About the Conference
The space in Generative [ ] Intelligence is an invitation for your presence and your contribution. Do you see, or seek, words in this space? Or do words stay elusive?
At the 2026 Learning and Teaching Conference, we invite a very human exploring of practices, scholarship and perspectives on education in time of uncertainty and disruption. We invite you to fill in the space; to consider what could complete the conference title. The conferece is also a place for candid, collegial discussions, across disciplines and faculties, about changes we are experiencing in higher education, with staff wellbeing a core focus. What will you bring?
Our conference will again run over two days, the second of which will be held with the Faculty of Arts. This shared day will feature a range of cross-faculty events. Please register for both days.
27 October – 28 October 2026, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus
Contacts: Tim Beaumont | timothy.beaumont@unimelb.edu.au Dr Abi Brooker | brookera@unimelb.edu.au
Arts and MDHS Program
Overview
| 8.45 – 9.15 | Conference registration | ||||||||
| 9.15 – 9.25 | Welcome Professor Dani Tomlin (Deputy Dean Education, MDHS) and Professor Beth Driscoll (Deputy Dean Academic, Faculty of Arts) | ||||||||
| 9.25 – 10.10 | Keynote: Professor Dave Boud, Challenges and possibilities for assessment and learning in a world infused by GenAI Professor Dave Boud | ||||||||
| 10.10 – 11.00 | Unpicking the QILT Chair: CQ Quinlan, Deputy Associate Dean, Course Innovation & Quality. Presenters: A/Prof Kelley Graydon, Course Coordinator Master of Clinical Audiology, Professor Jan Hodgson Program Director - Master of Genetic Counselling and Master of Genomics and Health | ||||||||
| 11.00 – 11.30 | Morning tea | ||||||||
| 11.30 – 12.30 | Human and relational learning Room 155, Level 1, Arts West | AI, curriculum and assessment Room 156, Level 1, Arts West | Experiential, creative and place-based learning Forum Theatre, Level 1, Arts West | Capabilities and futures Room 456, Level 4, Arts West | Conference posters Room 161, Level 1, Arts West | Racial Literacy Talking Space Room 262, Level 2, Arts West | |||
| 12.30 – 1.15 | Lunch Arts West Building, Parkville Campus | ||||||||
| 1.15 – 2.15 | Human and relational learning Room 155, Level 1, Arts West | AI, curriculum and assessment Room 156, Level 1, Arts West | Experiential, creative and place-based learning Forum Theatre, Level 1, Arts West | Capabilities and futures Room 456, Level 4, Arts West | Conference Posters Room 161, Level 1, Arts West | Racial Literacy Talking Space Room 262, Level 2, Arts West | |||
| 2.15 – 2.20 | Short break Arts West Building, Parkville Campus | ||||||||
| 2.20 – 3.20 | Human and relational learning Room 155, Level 1, Arts West | AI, curriculum and assessment Room 156, Level 1, Arts West | Experiential, creative and place-based learning Forum Theatre, Level 1, Arts West | Capabilities and futures Room 456, Level 4, Arts West | Conference Posters Room 161, Level 1, Arts West | Racial Literacy Talking Space Room 262, Level 2, Arts West | |||
| 3.20 – 3.30 | Short break Arts West Building, Parkville Campus | ||||||||
| 3.30 – 4.00 | Human and relational learning Room 155, Level 1, Arts West | AI, curriculum and assessment Room 156, Level 1, Arts West | Experiential, creative and place-based learning Forum Theatre, Level 1, Arts West | Capabilities and futures Room 456, Level 4, Arts West | Conference Posters Room 161, Level 1, Arts West | Racial Literacy Talking Space Room 262, Level 2, Arts West | |||
Day 2 presentation abstracts (hyperlink document here)
Concurrent sessions: timetable
Human and relational learning Room 155, Level 1 | AI, curriculum and assessment Room 156, Level 1 | Experiential, creative and place-based learning Forum Theatre, Level 1 | Capabilities and futures Room 456, Level 4 | |
