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Fact SheetUpdate March 20048. Promoting Excellence in Learning and TeachingThe strength of the Australian higher education sector will depend on fostering an environment of excellence in the full range of activities undertaken by higher education providers. Although teaching is recognised as a core activity of all higher education providers, current Australian Government funding, internal staff promotion practices and institutional prestige tend to reinforce the importance of research performance rather than teaching performance. The Government believes that rewards and incentives for excellence in learning and teaching will promote the overall quality of the sector, enabling excellence in learning and teaching to be placed alongside the delivery of research excellence in terms of contribution to Australia’s knowledge systems. The Government has emphasised that there is no intention for any Australian university to become ‘teaching-only’. It is envisaged that an increased focus on learning and teaching will foster diversity and help to ensure the ongoing high quality of the Australian higher education sector. Learning and Teaching Performance FundA Learning and Teaching Performance Fund of $54 million in 2006, increasing to $83 million in 2007 and $113 million in 2008, will be established to reward those higher education providers that best demonstrate excellence in learning and teaching. Learning and Teaching Performance Fund allocations will be determined in two stages. In the first stage, higher education providers will be required to demonstrate a strong strategic commitment to learning and teaching. Higher education providers must have a current and recent institutional learning and teaching plan or strategy. Evidence of systematic support for professional development in learning and teaching for sessional and full-time academic staff must be provided. Evidence must be provided that probation and promotion practices and policies that include effectiveness as a teacher as a criterion for those academics with a teaching load, are in place. There should also be systematic student evaluation of teaching and subjects that inform probation and promotion decisions for academic positions where the academic has a teaching load or expectation of a teaching load. These strategies, practices, policies and student evaluation results would be made publicly available on an institution’s website. It is not, however, expected that data enabling identification of individual academics or student respondents be provided to DEST or published on an institution’s website. Once eligibility for funds is established through the first stage, institutional performance in learning and teaching will be assessed using a range of methods, which may include performance indicators such as student progress and graduate employment outcomes. These indicators are being developed in consultation with the sector. National Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher EducationA National Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education will be established as a national focus for the enhancement of learning and teaching in Australian higher education providers. The Institute’s responsibilities will include: management of a major competitive grants scheme for innovation in learning and teaching; liaison with the sector about options for articulating and monitoring academic standards; improvement of assessment practices throughout the sector, including investigation of the feasibility of a national portfolio assessment scheme; facilitation of benchmarking of effective learning and teaching processes at national and international levels; development of mechanisms for the dissemination of good practice in learning and teaching; management of a programme for international experts in learning and teaching to visit Australian higher education providers and the development of reciprocal relationships with international jurisdictions; and coordination of the Australian Awards for University Teaching, including the Awards presentation event. The Institute will initially be overseen by the Australian Universities Teaching Committee (AUTC) and will be subsequently governed by a board appointed by the Minister. The Institute will have a professional staff with expertise in learning and teaching in higher education. The Institute will receive $22 million per year from 2006. Funding will be allocated from within existing programme funds to establish the Institute in 2004. New Australian Awards for University TeachingThe Australian Awards for University Teaching will be enhanced to heighten the status of teaching and support the centrality of teaching in institutional missions. The number of rewards to teachers who demonstrate excellence in teaching will be increased, at an additional cost of $8 million over 2006 to 2008. The new annual awards will include: 210 awards valued at $10,000 each; 40 awards valued at $25,000 each; and A Prime Minister’s award for ‘Teacher of the Year’ valued at $50,000. Contact DetailsMedia inquiries:Virginia Cook Other inquiries:Learning and Teaching Performance Fund National Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher
Education and Australian Awards for University Teaching Email: Backing Australia's Future
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Any comments or
queries should be sent to:
highered@dest.gov.au
Department of Education, Science and Training
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