Inclusive Teaching Workshops

Launch event: Diversified Inclusive Teaching Toolkit

Presented by the UNSW Diversified team

1:00pm, Thursday 17 April, Hybrid

Diversified are launching a new comprehensive toolkit aimed at equipping educators with the tools and insights needed to create truly inclusive learning environments. Checklists and videos will guide educators through the process of creating inclusive learning environments and help teaching staff better understand the student experience. The resources were developed in collaboration with UNSW staff and reflect the Progress for All strategic principles.

Be among the first to access the new resources, connect with the Diversified team and learn more about inclusive education. A panel of experts will be discussing the resources on the day, so bring along your questions!

Light refreshments will be available. You are welcome to stay for networking snacks after the event.

Not from UNSW?  

That’s great! All members of the teaching community are encouraged to use the Inclusive Teaching Toolkit whether from UNSW or other learning institutions. All are welcome to join this event. Please forward this invitation to others who may be interested.

Accessibility 

Please email Kate Vartuli, k.vartuli@unsw.edu.au, if you have any questions or accessibility requirements. You can learn more about the Diversified Team here.

Register for session

Inclusive Reboot: Redesigning Courses with UDL 3.0

Presented by Karen Kriss (ADA) & Dr Aves Parsemain (ADA)

10:00am, Tuesday 6 May, Online

This workshop will provide a refresher on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and introduce you to the latest advancements in the UDL 3.0 framework released in July 2024. Through engaging discussions and practical examples, you will explore the latest updates and enhancements and learn how to implement UDL strategies that address the diverse needs of your students. Whether you're looking for easy techniques to apply to your course immediately or more advanced strategies for course redesign, this workshop will equip you with essential tools and knowledge to create more inclusive and effective teaching environments.

Register for session

Speakers

Karen Kriss (she/her) is an artist, animator, and senior lecturer at UNSW Art and Design, as well as a Disability Champion and Disability Advisor at UNSW Arts, Design and Architecture (ADA). With over 10 years in the Animation and Visual Effects industry, she has held roles like Head of Production Management and Visual Effects Producer. Recently, she chaired the 35th Annual Society for Animation Studies Conference (2024) and was SIGGRAPH ASIA Computer Animation Festival Producer (2023). Drawing on her lived experience, Karen has co-designed two Vivid Sydney works with people living with disability—DreamStates (2019) and Crowded Cadmans (2022)—while her research bridges disability studies and animation, exploring inclusive, collaborative art practices that move between digital and physical realms. She has won awards including the ADCET Excellence award for Accessibility in Action (2023), was shortlisted in the top three for the category of Diversity in the UNSW Vice-Chancellors Awards (2023) and with her Diversified team members won the UNSW ADA Audacious Vision Award in 2024.

Dr Aves Parsemain (they/them) completed a PhD in Arts and Media at UNSW and has years of teaching experience in higher education, both as a sessional academic and Education-Focused lecturer. They have taught Arts and Media at UNSW, Sydney University, Macquarie University and California State University. In addition to teaching, they have worked in educational design and academic development since 2018, helping academics design courses and enhance their educational practice. Aves is passionate about creating fun and inclusive learning environments where all students feel engaged, supported, and safe.

Aaron Saint-James is a Research Officer, casual academic, and professional staff member at UNSW, as well as the co-founder of Diversified, an initiative dedicated to advancing neurodiversity, accessibility, and neuro-inclusion in education. As a Neurodiversity Consultant, Aaron specialises in applying Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to create inclusive course frameworks that promote accessible and equitable learning environments. Drawing on both professional expertise and extensive lived experience with disability, chronic health conditions, neurodivergence, being queer and coming from a lower-SES background, Aaron is a passionate advocate for transformative, inclusive education for all students.

T1- Engages learners from different educational, cultural and language backgrounds, to promote active learning and reflection.

T2- Communicates and uses technology to promote learning of disciplinary content in order to achieve learning outcomes.

T3*- Creates inclusive, safe and supportive learning environments.

T4*- Uses evidence-informed teaching approaches.