11.30 – 11.45 | Roundtable (60 min) Widening participation and belonging Dr. Alexandra Dane, Matt Absalom, Hanna Kwak, Betiel Beyin | Workshop (60 min) Preparing healthcare professionals for a digital & data-driven future: embedding digital transformation, AI and data stewardship into healthcare education Prof. Ang Davies, Dr Sophie Moore, A/Prof. Mark Merolli | Presentation (15 min) Levelling up game-based teaching at the University of Melbourne Dr. Cassandra Barkman, Ben Loveridge, A/Prof. Matthew Harrison, Jessica Rowlings
| Presentation (15 min) Embedding social accountability in cancer sciences A/Prof. David Kok, Michelle Barrett |
11.45 – 12.00 | Session continues | Session continues | Lightning talk (5 min) Bridging the Gap: Implementing the Near Peer Project for the DDS Dr. Madeline Townsend, Dr. Katharine Dal Santo, Dr. Amy Thompson, Dr Andre Priede, Ms. Julie Owen Lightning talk (5 min) Pathways to engaging classrooms: The gamification of bioscience education for clinician scientists Dr. Natalie Kondos, Prof. Snezana Kusljic, Mr Angus Cooper, Ms Shannen McGrath
| Presentation (15 min) Let's play: Educational gaming as a source of tackling racism Dr. Wajeehah Aayeshah, Dr. Arzoo Atiq, Mohamad Desgia Adinadya Putra (Student), Tom Byers, A/Prof. Mark Finn |
12.00 – 12.15 | Session continues | Session continues | Presentation (15 min) Building a whole-of-faculty interprofessional curriculum: The CPC substrate model in practice Dr. Kim Allison, Dr. Claire Mustchin, A/Prof. David Gallant, Niki Lillibridge, Tamara Clements, Lichin Lim, Carolyn Cracknell, Campbell McKay | Presentation (15 min) Ground up: Teaching situated knowledge when the world isn't yet configuring you Dr. Matthew Campbell |
12.15 – 12.30 | Session continues | Session continues | Shared panel (15 min) New Horizons Fellowship 2026: Teaching climate and health through story, a Health Arts Collaboration Stuart Henshall, A/Prof. Rebecca Patrick | Presentation (15 min) Learning the craft of social research through collaborative practice A/Prof. Debra McDougall |
12.30 – 1.15 | Lunch | |||
1.15 – 1.30 | Presentation (15 min) Co-creating meaningful undergraduate learning experiences through a student partnership approach Dr. Daniel Clarke | Presentation (15 min) The evergreen curriculum: treating a degree program as its own learning organisation A/Prof. Kayley Lyons | Presentation (15 min) Plant to Learn the vAlue of biodiversity iN healTh (PLANT): Case study of nature-based education Dr. Jessica Abbonizio, Ms. Catherine O'Shea, Ms. Ainslie Macdonald, Dr. Gayathri Mekala, Dr. Alexis Pang, Mr. Andrew Irvin, A/Prof. Stuart Barber, A/Prof. Ken Winkel, Rachael Miller, Prof. Forbes McGain | Workshop (60 min) You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them think Dr Alice Boer-Endacott, Dr Michael "Maxx" Schmitz |
1.30 – 1.45 | Presentation (15 min) Portal perspectives: Learning from lived experience A/Prof. Kelley Graydon | Presentation (15 min) A curriculum that meets the moment? The Melbourne curriculum and uncertain futures Dr. Elena Balcaite | Presentation (15 min) Experiencing art in embodied spaces: A student virtual exhibition to enhance learning experience and collaboration Elisabetta Ferrari, Dr. Thomas Cochrane, Meredith Hinze | Session continues |
| 1.45 – 2.00 | Presentation (15 min) Creating space for all: Inclusive STEMM practice in action A/Prof. Michelle Rank, Oli Shemmell, Dr. Hendrika Duivenvoorden | Presentation (15 min) Bite-sized learning in health professional programs to improve bioscience education A/ Prof. Snezana Kusljic, Miss Rachel Thomson, A/ Prof. Kwang Meng Cham, Dr. Jessica Stander, Dr. Amanda Douglass, Miss Aleksandra Kusljic | Presentation (15 min) Building clinical communication confidence: active learning in complex audiological cases Ms. Lucy Shiels, Dr. Donella Chisari | Session continues |
