HERDSA Conference 7th - 10th July 2002

Welcome
Theme
Keynotes
Who should come
Grants
Venue
About Perth
Conference Updates
Welcome to the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia's Annual Conference on this its 30th Anniversary. And a special welcome to new and international members who are making their first visit to Perth, Western Australia.
The theme of this year's conference is Quality Conversations. This theme was chosen to reflect our society's continual endeavour to improve the quality of teaching and learning in tertiary and higher education and also to highlight the process of engagement that we hope will occur between delegates in each of the conference sessions.
Our Keynote speakers have international reputations that qualify them to reflect on significant aspects of the conference theme. David Woodhouse will discuss the processes enacted to audit the quality of Australian universities. Pat O'Shane will consider the quality of indigenous higher education and Tom Reeves will provide insights on the future of teaching and learning.
At this year's conference a number of awards will be presented. These awards will be announced during the final session of the conference and include the HERDSA Prize for the Best Paper by a New Researcher and the Edith Cowan University 2002 Centenary Prize for the best paper on an Authentic Learning Environment. In addition, Best Paper Awards will be given based on the outcomes of peer reviews and evaluations of presentations.
The success of this year's conference reflects the dedicated work of the conference committee members: Heather Sparrow, Bruce Bott, Alison Bunker, Rod Ellis, Allan Goody, Barbara Johnson and the conference management team from Debrett's: Lucy Robertson, Shelley Clark and Jane Longton. And a special thank you to many other helpers who have given their time and expertise to make this a memorable event.
As well as the range of academic pursuits at the conference, please take advantage of the many social events that are on offer. We hope the conference will meet your expectations and that you leave Perth as you would leave a quality conversation-with lots to think about, enthusiasm to act and friendships to build upon.

Tony Herrington
Conference Convenor

Theme
The Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia invites you to come from around the world and share rich and varied quality conversations about improving teaching and learning in tertiary and higher education.
Our aim in organising this conference is to provide for rich and varied discussion, dialogue, and debate about the issues of quality most significant to participants. HERDSA delegates have diverse interests in higher education which include teaching and learning, subject disciplines and professional groups, staff development, research, academic and student support services, management and administration. Across the three days we want to actively engage participants in thinking about quality in all these areas of interest, and at the way they interact to achieve quality outcomes. We want to provide opportunities for people to share their experiences, expertise, visions and problems by exploring goals and definitions of quality, strategies for achieving quality, and ways of measuring and evaluating quality.
Presenters are invited to address the theme from their own perspective, but to articulate clearly about their intended contribution, so participants can easily identify sub-themes of individual relevance, and program designers can facilitate the interaction of common interest groups throughout the conference. Presenters are also encouraged to identify others with common interests prior to the conference, to initiate collaborative workshops and presentations, or to raise significant questions to be addressed at the conference.

Keynote Speakers
David Woodhouse is the Executive Officer, Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA), which is responsible for auditing the academic quality assurance procedures of Australia's universities and for quality improvement through publications, workshops, and consulting. David undertakes many national and international quality assurance activities, providing advice and training on educational quality assurance to governments, agencies and institutions in a number of countries. Earlier in his career, he was a faculty member in mathematics, computer science and education in universities in several countries, and was at various times head of a department and dean of a faculty.
Quality:Making a difference

Discussion Board. Come and continue the discussions raised in the conversations following David's keynote presentation
Dr Pat O'Shane, Chancellor, University of New England.
Pat O'Shane, from far north Queensland, became the first female Indigenous school teacher in Queensland and first Aboriginal Australian to graduate in law and go to the Bar and the first women to head a government department. In the 1980s, she was deeply involved in grassroots consultations that led to the NSW Land Rights Act. She then became the first head of the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs. Pat O'Shane is now a Magistrate in NSW and Chancellor of the University of New England.
Discussion Board. Come and continue the discussions raised in the conversations following Pat's keynote presentation
Dr. Thomas Reeves is a Professor Of Instructional Technology, University of Georgia, where he teaches program evaluation, multimedia design, and research courses. Tom Reeves has developed and evaluated numerous interactive multimedia programs for both education and training. From 1997-2000, he was the editor of the Journal of Interactive Learning Research. His research interests include evaluation of learning and performance technologies for education and training, socially responsible research goals and methods in education, mental models and cognitive tools. Current projects include work on assessment and evaluation of online learning, and the evaluation of web-based learning environments in higher education.
The future of academic staff: Visions of tertiary teaching in the 21 st century

Discussion Board. Come and continue the discussions raised in the conversations following Tom's keynote presentation

Who should come?
Participating in this conference ensures you have access to the best research and practices in Higher Education. The Conference provides opportunities for knowledge and experience to be shared, recorded and disseminated. In doing so, it will advance the skills of the participants. This conference is for you if you are one of the following:
Academic Staff including Lecturers, Teachers and Tutors
Academic Developers
Educational Designers
Researchers
Administrators and Managers
Learning Skills Advisers
Student Support Staff
Librarians
Students

Grants for Postgraduate Students to attend conference
Grants are available to provide support for postgraduate students to attend and participate in the annual conference of HERDSA. Two grants are available:
one grant of up to $500 to assist a local student
one grant of up to $1,000 to assist a student incurring significant travel costs (ie living more than 500 kms from the conference site).
To apply for a grant see the conditions and procedures information available on the HERDSA website.
Please note: Both grants have now been awarded (17th May 2002).

The Venue
Edith Cowan University is hosting the conference at its Joondalup Campus, Perth. Traditionally owned by the Noongar people, Joondalup is now Perth's fastest growing metropolitan sector. The Joondalup campus is part of a major educational precinct, which includes the West Coast College of TAFE and the recently relocated WA Police Academy. Staff at Joondalup enjoy the benefits of a modern, purpose built tertiary campus with extensive state-of-the-art facilities including a multi-million dollar recreation centre. The campus is situated in native bushland, adjacent to fast rail transport and has been designed with the natural environment in mind. Kangaroos can often be spotted on the grounds of the Joondalup campus!
Joondalup Location Map
About ECU
ECU celebrates its centenary

About Perth
Nestled in a picturesque natural amphitheatre, bordered by Kings Park botanical gardens and the beautiful Swan River, visitors find Perth to be beautiful, well laid out and easy to get around. The city is a must see destination for all visitors. It is the State's centre for the arts, for business, government and entertainment. The Perth Cultural Centre, featuring the State Library, Museum and Art Gallery is one of the most popular attractions for visitors from near and far. Shopping enthusiasts will be easily satisfied by Western Australia's largest range of shops and boutiques, while sports fans will be delighted in cricket and football fixtures at the WACA ground and Gloucester Park harness racing. Public transport within the central city is free. The very popular CATS bus service travels on fixed east-west and north-south routes, guaranteeing the traveller's return to their point of boarding. Two major bus terminals and the central train station and a comprehensive taxi service make access to other suburbs in Perth an inexpensive and easy travel option.
Take me to Western Australian Tourism Commission