Find out about the latest learning and teaching news and events at Victoria University (VU).

Current news & events

Congratulations to Ms Kathleen Raponi Senior Law Lecturer in the First Year College and Dr Gayani Samarawickrema Senior Lecturer Connected Learning for receiving a 2022 AAUT Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning.

Read more about their win.

Day 1: Tuesday 6 December, 12:00 - 4:30pm

Day 2: Wednesday 7 December, 9am - 1:30pm

Last year, VU hosted a successful Learning and Teaching Symposium, in a hybrid format of virtual and in-person live streamed presentations.

This whole-of-VU event split over two days, showcased our newly opened VU City Tower. The program featured a thought provoking and insightful keynote address by Professor Patrick McGorry AO on youth mental health as well as two engaging and inspiring panels and themed presentations.

View the Program

View the Recordings (VU login required)

Location: VU City Tower (T1516) - Monday and Tuesday
                 Footscray Park (A202) - Wednesday and Thursday

Time: 9am to 4pm

VU Collaborate Help provides support and guidance in the practice of blended learning and VU’s Learning Management System (LMS) VU Collaborate, including help guides, tips and tools.

If you are completely new to VU Collaborate, start with the VU Collaborate new staff checklist.

For help with VU Collaborate, we offer:

  • drop in days
  • online consultations
  • workshops.

See VU Collaborate training to book in for help sessions. If you have any technical issues, please contact the IT Service Desk.

Past news & events

Day 1: Wednesday 29 September, 12:30 - 3:30pm

Day 2: Thursday 30 September, 9am - 12:30pm

Last year, VU hosted a successful virtual Learning and Teaching Symposium, attracting over 500 registrations.

In 2021, we will again provide you with a whole-of-VU event, and planning is underway for a hybrid format of virtual and on-campus presentations split over two days. The program will feature a keynote address, panels, Q&A sessions and themed presentations.

The symposium is an important event, providing an opportunity for staff to examine our distinctiveness and innovation in the Australian education sector and connect and learn from each other in these rapidly changing times.

 

Date: Thursday 23 September 2020
Location: Virtual

The theme for the symposium was 2020 Vision: Discovery | Destination

Victoria University hosted our first Virtual Learning and Teaching Symposium, open to our wider community including VU Sydney, VU Online and Partnerships (TNE). Following the success of both the 2019 Vocational Education and Higher Education Learning and Teaching Symposia, this year’s event reached even more of VU’s passionate teachers.

Program and Recordings: To view the program and recordings of all sessions, visit the Connected Learning intranet site (requires login when off-site)

Date: Thursday 26 September 2019
Location: City Flinders Campus

The theme for the symposium was The VU Way: Work ready | Tech ready | Life ready – breaking the rules in tertiary education.

The program featured a keynote opening address and themed concurrent presentations in a variety of formats including oral presentations, lightning pitches and visual presentations.

Program: The VU Way: Work ready | Tech ready | Life ready symposium program (PDF, 6.5MB) (requires login when off-site)

Intranet: 2019 Learning & Teaching Symposium intranet (requires login when off-site)

Date: Tuesday, 11 June, 2019
Location: City Flinders Campus

Attendees met the global pioneer and force behind Block Model teaching and learning, Professor David Helfand.

Professor Helfand is Chair of the Department of Astronomy at New York’s Columbia University and former President of Quest University, Canada. He has reimagined 21st century tertiary education and his thinking inspired The VU Way, where the revolutionary Block Model is seeing pass and retention rates soar. This was a rare opportunity to hear the international thought leader explain why VU’s Block Model is the ‘New Way To Do Uni.’

Event details

Just focus! The joys & challenges of teaching on the block

The modern human condition is defined by interruptions. The average 18-24 year old consults their mobile phone 86 times per day (5 times per waking hour); the top 10% (yes, many students) touch their phones 5400 times per day. This behaviour is fundamentally incompatible with learning. Carving out islands of tranquility in these hectic days and focusing on a single subject for weeks at a time is transformational.

Professor Helfand recounted the history of intensive, single-subject teaching, reviewed the literature on its results, and described the profound learning experiences that block teaching can produce, along with the operational advantages (and disadvantages) it provides.

Date: 2 August 2018

Ghaith Zakaria, Sonia Wilkie and Tania McDonald took the top prize for the best scientific poster on the educational applications for 3D printing at HERDSA (Higher Education Research & Development Society of Australasia) 2018, held in Adelaide.

The poster documents the 3D printing process and development of educational resources for academics at the University to use. It depicts a series of object-based learning activities which enhance students’ engagement and learning.

3D printing expertise attracts academic interest

The team received a lot of interest on the innovative projects underway. There were many requests from other universities interested in finding out:

  • how they can reproduce their own 3D printed learning objects
  • how they can benefit from VU's experience
  • how the objects can be incorporated with learning activities.

Watch 3D printing videos

Find out about the 3D printing innovations being developed in The Hive (our innovation and co-creation space) at Victoria University:

Meet the team and find out more about the great work they’re doing.

Date: 3 December to 5 December 2018

Location: City Flinders Campus

Victoria University partnered with H5P to host the 2018 H5P Conference. Participants joined other H5P developers, content creators and academics to share experiences, tips and ideas with the global H5P community.

See the H5P program session synopsis.

Date: 12 October, 8 November and 6 December 2016

Location: Footscray Park Campus

Victoria University was proud to host this seminar series to promote the National Innovation and Science Agenda. We considered specific challenges for 'Inspiring Australians to participate in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM).'

Learn more about the 2016 STEM education seminar series.

Date: Thursday 29 September 2016

Location: City Flinders Campus

A University-wide Learning and Teaching symposium will be held during the second semester VE/HE break on Thursday 29 September 2016.

Learn more about the 2016 VU Learning & teaching symposium.

Date: Monday 10 March 2016

The CCLT offered several grants of up to $20,000 for technology-enhanced learning initiatives in 2016. It was open to anyone who had a great idea for how they would like to use technology to completely transform their unit or course.

Date: Wednesday 2 September 2015

VU has won a national award which recognises educators who are leading the way in blended learning initiatives using the collaborative platform, Brightspace. Read "VU wins award for use of blended learning platform".

Date: Thursday 1 October 2015

A University-wide Learning & teaching symposium was held during the second semester VE/HE break.

The event showcased Good practice and messy problems and featured an opening plenary address by Provost, Professor Kerri-Lee Krause. The symposium included four concurrent presentations in the following streams:

  • Technology-enhanced learning
  • Student success
  • Engaging contemporary learners
  • The pleasures and perils of internationalising the student experience.

Date: Friday 24 July 2015

Researchers from The Victoria Institute believe the creation of educational opportunities for the most disenfranchised young people in the community should be a primary consideration, as Victoria contemplates how it will become the Education State. Read "Flexible learning key to true Education State".

Ghaith Zakaria with the award-winning poster at HERDSA 2018.