| 2.00 – 2.15 | Lightning talk (5 min) Pedagogies of resistance in times of revolutionary upheaval: Reflections on validity, authenticity and nurturance from the feminist field Dr. Hannah Garden Dr. Joshua Pocius Lightning talk (5 min) Learnings from the Graduate Diploma in Hearing Healthcare Dr. Grace Nixon, A/Prof. Kelley Graydon | Presentation (15 min) How AI-vulnerable Is Australian higher education assessment? A computational audit of Group of Eight arts and humanities units, 2022-2026 Dr. Gonzalo Villanueva | Presentation (15 min) Generative relational intelligence: First Nations song pedagogy and the ethics of learning Dr. Lou Bennett | Session continues |
| 2.15 – 2.20 | Short break | |||
| 2.20 – 2.35 | Roundtable (60 min) Generating scholarship through the nexus of teaching and research Dr. Erin Stapleton, Prof. Fiona Fidler, Dr. Anna Kosovac, Dr. Georgina Walker, Cynthia Palikat | Workshop (60 min) How AI exposed is your degree? A/Prof. Kayley Lyons, Mr. David Mulholland, Mrs. Rafif Algethami | Talking space (60 min) Anti-racism and racial Literacy: A talking space Dr. Kay Are, Dr Wajeehah Aayeshah, Dr Odette Kelada, Dr Hayley Singer | Lightning talk (5 min) Evolving capstones to cultivate professional identity and collaborative skills Dr. Yeptain Leung, Dr. Kelly Bower, Sarah Greet, Campbell McKay, Dr. Kim Allison Lightning talk (5 min) SoTL: An unexpected Journey Dr. Madeline Townsend Lightning talk (5 min) Learnings from the Graduate Diploma in Hearing Healthcare Dr. Grace Nixon, A/Prof. Kelley Graydon |
| 2.35 – 2.50 | Session continues | Session continues | Session continues | Workshop (45 minutes) Generative [integrative] intelligence in SoTL: Designing mixed methods projects with joint displays Dr. Jessica Stander |
| 2.50 – 3.05 | Session continues | Session continues | Session continues | Session continues |
| 3.05 – 3.20 | Session continues | Session continues | Session continues | Session continues |
| 3.20 – 3.30 | Short break | |||
| 3.30 – 3.45 | Presentation (15 min) What does UDL look like in practice? Improving accessibility in Canvas Meredith Hinze | Presentation (15 min) Interdisciplinary international health science student experiences - Hokkaido, Japan Dr. Tandy Hastings-Ison, Dr. Nicole Hill | Lightning talk (5 min) In defence of the essay Dr. Alanna Myers Lightning talk (5 min) Extending the self: Generative AI as situated sense-making in international students' higher education learning Dr. Aiman Rizal, Yasha Barretto | Presentation (15 min) Evaluation of pilot interdisciplinary research capstone projects in graduate health education Dr. Rachel Toovey, Dr. Kelly Bower, Dr. Free Coulston, Prof. Lucio Naccarella, Prof. Dani Tomlin |
| 3.45 – 4.00 | Presentation (15 min) Teams that learn: Cultivating connection and belonging across a paediatric health campus Danica Van Den Dungen, Dr. Daniela Ramirez, Dr. Paola Villanueva | Shared Panel (15 min) Success is making mistakes: Using design thinking to help students navigate ambiguity Dr. Kidjie Saguin | Presentation (15 min) It is more than a checklist: rethinking cultural competence in health professional training Ms. Donya Eghrari | Lightning talk (5 min) Which Form of object-based learning is the most impactful? Dr. Nick Pendergrast, Dr. Heather Gaunt, Jennifer Gray Lightning talk (5 min) Oral exams on trial Tim Coronel, Dr. Fiannuala Morgan |
27 October – 28 October 2026, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus
Contacts: Tim Beaumont | timothy.beaumont@unimelb.edu.au Dr Abi Brooker | brookera@unimelb.edu.au
MDHS Program
Overview
| 12.30 – 1:00 | Conference registration Woodward Conference Centre, Parkville Campus | |||
