Best Education & Training Collaboration

Winner: Motic China Group Co. Ltd., Australian Instrument Services Pty Ltd and Monash University (School of Biological Sciences, Teaching Facilities Support Unit)

Title: Interactive Teaching Laboratory

The project is about the continuing development and delivery of innovative, inspiring and effective learning and teaching enviroments in biology. The project involves a dynamic collaboration between a leading optical equipment manufacturer (Motic China Group), AIS Australian Instrument Services Pty. Ltd. (AIS) and a major tertiary education unit (School of Biological Sciences (SBS) at Monash Unversity). It was intiated through (AIS) while the SBS was exploring options for upgrading its teaching facilties. The collaboration has resulted in the development of a cutting-edge teaching and learning environment that links microscopes to computers and student computers to teaching computers, thereby creating a truly interactive digital teaching laboratory and further facilitating a range of emerging pedagogies. Although the original driving force for the project was to update and invigorate a specific undergraduate teaching facility, the opportunity to build on the experience and create a working showcase continues to enhance the project and collaboration.