HERDSA Castlereagh Discussion 2026-09-18 by danny

2026-09-18 01:26:06 UTC

To give learners the opportunity for academic discourse, develop critical thinking as well as learn knowledge and skills to help prepare individuals for their future careers. Future careers also means contribute positively to society and have impact to the broader community.

sharyncarnahan — 2026-09-18 01:26:08 UTC

Preparing by the future workforce

prepare for the future work force

2026-09-18 01:26:15 UTC

2026-09-18 01:26:25 UTC

Develop the person

2026-09-18 01:26:31 UTC

To prepare students to be ready for working/surviving

Consider the purpose versus the process of high-quality education and redevelop graduate outcomes in light of this. Build capability in understanding the true purpose of assessment with a focus on quality over quantity. Take the pressure off assessment and allow educators the freedom to spend time engaging with their students to build connection.

2026-09-18 01:26:52 UTC

make them industry ready, prepare them for real world.

2026-09-18 01:26:52 UTC

sharyncarnahan — 2026-09-18 01:26:57 UTC

Learners to develop capabilities for the future.

AI literacy

2026-09-18 01:27:05 UTC

Scaffolded AI literacy right from the start of education. This isn't something that can be added in later in learning or tagged at the end.

Think critically

2026-09-18 01:27:21 UTC

Learning what you don't know and who you are in that process.

2026-09-18 01:27:23 UTC

Job ready graduates who can contribute to our communities

ssadri3 — 2026-09-18 01:27:24 UTC

2026-09-18 01:27:51 UTC

Future-focused and learner focused

2026-09-18 01:27:53 UTC

They need to give opportunities for discussions and not just knowledge transfer. Also assessments should be more experiential and similar tasks that's people would do in the workforce. Less theory, more action.

jamiedobbs2 — 2026-09-18 01:27:54 UTC

critical thinking, reasoning

Contribute to and better society

2026-09-18 01:28:00 UTC

innovation

2026-09-18 01:28:03 UTC

Lifelong learning

2026-09-18 01:28:09 UTC

Inspire lifelong learning, relationality, embed transferable skills and critical, adaptive capabilities in the age of AI

Schools feed into this.

castlereaghschoolsworkingparty — 2026-09-18 01:28:10 UTC

Schools have a role in broadening the way they present students and conceive of education as to cultivate human flourishing. Instead of reducing students to a tertiary entry rank, can they show the breadth and depth of a learner's qualities, so that then Higher Education can build on this more balanced foundation?

2026-09-18 01:28:12 UTC

support students in developing critical thinking, practical skills, confidence, and lifelong learning, preparing them for their professional careers and enabling them to contribute positively to society.

2026-09-18 01:28:17 UTC

We need to reframe authentic assessment beyond simply replicating professional practice. Assessments should challenge students to engage with complex social, ethical, and sustainability issues, fostering active citizenship and social responsibility alongside disciplinary expertise. This requires designing tasks that empower students to contribute meaningfully to their communities and wider society, not just demonstrate workplace readiness.

Measure and reward the right outcomes. Building intellectual capital needs to become a focus of the new way of rethinking education.

2026-09-18 01:28:22 UTC

Also think about what you may need to do indivdiually

edward_palmer2 — 2026-09-18 01:28:23 UTC

2026-09-18 01:28:26 UTC

Institutions (and government) need to shift away from rigid employability metrics as the definition of success. We do not not know what "work" will look like in 5, 10, 20 years.

2026-09-18 01:28:29 UTC

Be willing to change and adapt at a pace that is at least close to how quickly our environment is changing. This is especially challenging with many existing university structures that are cumbersome.

2026-09-18 01:28:32 UTC

To develop knowledgeable, critical, ethical, and adaptable graduates who can contribute meaningfully to their professions, communities, and society while continuing to learn throughout their lives.

In today's lanscape, universities are meant to prepare students for uncertainties. A right or wrong approach does not suit our current society.

2026-09-18 01:28:50 UTC

sharyncarnahan — 2026-09-18 01:29:03 UTC

Get there quicker, make governance processes and ability to change subjects/courses easier while maintaining the integrity of the courses

time to think

2026-09-18 01:29:04 UTC

Time for educators to redesign/ rethink assessment. We need different teaching allocation models which allow for time to make this happen

For years we have mostly focused on content delivery and less on transferable skills

ssadri3 — 2026-09-18 01:29:04 UTC

Formation

jamesbedfordcopywriter — 2026-09-18 01:29:05 UTC

University education is the formation of embodied knowledge in learners by people who have acquired that knowledge through their own practice and understanding of the discipline.

smithashivshankar — 2026-09-18 01:29:21 UTC

Recreate the learning to compete with the emerging AI tools. The new learning approach emphasising on how it can compete with AI tools through an enhanced approach to critical thinking.

srlees — 2026-09-18 01:29:39 UTC

the purpose of a university education is to support the development of competent and ethical human beings, capable of making the world a better place

colloboration

2026-09-18 01:29:43 UTC

Give students space to learn how to see your capabilities, learn 'knowledge' and be prepared for the real worls evaluating it critically.

noosha_ehya — 2026-09-18 01:29:56 UTC

Coordination and alignment

2026-09-18 01:29:58 UTC

Senior decision-making leaders need to be aligned across all service areas under a shared, aspirational goal of transforming teaching, learning and research for the benefit of our learners and society

Education towards coherent program-level learning that develops and assures meaningful graduate capabilities over time.

