Brief Curriculum Vitae of Geoff Isaacs

February 2004

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Contents

·         Major interests

·         Degrees & Memberships

·         Committees

·         Employment

·         Workshops and consultancies

·         Recent research

·         Recent grants

·         Recent experience

·         Conferences convened

·         Postgraduate supervision

·         Electronic mailing lists

·         Journal  responsibilities

·         Some publications

Major Interests:

My current major interests are in Art and, especially, Art History and contemporary and Australian indigenous art, and in classical music.

I am a volunteer guide at the Queensland Art Gallery and a music programmer at 4MBS Classic FM in Brisbane, Australia. I also enjoy gardening and travel both within and outside Australia.

I remain an adjunct senior lecturer in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Queensland and an ex officio member of the School’s Teaching and Learning Committee.

FORMER Major Interests:

• Assessment of student achievement in higher education
• Staff development for university teaching staff
• Problem-based learning and, more generally, learning that starts with a problem
• Medical education
• Phenomenography

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Degrees:

• BSc (Hons 1) in Applied Mathematics, University of New South Wales, 1966.
• MSc (by research) in Applied Mathematics, University of New South Wales,1973.

Memberships:

• Australian Association of Gallery Guiding Organisations

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Committees (recent):

• Ex officio  member, Teaching and Learning Committee, School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, The University of Queensland, 2002 -- present.
• Elected member, Academic Board, The University of Queensland, 1987-- 2002.
• Elected member, Teaching and Learning Committee, The University of Queensland, 1997-- 2002.
• Member, Assessment Working Party, Teaching and Learning Committee, The University of Queensland, 1998-- 2002.
• Member of the Assessment Committee, Graduate Medical Course, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, 1996 -- 2000.
• Member, Curriculum Planning Committee, Graduate Medical Course, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, 1992--1993.
• Member, Executive of the Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education 1989--1992.
• Member, Executive, Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia Queensland Branch, 1992--1993, 2001 --2002
• Member, Music Therapy Advisory Committee, Faculty of Music, The University of Queensland, 1993--1996.
• Member, Music Faculty Board, The University of Queensland, 1975--1996 (when the faculty merged with another).

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Employment:

2002 (Sept) -- Independent higher education consultant.

2002 (Aug) -- Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Health and Rehabilitation Science, The University of Queensland

1992-- 2002: Senior Lecturer, The Teaching and Educational Development Institute, The University of Queensland (formerly the Tertiary Education Institute).

1987 Oct--Dec: Visiting Fellow, Centre for the Advancement of Learning and Teaching, Griffith University

1987 Jul--Sept: Visitor, Afdeling Onderzoek en Ontwikkeling van Onderwijs (Centre for Research and Development in Higher Education), Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht (State University of Utrecht, the Netherlands)

1977 Jul--Dec: Visitor, Afdeling Onderzoek en Ontwikkeling van Onderwijs, Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht

1974--1991: Lecturer, Tertiary Education Institute, The University of Queensland

1972--1973: Project Officer, New South Wales Science Evaluation Project

1969--1972: Tutor, then Senior Tutor, School of Mathematics, University of New South Wales

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Workshops and consultancies:

I have considerable expertise in the area of teaching and learning in higher education with special interests in student learning, in teaching and learning methods, assessment, and in curriculum design, development and evaluation. I have carried out workshops and consultancies in all of these areas both within and beyond the University of Queensland (my longest term employers). Among other bodies, I have given workshops or carried out consultancies on aspects of teaching and learning to or for::

