Torrens University wins two 2024 ASCILITE awards

Media Release | 09 December 2024

The 2024 ASCILITE Innovation Award was presented to the team, led by Ashley Howard Kerr, Senior Learning Experience Design, who collaborated to create Bachelor of Psychological Science program’s groundbreaking technology-enhanced pathway, while Dani Logan-Fleming, Senior Advisor Learning and Teaching, received the 2024 ASCILITE Community Fellow Award for her remarkable contributions to educational technology and community leadership.

This is the second time Torrens University Australia has won the Innovation Award, firstly in 2022 for a Product Innovation and Design and Creative Technology collaboration for the Bachelor of Branded Fashion.

ASCILITE Innovation Award: Bachelor of Psychological Science XR project

The Innovation Award acknowledges Torrens University's pioneering approach to embedding advanced technologies into the Bachelor of Psychological Science curriculum. This project brought together experts across disciplines, including Lyn Campbell, Associate Professor Stephen McKenzie, Ashley Hillsley, Amber Moore, Trent Naylor, Nijel Ratonel, Kaveh Tabar Heydar and Lidia Bier, to design an interactive and engaging, learning experience.

The project’s innovation lies in the collaborative efforts of these learning designers, subject matter experts, and developers, who have taken a holistic approach to integrating XR and AI throughout the course as a roadmap. By blending pedagogy with technology, the initiative creates a cohesive pathway of technological interventions, offering students a progressively immersive, interactive learning experience.

From her research, Ashley explained that many universities use XR in isolated patches to address specific problems, whereas this project focuses on a holistic framework. By integrating advanced technologies into every stage of the course design from its inception, the team created a cohesive, connected learning experience tailored to student needs across the entire degree ensuring continuity and relevance.

Thoughtful scaffolding of these technologies across the curriculum is central to the course design. Each technological tool builds on the last, ensuring students can apply their knowledge in increasingly complex contexts while maintaining a level of continuity between subjects.

“I 100% absolutely think we're leading this space, what we are doing is quite special,” – Ashley Howard Kerr. “We don't have the too hard basket mentality; we'll just find another way.”

“We're doing amazing work, and this recognition of the whole team showcases our openness, our processes and our ability to turnaround concepts at pace,” said Ashley. “When you look at other universities up for these awards, large public universities with lots of money for research and technology, we're standing right up there with them and winning.”

The curriculum design ensures that learning is not only interactive but also aligned with real-world industry needs by introducing tools that enable real-time collaboration and practical application.

Key XR innovations include:

• Multi-user frame XR platform: Students create avatars and collaborate in real-time within simulated health clinics with their learning facilitators for common core health subject ‘Professional communication and collaboration.’
• Interactive ‘Brain and Behaviour’ unit: Inspired by Pixar’s Inside Out, students actively control an avatar's brain functions, navigating hormonal scenarios such as nerves while delivering speeches or struggling to wake from sleep.
• Biological and Learning Psychology unit: Through XR students explore the effects of stimuli on brains at various life stages, from infancy to old age.
• ‘Organisational Psychology’ using AI: One standout feature is the use of Torrens University’s proprietary AI system, Torrino, to simulate real-world human resources scenarios where students critically evaluate AI-generated responses.

This thoughtful integration of XR and AI technologies enhances student engagement, improves retention, and bridges the gap between theoretical and practical learning.

“The XR content provides an engaging way to visualise complex brain functions which makes challenging dense concepts more relevant,” said Dr Campbell, Senior Learning Facilitator.

ASCILITE Community Fellow Award: Dani Logan-Fleming

Dani Logan-Fleming was recognised for her outstanding leadership and commitment to advancing educational technologies, including her leadership of the ASCILITE Contextualising Horizon Report,  providing educators in Australasia with actionable insights into emerging trends, technologies, and practices to help institutions adapt to rapid change, and co-founding the Business Education Special Interest Group, creating a collaborative community to innovatively tackle modern pedagogical challenges.

“This recognition from my peers is truly humbling, and being acknowledged alongside such esteemed past winners is incredibly special,” said Dani. “I approach this work generously, sharing openly and altruistically with a deep belief that learning should be accessible to everyone, and the chance to contribute on a large scale is what motivates me every day.”

Dani’s exceptional contributions to the leadership, development, and support of projects that advance learning and teaching technologies have earned her this accolade. Her unwavering dedication to enhancing learning outcomes and fostering collaboration among educators and students has been transformative.

Her initiatives, such as pioneering and driving the adoption of Interactive Oral Assessments and connecting educators across Australasia, have significantly influenced modern pedagogical practices.

“At Torrens, I've discovered a community that shares my passion for quality education, future-focused student preparation, and social justice,” said Dani. “This is the kind of organisation that truly drives accessible learning for everyone.”

Driving innovation in education at Torrens University

The Bachelor of Psychological Science XR project epitomises Torrens University’s commitment to integrating cutting-edge technologies into education to further engage learners and optimise the learning experience in a fun, innovative and interactive way. This is our first year for this degree and our students have already been learning with XR throughout 2024.

“Psychology can often feel theoretical and dry,” noted Professor Matthew Mundy, Executive Dean of Health and Education. “Our approach injects joy and engagement into learning, making complex concepts more accessible which is something we can be proud of.”

“The technology allows a little bit more openness, especially for students who find it daunting talking to other students,” said Ashley. “It's a good icebreaker and might be a little bit fun.”

The program's XR experiences tackle key challenges, including:

• Retention and accessibility: By transforming abstract concepts into interactive simulations, students stay engaged and are better equipped to succeed.
• Student agency: Flexible assessments cater to diverse learning styles, empowering students with various learning paths.

“The XR and AI content makes subjects more accessible and appealing to a broader spectrum of students,” said Dr Campbell, Senior Learning Facilitator. “One of the frameworks in this course is student agency, offering choice for students in terms of assessment, to avoid being so prescriptive and to cater to different learning preferences.”

“Looking at other universities and psychology programs, students often drop off in the first few trimesters because it's overwhelming with a lot of really high concept detailed content that’s too much to absorb,” said Ashley. “That affects retention, and they leave.”

“The learning experience in higher education is changing at a rate faster than ever, this work shows that meaningful, engaging, and high-quality learning experiences can be achieved in new digital formats and in a design that is accessible to all learners,” said Professor Matthew Mundy.

Looking ahead to innovative teaching methods

Torrens University’s innovative teaching methods continue to evolve. New XR content for ‘Biological and Learning Psychology’ and AI for ‘Organisational Psychology’ will launch in trimester 2025.

“Winning these awards affirms that our cutting-edge efforts are not only innovative but impactful and valuable,” said Associate Professor McKenzie, Head of the Torrens School of Psychological Science, “We're shaping a future where learning is accessible, engaging, and tailored to diverse needs.”

Torrens University’s dual recognition at the ASCILITE Awards underscores its leadership in leveraging technology to enhance education and its dedication to creating meaningful learning experiences.