2026-09-18 01:30:01 UTC

colloboration

2026-09-18 01:30:03 UTC

Provide resources and a safe place

2026-09-18 01:30:05 UTC

Provide a space to ideate and think critically - expose them to ideas and develop their thinking to critique/accept/develop existing theories/frameworks, academics, and more importantly AI...

Developing courageous and attentive systems thinkers, capable of sustained thought.

castlereaghschoolsworkingparty — 2026-09-18 01:30:09 UTC

2026-09-18 01:30:10 UTC

create more opportunities for practical learning, critical thinking, collaboration, industry engagement and meaningful feedback, while giving staff the time, resources and support to teach well and respond to diverse student needs.

Professional Bodies

2026-09-18 01:30:14 UTC

Work collabortivley with institutions. Tell us what your future members will need, and work with us on how we can support students to develop those skills and knowledge. Recognise that how students learn (and demonstrate learning) might look need to look very different to what they are used to

2026-09-18 01:30:17 UTC

To provide advanced disciplinary and professional education that builds on secondary schooling, while developing critical thinking, intellectual independence and the capacity to evaluate evidence, create and apply knowledge, and respond responsibly to complex and changing societal challenges.

Universities need to unlearn first to teach students how to unlearn. Their structures and processes are too archaic.

2026-09-18 01:30:26 UTC

jamesbedfordcopywriter — 2026-09-18 01:30:41 UTC

HIRE MORE TEACHERS

Safe spaces

2026-09-18 01:30:44 UTC

We will never get this right immediately. Failure needs to be acknowledged as a legitimate pathway to innovation. Educators need safe spaces to do this.

Be adaptable and open minded about what we have done for years probably doesn't suit this era anymore.

ssadri3 — 2026-09-18 01:30:50 UTC

The purpose of higher education is to develop knowledgeable, ethical and adaptable graduates. They can think critically, solve real-world problems and contribute meaningfully to society, not simply acquire information or qualifications. The affective domain and skills in blooms taxonomy are highly important along with cognitive domain.

2026-09-18 01:30:54 UTC

2026-09-18 01:31:00 UTC

Having a unified approach (or at least similar) in managing GenAI and have standards/requirements that are consistent with that.

2026-09-18 01:31:01 UTC

Support a learning environment where we navigate the complexity of our future together

needs assessment

2026-09-18 01:31:10 UTC

2026-09-18 01:31:14 UTC

Focus on learning not on achievement

2026-09-18 01:31:24 UTC

Actual collaboration. Strategically supported rather than driven by individual contributors.

2026-09-18 01:31:29 UTC

Align expectations around capabilities, enable more flexible curriculum and assessment models, and share responsibility for developing and verifying capability across education and practice.

nandinisidnal — 2026-09-18 01:32:00 UTC

To help students develop a steeper and more effective learning curve by building foundational knowledge, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and the ability to learn independently.

sharyncarnahan — 2026-09-18 01:32:04 UTC

be prepared to get it wrong and not have all the answers. Australian universities all need to work together rather than reinvent the wheel in each of them (These sessions are a good start to that).

jamesbedfordcopywriter — 2026-09-18 01:32:08 UTC

To enrich our community

HE stakeholders

2026-09-18 01:32:18 UTC

Allow academics/students (and other stakeholders) to fail - learn from these and improve together... We are in unchartered waters..

2026-09-18 01:32:40 UTC

Professional bodies should work more closely with universities to align education with real-world needs. They should support clear career pathways, practical learning opportunities and strong partnerships.

Design Literacy

2026-09-18 01:32:43 UTC

We've been discussing this in the Design school at Torrens in a Design Literacy CoP. Design education should give students the disciplinary knowledge, practical experience and confidence to apply what they know in real world situations - to ask the right questions, assess whether information is reliable, solve complex problems, think creatively and make responsible decisions

Upward pressure

2026-09-18 01:32:45 UTC

Place upward pressure on regulatory bodies, accreditors, government departments etc to collaborate and coordinate as part of a shared vision for the future of work, education and society

While collaboration is important, we need to enter in meaningful converations first to identify a common language, set of goals, rules and approaches to make collaboration work.

2026-09-18 01:32:52 UTC

2026-09-18 01:32:53 UTC

People first! A genuine humanity-centered design approach

2026-09-18 01:33:00 UTC

Leadership - acknowledge, respect, and resource what needs to happen (the real scale). Appreciate that their will be missteps, and the learning that can occur from these

sharyncarnahan — 2026-09-18 01:33:24 UTC

be flexible

To cultivate integrity as a relational and human practice that cannot be replaced by technology

2026-09-18 01:33:27 UTC

2026-09-18 01:33:29 UTC

Universities provide transformative learning experiences, governments create the conditions for success, industry brings real-world relevance, and individuals commit to continuous learning and contributing to society.