D1*- Develops curricula resources and learning activities to achieve learning outcomes for a range of learners, with a focus on encouraging critical thinking, reflection and self-directed learning.

D2- Engages students as partners in development of curricula, resources and learning activities

D3- Designs and sequences assessment tasks that are aligned to learning outcomes

D4- Provides students with constructive, actionable feedback on their performance and analyses assessment results to inform teaching practice

E1- Improves knowledge of teaching subjects/discipline and relevant pedagogy

E2*- Undertakes professional development and implements new strategies

E3- Improves teaching practice through reflection, self-evaluation and in response to feedback from students and peers

E4- Engages in educational scholarship that informs teaching practice while influencing others

L1- Displays UNSW values in action, and demonstrating professional and ethical conduct

L2- Collaborates by creating opportunities for colleagues to network and share expertise

L3- Influences and mentors others to enable them to grow and develop

L4- Creates resources that are useful for the broader teaching and learning community

Improving Access to Education: Introduction to UNSW’s Gateway Equity Target

Presented by Prof. Stephen Doherty (ADA) & Lucy Jellema (PVCE)

Stephen Doherty (Associate Dean and Co-Chair of the GET SSWG*) and Lucy Jellema (Educational Developer, Equity) explored UNSW’s commitment to improving access to education for students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. This session included information and a range of hands-on activities to help develop participant's understanding of the target and how it impacts their pedagogy.

^{*GET SSWG: Gateway Equity Target, Student Support Working Group}

Speakers

Prof. Stephen Doherty is the Associate Dean (Education) and leads the education portfolio across the Faculty Arts, Design and Architecture. He is a future-focussed academic leader with a HASS and STEM background, he brings strategic and operational leadership for effective and sustainable technology-enhanced educational innovation, rich and rewarding student experiences, and recognised educational excellence built on a foundation of inclusive and high-performance people and culture. He is the co-chair of the Gateway Equity Target Student Support Working Group and has led meaningful change across all components of the target.

Lucy Jellema is the Educational Developer, Equity in the PVCE division. She has a background in teaching and developing professional learning across a range of educational and corporate settings. Lucy completed her Master's in Inclusive Education at UNSW and has a passion for accessibility and inclusion within all levels of education. She loves opportunities to support professionals to develop their teaching pedagogy and presentation skills to maximise engagement and retention. She is a member of the Start@Uni project, Diversify and TED COP to engage with the wider UNSW community. Her key purpose is to make positive and meaningful changes to both teaching staff and students at UNSW.

Getting Started With Inclusive Teaching

Presented by A/Prof. Melanie White (ADA), A/ Prof. Michele Madigan (Medicine & Health) & Lucy Jellema (PVCE)

A/Prof. Melanie White (UNSW ADA), A/ Prof. Michele Madigan (UNSW Medicine & Health) and Lucy Jellema (Educational Developer, UNSW Equity) explore how inclusive teaching benefits educators and delve into strategies that have the biggest impact for the lowest time commitment. They introduce various teaching strategies and reflect upon how educators could implement them in their courses or individual lessons.

Speakers

A/Prof. Melanie White is an award-winning teacher who specialises in strategies to inspire students and support active learning in large classroom settings. She teaches in the Sociology program for the School of Social Sciences in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture.

A/ Prof. Michele Madigan is a research-education academic in Optometry and Vision Science (SOVS). Michele is actively involved in education across areas including human eye anatomy and diseases, eye development and aging. Michele is passionate about small group teaching and providing interactive, enjoyable, and comfortable in-person opportunities for students to ask questions and learn all about eyes - drawings, puns and stories are a key focus in class. Michele has been the Academic Advisor in SOVS for many years, part of the FMH Education Academy, and an (unofficial) advocate for encouraging more kindness in our education and research activities at all levels. 

Lucy Jellema is the Educational Developer, Equity in the PVCE division. She has a background in teaching and developing professional learning across a range of educational and corporate settings. Lucy completed her Master's in Inclusive Education at UNSW and has a passion for accessibility and inclusion within all levels of education. She loves opportunities to support professionals to develop their teaching pedagogy and presentation skills to maximise engagement and retention. She is a member of the Start@Uni project, Diversify and TED COP to engage with the wider UNSW community. Her key purpose is to make positive and meaningful changes to both teaching staff and students at UNSW.

