Principles and a Model for Advancing Future-oriented and Student-focused Teaching and Learning

A major agenda of higher education institutions is to equip students to be employable and ‘future ready’ graduates; achieve their professional and personal goals; and respond, in a socially responsible way, to the challenges of the 21st Century. These aspirations require quality teaching and learning that is future-oriented and student-focused. This paper will describe the first phase of an initiative carried out in an Australian university to afford these aspirations as well as promote transformative and sustainable curriculum and pedagogy. An extensive review of literature was conducted to ascertain traits of Generation Y students. The findings from this review highlighted the diversity of preferences, goals, values and motivations of Generation Y compared to Generation X and Baby Boomers. This review informed the subsequent conceptualization of a suite of principles and a teaching and learning model, intended to have broad cross-disciplinary applicability and assist academics in the design, delivery and review of curriculum and pedagogy. A synopsis of the review findings, an explanation of the principles and model and an overview of the next phase of the initiative will be provided in this presentation. Additionally, a description of how generational information could more broadly inform higher education progress will be explained.