ALTC Award for Programs that Enhance Learning

Program awards recognise learning and teaching support programs and services that make an outstanding contribution to the quality of student learning and the quality of the student experience of higher education. The programs and services that receive these awards must have demonstrated their effectiveness through rigorous evaluation and will set benchmarks for similar activities in other institutions.

Categories

There are seven Program Award categories:

1. Assessment and feedback, encompassing assessment initiatives that encourage students to develop and demonstrate higher-order skills and attitudes such as academic independence, ethical practices and values, and critical thinking and feedback that is timely and supports students’ learning development

2. Educational partnerships and collaborations with other organisations, encompassing partnerships between universities, and universities and other organisations – such as schools, professional bodies businesses and industries – in collaborative approaches to learning and teaching

3. The first-year experience, encompassing the academic and social transition to higher education, learning and teaching within large student groups, and the quality of the first-year student experience

4. Flexible learning and teaching, encompassing approaches to learning and teaching that afford flexibility in time, place and/or mode of learning

5. Innovation in curricula, learning and teaching, encompassing innovations that encourage novel approaches to learning and teaching, innovations that encourage or support multidisciplinary, research-based learning and teaching approaches, innovations that utilise the potential of new and/or emerging technologies

6. Postgraduate education, encompassing programs that focus on postgraduate students, postgraduate coursework learning and teaching, postgraduate research supervision and research higher degree candidature, and postgraduate learning support

7. Services supporting student learning, encompassing services directly related to student learning such as services for specific groups of students, information access, course advising, language and learning support, counselling and disability support

Selection Criteria

All nominations for Program Awards will be assessed on evidence they provide in relation to the following four criteria, which will be given equal consideration by the Assessors and Standing Committee:

1. Distinctiveness, coherence and clarity of purpose

Extent to which the program has clear objectives and systematic approaches to coordination, implementation and evaluation 

2. Influence on student learning and student engagement

Extent to which the program targets identified needs and directly or indirectly
enhances student learning, student engagement and/or the overall student experience
of higher education

3. Breadth of impact

Extent to which the program has led to widespread benefits for students, staff, the
institution, and/or other institutions, consistent with the purpose of the program

4. Concern for equity and diversity

Extent to which the program promotes and supports equity and inclusiveness by
improving access, participation and outcomes for diverse student groups

In assessing nominations against the four selection criteria, the Assessors and Standing Committee will take into account:

Written Statement

The core element of a nomination for a Program Award is a written statement describing the program, specifically addressing each of the four selection criteria. The written statement should be presented, in order, under the following five headings:

1. Synopsis (350 – 400 words, in third person)
2. Selection criteria:
   
   1. Distinctiveness, coherence and clarity of purpose
   2. Influence on student learning
   3. Breadth of impact
   4. Concern for equity and diversity

The synopsis must cover a description of the program and its teaching areas, the program’s contribution to student learning and engagement, and the program’s impact for students.

The synopsis must be written in the third person and is a requirement of the nomination. The word limit is strictly 350-400 words. Should the nomination be successful, the synopsis will be used in communications regarding the recipient’s success, for instance in the awards ceremony program, on the ALTC website and in archival information.

The remainder of the written statement should be devoted to addressing the category in which it is nominated and each of the four criteria in turn. Evidence in support of the claims against these criteria must be provided. The views of students, collaborators and/or colleagues, as appropriate, will be a key element in the assessment of nominations.

The written statement is limited to 12 A4 pages in total and should include all information that
might be referred to in the submission. All pages in excess of 12 will be removed before being
sent to Assessors.

Supporting Teaching Materials

Selection is based primarily on the written statement addressing the selection criteria. However, selected teaching materials supporting claims for selection criteria may be included. The relevance of any such material must be made clear in the written statement.

Supporting teaching materials are limited to a maximum of two of:

• website (URL)
• CD ROM or DVD (where possible by single URL)
• 10 pages of printed material (additional pages will be removed)