Empowering Eductaors

2026-09-18 01:33:37 UTC

The capability/upskilling aspect of educators is crucial here

Rethink learning, collaboration, and assessment through a bottom-up approach that actively seeks and values input from both students and teachers.

noosha_ehya — 2026-09-18 01:33:48 UTC

creating opportunities for professional development

2026-09-18 01:34:05 UTC

smithashivshankar — 2026-09-18 01:34:30 UTC

Rethink and redesign assessments to incorporate critical thinking. The purpose here is to enable students to compete and succeed in the rapidly changing technology space. Include assessments which will enable students to think and answer. An understanding to be provided to students that tools are for support and not to replace their own identity.

Keep hosting these fab sessions! Thanks HERDSA, Manisha et al.,

2026-09-18 01:34:37 UTC

jamesbedfordcopywriter — 2026-09-18 01:34:46 UTC

Provide funding to our universities and invest in the future of this country through high quality higher education

2026-09-18 01:35:08 UTC

Shifting from being consumers of ready-made outcomes to becoming active contributors to a shared learning environment

Overall echo-system of the university education may need revisions including to redesign curricula, teaching and assessment around meaningful learning, human connection and capability development. However, it may require substantial resources, and courage. A balanced approach should be adopted where GenAI should support learning (as collaborator) while students retain critical thinking, judgement, creativity and ownership.

2026-09-18 01:35:08 UTC

pushing back against the institution

2026-09-18 01:35:27 UTC

nandinisidnal — 2026-09-18 01:35:48 UTC

university should create a learning ecosystem where students are supported to move from guided learning to independent lifelong learner and be a responsible individual.

Avoid duplication

2026-09-18 01:35:56 UTC

ASCILITE, HERDSA, ACODE, etc. Now add things like HedX Coallition and other groups. How can we bring it all together?

Contributing to an ethical emphatic and better society

2026-09-18 01:35:58 UTC

jamiedobbs2 — 2026-09-18 01:36:16 UTC

Has the purpose changed...in reality?

What would we like the purpose to be?

the difference in purpose

between different focused universities?

Industry

2026-09-18 01:36:24 UTC

Industry needs to work more closely with universities to define emerging skills, provide authentic projects and placements, and help shape relevant curriculum. Industry also needs to invest in graduates’ ongoing development rather than expecting them to arrive fully formed

smithashivshankar — 2026-09-18 01:36:30 UTC

Policies and frameworks that support visualisation for students. The industries and schools to reinforce the policies. Policies help the information to reach to different community.

2026-09-18 01:36:38 UTC

Universities need to move beyond focusing primarily on which facts are taught in individual courses and consider how disciplinary knowledge, skills and professional capabilities are deliberately and progressively developed across a degree.

Assessment must similarly move beyond knowledge reproduction. Disciplinary knowledge remains essential, but when information is readily available, greater educational value comes from evaluating its quality, integrating and applying it appropriately and solving authentic and unfamiliar problems.

This requires genuine program-level curriculum mapping and coordinated assessment design, rather than assuming these capabilities will emerge independently within individual courses.

2026-09-18 01:37:42 UTC

Move faster

sharyncarnahan — 2026-09-18 01:38:29 UTC

Listen to the feet on the ground - the academics who are in the space.

HERDSA could take a leadership role to engage with students and be brave enough to let students have a real say in this topic. We often ask students to consult with us, but their ideas seem to be undervalued and dismissed a lot more than they should be.

2026-09-18 01:38:47 UTC

Invest in mentoring, peer support, and Communities of Practice that help staff and students navigate disruption as well as opportunities together.

2026-09-18 01:38:57 UTC

Recognise that capability development is a systemic challenge requiring coordinated action across the education ecosystem. Cultivate a shared purpose and collective way forward.

2026-09-18 01:41:04 UTC

It is expected (and needed) that Governments, professional bodies, industry and schools should collaborate with universities to align education with societal and workforce needs. It should support responsible AI use, and value enduring human capabilities (more closely aligned to the affective domain) alongside technical skills.

2026-09-18 01:41:36 UTC

2026-09-18 01:44:10 UTC

just to be controversial - there are some jobs/industries out there that are high income without much educational qualifications these days eg blue collar workers can now earn a lot of money through apprenticeships which can be argued as experiential learning. Not too much theory to learn, short courses available and can earn money immediately. Opportunity cost!

Require tertiary educators to learn and demonstrate real teaching skills.

2026-09-18 01:47:23 UTC

2026-09-18 01:57:47 UTC

Are conventional grades still fit for purpose? A distinction or credit communicates relative academic performance, but may reveal little about whether a graduate can solve authentic problems, exercise sound judgement, collaborate or deliver reliable outcomes. Universities may need to complement grades with clearer evidence of capability, such as portfolios, authentic project outputs, competency profiles or verified micro-credentials.