Suitable for: The FULT program is suitable for all academic staff with teaching responsibilities and professional staff in related roles.
FULT is mandated for all new continuing and fixed term (longer than 12 month contract) academic staff with teaching duties at all levels (A-E) employed since the beginning of 2018. For these staff, FULT should be completed within the first 12 months of commencing work at the University.
Please note: you must be teaching or have recent teaching experience while you are participating in FULT. See more information under FULT Program Requirements.
If you have no teaching experience and are currently completing a research degree, please register your interest in the Beginning to Teach Program.
About the program
The FULT program is offered to UNSW teaching staff who wish to develop their practice by exploring a range of perspectives, ideas, theories, and practical approaches to learning and teaching in the higher education context. FULT is offered in a blended learning mode. The FULT format aligns with the UNSW 2025 aspirations, Scientia Educational Experience Dimensions and Strategic directions, including enhanced technology use in learning and teaching.
In March 2020, the UNSW FULT Program was accredited by Advance HE, with participants who successfully complete the program eligible to apply for the award of Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy (AFHEA). View full eligibility requirements below under "Applying for Associate Fellowship, Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)".
Program learning outcomes
The FULT program is designed to help you to increase your understanding and develop skills and confidence in your learning and teaching practice, drawing from your own reflections, experience of your peers and educational literature. After completing this program you should be able to:
1. Identify, discuss and critically reflect on student learning in face-to-face, blended and online teaching contexts in higher education, drawing on pedagogical literature.
2. Recognise, interpret and critically analyse complex problems and educational design challenges related to learning and teaching to generate and implement effective solutions.
3. Analyse and evaluate learning and teaching practices using evidence from a range of sources to enhance practice.
4. Apply knowledge, skills and reflective practice to develop professional judgement, adaptability and responsibility as a scholarly practitioner in higher education.
The FULT Program Outline can be accessed here (link opens a PDF document).
Teaching strategies and approach to learning
The FULT program is underpinned by the beliefs that learning is most effective when learners are
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Actively engaged: you will have an opportunity to engage in an active process of making sense of new ideas or experiences. This will involve action (trying out of new ideas) and reflection (based on feedback).
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Draw on own practice and prior knowledge in authentic environments: you will have an opportunity to reflect on your own practice, work with authentic scenarios and own examples emerging from your practice, and the practice of your colleagues.
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Build connections: you will have opportunities to build connections with peers and with teachers.
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Understand the expectations: the various options and paths through the program will be made explicit to you. Program facilitators will be available to provide guidance.
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Are challenged and supported: the program will model a climate of enquiry where you will feel challenged, while being supported to take sensible risks in your teaching.
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Learner diversity is respected and catered for: the program will model inclusive learning environment where learners feel valued and respected.
The learning activities in the program include:
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individual learning activities (reflecting, reading, critiquing program materials, completing individual tasks and assessments);
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group learning activities, which will model a range of teaching strategies in both face-to-face and online contexts.
Applying for Associate Fellowship, Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)
The UNSW FULT Program is accredited by Advance HE, with participants who successfully complete the program eligible to apply for the award of Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy (AFHEA).
Fellowships are a means of acknowledging commitment to professionalism in learning and teaching in higher education. They are based on the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF), which sets out the knowledge, skills and values demonstrated by those teaching and/or supporting learning in higher education. This is a globally recognised framework for benchmarking success within higher education teaching and learning support. HEA Fellowship is a new pathway that recognises UNSW staff commitment to learning and teaching.
