Education at Flinders

A guide to the principles and policy framework
for education and teaching and learning.

EDUCATION PRINCIPLES:
ON-LINE LEARNING AND INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

Flinders University provides a teaching and learning environment that uses information and communication technologies (ICT) in a broad range of areas, including on-line education, access to Library collections, email, the internet and a range of applications. It aims to provide skills in using ICT that will assist graduates to operate successfully in employment and in the community, and to provide an appropriate range of resources to enable students to use this technology in the educational environment.

As they relate particularly to the University's educational mission, on-line learning and ICT will be harnessed to:

• promote the development in students and graduates of knowledge and skills that will let them take their place confidently amongst their peers graduating from well performing teaching and research universities anywhere in the world;
• achieve innovative design and content in courses;
• expand the range of sources and forms of knowledge available to students;
• enhance the provision of support services for students;
• support the involvement of links in certain courses with industry, the professions and the community, resulting in programs that are relevant to and meet the requirements of future employers and open the way to careers in a variety of occupational areas; and
• support access by students from a variety of backgrounds to educational programs, including international students, students from rural and remote areas, students with disabilities and students who are studying while at the same time in employment.

Key Principles

1. The University is committed to providing an educational environment that:
   - offers innovative leading-edge courses which enable students to acquire ICT related knowledge and skills that are relevant to their present studies and to the professional environment, with reference to the requirements of industry, the professions and the community;
   - offers a range of delivery modes including on-line and ICT based delivery, and uses these, as appropriate, along with face to face teaching methods, to enhance the learning environment and promote a student-centred learning environment;
   - ensures that the development of on-line and ICT based delivery supports the use of a range of teaching practices and learning styles appropriate to the relevant curriculum area and principal mode of delivery, including opportunities for interactive and group learning;
   - provides access to the use of on-line ICT for course information, library resources, enrolment, examination results and other aspects of course administration;
   - provides for students to have access to email, the internet, on-line computing support and on-campus computer facilities;
   - ensures that students from all different backgrounds have appropriate access and support to enable them to use relevant ICT and on-line learning within the educational environment, and that the use and implementation of these technologies supports access to educational programs for students from all different backgrounds; and
   - supports the development of educational linkages and collaboration, and the development of international programs.
2. The University will ensure that on-line and ICT based learning is available in courses and topics as follows:
   - ICT and on-line learning elements will be included in topics within a range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses;
   - a number of on-line postgraduate courses will be developed, and an increasing range of courses or course components will be made available in this way;
   - a web presence will be available in every topic; and
   - ICT based research techniques and elements will be included in research programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and in research higher degree theses, as appropriate to the nature of the program.
3. The University will include in its processes for monitoring and reviewing courses and topics and learning support services, provisions for ensuring that the use of ICT and on-line learning are relevant to the course and topic aims and objectives, are of an appropriate quality and are accessible to staff and students.
4. The University will ensure that students receive a level of quality in service delivery that is relevant to their needs as related to the course in which they are enrolled.
5. The University will provide a policy environment that supports the use of ICT and on-line learning. Policies and guidelines will be developed to ensure that:
   - students are aware of acceptable uses of relevant technologies that are made available by or through the University; and
   - appropriate security measures are in place to support the use of ICT in the teaching and learning environment.
6. The University aims to ensure that new ICT developments within courses and topics and learning support services are appropriately resourced, and that staff and students have access to appropriate training and support to enable them to participate effectively in ICT-based and on-line teaching and learning developments.

Flinders University Policies and Plans

• Computing Networks Policy
• World Wide Web Publication Policy
• Policy on Acceptable Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Resources (approved by Council 11/10/07)

Other Key Documents

Flinders University documents

• Rules for Wireless Networking

Policies being Developed/Reviewed

• ICT Strategic Plan
• Range and coverage of ICT and on-line learning policies
• Provisions for monitoring and reviewing the use of ICT and on-line learning in courses, topics and learning support services

Nov 07