Foundations of Learning and Teaching at Charles Sturt

Effective 2025, all academic staff in continuing or fixed-term roles (excluding School of Policing Studies staff) are required to complete the Foundations of Learning and Teaching at Charles Sturt to fulfill their probation requirements.

This update aligns Charles Sturt University’s probation expectations for learning and teaching with sector standards and is reflected in the university’s Academic Staff Probation Policy.

Duration

30 hours; to ideally be started and completed within 6 months of commencement at Charles Sturt; staff members to negotiate with their supervisors regarding workload allocation for program completion.

Format

Fully online, self-paced, delivered in Brightspace.

Timing

The Foundations of Learning and Teaching at Charles Sturt will be delivered twice a year in sessions 30 and 60. Participants will need to complete all components of the program in the session that they are enrolled in.

Dates

The Foundations of Learning and Teaching at Charles Sturt (FoLT) is open for enrolment.  Please register for the program here.

Learning strategies

  • Self-directed (online) learning: Online content, resources and activities introduces the Charles Sturt University learning and teaching ecosystem.
  • Interactive workshops: Online interactive workshops focus on supporting practical application and providing opportunities to share practice.
  • Collaborative learning: A formative peer review and online peer discussions helps to leverage learning with and from each other and foster collegial connections.
  • Reflective practice: Reflective and self-assessment activities deepen understanding.
  • Consultation with your Learning Coach:  Teaching Academy learning coaches provide tailored guidance, support, and feedback.

Completion Requirement

Submission of a teaching portfolio.

Exemptions

Exemptions are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and granted by the Director, Charles Sturt Teaching Academy. You can request an exemption by completing the exemption form:

Exemption form

Convenor

The Charles Sturt Teaching Academy, Division of Learning and Teaching. If you have questions not covered in our FAQs below, please contact us at foundationslt@csu.edu.au.

Frequently asked questions

To get ready for the program, start by reflecting on your current teaching practice and identify one or two areas of practice you would like to develop.  Consider an area of practice or an inquiry focus you would like to explore during the program.

It may be helpful to use the Charles Sturt Teaching Capabilities and Self-Assessment Tool to guide your reflection and pinpoint an area of teaching you'd like to strengthen or investigate further.

Foundations of Learning and Teaching at Charles Sturt program is delivered twice a year in sessions 30 and 60.  Please register for the program here and we will be in touch with further information.  Participants will need to complete all components of the program in the session that they are enrolled in.

A learning coach is a member of the Teaching Academy team who will partner with you in your learning journey and provide tailored guidance, support, and feedback. You will have the opportunity to engage in two learning coach conversations during the Foundations of Learning and Teaching at Charles Sturt.

The formative peer review is a collegial process which supports reflection on practice and learning and improvement. We will pair you up with a trained peer reviewer and provide you with all the resources and guidance you need to engage with this process. The formative peer review component will be managed through our established Peer Review at Charles Sturt pathway.

The program will be delivered fully online within Brightspace, the Learning Management System used at Charles Sturt.

Yes, the program is suitable for anyone who has a role in teaching or supporting learning and teaching. If you do enrol in the program, we ask that you commit to completing all components of the program in the session that you have enrolled in.

Please email us at foundationslt@csu.edu.au