• The Technical University Delft, the Netherlands
• Utrecht University, the Netherlands
• Maastricht University, the Netherlands
• Nanyang Polytechnic, Singapore
• National University of Singapore
• Umea University, Sweden
• Chalmers University, Gothenberg, Sweden
• Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Training (Approaches to Performance Related Funding for Higher Education in Europe and North America)
• Yeronga School Dental Therapists' Training College
• University of Ballarat
• Griffith University
• MacQuarie University
• The Australian Catholic University
• The University of Queensland (since leaving its employ)
• The University of Tasmania (School of Business Studies, Launceston)
• The University of Tasmania (Deputy Vice Chancellor, Quality)
• Deakin University
• Southern Cross University
• WHO/UNESCO Regional Teacher Training Centre for Health Personnel (at the University of New South Wales)
• Australian and New Zealand Association for Medical Education
• Brisbane College of Advanced Education
• Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal Australian College of Surgeons
• The University of Central Queensland
• Australian Society of Occupational Therapists, Queensland Branch

I am a Licensed Trainer for the Margerison-McCann Team Management Resource, having completed training in February 1990.

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Recent research

Learning that starts with a problem

In the usual, often lecture-based methods of education consideration of what has previously been learned leads to the students solving problems (carefully selected to be solvable using what has been learned). Problem-based learning is one educational method which starts with students considering a problem or something which is, for them, problematic. Consideration of the problem leads the students to learn.  Other methods may (depending on how they are implemented) include project-based education, the case study method, and work-based studies. I have a major interest, which has yet to be translated into serious research, in the role of the problem in these methods and in what actually happens in the "classroom" (broadly construed).

Associate Professor Doune Macdonald (School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland) and I developed and evaluated a course for final  year Human Movement Studies Students who are about to become high school teachers. The approach used was a variant of problem-based learning and the aim was to help these students to develop their professional skills and identities as teachers in the area. Papers have been presented at conferences and published in the journal Teaching Education (Macdonald and Isaacs, 2001). 

Papers on other research into problem-based learning, principally problem-based learning in individual subjects within a degree program, may be found in my publication list below.

Assessment

The assessment of students' learning (which, in the USA, seems to be called "evaluation") has been one of the themes in my work for many years. Recently I have been occupied with the role of assessment in promoting learning (see for example the booklet Assessment for learning -- Isaacs, 2001). Mymost recent researchh, however, has been in the areas of peer and self assessment and in the area of the assessment of tasks carried out by a group.

In the area of peer and self assessment, together with Dr Stephanie Hanrahan (School of Human Movement Studies and School of Psychology, The University of Queensland) I looked at students' perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of peer and self assessment of their work. A paper on this topic appeared in the journal Higher Education Research and Development (Hanrahan and Isaacs, 2001).

On the topic of group assessment I have published a refereed conference paper with Associate Professor MacDonald (Isaacs and Macdonald, 2001) and have also prepared a report on the topic for the University of Queensland (http://www.tedi.uq.edu.au/assess/assessment/group-summary.html). A booklet (Assessing Group Tasks) may be obtained from the Teaching and Educational Development Institute at the University of Queensland or downloaded from their web site (http://www.tedi.uq.edu.au).

Flexible learning environments

Together with colleagues from the Teaching and Educational Development Institute I have been involved in the evaluation of developments at a new, high tech campus of the University of Queensland located at Ipswich, near Brisbane. I was involved in two projects. One was a baseline survey looking at who are the students at this campus and why do they come (Smith et al, 2000). It yielded some interesting information on students’ reasons for coming to university and for their choice of course. The other looked at the experiences and needs of staff teaching at the campus. It yielded interesting information on their staff development needs, as well as on their conceptions of flexible learning and on the way they see their working environment (Isaacs, Stein and Andrews, 2000; Isaacs, Andrews and Stein, 2000; Andrews, Stein and Isaacs, 2001; Stein, Isaacs and Andrews, 2004 to appear).

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Recent Grants:

The research on the Ipswich campus is funded by an internal University of Queensland grant.

I was a joint recipient of a National Staff Development Fund Grant for 1996 on Application of two major teaching and learning packages: student centred/problem-based learning; and, ethics teaching and learning in clinical settings, developed at the University of Queensland in 1995 to staff development across several departments/faculties, including isolated campuses. ($72,000).

