can facilitate intercultural exploration, acquisition of practical competence in the global economy, and understanding of difference.

7. Providing learning outcomes that relate to a range of key stakeholders

This is exemplified by:

  • Providing curricula and teaching approaches that acknowledge the current needs of the recognised stakeholders and are guided by ‘fitness for purpose’;
  • Focusing learning outcomes for all courses and units in terms of appropriate knowledge, understandings, skills and attitudes;
  • Utilising curricula and practices that are informed by research, scholarship of teaching and learning, and professional practice;
  • Providing opportunities for graduates to have developed important generic skills and broad conceptual understandings, in addition to specialist skills and knowledge;
  • Ensuring that all stakeholders are aware of the objectives and outcomes of all courses and units;
  • Making graduates aware of their professional and social responsibility; and
  • Engaging with appropriate community and professional organisations, including external advisory boards, secondary curriculum boards, accreditation bodies, etc.

8. Acting with integrity and fairness

This is exemplified by:

  • Ensuring transparency of assessment and administrative processes;
  • Applying policies fairly and consistently;
  • Being aware of different cultural norms and appreciating the potential conflicts between them;
  • Providing students with opportunities to provide feedback on their view of the effectiveness of resources, services, courses and units, and ensuring that they are advised of the outcomes of, or responses to, that feedback;
  • Respecting cultural and religious diversity, disability, gender and sexual orientation;
  • Promoting equal opportunity by eliminating any unlawful direct and indirect discrimination;
  • Recognising the diverse financial and socio-economic background of students and addressing their disadvantage through a range of support mechanisms;
  • Consistently applying ethical procedures in appropriate teaching and learning contexts; and
  • Promoting an appreciation of social justice and ethics in all courses of study, including a clear understanding of how to acknowledge sources and what constitutes plagiarism.

Scope

These procedures apply to all undergraduate and graduate/postgraduate coursework programs, and to all staff.

Definitions

Institutional values – this term may be used in some documents as an abbreviation for the ten values outlined in the university strategic framework ‘Excellence and diversity’.

Teaching values – this term may be used in some documents as an abbreviation for the eight values outlined in the Values for High-Quality Teaching and Learning Policy.

Related Documents

Upon approval, these procedures replace the ‘Effective Teaching and Learning Procedures’, which date from 1994.

Governing Documents

Responsibilities for Implementation

At the University-wide level

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), Vice-President (Administration).

At the Faculty level

Deans, Associate Deans (Teaching), Heads of Department/School.

Date Effective

Education Committee 2/2005 held on 16 March 2005.

Approval

Education Committee 2/2005 held on 16 March 2005.

Review

Education Committee will consider this policy for review three years after approval, or earlier if required.