 Next Steps for Inclusive Teaching

Presented by A/Prof. Rebecca LeBard (Science), Dr Ramesh Walpola (Medicine & Health) & Lucy Jellema (PVCE)

Rebecca LeBard (Associate Dean and Associate Professor in Science), Ramesh Walpola (Academic Lead in Medicine and Health), and Lucy Jellema (Educational Developer, UNSW Equity) share expertise and new strategies and reflect upon how you could implement them in your course or in individual lessons. A range of teaching strategies are explored so all teaching staff (including sessional and casual staff) can benefit from this session.

This workshop is aimed at teaching staff with some experience in inclusive teaching.

Speakers

A/Prof. Rebecca LeBard is an Associate Professor in the School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences and Associate Dean Education, innovation and student experience for the Faculty of Science at UNSW. She also holds a MEd (higher education) from UNSW, and teaches undergraduate courses in the Faculty of Science and the medical program. Rebecca is a Senior Fellow of Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy UK). She was awarded the UNSW Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence in 2015, and a citation for contributions to student learning in the Australian University Teaching Awards, 2016, recognising her teaching excellence.
 

Dr Ramesh Walpola is a pharmacist, certified health manager (CHM) and the Pharmacy Academic Lead & Program Authority in the School of Health Sciences. His main area of research expertise and interest is in patient and medication safety, particularly examining the social determinants of safe practices. Ramesh completed his PhD at The University of Sydney in 2016, which focused on the development of educational interventions to enhance generational change in patient safety practices in the pharmacy setting. Ramesh joined UNSW in 2019, originally teaching health leadership and management in the School of Population Health. Ramesh currently leads the implementation of the new pharmacy program in the School of Health Sciences, as part of the suite of new health professional programs launched in 2023. 

Lucy Jellema is the Educational Developer, Equity in the PVCE division. She has a background in teaching and developing professional learning across a range of educational and corporate settings. Lucy completed her Master's in Inclusive Education at UNSW and has a passion for accessibility and inclusion within all levels of education. She loves opportunities to support professionals to develop their teaching pedagogy and presentation skills to maximise engagement and retention. She is a member of the Start@Uni project, Diversify and TED COP to engage with the wider UNSW community. Her key purpose is to make positive and meaningful changes to both teaching staff and students at UNSW.

Advanced Inclusive Teaching Practices

Presented by Prof. Terry Cumming (ADA), Ms Katrina Blazek (Medicine & Health) & Lucy Jellema (PVCE)

Terry Cumming (Deputy Head of School and Professor in ADA), Katrina Blazek (Lecturer in Medicine and Health) and Lucy Jellema share expertise, new strategies and how you can implement inclusive teaching within your course or individual lessons. A range of teaching strategies are explored to benefit all teaching staff (including sessional and casual staff) from this session.

This workshop is aimed at teaching staff with considerable experience in inclusive teaching.

Speakers

Prof. Terry Cumming is a Professor of Special Education and Deputy Head of School Learning and Teaching in the School of Education. Her teaching and research are focused on improving the lives of neurodiverse people, especially in the area of access to education. Current research areas include Universal Design for Learning, school connectedness, and wraparound systems of support. She is the Academic Lead Education of the UNSW Disability Innovation Institute, a Scientia Education Academy Fellow, and a co-founder of Diversified.

Katrina Blazek is a Lecturer in Health Data Science, dedicated to fostering a student-centred learning environment in biostatistics courses in the School of Population Health. She recognises that students have unique needs and learning styles and tailors her instruction to accommodate diverse learning approaches. Whether teaching in traditional face-to-face settings, synchronous online classrooms, or asynchronous online modules, Katrina consistently creates equitable learning opportunities that meet students where they are at. Her commitment to sustainable teaching practices ensures that her instruction not only imparts knowledge but also cultivates lasting problem-solving skills and a deep understanding of biostatistics.

