The next in-service will be on e-learning options for teaching and learning presented by Marianne Hicks and Rowan Brookes.

Marianne and Rowan will discuss the Monash approach to blended learning and explore e-learning possibilities for teaching and learning.

The session is scheduled for Wednesday 5 December from 10:30am to12:45pm at MUDRIH (Moe).  Please contact Julie Willems (5128 1030) if you would like to video conference into the session.

The monthly SRH Educational Technology In-service Program is now online, with videos, PowerPoints and other resources available for each of the in-services conducted.

Video recordings of the presentations are available on the SRH website.

Alongside each presentation, there is a feedback link. After you have viewed a presentation and/or looked the resources, could you please provide feedback?

If you have any questions or would like to present on a matter in the in-service series, please contact Julie Willems on 03 5128 1030 or email July.Willems@monash.edu.

Those keen to take advantage of the Learning and Teaching Travel Grants will need to make sure their applications are in by the end of the month.

The scheme is designed to assist academic staff to attend and/or present papers at conferences that will develop their educational skills and teaching and learning research activity.

The grants are allocated by the Office of the Deputy Dean (Education) on a competitive basis. Some 20 grants will be allocated in this round.

The closing date for applications is Friday 30 November. Round one 2013 will cover attendance at conferences between January and June 2013.

For more details, see the guidelines and application form.

“If we don’t choose a direction, we’ll end up where we’re going”.

The aim of the research retreat is to plan for the School of Rural Health’s research future using the information currently being gathered as part of a research stock-take.  Any staff involved in research within the School of Rural Health are encouraged to attend.  Recommendations arising from the retreat will underpin future school research approaches so your individual input, views and ideas are crucial to the success of this retreat.  See the flyer for details, including the program.  Please contact Leigh Kinsman (5440 9022) or Cathy Ward (5440 9082) if you have any questions.

A cold night in a tent, brightened up by...

...a gorgeous snow landscape that appeared overnight

Three Year 3B students at East Gippsland Regional Clinical School decided on an unusual preparation for their exams – a trip to the mountains and the snow.

Kane Treble, Lizzie Duffett and Meri Salmon Krone took it upon themselves to conquer the might of the Alpine National Park, with intentions to head up to Mt Howitt (1742m) and show it who was boss. This is their story of their trip, the snow and their sunburn!

Unfortunately, only a few kilometres up Howitt Road our efforts to come, see and conquer were almost thwarted by a rather sturdy looking padlock in the middle of the road. While this usually wouldn’t be an issue, the large (some would say sturdier) gate that it secured was. Read the rest of this entry »

Medical student and well-known and successful showing rider, Prue Chamberlain, took fourth place in the strong class for Owner/Rider Hack (photo by Julie Wilson)

Prue Chamberlain, a current Year A student at Gippsland Medical School, has demonstrated her skills in another arena, competing recently in the Adelaide Royal Equestrian Show.

Prue, who owns horses herself and in conjunction with her mother, finished fourth in the Owner/Rider class, a good result in a tough class of about 25 horses.  Her horse, Ritchie, was very good and worked very well.

The pair received positive comments from some well regarded people.

Prue also finished sixth in the Open class and sixth in the Rider class (21-30 years) as well as reaching the finals for 2 other classes.

Prue was understandably very satisfied with her performance at the Show after being out of the Royal circuit for three years. She said that can be quite tough to get back into the finals, let alone placing, after time away.

Prue’s sporting endeavours are being supported by the University’s Elite Student Athlete Support program.

The winners of the Rural Health photo competition have received their awards for their depictions of what Rural Health looks like.

Clare Kent won both first and third prize for her efforts and the people’s choice award was won by Carolyn Lade. Both are based at Latrobe Regional Hospital in Gippsland, so a morning tea was held in October to present their awards.

The second prize winner was Georgina Taylor who is based at Clayton and completing her honours year. Georgina collected her prize from our Clayton office.

Clare Kent with her award winning photos

Georgina Taylor won second prize with her image "Bare Footprints".

Carolyn Lade with the People's Choice photo

The achievements of Marlene Drysdale during her 20 years working with MUDRIH and in a range of other roles will be celebrated again this month.

A special ceremony will be held at MUDRIH in Moe on Friday 16 November, when the MUDRIH Courtyard Garden will be officially named in Marlene’s honour.  Appropriately, given her time with MUDRIH, the event is also part of the 20^th anniversary celebrations.

The event will also include an official ‘Welcome to Country’ presentation.

Marlene has now retired from MUDRIH but her strong legacy lives on and will be commemorated in the garden naming.

Anyone who would like to attend should RSVP to julie.irvine@monash.edu or phone 03 51281000 by this Friday (9 November). Arrivals are from 10am with the event to start at 10.30am.

Michelle Moon from Bendigo attended the 2012 Australasian Research Management Conference (ARMS) held on the Gold Coast recently. As she explains in the following report, her first conference opened her eyes to the possibilities that go with change and the power of the Tweet.

It was all about the people I met, from experienced research administrators to ‘newbies’ like me. As this was the first ever conference I have been to, I was also interested in the behind the scenes organising of the ARMS conference. The organising committee is to be commended on an amazingly well organised and relevant event and I have also stored away a few of their ideas in case I need them one day.

The ‘Introduction to Research Management’ workshop on the first day, Wednesday, was an immensely useful session and I loved the opportunity to meet and talk to so many administrators, like me just starting in research. This session helped me discover ‘what is research’ and ‘what is my role’ as a research administrator. And yes, the breadth of experiences across the room was quite amazing, from new to research administrators to experienced researchers moving into administration.

On Thursday and Friday afternoons I followed the Technology for Collaboration streams. The Technology for Collaboration presentations had a problem-oriented agenda. They had identified a problem or opportunity and then focused on how to solve it with technology. Thursday’s mind blowing information came from the Square Kilometre Array session, an amazing collaboration between Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, with much more planned. Read the rest of this entry »

Professor Debra Nestel will head to New York City early next year to deliver a keynote lecture at an international symposium on paediatric simulation techniques.

Professor Nestel will address the International Paediatric Simulation Society’s 5^th International Paediatric Simulation Symposia and Workshops in New York City in April. Her topic is dedicated to the theme ‘Distributing high quality paediatric simulation to the masses: lessons learned from the AusSETT experience (faculty development and quality assurance).’

She has also been invited to lead a workshop on ‘Simulation theory – sociocultural learning theorist – how theory sits with design of educational programs and communities of practice’.