| 1.00 – 1.10 | Welcome and introduction Professor Dani Tomlin, Deputy Dean, Education, MDHS, Main Conference Room, Woodward Conference Centre, Parkville Campus | |||
| 1.10 – 2.10 | Education for societal impact: Short recorded conversation Lushy (Lushomo) Chinganya, President, University of Melbourne Student Union; Student, Bachelor of Biomedicine Professor Rob Moodie, Professor in Public Health, Melbourne School of Public Health Professor Shawana Andrews, Director and Professor, Melbourne Poche Centre for Indigenous Health A/Professor Charlotte Denniston, Associate Professor Collaborative Practice, Collaborative Practice Centre | |||
| 2.10 – 2.30 | Afternoon Tea Woodward Conference Centre | |||
| 2.30 – 3.30 | Stream name TBC Main Conference Room, North side | Learning and working with Gen AI Main Conference Room, South side | Interprofessional education West Room | Poster presentations South Room |
| 3.30 – 3.35 | Short break Woodward Conference Centre | |||
| 3.35 – 4.20 | Sustainability and inclusion Main Conference Room, North side | Learning and working with Gen AI Main Conference Room, South side | Interprofessional education West Room | Assessment and feedback South Room |
| 4.20 – 4.30 | Short break Woodward Conference Centre | |||
| 4.30 – 5.00 | Nicholas Van Dam: Name of this Main Conference Room, Woodward Conference Centre | |||
| 5.00 – 5.45 | Drinks and canapes Woodward Conference Centre | |||
| 5.45 – 6.45 | Book launch Name of this Venue | |||
Day 1 presentation abstracts (hyperlink document here)
Concurrent sessions: Timetable
Stream name TBC Main Conference Room, North side | Learning and working with Gen AI Main Conference Room, South side | Interprofessional education West Room | Poster presentations South Room | |
2.30 – 2.45 | Presentation (15 mins) Professionalism in tomorrow’s health practitioners - an approach for creating a curriculum framework | Presentation (15 mins) Co-designing AI virtual patients with students for authentic communication skills learning Mr. Patrick Bowers, Dr. Jey Han Lau, Dr. Lin Tian, A/Prof. Kelley Graydon, Dr. Tracii Ryan, Prof. Dani Tomlin | Presentation (15 mins) From curriculum mapping to priorities for interprofessional education on healthcare for older people Dr. Kelly Bower, Darcey Newton, Dr Megan Keage, A/Prof. Anthea Cochrane, A/Prof Snezana Kusljic, Zoe McNeice, Dr Grace Nixon, Dr Kim Allison, Dr Debra Virtue, Dr Jennifer Jones | Poster presentations |
2.45 – 3.00 | Lightning talk (5 mins) From Tuesday theory to Monday practice: Connecting the pieces Ms. Yvonne Zhang, Melbourne Dental School Lightning talk (5 mins) Creating equitable learning environments for public health postgraduates: An equity science approach Prof. Lucio Naccarella | Presentation Enhancing inclusive assessment and assurance of learning through eportfolios and dialogic approaches Dr. Jessica Lees, Dr. Peter Carew, Dr. Tandy Hastings-Ison, Lucy Shiels, Dr. Kim Allison | Presentation (15 mins) Meeting community need with clinical placements: learnings from a student-led aged care service Ms. Joyce Chiu, Rose O'Connor, Grace Scheiner, Ana Lopez Flores, Eliza Martin | Session continues |
3.00 – 3.15 | Workshop (30 minutes) Generative [empathetic] intelligence: Immersive perspectives for relational practice Dr. Vivian Romero, Dr. Kidjie Saguin, Dr. Elise Rivera | Presentation (15 mins) Using artificial intelligence branching scenarios to practice communication & critical thinking Ms. Helen Patterson | Presentation (15 mins) Supporting hearing health in oral health students: A student-led cross-disciplinary initiative Mr. Patrick Bowers, A/Prof. Kelley Graydon, Dr. Peter Carew, Ms. Yvonne Zhang, A/Prof. Roisin McGrath | Session continues |
