Teaching and learning first

The fast-shifting higher education sector must keep the basics paramount, speaker says. By Erin Mayo. As the digital era changes the landscape of higher education, there are calls for a renewed focus on the quality of learning and teaching. Speaking at the 2014 OLT Conference: Learning and Teaching for our Times – Higher Education in the Digital Era, professor Rick Cummings from the Centre for University Teaching and Learning at Murdoch University said the quality these two elements needs to be paramount as students move from more practical to theoretical learning as a result of digital advances. “The vast majority of students at university and certainly TAFE are there for the learning experience, not research,” Cummings said. “Therefore, the quality of teaching and learning is paramount. In my view, and in the view of the more forward-thinking countries, higher education is seen as a common good. It is part of any country’s special and intellectual capital.” The advent of digital technology has meant that universities have had to be more innovative with their delivery – a move Cummings said had been successful overall. “Learning and teaching is already increasingly recognised as a priority in the sector, and I think it will continue to gain recognition as a high priority,” he said. “In the face of rapid change in both the demographics in universities and in the availability and use of technology, learning and teaching are making huge strides to adapt and in many ways have made great advances. “Most students can now study anywhere, anytime; they have immediate access to a much larger store of resources, and they have much greater access to potential employers in a much wider range of disciplines. “We shouldn’t lose sight of the vast improvements in learning and teaching in higher education just because we also have some challenges to face.” Among those challenges: providing innovative new ways to capture students and maintaining sufficient government funding. “Blended learning can be much better than the traditional in-class mode, but it is not cheaper,” Cummings said. “There is clear evidence that cheap blended-learning is a poorer quality experience for the student. “The future of teaching and learning in higher education is characterised by continuing innovation in teaching approaches, assessment and authentic learning activities, better skilled teaching staff, high-quality research into teaching and learning and very innovative learning spaces. “We shouldn’t forget that attending a university is much more than just a formal learning experience, it is a very important informal learning environment and social community – whether on campus or online – and this is a valuable contribution to the betterment of society as well.”