Academic standards in science - The good practice guide for Threshold Learning Outcome 1: Understanding science

Abstract

With the broadening of participation in Australian Higher Education, it has become increasingly important that tertiary education institutions can provide evidence of the standard of education offered to students to ensure the quality of graduate outcomes. Teaching and Learning Standards are currently being developed by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) as part of the Higher Education Standards Framework. To inform this process, The Learning and Teaching Academic Standards (LTAS) Project for Science has developed a list of five Threshold Learning Outcomes (TLOs) for science graduates (Jones, Yates & Kelder, 2011). These TLOs were developed through a period of detailed consultation with the Australian science community and describe what Australian science graduates should know and be able to do by the time they graduate. This paper focuses on the first of these TLOs, Understanding Science. The paper explains what this TLO means and why it is important for our undergraduate science students, before suggesting some good practice strategies for teaching and assessing the Understanding Science TLO. This information will be made available in the Good Practice Guide for TLO 1. REFERENCES Jones, S., Yates, B., & Kelder, J. (2011). Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Project: Science Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Statement. Sydney: Australian Learning and Teaching Council.