Lucy Jellema is the Educational Developer, Equity in the PVCE division. She has a background in teaching and developing professional learning across a range of educational and corporate settings. Lucy completed her Master's in Inclusive Education at UNSW and has a passion for accessibility and inclusion within all levels of education. She loves opportunities to support professionals to develop their teaching pedagogy and presentation skills to maximise engagement and retention. She is a member of the Start@Uni project, Diversify and TED COP to engage with the wider UNSW community. Her key purpose is to make positive and meaningful changes to both teaching staff and students at UNSW.

Student Perspectives on Inclusive Teaching

Moderated by Lucy Jellema (PVCE)

Student Panel: Christoper Bursa (recorded response); Eunice Cheng; Doha Goreishi; El Mitchell; Aaron Saint-James 

Engage with this incredible opportunity to gain the student perspective on inclusive teaching and learning. We have a panel of students from various courses who will answer some questions about teaching strategies, belonging, and assessment at UNSW. There will be time for participants to ask questions and get advice from students.

Moderator

Lucy Jellema is the Educational Developer, Equity in the PVCE division. She has a background in teaching and developing professional learning across a range of educational and corporate settings. Lucy completed her Master's in Inclusive Education at UNSW and has a passion for accessibility and inclusion within all levels of education. She loves opportunities to support professionals to develop their teaching pedagogy and presentation skills to maximise engagement and retention. She is a member of the Start@Uni project, SX Assessment Working Groups, Diversified and TED COP to engage with the wider UNSW community. Her key purpose is to make positive and meaningful changes to both teaching staff and students at UNSW.

Panel Members

Aaron Saint-James (He/Him) is a mature-aged 3rd year student at UNSW, undergoing an Advanced Science degree, majoring in molecular biology. Aaron identifies as neurodiverse and queer and is the first in his family to attend university. He works as the Project Manager for the Diversified Empowering students to be agents of change Project within the School of Education, and is very passionate about advocating for accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion, in addition to championing Universal Design for Learning principles at UNSW.

Christopher Bursa (He/Him) is a postgraduate student studying Commerce, majoring in Marketing and International Business. As an international student who has also completed his Bachelor's at UNSW, he is passionate about enhancing the student experience during their studies. He hopes to create a respectful, welcoming, and tight-knit international community.

Embracing the culturally diverse background at UNSW, he devotes most of his time to engaging with international students of all levels at UNSW, whether through volunteering as a "Cultural Mentor" to help with first-year international students, to coordinating English conversational workshops with "Let's CommUNIcate!". His wealth of experience comes from his belief in the power of language and communication that can tear down walls and foster greater connectivity between individuals. Understanding the struggles of international students, Chris strives to lend a helping hand and be their voice.

Doha Goreishi (She/Her) is a dedicated PASS Leader for the MATH1131 course at UNSW, where she is currently pursuing a dual degree in Engineering and Commerce. With a passion for multidisciplinary learning, Doha integrates her diverse academic background to help first-year students navigate the complexities of university mathematics. Her approach emphasizes building a supportive and inclusive community through both in-person and virtual sessions, where she fosters an environment that empowers students to overcome challenges and achieve academic success.

As someone deeply committed to student support and development, Doha actively engages with her peers to enhance their learning experiences. Her work is driven by a belief in the transformative power of education and her desire to make a positive impact on the UNSW student community.

El Mitchell (They/Them) is a second-year student at UNSW pursuing a Bachelor of Science/Social Sciences, majoring in Marine Science and Art, Culture and Technology. As a disabled, queer, and gender-fluid individual, El champions equality and accessibility within both communal and academic spheres. Their journey, navigating life with ADHD, chronic illnesses and disabilities, has fuelled their dedication to reshaping perceptions and dismantling barriers faced by disabled and queer communities.

With a passion for deep-sea science and sustainability, El believes in the collective capacity of communities to foster hope and enact meaningful change in addressing challenges like climate change. They emphasise the importance of coming together, supporting one another, and recognising that collective action is key to building a more inclusive and sustainable future for all.

