Last year, UTS staff were given the opportunity to join ASCILITE. Our university is currently subscribed to a three-year institutional membership at Diamond level – which means it’s completely free to join and you can opt out of membership at any time.
There are currently 90 staff from UTS who have become ASCILITE members. I checked in on some of them to get some insight into what advantages and opportunities being part of this community offers.
1. Expanding your knowledge to develop your career
Workshops and training are communicated in ASCILITE’s fortnightly newsletter. One of the highlights is the Certified Member of the Association for Learning Technology (CMALT).
One of the things that I find most valuable about the whole ASCILITE experience is the range of different activities and sessions that the special interest groups run. There are so many interesting and valuable webinars, on so many diverse topics, that every week I feel like I am continuing to learn and develop in my role.
Keith Heggart, Lecturer
One of the perks for me was that ASCILITE members got interested in one of my articles and I was then invited to present my research findings. I found a very generous group of scholars there who also provided me with great feedback and new ideas to take my research further.
Beate Mueller, Senior Lecturer
2. Developing others in the community mentoring program
The ASCILITE Community Mentoring Program (CMP) seeks to involve participants in a professional mentoring relationship built between learners and experienced practitioners.
A few years ago, I had a great experience having a mentor to talk to about a change process I was involved in. I learnt so much from the experience that I volunteered to be a mentor for others. The community is so generous in supporting others, it is great to belong.
Ann Wilson, Senior Curriculum Designer
The CMP is such a valuable opportunity – for both mentors and mentees. I’ve been a mentor for two years in a row now, and it’s a highlight of the year because I am connected with colleagues in other universities. This lets me understand and learn how they approach similar problems and share my own experiences in a safe environment. It’s really helping me build my network.
Keith Heggart, Lecturer
3. Community connections at the end-of-year conference
ASCILITE’s 2023 Conference will take place on 3-6 December 2023 in Christchurch, New Zealand. It’s a hybrid event, but there’s nothing like being there in person and connecting with a diverse range of the learning and teaching community. Read key takeaways from UTS staff who attended last year’s conference, which was hosted at the University of Sydney.
At the ASCILITE 2022 Conference, I was able to hear first-hand about the latest in technology-enhanced learning across the sector, and had interesting conversations with educators from all over Australia. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in higher education pedagogy.
Rory Green, Learning Designer
You can find out more about ASCILITE’s offerings on the About ASCILITE page.
To join the community, simply fill out the form on the signup page. Alternatively, email Gabrielle Gardiner if you’d like more information.