TAFE Queensland Robina Campus
IN-47: Innovation A

To empower our students to be better global citizens by changing habits, making choices and better caring for the planet, the Robina Campus educators have completed a professional learning program. The program focused on supporting educators to embed sustainability knowledge and practices in all aspects of course delivery, assessment, and campus community life.

Educators worked with their teams to gain an understanding of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and identify best practices aligned to their industry area. By embedding sustainability and applying industry-relevant standards and practices, educators could ‘walk the walk’ and ‘talk the talk’ with their students. Supporting educators to embed sustainability across all program areas delivered at Robina, ensures that every student is fully immersed into the sustainability culture of the community.

The timeline for the Professional Learning Program (PLP) covered a 9-month period prior to the opening of the Robina Campus in July 2022. This timeline provided sufficient time for the educators to understand and embed the 6 selected United Nations (UN) Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs) into their courses. They did this by identifying and planning at the unit level to ensure all competencies within the course were considered.

Selected SDGs for Robina Campus:
• No. 3 Good Health and Well-Being
• No. 4 Quality Education
• No. 5 Gender Equality
• No. 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
• No. 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
• No. 13 Climate Action

The Professional Learning Program (PLP) was completed by the Robina Campus educators. The PLP was scheduled using 2 parts so that educators developed the knowledge and understanding to embed sustainability (Part A refer to attached green flyer) and extensive training to understand and utilise the technology available (Part B refer to attached blue flyer) to enable them to deliver their course.

PART A: Embedding sustainability development goals (SDGs) into our programs

THE STEPS

1. The educators first completed the ‘Embedding Sustainability into Education – Staff Training’ modules on the TAFE Queensland learning management system site CONNECT. The module helped educators to understand global citizenship and sustainability; and covered the pre-learning requirements in preparation for the first face-to-face workshop. (1 – 2hrs) (Screenshot attached)
2. Workshop #1: Embedding the SDGs (1 hour)
a. Educators worked within their teaching teams to ensure the contribution and understanding of everyone
b. Educators selected two units from the course to learn how to embed sustainability into their planning
c. Educators planned particular examples that have links to the UN SDGs and industry-relevant standards and practices, to be referenced in the learning activities.
d. Educators discussed the different types of delivery strategies that would support the sustainability knowledge and skills required in each unit, while further developing sustainability culture.
3. Independent Planning (4 weeks)
a. Educators continued with their planning, working with their teams and their line manager.
b. Focus of this planning was to embed sustainability into the remaining units within the course.
4. Workshop #2: Check-in (1 hour)
a. Educators worked within their team teams to ensure planning was progressing in a manner that achieves the embedding sustainability outcomes.
b. Focus of this workshop was to bring the planning together, provide team updates, collate resources, and agree on the next steps as a team.
5. Independent Planning (as needed)
a. Educational teams continued the planning process for all units/courses being delivered by their team.

THE PROCESS

During the 5 steps outlined above (refer to the Embedding Sustainability Robina Flyer), the educators followed the process outlined below.
1. Educators completed a mapping exercise (refer to Unit Template Example) for their program delivery area. The mapping identified how to embed the Sustainability Develop Goals (6 of 17 SDGs selected for Robina campus – 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, & 13) with examples across:
• Local workplaces (best practice industry examples)
• Industry/local workplace policies and procedures which include sustainability and are part of delivery
• Industry Standards or Codes of Practice that embed or address sustainability
2. As part of the mapping exercise outlined above, educators also identified:
• What they needed (facilities, equipment, etc.)
• What they needed to know
• CONNECT (our LMS) use including Master product assessment digital completion
• Identified barriers to the paperless assessment with possible solutions
3. The next stage involved planning each of the program units/clusters for delivery. The template included:
• Which SDGs to link to the unit
• The subheading is the aspect of the unit that is applicable or the workplace activity for example (e.g. disposing of waste; removing single-use plastics; sourcing locally)
• The bullet points will be the workplace actions that support the SDG. Check the mapping for details – it could be the workplace example of best practice identified, the workplace policy or procedure, legislation that applied, etc.
• Breakout activity including purpose, outcome, time, and resources. Other considerations include settings, discussion questions, and assigning roles.
4. Further assistance was provided with a sample template lesson plan (Refer to Lesson Plan Template). The template assisted the educators with high-level strategies to embed sustainability plus strategies to maximise digital solutions in delivery and assessment. Each template provided the opportunity to map relevant units to one or more of the 6 selected SDGs along with identified needs (facilities and knowledge).

