The inaugural Faculty of Arts Research and Education Showcase was held this month, bringing together current innovations and approaches in research and education across the faculty, and sharing them with the wider University community.

While discipline-specific or practice-related seminars and workshops have been held previously, this was the first all-faculty showcase celebrating research, curriculum design and pedagogy.

Professor Peter Keegan, the faculty’s Associate Dean Learning and Teaching (pictured, with Executive Dean Martina Möllering), says the showcase was a huge success, allowing colleagues to connect in person, as well as virtually.

“So often the wonderful work undertaken in research projects or units of study falls under the wider radar of colleagues in the faculty, or beyond,” says Peter.

“The Research and Education Showcase afforded an opportunity to bring to the attention of the Arts community of scholars – and the University more broadly – just a taste of the exciting and impactful activity that the faculty continues to deliver.”

After a welcome from Professor Martina Möllering, Executive Dean, Faculty of Arts, researchers from each of the faculty’s eight schools and departments presented their research in eight minutes.

Research topics included settler violence online, a documentary-film history of first Australian trade, coming of age in the war on terror, researching terrorism online, gender bias in surgical careers, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander experiences of autism, the interconnected role of science, technology and law in regulating oil spills, and forging antiquity: forgery, ethics, and the antiquities trade.

“We chose speakers who had a record of external grant income, deep relationships with research partners, and who are producing impactful research,” explains Professor Robert Reynolds the faculty’s Associate Dean Research.

“Given the depth of quality research in the faculty, it was not an easy task to choose just one speaker from each school or department – there were many more we could have chosen.”

Educators  also took to the stage to speak about transformative activity in digital innovation, collegial mentorship, and staff-student partnership and co-creation.

“Whether a software application allowing students to connect with indigenous knowledges and understandings on Dharug land, or a team-based learning methodology that assures mastery of content and acquisition of transferable collaborative skills, or a digital humanities internship that delivers tangible benefits to external stakeholders – every presentation showcased new ways to engage, develop and enhance staff teaching capacity and student learning,” says Peter.

The showcase concluded with the presentation of the 2021 Faculty of Arts Learning and Teaching Awards, as follows:

Sessional Staff Award – Dr Jessica Kirkness
Workshopping empathetic creative writing practice in a constructive and empowering learning environment.

Early Career Award – Dr Wes Robertson
Designing, developing and implementing delivery of language learning in the introductory Japanese coursework curriculum.

Learning Innovation Award – Dr Jane Simon
Enhancing learning activities. opportunities and resources in creative arts, media culture and photographic applications

Teaching Excellence Award – Dr Marika Kalyuga
Fostering transformative teaching through cognitive learning strategies, experimental research and evidence-based scholarship

Educational Leader Award – Associate Professor Lise Barry
Spearheading work-integrated learning/employability, professional development and pedagogy/practice initiatives across curriculum and learning in Macquarie Law School

“I couldn’t have been happier with how the showcase turned out,” concludes Peter.  “We were so fortunate that the faculty had the chance to come together in our new Arts Precinct to celebrate the best of HASS research and education methodology and practice, to experience for the first time in over a year a scholarly community event in person (as well as online), and to share in a collective pride for all the wonderful work that happens every day in the faculty.”