I carried out in 1993 a project funded ($100,000) by the National Staff Development Fund of the Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Training on the topic of Development of Workshops and Materials for Teaching Subjects With Large Enrolments.

I was a member of the reference groups for several projects which gained funding from The (Commonwealth) Committee for the Advancement of University Teaching (CAUT) in 1993, 1994 and 1995.

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Recent experience:

Problem based learning

I have considerable expertise and experience in the area of problem based learning, especially in medical education. I have had contact with the Educational Development Group in the Medical Faculty of the State University of Limburg at Maastrict in the Netherlands (a leader in this field) since 1977 and have visited there periodically.

I have also visited the problem based learning (usually also community based) medical schools at The University of Hawaii, Harvard University, the University of New Mexico (all USA), McMaster University (Canada), Newcastle University (Australia), and Linkoping University (Sweden).

I was involved in the change to graduate entry, problem based medical courses at the University of Queensland (my "home" university) and at the University of Sydney and the Flinders University of South Australia (the two other members of a consortium). This changeover commenced at the beginning of 1997. I was also involved in the design and implementation of problem based learning subjects (as against whole degree courses) in various areas at the University of Queensland. These include Veterinary Science, Food Science and Technology.

I was a member of the working party which, in 2000, redesigned the University of Queensland Dentistry curriculum to one in which the main educational method is problem-based learning.

Most recently I was occupied with the re-design and evaluation of a final year Human Movement Studies education subject using problem based learning as the principal pedagogy. The subject, which puts students in the position of being high school subject masters tackling various problems, is designed to help students integrate what they have learned on a recent extended school-based practicum with the more “academic” aspects of their studies. Ultimately it helps them to define their identity as emergent professional teachers. This work is reported in Macdonald and Isaacs (2001) and Isaacs and Macdonald (2001 – a paper with the focus on group-based assessment: see below).

Graduate Certificate in Education

I was from 1994 until 1997 the co-ordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Education (Higher Education) of the University of Queensland and was one of the designers of the course. This is a formal award bearing course aimed at academics who wish to improve their knowledge of and proficiency in tertiary teaching. Graduate Certificate streams now exist for Medicine and Health Sciences, Physical Sciences and Engineering, for Biological Sciences and for other areas. The first program was developed and run in 1993 for teachers in the area of Medicine and Health Sciences; the courses are run by the Graduate School of Education of the University of Queensland with some assistance from the Teaching and Educational Development Institute and planned with input from the relevant client group. I am the author of the modules on Assessment in Medical and Health Sciences Education and on Medical & Health Education: Context and innovation. I have supervised participants' action research projects in the areas of problem based learning, resource based learning, and curriculum evaluation and development.

Staff development for newly appointed academic staff

One of my major responsibilities in 1995 and 1996 was to organise a program of in-service training and development in tertiary teaching for newly appointed academic staff at the University of Queensland holding appointments at Lecturer A level and above. In 1995 I organised a four day course on Introduction to University Teaching, which was run twice in that year, and a series of lunch time seminars on teaching and learning.

Late in 1995 I commenced research on the staff development needs of newly appointed university teaching staff. As a consequence of the initial research findings, the 1996 Introduction to University Teaching consisted of two modules, each two days in length, to be studied at least one semester apart. The first two day module, Surviving as a University Teacher, was run in February 1996 and July 1996 and was very favourably evaluated. The second module, Developing as a University Teacher, which is centred on participants' own teaching practice, was run over two days in July 1996 and was also very favourably received. Both modules were run in February 1997 to a similarly favorable reception. Also, a set of seminars on university teaching and learning was held between the two modules. This program might be characterised as: surviving as a university teacher, reflecting as a university teacher, growing as a university teacher.

