Monday, 18 June 2007

The University of Western Australia will host a free public lecture by a leading American scholar on ways to improve the quality of higher education through teaching.

Dr Mary Taylor Huber, Senior Scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in the United States, will speak on ‘Building the Teaching Commons: Pedagogical Communities and Trading Zones’ on Wednesday, June 27, 2007, at 6pm in UWA’s Social Sciences Lecture Theatre.

Dr Huber argues that there are many ways to improve the quality of higher education, but the scholarship of teaching holds special promise.

“The scholarship of teaching and learning invites faculty members from all disciplines and fields to identify and explore interesting questions in their own teaching and, especially, in their students' learning, and to share what they discover with colleagues who can build on their insights,” she said.

“Such work has the potential to transform higher education by making the private work of the classroom visible, talked about, studied, and valued - conditions for ongoing improvement in any enterprise.”

Dr Huber will also explore the concept of ‘teaching commons’ which refers to a conceptual space in which communities of educators committed to pedagogical inquiry and innovation come together to exchange ideas about teaching and learning and use them to meet the challenges of preparing students for personal, professional, and civic life.

Her presentation will explore the growth of these commons, their features and elements, and what it will take to build and sustain them as a vital, open, and productive environment for the advancement of teaching and learning.

Everyone is welcome to the lecture and no reservation is required.  Inquiries can be made to [email protected] or 6488 1340.

Media references

Simone Hewett / Francesca Robb 61 8 6488 7977
(UWA Public Affairs) 0420 790 097 / 0420 790 098

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