Bios from NATA partner associations including ACODE, ascilite, CADAD, HERDSA. ODLAA, AARNet & NetSpot

1. Networkof AustralasianTertiaryAssociations(NATA) 8/01/2013
Partner Association Bios 1
Partner Association Bios
Lead Organisations
Australasian Council on Open, Distance and e-learning (ACODE)
Website:http://www.acode.edu.au/
Mission:To enhance policyandpractice inopen,distance,flexible ande-learningasitrelatestothe
leadership,managementanddevelopmentof Australasian (includingthe SouthPacific) higher
education.
Membership: Institutionalmembershipis available touniversitiesinAustralia,New Zealandandthe
south-westPacificregion.Othereducationalprovidersinthe regionmay applythroughthe Executivefor
Affiliate membership.
Activities:
 Meetings:3 peryear,for disseminatingandsharingknowledge andexpertise
 Workshops:themesdesignedcollaborativelythroughmembernetworkingandbusiness
meetings, supportingprofessionaldevelopmentof membersandmembergroups
 Commissionedmemberprojects investigating,developingandevaluatingnew approaches
 Publicwebsite,includingmembershub
 Biennial LeadershipInstitutes
Strengths:
 A representative bodywhichprovidesleadershiptothe sector, advisingandinfluencingkey
bodiesinhighereducation;
 Strongaffiliate memberships:AssociateMemberof the International CouncilforOpenand
Distance Education(ICDE);
 Commissioned research: promoting best practice, benchmarks widelyused.
Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ascilite)
Website:http://www.ascilite.org.au/
Vision:tobe a globally recognised,professionallyconnectedandvibrantcommunityenhancinglearning
and teachingthroughthe educational use of technologiesinthe tertiarysector.
Mission:tobe Australasia’sleadingnetworkedcommunityfosteringresearch,innovationandevidence–
basedpractice inthe effective use of educational technologiesforlearningandteachinginthe tertiary
sector.

2. Networkof AustralasianTertiaryAssociations(NATA) 8/01/2013
Partner Association Bios 2
Ascilite’sstrategicareasandplanningare clusteredaround‘community’,‘practice’,‘research’and
‘sustainability’.
Membership: Individualandinstitutionalmemberships(approx.570 members)
Activities:
 AustralasianJournal of Educational Technologies(AJET)-
 CMALT Australasia(aprofessionalaccreditationscheme forthose workingwithlearning
technologies(http://www.alt.ac.uk/get-involved/certified-membership/cmalt-australasia)
 Webinarseries(researchandpractice streams)
 Communitymentoringprogram(groupandindividual)
 Regional events
 FortnightlyBulletin
 Annual Conference
Strengths:
 Opportunitiesforprofessionalnetworking,professional developmentandforsharingresearch
and practice viaour annual conference,open accessjournal,CMALTAustralasia,webinars,
regional eventsandthroughsocial media
 Regionallyandgloballyconnectedtolike-mindedAssociations
CollaborativePartners
Open and Distance Learning Association of Australia (ODLAA)
Website:http://www.odlaa.org/
ODLAA (1973) is a professionalassociationforteachers,developers,researchers,consultantsand
administratorsfromAustraliaandoverseasinvolvedinopenanddistance learning.
Membership: 100 membersfrom schools,TAFEs,Universitiesandothers
Activities:
 ODLAA Bulletin - monthlynewsletterformembers
 Biennial Summit- 2013
 ProfessionalDevelopmentactivities
 Journal - Distance Education
Strengths:
 Focusesonopen,distance ande-learning

3. Networkof AustralasianTertiaryAssociations(NATA) 8/01/2013
Partner Association Bios 3
The Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia
(HERDSA)
Website:http://www.herdsa.org.au/
HERDSA (1972) isa scholarlysocietyforpeoplecommittedtothe advancementof higherandtertiary
education,promotingthe developmentof higher educationpolicy, furtheringresearchandscholarship
practice in teachingand learning.
Membership: Individual(approx.1000 members)
Activities:
 A listjournal (HERD)- 6 issuesperyear
 Annual Conference
 HERDSA News - 3 issues,sharinggoodpractice
 FellowshipScheme
 Alumni List
 Regional Network - withRegional chairs
Strengths:
 International partnerships,targetingAsia
The Council of Australian Directors of Academic Development (CADAD)
Website: http://www.cadad.edu.au/
Mission: To promote andadvance research,policyandpractice as it relatestothe leadership,
managementanddevelopmentof highereducationlearningandteaching.
Membership: Institutional(approx.38 members –one per institution)
Activities:
 Meetings - 2 peryear
 Monthlybulletin
 Website: publicsite andsite formembers
 Forumfor professionaldevelopment - earlyandmid-careeracademicdevelopers
 Foundationof TeachingprogrammesandGraduate Certificatesof TertiaryTeaching
 Benchmarkingof AcademicdevelopmentUnits
 ConnectionswithHeadsof EducationDevelopmentGroupHEDG (UK) and the Swedish
AcademicDevelopmentGroup
Strengths:

4. Networkof AustralasianTertiaryAssociations(NATA) 8/01/2013
Partner Association Bios 4
 Professionaldevelopmentexpertise
 Grant applications
 WorkingwithDVC's - policyandadvice
 Institutionalpolicyandstrategyonteachingandlearning
 Evaluationof teaching
 Connectionstothe PENSat national andinstitutional level
Enabling Partners
Australian Academic and Research Network (AARNet)
Website:http://www.aarnet.edu.au/
AARNet PtyLtd (PAL) operatesAustralia'sAcademicandResearchNetwork(AARNET).Itisa not-for-
profitcompanylimitedbyshares.
Shareholders: 38AustralianUniversitiesandthe CSIRO
Activities:
 Provisionof highspeed,highlyavailable Internetservicestothe AustralianEducationand
Researchsector,dedicatedfibre connectivity,optionnetworkoverlayservicesandNBN Access
Seeker(providerof servicesviathe NBN)
 Annual Report
 Publications
 Newsmailinglist
Strengths:
 Tightknithighlyskilledandpassionate 'can-do'culture tocreate innovative technologyideas,
bettercommunicationandcollaborationinthe areasof educationandresearch.
NetSpot
Website:http://www.netspot.com.au/
Twitter:http://twitter.com/NetSpot
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/netspotau
NetSpot(1998) isa premiumeLearningTechnologyServicesPartnertothe education sectorinthe Asia
Pacificregionwithaparticularfocuson highereducation.
Staff: 50 in Perth,Adelaide,Melbourne,Canberra,Singapore
Activities:

5. Networkof AustralasianTertiaryAssociations(NATA) 8/01/2013
Partner Association Bios 5
 Managed hosting(onAARNet) of eLearningapplications(Moodle,Mahara,Echo360, Wimba,
EQUELLA),
 Help-desk
 Consultancy
 Customdevelopment
 Training
 OpenSource Newsletter
Strengths:
 NetSpotInnovationFund:a$200,000 annual fundingroundtosupportsustainable elearning
initiativesinthe tertiaryeducationsectorinAustralia