I have contributed to the promotion and enhancement of quality teaching and learning in higher education for over 30 years. In 2015 I was awarded a National Senior Teaching Fellowship by the Office of Learning and Teaching (a department of the Australian Federal Government) to work on a program titled “Recognising and rewarding university teaching. I was awarded an Australian Award for University Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning in 2014.
As a higher education consultant, I am available to work with institutions and individuals on teaching and learning in higher education in areas in which I have some expertise and experience. In recent years I have been an evaluator, reviewer, presenter and advisor to organizations, universities and projects in Australia and internationally (see biography).
As Professor in the field of higher education teaching and learning, a Director of Centres of Teaching and Learning in two universities, a Foundation director of the Carrick Institute (later ALTC) leader in several national and international initiatives and projects, and as external reviewer and consultant, I have had significant university and sector-wide responsibly for initiating policy, enhancement initiatives including curriculum review and reform, enhanced teaching and learning through the strategic use of online and communication technologies, promoting student-focused teaching and learning practices, and identifying and promoting the use of teaching and learning performance indicators to guide decision making and resource allocation.
Summary of experience
In 2008 -2015 I was appointed as Director and Professor of the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL). I initiated a new university wide student perception of teaching survey including enhanced reporting and feedback other teaching data for all of the Schools. As the eLearning business owner at UWA, CATL led the review of the LMS with Moodle recommended to replace WebCT. The leadership and change management strategy was developed and carried out by CATL working with Information Services and the vendors. A new Lecture Capture System was fully implemented and integrated, building on the earlier developments of the Lectopia system invented at UWA. The university teaching criteria were developed by CATL involving a process of wide consultation. These were introduced as policy and apply to annual professional development review for all academic staff. I sat on all major university teaching and learning committees, contributed to university submissions to government papers, contributed to university policy development and implementation, and represented the university at national forums related to teaching, learning and quality.
From 2006-2008 I was appointed as a Foundation Director at the newly established Carrick Institute for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (later renamed the Australian Learning and Leaching Council ALTC and subsequently the Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT)) where I was responsible for the Awards, Fellowships and International Links programs which involved significant consultation and engagement with the Australian university sector. In this time I visited every Australian University and met with the senior executive and leadership on the Institute’s programs and the opportunities available to support the universities strategic directions. I established the system of peer review and evaluation used across all of the Institute’s programs, a reviewer register and a series of network event and forums to facilitate these. During this time I initiated and led a large national project on measures and indicators of teaching and teacher quality for Australian universities.
From 1997 – 2006, I was the Director of the Teaching and Educational Development Institute (TEDI) at the University of Queensland. I was a senior member of the university community and made a significant contribution to the planning, development and implementation of policy related to teaching and learning, information technology related to teaching and learning, innovative learning space, academic programs and infrastructure development. I worked with all faculties identifying their priorities and needs and was a member of many committees eg. the Academic Board, the University Information Technology Policy and Planning Committee and the University Teaching and Learning Committee and chaired or was a member of a number of working parties established to examine and report on various aspects of teaching and learning including the eLearning policy and all aspect on the development of the Ipswich Campus. I represented the University at forums and sat on a number of external committees and Boards.
I contribute to the scholarship of teaching and learning in higher education through publications, winning competitive grants and speaking engagements. In addition, as President and Vice President of the Council of Australian Directors of Academic Development (CADAD), I contributed the national agenda on developing and enhancing teaching and learning quality and indicators of quality in higher education.
Teaching awards
National Senior Teaching Fellowship (2015) “Recognising and rewarding teaching: Australian teaching criteria and standards and expert peer review”. <http://uniteachingcriteria.edu.au>. Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT)
Australian Awards for University Teaching: Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2014) for “25 years of scholarly innovation and leadership to enhance student learning and engagement through developing university teachers and teaching” Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT)
Synopsis Statement
Denise Chalmers has a national and international reputation for her leadership and scholarly contribution to building individual and institutional capacity in teaching and learning in higher education at local, national and international levels. She is recognised for her innovation in enhancing students’ learning and engagement through the development of teachers and teaching. Denise’s work has had a significant impact on her own students and many hundreds of university teachers. Through them, she has enhanced the learning experience of many thousands of students.
Award for Excellence in the Leadership of Academic Development (2013) University of Western Australia
Teaching Fellowship Award for Excellence in Teaching (1992) Edith Cowan University.
Current Position
Higher Education Consultant
August 2015 –
As a higher education consultant, I work with institutions, organisations and individuals on aspects of teaching and learning in higher education where I have some expertise. In recent years I have been an evaluator, reviewer, presenter and advisor to organizations, universities and projects in Australia and internationally.
National Senior Teaching Fellowship
August 2015 – 2017
Awarded a National Senior Teaching Fellowship from the Office of Learning and Teaching titled “Recognising and rewarding teaching: Australian teaching criteria and standards and expert peer review” From August 2015 – July 2017
I am engaging in a program of activities with universities and organisations on three broad areas. The first is supporting universities and higher education providers in their goal to recognise and reward their excellent teachers. This draws on the work of the Australian University Teaching Criteria and Standards (AUTCAS) project. The other two areas of activity are to investigate a process of external peer review of teaching portfolios for promotion using institutional criteria drawing from a pool of endorsed and trained teaching and learning experts to carry out the reviews and finally, to consult on the feasibility of developing a sector-endorsed Australian Professional Tertiary Teacher Standards (APTTS) framework for tertiary academic teachers and professionals. <uniteachingcriteria.edu.au>
Previous positions
- 2015 — Visiting Professor, McMaster University, Ontario (September)
- Visiting Professor, University of Windsor, Ontario (August-October)
- 2008-2015 — President, Council of Australian Directors of Academic Development, 2008- 2013, and Vice President, Council of Australian Directors of Academic Development, 2014- 2015
- July 2015 — Retired from The University of Western Australia, Awarded title Emeritus Professor
- 2008-2015 — Director, Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (CATL). The University of Western Australia
- 2006 – 2008 — Foundation Director, Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (renamed ALTC) with specific responsibility for Awards, Fellowships and International Links.
- 1997 – 2006 — Director, Teaching and Educational Development Institute (TEDI), University of Queensland.
- 1995 – 1997 — Head / Senior Lecturer / Senior Instructional Designer, Resources Development, University Learning Systems, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia
- 1993 – 1995 — Instructional Designer / Lecturer Resources Development, University Learning Systems, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia
- 1990 – 1992 — Lecturer, Teaching and Curriculum Studies, Faculty of Education, Edith Cowan University, Western Australia
- 1985 – 1989 — Graduate Research Assistant and Tutor, School of Education, Murdoch University, Western Australia
- 1975 – 1981 — Primary School Teacher, Western Australian schools