Staff development for assessment

In 1996 the University of Queensland adopted a set of new assessment policies and practices. I have been responsible for the planning and implementation of a program of development for academic staff and departments of the University to assist them in implementing the new policies (the essence of which is the adoption of criterion referenced assessment, and the recognition that the principal purpose of assessment ought to be the enhancement of students’ learning). I developed a Web site, About assessment (http://www.tedi.uq.edu.au/assess/assessment/), designed to enable University of Queensland staff to implement the University’s assessment policies. Naturally, as it is now over 18 months since I left the University’s employ, this site has been modified somewhat. However, the basic structure remains mine and much of my work appears on the site in downloadable format. This site is now linked to by both national and international sites. The site is designed around two downloadable document templates: a subject outline and an assessment portfolio. It aims to help staff to understand enough about assessment and subject design to be able to complete the templates effectively for each of the subjects they teach. I have also designed several workshop programs on this topic and run them for the University generally and for various departments and groups of staff. Some of these workshops have been adapted and repeated by invitation both in Australian and overseas universities.

 

In 2000 I wrote a report for the University’s Teaching and Learning Committee on Assessment of Group Tasks (http://www.tedi.uq.edu.au/assess/assessment/group-summary.html). I have also written two booklets, Assessment for learning and Assessment of group tasks, for staff of the University of Queensland. These are published by the University’s Teaching and Educational Development Institute and may also be downloaded in Acrobat pdf format from the Institute’s web site (http://www.tedi.uq.edu.au).

 

As a member of the University of Queensland Teaching and Learning Committee’s Assessment Working Party I had input to and influence on the development and implementation of the University’s policy in the area of assessment. In particular, in 2002 I was occupied with helping the University to develop policies and procedures for evaluating and enhancing the quality of assessment in the University.

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Conferences Convened:

Effective Assessment at University

In 1998, as part of my work on staff development for assessment I organised and convened a conference, Effective Assessment at University, which was aimed at staff teaching in universities in the Brisbane area. In the event both participants and contributions came from most Queensland universities and from some in New South Wales. Papers from the conference may be found on the conference web site.

Effective Courses / Effective Teaching at University

I also organised a conference on 1 and 2 November 1999 on the topic Effective courses / Effective teaching at university (there is a conference web site). Again the conference was aimed principally at university teaching staff in the Brisbane area, but, again, it will be open to all who wished to attend. A major goal of the conference was to provide a platform for university teaching staff to talk about what they have done and to reflect on why and to what extent it has been successful -- and to what extent their achievements are adaptable by others. The conference papers are available on the Web site.

Effective Teaching and Learning at University 

This was the third conference in the series and was held at the University of Queensland in November 2000. Here to I was the principal organiser. Again, it was extremely well attended and, with a stream on science-based education, highly topical. The papers may be found on the conference web site.

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Postgraduate supervision:

The Teaching and Educational Development Institute is an academic service unit (not an academic department) and thus does not offer its own award bearing courses.

Recently I have been associate supervisor for one Master of Veterinary Science student and one Master of Dental Science student, both recently granted their degrees. In both cases the degree was by research and the research topic was in the area of higher education within the relevant discipline.

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Electronic mailing lists ("Listserv's"):

Until May 2002 I ran the electronic mailing list "phenomenog-l" (which I founded in 1995). The list is devoted to the discussion of the qualitative research method(ology) known as phenomenography (as pioneered by Ferenc Marton and colleagues in the late 1970's and early 1980's). The list has over 200 active subscribers including the leading workers in the field from Australia, Sweden and other countries.

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Journal responsibilities:

I am an editorial consultant for the journal Higher Education Research and Development and for the electronic journal Medical Education Online and a member of the panel of book reviewers for the British Journal of Educational Technology. I also act as a referee for several other journals including the International Journal for Academic Development, the journal Higher Education, and Focus on Health Professional Education.

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Some publications:

Stein, S., Isaacs, G and Andrews, T. (2004 to appear) Incorporating authentic learning experiences within a university course. Studies in Higher Education.

