Festival Roundup
The 2015 Festival of Learning was a huge success with more than 130 activities held over five days across the Bentley campus. The week opened with a sausage sizzle in Wesfarmers Court and finished with the presentation of the Curtin Award for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching at the John Curtin Gallery on the Friday afternoon. In between staff and students met in both formal and informal settings to discuss the Curtin learning experience, and share ideas and experiences. View the Festival highlights here.
Favourite Festival Moments
The winner of our ‘Favourite Festival Moments’ competition – with 23 entries in total is Ms Dorcas Chis for this picture of the Oculus Rift demonstrations held at the HIVE during the Festival. Dorcas will receive a 16g iPad Mini and a $20 iTunes voucher.
Curtin’s own TV program
Curtin TV has arrived in Wesfarmers Court! We’re still working through some logistical issues, but it is intended a new one hour program will be screened each fortnight. Episode 2 launches this week and includes Episode 2 our new internal video news bulletin Inside Curtin, as well as samples of student work, and promo videos of what’s coming up on campus.
Inside Curtin news bulletin
In the second episode of Inside Curtin for 2015, guest presenter Megs Ryan talks to Associate Professor Simon Forrest about the new Nyungar Culture and Identity Unit and asks Dr John Fielder about the work of the Curtin Learning Centre in developing future international leaders. Inside Curtin also features highlights from this year’s Festival of Learning while staff and students review Curtin’s new Challenge Platform and an online game targeting future students, called Campus Quest.
National WIL strategy
A detailed strategy for Work Integrated Learning at Australian universities has now been released and is available to view at the ACEN website.
The strategy was developed by the Australian Collaborative Education Network, University Australia and peak industry associations and focuses on enhancing student learning, improving graduate employability and meeting the skills needs of employers across the nation.
WIL is well established in many disciplines, but student demand for practical experience provided through WIL often exceeds available opportunities. For students, WIL experiences contextualise education and make a real difference to the development of employability skills that they bring into the workplace upon graduation. Employers benefit through gaining fresh ideas, identifying new talent and developing links with universities.
Fundraising to educate girls from Sierra Leone
A special screening of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is planned for Curtin’s Outdoor Cinema on Friday evening, 3 April, as part of a project by student Julia Beard to raise money for girls education in Africa. The One Girl charity believes every girl has the right to an education and that education can change her world! Donations can be made directly to Julia’s Do It In a Dress campaign with every $300 raised providing the financial support to educate one girl for 12 months.