The following requirements must be met in order to be awarded AFHEA:
- recent experience in teaching, or supporting educational design and development, either, while you are completing FULT or in the term preceding or following FULT
- successfully complete all four FULT assessment tasks
- submit a supporting statement (from a referee)
Exemptions
For academics who have significant teaching experience and formal teaching qualifications, an exemption may be granted on the grounds of one or more of the following:
- successful completion of a tertiary education-focused award qualification (AQF 7 or above) at UNSW or another university
- successful completion of a higher education teaching preparation course equivalent to UNSW's Foundations of University Learning and Teaching (FULT) program
- demonstrated evidence of sustained high quality university teaching and evidence of proficiency
Evidence of proficiency in university teaching includes:
- teaching awards, citations and grants (UNSW, OLT or equivalent)
- demonstrated contribution to the improvement of learning and teaching (e.g. invited presentations, published physical/digital teaching materials, textbooks, e-games)
- recognised leadership in teaching with evidence of influencing and supporting peers to innovate or change their educational practice and/or policy at course/program/school/faculty/UNSW/external level (e.g. Chair of Learning and Teaching Committee, leadership/invited role in academic development activities and workshops, peer mentoring, pivotal role implementing improvements to learning and teaching in relation to Assurance of Learning or other strategic initiatives, leadership role in collaborative course/program design
- a portfolio of evidence equivalent to that assembled to develop a teaching case for promotion (this will include CATEI or MyExperience data but student satisfaction measures along are insufficient.) Refer to the UNSW Academic Promotions Toolkit for guidance
Please attach evidence of recognition (e.g. award, hard/soft copies or link to publications/teaching materials; presentations/invitations, peer reviews/testimonials/citations; evidence of impact on peers' teaching practice/policy and student learning; documentation of the teaching case for promotion
If you meet these criteria please fill in the Application for Exemption: Foundations of University Learning and Teaching form (PDF) and email the completed form to fult@unsw.edu.au. Applications will be reviewed by the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education).
Future Pathways
FULT is one of a series of programs on university learning and teaching, described in Image 1, below. Successful completion of the FULT program, is one of the requirements to gain entry into the University’s Graduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching (GCULT), which is offered by the School of Education in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Please note. we will be resting the GCULT in 2021. For more information please email: education@unsw.edu.au.
Image 1. Programs for learning and teaching at UNSW.
Benefits and Testimonials
The FULT program aims to help you to develop an understanding of, and skills and confidence in, your teaching practice. 
Frequently reported benefits by previous participants include:
- the opportunity to get feedback on your teaching from colleagues and workshop facilitators in a supportive environment,
- cross-disciplinary sharing of ideas and strategies with colleagues involved in learning and teaching,
- interaction with and support of learning partners and colleagues.
“I came into FULT expecting it to be another required tick off the list but was very pleasantly surprised. I was refreshed, challenged, armed with new tools and a newfound enthusiasm for learning and teaching.” - Jane Ye In Hwang, Research Associate, Justice Health Research Program, FULT participant 2019
"I found the FULT program to be an extremely beneficial means of placing my educational practice in a scholarly pedagogical context whilst developing practical teaching and learning techniques that I was able to immediately implement." - Eva Lloyd, Associate Lecturer, School of Architecture and Design, FULT Alumnus 2018
"As a new academic to UNSW, FULT was a fantastic foundation as it provided insights into the expectations at UNSW in terms of the framework for teaching and learning strategies. Even for experienced academics it would be valuable as a reminder on the key insights and the most updated information on student experience at UNSW." - Sarah Grundy, Associate Lecturer, School of Chemical Engineering, FULT Alumnus 2018
FULT Alumni Network Group
The aim of the FULT Alumni Network is to provide an opportunity for alumni to get together and explore the latest issues, innovations and future directions in higher education learning and teaching.
The network will meet 2 times a year and supports the leadership potential of alumni as champions of learning and teaching.
Anyone who is a current UNSW staff member that has completed the FULT program in the past, is invited to be a part of the network.
Find out more about the FULT Alumni Network and its activities.
FULT Alumni Good Practice Case Studies
Following the June 2020 meeting, the FULT Alumni Network was invited to submit a Good Practice Case Study for Educational Excellence. Several case studies were selected to be featured on the Teaching Gateway website.
Contact
If you are from UNSW Sydney and have an enquiry about the program please contact us via email.
If you are from UNSW Canberra and have an enquiry about the program, please contact Dijana Townsend.