Ed & Tech must-reads 28th July 2026

Standards describe good teaching. Peer review builds it from Needed Now in Learning and Teaching

The quality of higher education teaching can be a contentious topic, linked to academic identity and freedom and a tendency in the sector to assume that if one has subject expertise, one can teach. This in depth post from academic/education developers Samantha Clarke, Jessica Frawley, Eszter Kalman (Uni of Sydney) and Nicholas Grindle (Uni College London) describe the use of teacher peer review programs to foster better teaching practices (facilitated by centres for teaching and learning), while also cautioning that there must be space left for institutions to do it in ways which make sense in their specific context (vs the regulator mandating a single approach). Well worth the read.

Impacts of student evaluations of teaching on Australian university academics from Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education

Another widely used approach to evaluating teaching practice - with a view to fostering improvements where needed - are end of teaching period student evaluations. There is a wealth of literature about these evaluations, well outlined here by researchers from Uni of the Sunshine Coast and Bond Uni, which highlights the vulnerabilities of the data coming from these surveys. Stone et al. focus heavily on the psycho-social harm that these can do to academics, both from the quantitative and qualitative feedback that they provide. They seem to miss one obvious solution (perhaps resource intensive) which I have seen in institutions that I have worked in previously of simply removing unhelpful or offensive qual feedback. While these evaluations can be flawed, there still seems to be some value in ensuring that students have an opportunity to provide feedback on their learning experiences. Overall though they make their points well.

Webinar: The VET–Higher Education Interface in a Time of Reform Tues 28th July 6.30pm AEST (TODAY) from AARE PHE SIG

While Vocational Education and Training and Higher Ed both concern the education of adults, in practice (in Australia at least) there are significant differences between these two sectors in terms of assessment styles and rigor and social purpose. Loving efficiencies as it does, the federal government has long sought opportunities to combine these sectors and, to an extent in dual-sector institutions, this has been achieved. This webinar featuring Susan Webb (Monash Uni) and Annabelle Leve (Chisholm Institute) will explore similarities and differences between VET and HE and opportunities for partnership.

Webinar: Wicked Problems, Big Questions: A Panel Discussion on Programmatic Assessment Thurs July 30th 9:30 AWST (11:30 AEST) from PAN-HPE

I am conscious that we (TELedvisors Network) also have a webinar on Thursday 30th but the good news is that this one should finish just in time to join us. The Programmatic Assessment Network for Health Professions Education present Tim Fawns (Monash Uni) and Rachel Bacon (Central Qld Uni) tackling a range of big issues in higher level assessment design at a course/program level. GenAI and assurance of learning will inevitably also make an appearance because it is 2026

Webinar: Nobody told me... Confessions of third space professionals Thurs 30th July 1pm AEST from ASCILITE TELedvisors Network

At the special time of 1pm - which happily accommodates the aforementioned discussion - Diana Saragi Turnip (UNSW) will host two of her colleagues in revealing some of the hidden curriculum of being a third space practitioner in HE. Carol Besseling and Aylwin Sim will share their experiences of navigating working, thriving and surviving university life and the many lessons they have learned along the way.

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