| 3.15 – 3.30 | Session continues | Presentation AI roleplay in youth mental health training: Student perspectives on Client101 Dr. Caitlin McDowell, Dr. Simon D'Alfonso | Presentation (15 mins) Mental health literacy: evaluation of a co-designed learning module for physiotherapy students Dr. Tandy Hastings-Ison, Dr Kim Allison | Session continues |
| 3.30 – 3.35 | 5-minute break | |||
Sustainability and inclusion Main Conference Room, North side | Learning and working with Gen AI Main Conference Room, South side | Interprofessional education West Room | Assessment and feedback South Room | |
3.35 – 3.50 | Presentation (15 mins) A fly on the wall: Online supervision supporting student-centred practice in a rural health setting Dr. Tandy Hastings-Ison, Dr Deb Virtu | Presentation (15 mins) Piloting ERiK: an AI-assisted record card to boost clinical note accuracy, efficiency, and feedback Dr. Jessica Stander, Peng Zhi, Hing Yui Tsang, Simin He, Kudi Okah, Dr Selwyn Prea, Dr Kim Allison | Presentation (15 mins) Developing an interprofessional placement in a remote Aboriginal community-controlled health service Mr. Neville Turner | Presentation (15 mins) Developing feedback literacy: Bringing standards to life A/Prof. Elaina Kefalianos, Ms Joyce Chiu, A/Prof. Leonie Griffiths, Dr Jessica Lees, A/Prof. Samantha Byrne, A/Prof. James Ziogas, Dr Grace Nixon, Dr Abi Brooker, Dr Kim Allison |
3.50 – 4.05 | Presentation (15 mins) Embedding environmental sustainability in postgraduate healthcare education A/Prof. Ken Winkel, Dr. Laura Beaton, Jessica Clarke, Dr.Sonia Chanchlani | Lightning talk (5 mins) Linked written and oral assessments – an opportunity to enhance student skills in the age of AI? Dr. Sabine Deij, Mr Daniel Sheen Lightning talk (5 mins) If we build It, will they learn? Student uptake of an AI learning coach in dentistry Miss Danae Swinburne | Lightning talk (5 mins) Linked written and oral assessments – an opportunity to enhance student skills in the age of AI? Dr. Sabine Deij, Mr Daniel Sheen Lightning talk (5 mins) If we build It, will they learn? Student uptake of an AI learning coach in dentistry Miss Danae Swinburne Presentation (15 mins) When generative human intelligence travels: Taking an interprofessional simulation resource from rural to metropolitan learning Ms. Ana Lopez, Ms Denise Ho, Ms Carolyn Cracknell, Ms Paula Collins, Ms Rosie Nicholson, Dr Deb Virtue, Ms Kylie Erben, Ms Victoria Rayner, Dr Keryn Wright | Presentation (15 mins) From assessment to learning: reimagining the OSCE for novice speech pathology students Ms. Eliza Martin, Dr Megan Keage, Ms Joyce Chiu |
4.05 – 4.20 | Presentation (15 mins) Physiotherapy student perspectives on neurodiversity-affirming clinical practice education Dr. Free Coulston, Stephanie Weir | Lightning talk (5 mins) Reading, reflecting, responding: acting on student feedback in a first-year clinical nursing subject Ms. Jamie Wheelahan Lightning talk (5 mins)
Dr. Fadhullah Yusof | Presentation (15 mins) CAIR to Learn: Empowering entry-to-practice students in the age of genAI Dr. Jessica Boyce, Patrick Bowers, Dr Bree Jones, A/Prof. Elaina Kefalianos, Dr Lauren Kosta, A/Prof. Mark Merolli, Dr Jonathan Ng, Dr Sacha Peterson, Prof. Lisa Phillips, Dr Rishi Ramani, Dr Adam Taylor, Alex Tsirgialos, Dr Carey Wilson | Presentation (15 mins) Enhancing construct-alignment and utility of workplace-based assessment rating scales Dr. Asela Olupeliyawa, Dr Terry Judd, Mr Lachlan McOmish, Dr Simone Elliot |
| 4.20 – 4.30 | Short Break | |||
27 October – 28 October 2026, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus
Contacts: Tim Beaumont | timothy.beaumont@unimelb.edu.au Dr Abi Brooker | brookera@unimelb.edu.au
Tuesday 27th October 2026, Arts West 9.00am-4.00pm, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus
Registrations for Day 1 may fill. In the event you would like to join a wait list, contact Tim Beaumont.
