I believe teaching is not about lecturing to students but about presenting concepts and practical examples of these concepts so that students can apply this knowledge to their life experiences. In a technically complex discipline such as finance, engaging students is paramount. In my teaching, I create intrinsic motivation in students by demonstrating the relevance and value of what is to be learned. This is an essentially authentic way to approach learning that leads to students adopting a view of learning as ‘lifelong learning’ (Kolb, 2014). I imbue my passion for this approach by promoting a lively, interactive, and innovative classroom environment, where students are encouraged to interact through peer mentoring and classroom discussion. By actively engaging students, they experience a transformative learning experience and are themselves changed in ways consistent with ACU’s mission that focuses on ethical graduates who have empathy and can practice in a global arena with a strong moral compass. I apply scholarship of teaching to help accomplish my teaching goals, for example, by pursuing a philosophy of constructivism (Biggs & Tang, 2011), promoting a deep-achieving (not surface) approach to learning (Biggs, 1987). My experiences in both academia and industry also help me achieve these teaching goals.

My teaching is only good if the students’ learning experiences and outcomes are well supported. It follows that I embrace my teaching philosophy by modelling ‘student- centred teaching’ that enhances the student learning experience (Biggs & Tang, 2011, p. 20). My teaching philosophy is emboldened by embedding authentic learning activities using technology. Students appreciate my efforts to integrate technologies with learning activities: “When studying BAFN204 Portfolio Management-Investing Wisely, I know how to analyse the data from the website, and how to choose which stock to invest in.” (Semester 2, 2020)

Curricula based on real-life data demonstrate my application of ‘Andragogy’: “people get ready to learn something when they experience a need to learn it to cope more satisfyingly with real-life tasks or problems” (Knowles, 1970, p. 44). For example, in BAFN204 in Semester 2, 2020, students were asked to construct an investment portfolio from real-life data. Students enjoyed the use of real-life data in their learning activities, and the enhancement of their learning experience is reflected in their comments: “I was able to apply it to my life, with my superannuation. Also, the assignments are done on actual stocks which was really fun to calculate because I was able to see how real-life stocks vary from the examples given in the book and exercises” (Semester 2, 2018). Literature supports that using real-life data and case studies enhances students’ learning experience and employability skills (Butler et al., 2019). This example also illustrates in part, the ways I routinely inform my teaching with scholarship.

In addition to the engaging ways I teach already illustrated, I have pioneered particularly innovative assessment practices in my teaching as a lecturer. For example, in BAFN204 in Semester 2 2020, I embedded work-integrated learning by forming an industry panel of 12 senior executives from leading organisations such as AMP, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Dell, Microsoft, National Australia Bank, and Svitzer Australia. Each industry panel member attended the live session with students and shared their experiences in the industry. Each panel member rated two group project reports and provided comments on the quality of the group project on the performance of socially responsible investment (SRI) and conventional (non-SRI) Investments. I then chose the two best reports based on the ratings provided by the industry panel to award those students in the group. The students highly appreciate this innovation: 13 out of 15 ‘agree strongly’ or ‘agree’ with the statement ‘I learned about employability skills from the industry panel’. Comments from students reflect the impact I had on student learning experience:

• “We used real data and figures, real companies in our practical activities and in the assignment making it easier to understand from real-world perspective”
• “Each lesson and theory was related to real life companies and analysing their performance making it not only easy to understand … but more so … also kept it interesting”
• “The best part is getting the industry panel to talk”

References

Biggs, J. B. (1987). Student Approaches to Learning and Studying. Research Monograph: ERIC.

Biggs, J. B., & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for quality learning at university: What the student does: McGraw- Hill Education (UK).

Butler, M. G., Church, K. S., & Spencer, A. W. (2019). Do, reflect, think, apply: Experiential education in accounting. Journal of Accounting Education, 48, 12-21.

Knowles, M. S. (1970). The modern practice of adult education (Vol. 41): New York Association Press New York.

Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development: FT press. Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in Society. The Development of Higher Psychological Processes.