Charles Darwin University’s new Professor and Leader of the Teaching and Learning Development Group (TLDG) brings five years of experience working at the universities of Oxford and Warwick to her new post.
Professor Kym Fraser says she is enjoying working at Charles Darwin University.
‘Each university has its own set of challenges and opportunities. Regardless of the country, it’s important to base our teaching development work on the growing post-secondary research base which informs the development of our curriculum and learning environments, quality assurance, assessment and evaluation,’ she says.
‘Teaching is a process of continual improvement. Evidence, experience and intuition can all have a part to play as we strive to improve the student learning experience.’
TLDG sits within the portfolio of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Teaching and Learning) alongside Academic Quality, Planning and Vocational Training and Education (AQPVTE). The group consists of an Academic Development Unit, Resource Production Team, Web and Multi-media staff and administrative staff.
The group contributes to the achievement of the University's strategic goals, advocates and supports the flexible provision of learning and teaching, facilitates learning and teaching initiatives of faculties and schools, and provides a non accredited, professional teaching development program.
TLDG produces multimedia and audio-visual materials and manages the production of distance education student resources including the Learnline learning environment.
Professor Fraser’s career path has taken her from teaching mathematics and science in her home town of Mackay, Queensland to Cornell University in New York for her PhD in Education, to Monash University in Melbourne, Lingnan University in Hong Kong, and in more recent years, to the universities of Oxford and Warwick.
Professor Fraser was Deputy Director and Head of Educational Development at the University of Oxford. In that role she was responsible for the initiation and direction of the strategic objectives of educational development, ensuring alignment with the strategic directions of the institute and the University Learning and Teaching Strategy.
This work included contributing to the university’s responses to national consultation papers and the development of strategies to align with national initiatives.
She later moved to the University of Warwick where she was Director of Education in the Warwick Medical School. In this role Professor Fraser worked to strategically position the continuing professional development education provision of the school.