Education innovation
Our mission is to support and encourage teaching excellence.
We strive for excellence in education at UNSW Engineering. As Australia’s largest engineering faculty, our greatest impact is through our graduates, and our priority is ensuring they graduate with the skills, knowledge and qualities that are needed by the profession and society.
We believe that the most effective way to encourage and support excellence and innovation in teaching is by giving our teachers the opportunity to learn from and be inspired by each other. In addition to technical and pedagogical support, we help our academics meet colleagues in other disciplines and share their insights about teaching at UNSW Engineering.
Education technology
Support for teachers to develop courses:
- exam digitisation
- lecture recording services
- course support drop-in clinic
- blended learning support
- 360° lab tours and field trips.
STEMBlended
A one-stop-shop for teaching and learning:
- course design
- teaching approaches
- digital technologies
- recap of UNSW educational events
- teaching inspiration.
Professional development
Initiatives to assist our academics develop their teaching:
- lunchtime roundtables and workshops
- the Peer Observation Teaching Program
- mid-term classroom check-ins.
Professional development opportunities
We offer a range of development opportunities for our teachers, including Engineering Education Lunchtime Roundtables, opens in a new window, the Peer Observation Teaching Program, opens in a new window and an online self-paced learning hub, STEMBlended, opens in a new window. To find out what’s on offer, visit Engineering’s Educational Events, opens in a new window.
The flagship event for our Professional Development Program is the Course Design Institute. The program involves an intensive workshop over five days. Working in small groups under the guidance of peer facilitators, and as large groups led by Institute facilitators, you’ll be exposed to the fundamental concepts of course design, student motivation, and assessment. The program will also delve into novel methodologies and approaches you can implement in your own courses.
Teaching awards
Each year, we recognise the important work our teachers do through the university’s teaching awards.
Meet Lauren Kark: Knowledge Assured not Assumed
Dr Lauren Kark from the School of Biomedical Engineering teaches students who have undergraduate degrees in a range of disciplines including Engineering, Science, Medical Science and Allied Health.
She identified that a student with a background in Pharmacy could find it challenging to keep up with a bio-mechanics class. This unusual student demographic prompted her to develop an online content support system which ensures students have the appropriate prior knowledge to succeed in her class.
Alison Jones: 2019 Winner of the Students' Choice Teaching Award
Associate Professor Alison Jones was lauded with UNSW Engineering Students’ Choice Teaching Award for best lecturer in 2019. So, what does it take to be nominated by your students for a teaching award?
Students said they loved her use of storytelling in the classroom as it helped them remember the concepts and anchor them to everyday life.
