• University of New South Wales

Introduction to Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

Learn about theories of learning and teaching in the first course of the Foundations of University Learning and Teaching program.

9,979 enrolled on this course

  • Duration

    3 weeks
  • Weekly study

    4 hours

Traditional views of education have shifted. Teachers now do far more facilitation of learning as opposed to simply seeing their role as transferring knowledge. We’re now seeing student focused and learner centred approaches being the norm - approaches that change the roles and responsibilities of teachers and learners. This course will introduce you to student-focused approaches and general principles of teaching and learning at a university level.

Learn about the basic principles of teaching and learning in higher education

In this course you will be introduced to well-known educational perspectives on how students approach learning. You’ll be drawing on your experiences and the experiences of your peers. As both learners and teachers, you’ll begin to develop a framework for enhancing learning through design thinking and interaction.

This course looks at questions like:

  • How do students approach learning?
  • What is ‘quality’ teaching?
  • How does teaching change in different learning contexts?

Explore the roles of the teacher and student approaches to learning

The changing role of teachers in higher education often requires more of a facilitative approach to teaching while students are encouraged to take on more responsibility for their learning. You will learn about some of the foundational concepts that underpin quality teaching and hear teachers at UNSW explain their approaches to teaching within their specific disciplines.

Explore teaching and assessing in different contexts

Online and face-to-face interaction, collaboration and application in context is key to learning. With the rapid growth in learning and teaching online teachers are required to reconsider their teaching practices to take advantage of the benefits of each context. You will be encouraged to consider these issues in discussion with other learners.

By the end of the course you will be able to:

  • Describe your own experiences, from the perspectives of a learner, an educational designer or teacher with reference to current theories of learning
  • Discuss the relevance of established theories about learning and teaching to your practice
  • Identify issues and strategies which impact on students learning including the role of assessment
  • Demonstrate your understanding of student learning by applying established theories to your context
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Skip to 0 minutes and 4 seconds BOB FOX: (VOICEOVER) What motivates students to learn? How do we create an effective environment for learning? And what is meant by the words, learning and learner? And how do we know something is learned? In higher education, these are some of the key questions that impact on teaching. Throughout this course, we’ll consider these questions by drawing on your experiences, and exploring educational literature on learning and teaching. I’m Bob Fox, and I welcome you to this introductory course on learning and teaching in higher education from UNSW Australia. You’ll be actively engaging with peers, analysing multiple perspectives, and reflecting on your current practise to build on your understanding of how students approach learning.

Skip to 0 minutes and 51 seconds Whether you’re new to teaching, an experienced teacher, or working more broadly in education, this course will help you to consider the issues that commonly arise in teaching and planning engaging teaching activities that enhance learning. We look forward to taking this journey with you.

What topics will you cover?

  • Student approaches to learning
  • Learning from experience through critical reflection
  • Perspectives on teaching
  • Teaching strategies in the face-to-face context
  • Online and blended learning
  • Assessment and feedback
  • Academic integrity
  • The peer review process

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Describe your own experiences, from the perspectives of being a learner, an educational designer or teacher with reference to current theories of learning
  • Discuss the relevance of established theories about learning and teaching to your practice
  • Identify issues and strategies which impact on student learning including the role of assessment and feedback
  • Demonstrate your understanding of student learning by applying established theories to your context

Who is the course for?

This course is suitable for teachers, educational designers and those supporting teaching and learning within higher education.

Who will you learn with?

Professor, PVCE Portfiolio, UNSW. Concurrent appointment Professor of Innovation in HE (Adj), School of Education, UNSW. Awarded University Teaching Fellow, HKU.

Hello, I am a Continuing Professional Developer at The University of New South Wales, Australia (UNSW), working in the area of academic professional development.

Marina is a Principal Fellow (Higher Education Academy), an Australian National Teaching Fellow and has received national and university citations for outstanding contributions to student learning.

Who developed the course?

UNSW Sydney

Established in 1949 with a unique focus on the scientific, technological and professional disciplines, UNSW is a leading Australian university committed to making a difference

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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