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AaeE Collaboration Day, Thurs, 30 Sep, 2004

Notes by Roger Hadgraft, RMIT. Also present were David Thorpe, Dallas Wingrove, Amaya Alvarez, Llewellyn Mann, Thiru Aravinthan.

Sustainability

  • The problems of the future are complex and inter-connected we will manage, not solve them, eg managing side-effects

  • No right answer multiple opinions and conflicting stakeholder needs

  • Soft systems approaches will be increasingly important

    Active learning pedagogy

  • We need to develop reflective learners who use public knowledge and practice to build personal practical information and their own world view (ref?)

  • Requires active learning learning by doing eg problem-based learning, inquiry-based learning, experiential learning

  • Students will come to uni to do rather than to listen

  • Other students will rely on flexible, blended delivery, where they can engage at a distance if it suits their needs

  • Rich tasks will be the focus (eg see Sustainability) dealing with unstructured problems

  • Work integrated learning will be an important part of active learning. It makes students more positive about their futures and their university

  • Active learning is more attractive to women, who want interactive, socially significant engagement with others

  • We need to build connections to the technical (skill building) courses

  • Horizontal (within semester) and vertical (stream and year) integration are required. Teaching teams are needed to implement this.

    Community/industry partnerships

  • Developing communities of practice among staff and students and also between institutions

  • Engaging in practice with the community

  • Understanding impact of culture, gender and other diversity

  • Connecting technical and social aspects

    Other issues

  • Lifelong learning preparing students for an uncertain future growing reflective practitioners

  • Assessment vs Feedback, exams, mentoring

  • Value, Innovation, Enterprise, eg Singapore

  • Habermas knowledge types practical, theoretical, emancipatory

  • Students publish their work (eg e-portfolios)

  • Guidelines for team formation

    Actions

  • Build an online forum for collaboration on the AaeE website to continue these discussions, leading to collaboration rather than competition between universities

  • Explore regional AaeE meetings, hosted through EA offices to increase connections with industry