Isaacs, G. (2002) Assessing group tasks 31 pp. ISBN 1864995017. The Teaching and Educational Development Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Isaacs, G. (2001) Assessment for learning. 15 pp. ISBN 1864995009. The Teaching and Educational Development Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Isaacs, G., and Macdonald, D. (2001) Group process and assessment -- a case study and implications. In Research and Development in Higher Education pp. 71-79. Newcastle: Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia.

Andrews, T., Stein, S., and Isaacs, G. (2001) Building learning partnerships in flexible learning environments - exploring new opportunities. In Research and Development in Higher Education pp. 8-14. Newcastle: Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia.

Hanrahan, S.J., and Isaacs, G. (2001) Assessing self- and peer-assessment the students' views. Higher Education Research and Development, 20(1), 53--70.

Macdonald, D., and Isaacs, G. (2001) Developing a professional identity through problem-based learning. Teaching Education, 12(3), 315-333.

Isaacs, G., Stein, S., and Andrews, T. (2000) Balancing competing demands within a "flexible delivery" environment . In Australian Association for Research in Education, pp. Paper Code no.: ISA080. Sydney: Available on the Association's web site: http://www.aare.edu.au/index.htm.

Isaacs, G., Andrews, T. and Stein, S. (2000) Opportunities for learning provided by a "flexible delivery" environment. In Auatralian Association for Research in Education, pp. Paper Code no.: ISA079. Sydney: Available on the Association's web site: http://www.aare.edu.au/index.htm.

Smith, C., Isaacs, G., Holzl, A., Roulston, C., and Herbert, D. (2000) The first cohort at a new campus: Who are they? Why are they here? Where are they going? What do they bring? In Proceedings of the ASET/HERDSA 2000 Conference. University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba: HERDSA.

del Mar, C., O'Connor, V., Nichols, A., and Isaacs, G. (1997) The family attachment program - an adjunct to a new PBL based medical course. Research and Development in Problem Based Learning: Integrity, Innovation, Integration, p. 105-109.

Forrest, A.S., Walsh, L.J., Isaacs, G. & Willams, L.M. (1998) PBL as a tool for integrating anatomy into the dental curriculum. Journal of Dental Education 62(9), 685-692.

Forrest, A.S., Walsh, L.J., Isaacs, G., and Williams, C. (1997) PBL as a tool for integration of basic sciences into the dental curriculum. Research and Development in Problem Based Learning: Integrity, Innovation, Integration, p. 149-156.

Isaacs, G. (1998) Brief briefing -- Peer and Self Assessment. Conference Effective Assessment at University, Brisbane, November.

Isaacs, G., and Caffin, N. (1997) Food Processing II - a problem based practical subject embedded in a conventional course. Research and Development in Problem Based Learning: Integrity, Innovation, Integration, p. 186-198.

Isaacs, G. (1998) New assessment policies for the University of Queensland. Challenges for staff and for staff development. HERDSA News 20(3), 10 -- 11.

Isaacs, G. (1997) Developing the developers -- some ethical dilemmas in changing times. International Journal for Academic Development, 2(2), 6-12.

Isaacs, G., and Parker, R. (1997) Short Courses, Beyond and Beside: What Do Newly Appointed University Teachers Want? International Journal of Academic Development, 2, 42-50.

Andrew, D. and Isaacs, G. (1995) The effectiveness of multimedia as an instructional tool within higher education. pp iv + 40. ISBN 0 86776 623 9. The Tertiary Education Institute, The University of Queensland.

Butler, J., Evans, G., Isaacs, G. and Price, D. (Eds) (1995) Developments in medicine and health sciences education. pp iv + 310. ISBN 0 86776. The Tertiary Education Institute, The University of Queensland.

