Workshps

ICT in First Year Learning and Teaching: Juggling the Demands

Dr Kerri-Lee Krause

Bio

Dr Krause has teaching experience in high school and university settings and her commitment to quality teaching in large first year classes has been recognised through an Outstanding Teaching Award at Macquarie University. She co-founded the Macquarie Transition Program and an associated university-wide research and development program on first year student issues. Her research focus lies in the area of first year student experience, its connections to subsequent transitions through the undergraduate years, and policy implications. She also has a particular research interest in the role of information and communication technologies in university pedagogy and has co-edited Cyberlines: Languages and Cultures of the Internet. Dr Krause is currently on secondment to the Centre for the Study of Higher Education at the University of Melbourne where she conducts research on matters relating to national and international policy issues in higher education and the first year university experience in Australia. She has also collaborated with Professor Craig McInnis to develop the Asia-Pacific First Year Project.

Synopsis of workshop

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) feature prominently in the first year university landscape. University administrators urge their widespread use, statistics are collected on which faculty uses them most, and much energy and funding is devoted to the most innovative ICT accomplishments. But is more always best? And do ICTs actually enhance learning and teaching? Informed by research, experience and examples, this interactive workshop will focus on strategies for addressing the growing demands to use ICTs in first year university teaching. Practical options for use of ICTs in large and small first year groups will be presented. Guidelines will be given for evaluating the effectiveness of ICT use and for strategic decision-making in this area at the institutional, departmental and individual academic level. The workshop will also address implications of ICT use for information literacy development and equity issues in higher education.

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