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Reviewing and improving your teaching

University evaluations

Brief Feedback

The Brief Feedback questionnaires have been designed as diagnostic tools to quickly gauge student perceptions of a unit usually in the middle of a semester.

MonQueST

The Monash Questionnaire Series on Teaching (MonQueST) is a set of 11 questionnaires, each focusing on a different teaching activity. The reports provide useful feedback for staff to help them monitor and improve their teaching and also provide information to help document a case for the purpose of promotion or probation.

Unit Evaluation

The University systematically evaluates units at the end of each semester. Individual teachers do not need to initiate the process but are asked to provide assistance in communicating the importance of student feedback and encourage student participation in the evaluation process.

Unit evaluation aims to achieve the following three purposes:

  • quality improvement - to provide information that will enable units to be improved;
  • external quality assurance - to provide a mechanism that indicates units are being monitored and reviewed;
  • promotion - to provide a means for staff to document a case for promotion.

Monash Experience Questionnaire (MEQ)

Monash Experience Questionnaire is designed to gain systematic feedback from students regarding their general university experience and identify major areas of the student experience that require university's attention. First introduced in 2003, the questionnaire is conducted every two years.

MonQueST Anecdotes and MonQueST Ideas

MonQueST Anecdotes and MonQueST Ideas are assemblies of student anecdotes and ideas collated in response to items on the MonQueST questionnaires. They include MonQueST Lecturing Anecdotes, MonQueST Tutoring Anecdotes, MonQueST Assessment Anecdotes and MonQueST Lecturing Ideas. They provide teachers with ideas on how to reflect and change certain aspects of their teaching by providing specific examples of behaviours from the questionnaires that students found beneficial.

Professional development

The Graduate Certificate in Higher Education

Conducted by the Higher Education Development unit, the Graduate Certificate in Higher Education is intended primarily for staff who are beginning their academic teaching careers.  It is designed for practising academic staff with current full-time or fractional teaching appointments of 0.5 or more.

Mentoring

The Faculty is looking at feedback to improve teaching experience and the quality of teaching. Staff are encouraged to contact the Education Office to discuss issues relating to their teaching or just to find out how things are done. The Education Office can offer support and resources to enhance your development and career goals or put you in touch with experienced staff to solve specific needs.

Workshops

Each year the Faculty's Education Office runs workshops specific to the Faculty.

Awards

Innovations in Teaching Fund

The Dean has established an Innovations in Teaching Fund designed to provide teaching staff with additional financial resources to try new approaches in their teaching activities. The focus of funding applications is on projects aimed at development of teaching practice and student opportunities.

Dean's Awards for Teaching Excellence

Each year, the Faculty recognises outstanding teaching achievements by offering the Dean's Awards for Excellence in Teaching. These awards may be made to individuals or teams.

Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Distinguished Teaching

Monash University recognises and rewards exemplary teaching through the Vice Chancellor's Awards for Distinguished Teaching. The Vice-Chancellor of Monash University makes available up to four awards for distinguished teaching by individuals or teams. All academic staff who have completed one year's employment at the University are eligible for nomination. 

Awards for University Teaching

The Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) were established in 1997 by the Australian Government to celebrate and reward excellence in university teaching. The Awards scheme is an important part of the ALTC's mission to promote and advance learning and teaching in Australian higher education.  The scheme comprises five Award programs that recognise teaching excellence and outstanding contributions to student learning. These five Awards are:

  • Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning
  • Awards for Programs that Enhance Learning
  • Awards for Teaching Excellence
  • Prime Minister's Award for Australian University Teacher of the Year
  • Career Achievement Award

 Contact the Education Office for further information.


  
Teacher's Manual