Eunice Cheng (She/Her) is a fifth year Medicine student at UNSW and has served on the SCON since 2023. Coming from a culturally and linguistically diverse community in Greater Western Sydney, Eunice is a strong advocate for building diverse and inclusive communities and ensuring that all students have equitable higher education opportunities. Eunice’s lived experience as a female in STEMM with chronic health conditions has also fuelled her passion for supporting fellow students with similar backgrounds.

Eunice leverages her professional experience as a Senior University Ambassador in the Access, Equity & Inclusion team, Future Students Ambassador, Senior Ambassador in the UNSW Student Health Advisory Committee, student representative on the Faculty of Medicine Student Wellbeing Action Group, and member of the UNSW Mental Health First Aiders Network. Eunice also regularly represents her communities at events and initiatives led by the Wellbeing Community of Practice and Pro Vice-Chancellor, Education & Student Experience (PVCE) Portfolio. Eunice strives to amplify the voices of underrepresented groups and make UNSW a welcoming, equitable, and diverse community.

The Essay is Dead, Long Live the Essay: Accessible Course Design in the Age of AI

Presented by James Bedford (Academic Skills) & Will Scates Frances (Academic Skills)

Speakers

James Bedford is an Academic Learning Facilitator at the University of New South Wales. He specialises in course design and assessment and uses a constructivist approach to learning and teaching. He is currently investigating ways to respond to generative AI in higher education. He was a recipient of an Australian Post-graduate Award, Research Excellence Award, and a University Medal. In addition, he was a visiting doctoral student at the Oxford Centre for Life-Writing. He was awarded a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of New South Wales in 2019 and has been published in various journals.

Will Scates Frances is a historian, educational designer and academic learning facilitator at UNSW. His interests range from eschatology to neurodiversity and you can find him around campus delivering writing workshops, facilitating tutorials, gesticulating lectures or engrossed in a coffee overlooking the library lawn.

Awkward Pedagogy: The Benefits of Transparent Teaching

Presented by James Bedford (Academic Skills) & Will Scates Frances (Academic Skills)

How can you make students understand your choices in teaching? Tell them! This is the second workshop hosted by James Bedford and William Scates Frances from Academic Skills. They explain how the use of transparency in teaching and learning enhances student engagement and success. Gain useful insights, learn practical strategies and be inspired by this incredible teaching duo!

Speakers

James Bedford is an Academic Learning Facilitator at the University of New South Wales. He specialises in course design and assessment and uses a constructivist approach to learning and teaching. He is currently investigating ways to respond to generative AI in higher education. He was a recipient of an Australian Post-graduate Award, Research Excellence Award, and a University Medal. In addition, he was a visiting doctoral student at the Oxford Centre for Life-Writing. He was awarded a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of New South Wales in 2019 and has been published in various journals.

Will Scates Frances is a historian, educational designer and academic learning facilitator at UNSW. His interests range from eschatology to neurodiversity and you can find him around campus delivering writing workshops, facilitating tutorials, gesticulating lectures or engrossed in a coffee overlooking the library lawn.

Learning About Specific Cohorts

Presented by Kate Churchyard (PVCE), Dominic Fitzsimmons (PVCE), Dr Parisa Glass (Medicine & Health), Lucy Jellema (PVCE), James Perez (ADA) & Julia Wang (PVCSS)

This unique workshop provides staff with a ‘taster’ to learn about some of the under-recognised student cohorts at UNSW.
Each cohort will have a short presentation with an overview, support considerations and ways you can learn more or connect with associated communities.

The cohorts include:

• Pasifika students (James Perez)
• Refugee students and forced migration (Dr Parisa Glass)
• Rural and remote students (Kate Churchyard)
• Students with an undiagnosed disability (Lucy Jellema)
• Students as carers (Dominic Fitzsimmons)
• Under 18 Cohort (Julia Wang)

https://youtu.be/P0wvl_uLU30?si=0J-dHMWC-iCW9tvW 

Speakers

James Perez (he/him) is an Equity Practitioner and works in Student Experience in Arts, Design & Architecture. James has a background providing culturally responsive mentoring programs & delivering online learning experiences in Higher Education. James completed a degree in Education & Pacific studies and has helped to launch a non-for-profit organisation ‘Australian Pasifika Educators Network’ comprising of teachers, university academic and professional staff dedicated to advancing the educational experiences, opportunities and outcomes for Pasifika learners and communities. 