Isaacs, G. (1995) Student centred assessment and problem-based learning--some issues around grading,. In Little, P., Ostwald, M. and Ryan G. (Eds) Research and Development in Problem Based Learning, 3, pp 221--234.

Isaacs, G. (1995) Pass/fail versus detailed graded assessment--the view from problem based learning, Contributed Papers of the 20th Annual Conference on Improving University Teaching, Hong Kong, July 1995, pp 530--541.

Isaacs, G. (1994a) Multiple choice testing. Green Guide 16, Sydney: HERDSA

Isaacs, G. (1994b). Lecturing practices and note taking purposes, Studies in Higher Education, 19(2), 203--216.

Isaacs, G. (1993a) Ends and means: what learning goals are served by what methods? In M. Parer (Eds.), Research and Development in Higher Education pp. 205--212. Monash University Gippsland Campus: HERDSA.

Isaacs, G. (1993b) Performance decrement in lectures. In A.R. Viskovic (Ed.), Research and Development in Higher Education, 14, pp. 116--121. Sydney: HERDSA.

Warren Piper, D. and Isaacs, G. (1993c). Approaches to performance related funding for higher education. Proceedings of the Eighteenth International Conference on Improving University Teaching (pp 324--333), SchwŠbisch GmŸnd, Germany, July 1993.

Isaacs, G., and Manley, S. W. (1992a). A successful physics course within a traditional medical program. Higher Education Research and Development, 11(1), 61--72.

Warren Piper, D. and Isaacs, G. (1992b) Approaches to performance related funding for higher education in Europe and North America, unpublished consultants' report to the Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Training.

Isaacs, G. (1991a). Evaluating CAL materials in use. In R. Godfrey (Ed.), Simulation and academic gaming in tertiary education, (pp. 319--327). Launceston: ASCILITE.

Isaacs, G. (1991b) Lecturing, notetaking and learning, pp 91Ð98 in Ross, R.A. (ed) Teaching for effective learning (Research and Development in Higher Education, Volume 13), HERDSA: Sydney.

Del Mar, C., and Isaacs, G. (1991c). Teaching consultation skills by videotaping interviews: a study of student opinion. Medical Teacher, 14(1), 53 -- 58.

Isaacs, G. (1990a) Course and tutorial lesson design: helping students to take control of their learning, Education and Training Technology International (formerly Programmed Learning and Educational Technology), 27(1), 85-91.

Foster, G. and Isaacs, G. (1990b) The impact of technology on teaching and learning in Mullins, G. (ed) Research and Development in Higher Education, 12, 46-51.

Miller, B.J., Effeney, D.J. and Isaacs, G. (1990c) Surgical knowledge base augmentation by medical rotations: does it happen?, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Surgery, 60, 907-909.

Isaacs, G. (1989a) De opmaak van een beeldscherm in computerondersteund onderwijs, (Screen design for computer assisted learning, translated into Dutch by drs. P. van der Kaaij), Paspoort voor de onderwijspraktijk, 1989,4,7-79 - 7-96.

Isaacs, G. (1989b) The lecture method, 2nd Edition, ISBN 0 86776 327 2, Tertiary Education Institute, The University of Queensland, 41 pp.

Isaacs, G. (1989c) Athena, Andrew and Stanford - a look at implementation and evaluation in three large projects, Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 5(2), 84-94.

Isaacs, G. (1989d) Changes in ratings for staff who evaluated their teaching more than once, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 14(1), 1-10.

Isaacs, G. (1989e) Lecture note-taking, learning and recall, Medical Teacher, 11(3/4), 295-302.

Isaacs, G. (1987a) Text screen design for computer-assisted learning, British Journal of Educational Technology, 18 (1), 41-51.

Isaacs, G. (1987b) Athena, Andrew and Stanford - a look at implementation and evaluation in three large projects, Proceedings of the Conference on Computer Assisted Learning in Tertiary Education, Sydney, December 1987.

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Last updated 22 September 2005

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