The Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN) has funded six new projects to promote innovative teaching and learning outcomes, with a focus on work integrated learning and graduate employability.

The 2018 ATN Grants Scheme for Excellence in Learning and Teaching is a collaborative grants scheme across RMIT University, QUT, Curtin University, University of Technology Sydney and University of South Australia, with the aim of providing funding to facilitate scholarship and research into learning and teaching, and promoting systemic change in the sector. The following projects received funding:

THE EDGE PROJECT: Enabling and evidencing enterprise and entrepreneurship through work integrated learning.
The project aims to address the challenge of evidencing enterprise and entrepreneurial graduate learning outcomes through emerging models of Work Integrated Learning (WIL).

A case study of teacher graduate preparedness: Developing a national capstone assessment and evaluative framework.
This project aims to analyse the development and implementation of the capstone assessment known as the Teacher Performance Assessment administered by teacher education institutions to assess the professional readiness of graduating teachers.

Creating an ATN WIL and Employability Development Resource Portal
This whole-of-ATN project will position the ATN Group of Universities to have the competitive advantage in graduate employability through a shared resource portal.

A virtual empathy museum: a unique approach for improving healthcare graduates’ empathy and employability skills.
Development, review, curation and evaluation of a digital story and other related empathy resources which would be hosted on a purpose built and open-access project web-site.

Increasing effectiveness in whole‐of‐curriculum field-based work-integrated learning of the natural environment for improved employability.
This pilot project will facilitate a network of practice between universities and industry through shared engagement of a whole-of-curriculum process that aids development of a program that meets the needs of employers for work-ready graduates.

Building ATN Institutional Capacity for Text Analytics.
The project will seek to specifically, build the longer term technical and organisational capacity for ATN institutions to apply natural language processing techniques in order to collaboratively address strategic organisational priorities.

“These innovative research projects are building additional capability in ATN universities to meet the challenges of Australia’s changing workforce and the increasing impact of digital technologies to Australian society.”

“The outputs of these grants will further cement ATN universities as providers of choice when it comes to preparing Australian graduates for careers of the future.”

ATN universities are responsible for educating 19% of all Australian university graduates.

“ATN graduates are highly sought after as they are inquisitive, digitally literate, impact ready individuals with a full suite of transferrable career skills,” Ms Hindmarsh says

The ATN Grants Scheme for Excellence in Learning and Teaching was created in 2017 to provide funding for initiatives to improve the teaching and learning experience across the ATN national network. The scheme allows ATN staff to collaborate, share knowledge, practices and resources to deliver world-class teaching and learning, and provide an exceptional student experience across all five ATN universities.