Dr Parisa Glass has a PhD, an MBA, and over twenty years of experience across healthcare, medical research, and higher education. Over the course of her professional career, she has designed several collaborative programs and has built multidisciplinary teams to deliver impactful projects in medical research. Lean more about Parisa here.

Kate Churchyard is the Senior Equity Engagement Officer in the division of Education and Student Experience. She has worked in the equity space in both the UK and in Sydney for the past 5 years. At UNSW, she manages the transition and ongoing support program, Start@UNSW, for students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and students from rural and regional areas. The program offers peer-to-peer mentoring and wellbeing check-in calls to support the development of a sense of belonging and community. It also provides students with links to academic support.

Lucy Jellema is the Educational Developer, Equity in the PVCE division. She has a background in teaching and developing professional learning across a range of educational and corporate settings. Lucy completed her Master's in Inclusive Education at UNSW and has a passion for accessibility and inclusion within all levels of education. She loves opportunities to support professionals to develop their teaching pedagogy and presentation skills to maximise engagement and retention. She is a member of the Start@Uni project, SX Assessment Working Groups, Diversified and TED COP to engage with the wider UNSW community. Her key purpose is to make positive and meaningful changes to both teaching staff and students at UNSW.

Julia Wang is the Under 18 Student Coordinator in the UNSW International Student Compliance team. She has been working in UNSW and UNSW College for the past five years, mainly with underage students. Her experience in both teaching and student counselling allows her to understand the concerns of young people and develop effective tools to connect with and support them. The joy of her job is to help students take on new challenges in life and see them grow into responsible young adults. At home, her many hobbies include movies, music, reading, gardening and sewing. Mountains are her retreat when she could be away from the city, as she enjoys the serenity and feeling insignificant in the face of marvellous natural wonders. 

Dominic Fitzsimmons

Supporting First Year Cohorts

Presented by Dr Thomas Dixon (Science) & Dr Kate Jackson (Science)

Join Dr Thomas Dixon and Dr Kate Jackson (School of Physics) for a lightning workshop on supporting first year cohorts. You will learn some new strategies and engage in activities and discussions. Although the content is focused on supporting first-year undergraduate students, many strategies benefit all students. 

Speakers

Dr Thomas Dixon is an Associate Lecturer (Education Focused) in the School of Physics, working primarily on laboratory education. Thomas runs the first-year physics teaching laboratory, and is responsible for the design of experiments and management/training of laboratory teaching staff.

Dr Kate Jackson is an Education Focused Senior Lecturer, the Outreach Coordinator, and the First Year Director in the School of Physics. She is also a Senior Fellow of Advance HE (SFHEA). Kate is actively involved in initiatives to improve the student experience in first-year physics. Her research focuses on student motivation and equity in learning.

Fostering Growth: Feedback Literacy for Students and Educators

Presented by Rita Prestigiacomo (Engineering) & Lucy Jellema (PVCE)

Join Rita Prestigiacomo and Lucy Jellema for a hands-on workshop on feedback literacy. You will learn about the essential elements of feedback that improve teaching and learning. Feedback literacy supports the development of the skills required to engage with and apply feedback to support improvement for both students and staff. Engagement with feedback is one of the most impactful ways to improve learning. Rita will share how the Nexus Engineering team have explored feedback literacy and how it could be used to improve teaching practice and supplement MyExperience.

Speakers

Dr Rita Prestigiacomo is a Lecturer (Nexus Fellow) at the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, where she previously worked as an academic developer and a post-doctoral fellow. With a PhD in Education from the University of Sydney, she brings a rich background in teaching. Dr. Prestigiacomo areas of expertise include curriculum development, reflective teaching practices, student engagement, group work and co-design work. She currently leads a Nexus faculty-based engineering education project to both enhance student’s agency in providing feedback and improve teachers’ feedback literacy.

