Abstract:

Research is recognised more than teaching at universities, possibly because measures of research excellence are widely used and accepted, but there are no widely accepted measures of educational excellence
In response to this challenge, the UNSW Scientia Education Academy delineated the dimensions of effective teaching in higher education utilising a Delphi study. Building on existing literature, we collaborated with national and international experts to develop consensus dimensions of effective teaching practice and associated criteria. The resulting dimensions (teaching and supporting learning; design and development of learning activities and assessment; disciplinary expertise and professional development; and educational leadership) differ from existing standards, including the UK Professional Standards Framework and the Australian University Teaching Criteria and Standards (AUTCAS), yet align well with those frameworks.
The dimensions were operationalised in an ePortfolio platform, myEducation Portfolio (https://myeducationportfolio.unsw.edu.au/), which we believe is unique within Australia. Staff collect artefacts, reflect upon their teaching practice and curate evidence of achievement. Standards of practice were developed for each dimension at each academic level, providing transparency regarding the evidence required to demonstrate educational excellence. myEducation Portfolio has been incorporated into academic promotion processes at UNSW from 2020. Planned future developments include enabling public display of ePortfolios to disseminate best practice and to encourage collaborations within UNSW and externally.

Keywords:

Teaching excellence, higher education, ePortfolio.