Wednesday 28th October 2026, 1.00pm-5.00pm, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus
Registrations for Day 2 may fill. In the event you would like to join a wait list, contact Tim Beaumont.
27 October – 28 October 2026, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus
Contacts: Tim Beaumont | timothy.beaumont@unimelb.edu.au Dr Abi Brooker | brookera@unimelb.edu.au
Illuminating Journeys: Navigating Pathways in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning
Guest Speakers
Assistant Professor Melanie Hamilton
Director, The Jane and Ron Gramham Centre for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, Associate Faculty member of the College of Graduate and Post-Graduate Studies at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada
Dr. Melanie Hamilton is the Director of the Jane and Ron Gramham Centre for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) and an Assistant Professor in Curriculum Studies at the University of Saskatchewan. She is a Registered Nurse (RN) by disciplinary background and spent over 20 years teaching in Bachelor of Nursing programs in Alberta. Dr. Hamilton has an expertise on curriculum development, revision, and renewal. Currently, Dr. Hamilton serves at the Director of the SoTL Centre, where she oversees graduate programming (Grad certificate, MSOTL, and PhD in Education-SoTL focus). Her teaching focuses on the history of SoTL, the SoTL research processes, and research lenses (epistemologies and ontologies]. She works closely with students and faculty to develop and engage in SoTL research. She also studies mid-career faculty, to explore the experiences of MCF, retention strategies, professional development, and tenure and promotion.
Dr. Hamilton is actively engaged in SoTL research at the national and international levels. She has been an invited keynote speaker and presenter on numerous SoTL topics internationally. Dr. Hamilton holds significant leadership roles including the current Past-President for the International Society of Teaching and Learning (ISSoTL) and Past-Chair of SoTL Canada and the membership on the Board of Directors for the Society of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE). Her commitment to teaching and leadership has earned her both institutional and provincial awards. In 2020, she was honored with an ISSOTL Fellowship for her outstanding work in supporting, developing, and engaging in SoTL initiatives at the international level.
Professor Denise Stockley
Scholar in Higher Education, Queen’s University, Canada
Dr. Denise Stockley is an Educational Psychologist and Professor and Scholar in Higher Education at Queen’s University. Her work advances the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) through research, leadership, and educational innovation. A past president of the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE), she has played a key role in shaping national and international conversations about how educators create and sustain scholarly approaches to teaching.
Her research explores how SoTL cultures develop within and across institutions, with a focus on faculty engagement, leadership, curriculum renewal, and research ethics education. She examines how ethical inquiry and scholarly practice intersect to support integrity and reflection in teaching and learning.
At Queen’s University, Dr. Stockley leads initiatives that connect SoTL with program design, faculty development, and policy innovation. Her work also extends to health professions education, where she integrates SoTL principles with competency-based education, interprofessional learning, and universal design for learning.
Event Chair: Dr Justin Bilszta
Senior Lecturer in Medical Education. Dept of Medical Education, The University of Melbourne
Justin is the Director of Postgraduate and Custom Programs in the Department of Medical Education and Co-Chair of the Melbourne Medical School’s Graduate Education Committee. For over 20 years, Justin has been involved in the design, delivery and co-ordination of a range of academic programs including within the Doctor of Medicine (MD), Masters of Clinical Education, Masters of Clinical Research and Bachelor of Medical Science (Hons). Prior to joining the Dept of Medical Education, he spent 10 years as a Research Fellow with the Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne.
27 October – 28 October 2026, The University of Melbourne, Parkville Campus
Contacts: Tim Beaumont | timothy.beaumont@unimelb.edu.au Dr Abi Brooker | brookera@unimelb.edu.au