Lucy Jellema is the Educational Developer, Equity in the PVCE division. She has a background in teaching and developing professional learning across a range of educational and corporate settings. Lucy completed her Master's in Inclusive Education at UNSW and has a passion for accessibility and inclusion within all levels of education. She loves opportunities to support professionals to develop their teaching pedagogy and presentation skills to maximise engagement and retention. She is a member of the Start@Uni project, SX Assessment Working Groups, Diversified and TED COP to engage with the wider UNSW community. Her key purpose is to make positive and meaningful changes to both teaching staff and students at UNSW.

Teaching for All: Strategies for Inclusive and Equitable Learning

This workshop recording supports student-facing staff to answer the following questions:

• What is the difference between inclusion, equity and equality?
• If everyone teaches inclusively, will we need Equitable Learning Plans (ELPs)?
• What are some strategies I can implement straight away?
• Where can I go to learn more?

Convincing Students of the Benefits of Group Assessments

Presented by Dr. James Bedford (UNSW College) & Dr. Will Scates Frances (Academic Skills)

Transform the way your students view group assessments! Join fellow educators William Scates Frances and James Bedford at UNSW for an engaging workshop that will equip you with practical strategies to demonstrate the value of collaborative learning. Learn how to effectively address student resistance, implement fair assessment methods, and create meaningful group experiences that reflect real-world professional demands. Through interactive discussions and evidence-based approaches, you'll discover how to turn skeptical students into enthusiastic team players. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your teaching toolkit and boost student engagement in group work. Perfect for all university educators looking to make group assessments more effective.

Speakers

James Bedford is an award-winning writer and educator with a PhD in Creative Writing from UNSW. A Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, he has received multiple teaching and research awards. His work spans creative fiction and educational scholarship, with expertise in AI and education. He was a visiting scholar at Oxford's Centre for Life-Writing and is a member of Oxford's AI in Education research hub (AIEOU). Currently, he serves as an Education Specialist in AI at UNSW College.

Dr. Will Scates Frances is a historian, educational designer and academic learning facilitator at UNSW. His interests range from eschatology to neurodiversity and you can find him around campus delivering writing workshops, facilitating tutorials, gesticulating lectures or engrossed in a coffee overlooking the library lawn.

Equitable Learning Plans 101: Demystifying Reasonable Adjustments in Teaching

Presented by Dr. Rachel Kasturi (ELS), Shelley Odewahn (ELS) & Noam Peleg (Law & Justice)

With increasing workloads and competing demands, academics often find managing Equitable Learning Plans (ELPs) and implementing reasonable adjustments challenging, especially when they are new to teaching at UNSW. This workshop is designed to provide practical strategies to streamline the ELP process, ensuring compliance with legislative obligations. It covers everything from navigating administrative workflows to adapting teaching practices. Real world examples will illustrate common scenarios and provide actionable solutions to integrate adjustments effectively and efficiently.

Speakers

Rachel Kasturi is an equitable learning facilitator who specializes in supporting students with cognitive and linguistic variations that impact communication and learning. Rachel is passionate about helping academics and professional staff adopt the Universal Design for Learning framework, which breaks down barriers for diverse learners and improves student satisfaction and retention.

Noam Peleg is an Associate Professor and Director – Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the Faculty of Law and Justice. Noam works in international children’s rights law, human rights law, childhood studies, and family law. His latest research has focused on questions of identity formation and development of children, especially LGBTQI+ children, building on an extensive body of work concerning the right to development of children in international law. He is a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Children’s Rights and the Journal’s Book Review Editor. He was Visiting Professor at Columbia Law School and Leiden Law School. Noam is a board member and a trainer at the Diplomacy Training Program (DTP), an NGO committed to advancing human rights and empowering civil society in the Asia-Pacific region. Before moving to academia, Noam practiced law in several human rights NGOs.

Shelley Odewahn is Equitable Learning Facilitator with 25 years of experience supporting students’ wellbeing in higher education. Shelley specialises in working with students from diverse backgrounds with an experience of complex trauma, mental health concerns and gendered violence. She is a passionate advocate for equity and justice in education.