CONTINUED SUPPORT

1. Communities of practice were set up in Microsoft Teams:
• Robina Campus Training Community – set up mainly as an information portal and chat forum during training. Has been closed with the establishment of the next 2 community sites
• TQGC Robina Campus Community – for all staff with sub-sites including the garden and kitchen project; health & wellbeing, book exchange; and the social club
• TQGC Educator Community – for educators to collaborate and share good practice i.e. lesson plans, collaborative learning sessions, and work-integrated learning (WIL) ideas.

2. The Peer-to-Peer Classroom Observation Professional Development Initiative was developed as a follow-on from the PLP 9 (refer to the Introduction to Robina Peer Observations document). Peer observation is a professional learning opportunity that enables educators to share practice and learn from each other. Each time a Peer observation is conducted a peer observation template document (refer to the Peer to Peer Learner Engagement Observations document) is completed and discussed with the educator who was observed. These observation documents are retained as evidence of continual improvement.

Educators and managers are also encouraged to post pictures and short write-ups regarding their peer observation experiences to share knowledge and build a community of practice within Robina. All educators at Robina Campus participate each term and at the end of each term, an overall champion is chosen and recognised within the faculty for their active learning, sustainability, and use of technology to win their class. Each term, the educator will conduct a 1-hour class observation with a peer and have a peer conduct a 1-hour observation on their teaching practice, this includes feedback. The total is 2 hours per term and a total of 8 hours of participation annually.
Participation within the initiative can be used for currency points within MyProfile on an annual basis. Each term since the start of delivery in July 2022, the faculty management, educational capability team, and educators at Robina have undertaken classroom observations to improve:

• Using the learning spaces: the collaboration rooms and breakout booths; the classroom - taking advantage of the ability to teach from anywhere in the room (not just from the front); and the new classroom tables (stand-up and move as needed)
• Technology: Vivi including apps; student share; video etc
• SurfacePro: digital inking; using it as a tablet when moving around the room
• Sustainability: messaging and resources: changes to the way you teach for sustainability
• Active learning: Technology Enabled Active Learning (TEAL); using strategies to provide opportunities for the applied learning principles.

PART B: Planning, applied learning and technology

Robina Campus was resourced to support Technology Enabled Active Learning (TEAL) using the latest technologies and the creation of contemporary learning spaces. To ensure these spaces could become an integral part of delivery at Robina Campus, the educators completed planning, applied learning, and technology training.

THE STEPS
1. Workshop #1 (3 hours):
• Planning
• Applied learning principles
• Technology
• Classroom and breakout spaces
• SDGs
• Resources
2. Independent Planning (0.5 hours):
• Planning
• Create a short delivery using SDGs, technology, ALPs, and resources
3. Workshop #2 (3 hours):
• Individual task/demonstration presentations
• Reflections and feedback
4. Independent Practice (as needed)
• Robina Training Room remained open for educators to practice

TEAL (Technology Enabled Active Learning) SPACES

The Technology Enabled Active Learning (TEAL) spaces at the Robina Campus are flexible learning spaces catering for large numbers and smaller groups, with:
• innovative desk designs
• moveable furniture
• ceiling-mounted cameras for live stream and recording of lessons
• room design that allows for optimal group collaboration
• screens on multiple walls so there is no ‘front of the class’ experience to enable students to sit in groups instead of traditional lines of desks.
• live service areas and simulated spaces are industry-designed to replicate work environments. i.e. kitchens, beauty rooms, hair salons, and gym facilities
• smaller student-centric spaces including the breakout booths
• wireless technology is available
• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program
• both large and smaller spaces accommodate the inclusion of off-campus students to join classes and group work via virtual services such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

See the attachment for further information