Striking a balance

At the start of 2016, UTS will make the historic shift to a new academic calendar with three balanced teaching sessions. The change not only signifies a renewed and contemporary structure for UTS, but also more flexibility for students and staff.

Environmental scientist and First-Year Coordinator for the Faculty of Science Megan Phillips is embracing the change and the challenges it presents.

One of the biggest, she says, is the introduction of Orientation and Preparation weeks at the beginning of each session. Phillips believes these weeks offer a valuable opportunity for students to ease into their studies and hit the ground running when classes start.

“For my first-year subject called The Biosphere, I’m going to offer an online learning package to set my students’ expectations about the class. It will include an overview of content but I also want it to demonstrate that we’re taking the long view about their career as a future scientist,” she explains.

Next year, Phillips will also be teaching an industry-focused third-year subject called Environmental Remediation, and although she isn’t looking to offer either course in the new Summer session, she does see the potential opportunities. “A lot of what we do as environmental scientists depends on patterns in nature, so the interesting thing about the balanced teaching periods model is there might be really unique annual species patterns that could be explored in summer subjects.”

Phillips’ chief concern about transitioning to the new calendar is making sure her students receive the same high-quality education, and that condensing subjects into 11 weeks doesn’t dilute their learning.

It’s a perception Director of the Institute for Interactive Media and Learning Jo McKenzie, is also anxious to dispel. “Students have at least the same 14-week period to learn as they always had, the time is just distributed differently,” she explains.

In addition to helping staff prepare for the new academic calendar, McKenzie is also part of the team spearheading learning.futures, the conceptual shift shaking up traditional learning methods at UTS. She acknowledges that change can be hard, especially with the time pressures facing academics, but is convinced the new calendar can be a “transformational trigger” for people to consider learning in a much broader sense.

“One point we’re eager to get across is that learning happens anywhere. It happens on the bus and on the train; it happens when you’re in the shower in the morning – that’s one of my favourite places! With the opportunities presented by new technologies, I’m hoping teachers will ask themselves, ‘How can my students best learn to become lifelong learners and sought-after employees – or entrepreneurs – in the 21st century?’ and adjust their subject designs accordingly.”

To ensure her students cover the necessary content, Phillips is employing a program called the Learning Futures Loop. For this, students undertake a contextualising, out-of-class, online learning experience, including online modules, readings, scientific research papers, mini documentaries and media articles. This is then followed by in-person workshops, and a reflective or practical assessment. “This feedback immediately lets me know whether or not they are learning what they need to,” she says.

Despite the challenges of change, Phillips is excited about the future. “I love the direction that UTS has been taking with education. Linking online learning with the in-person experience is so important and is one of the best ways we can prepare students for the modern workplace.”