The Monash Warwick Alliance encourages the development of joint research and education collaboration with the aim of mutually beneficial growth in the research and teaching excellence of both institutions. Congratulations to the following recipients who have been awarded funding in the latest round:
Quality improvement in healthcare is critical to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety and satisfaction. Many healthcare professionals are ideally positioned to implement improvements within their local setting but lack necessary skills to assess and enact change. As such, healthcare professionals would benefit greatly from the chance to develop quality improvement skills in order to implement robust service improvement activities within their practice.
To address this need, Associate Professor Megan Wallace, Director of Medical Student Research at Monash University, and Dr Lucy Hammond, Associate Professor at Warwick Medical School will lead a team to co-develop a suite of digital learning and teaching resources. Informed by the needs of industry partners and students, the resources will address theoretical frameworks for service improvement and evaluation in healthcare. They will draw on research methods for quality improvement and offer instruction to conduct quality improvement and report on service improvement activities. The resources will also draw on exemplar projects from different disciplines enabling students to select examples relevant to their practice.
The overall aim of the resources is to create internationally oriented and inter-disciplinary focused learning objects to support a range of clinical and allied health professions operating in different healthcare systems.
A range of qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods will assess the project, with feedback from hospital supervisors where appropriate. Ultimately, a detailed evaluation will explore the long-term impact of project as students graduate and become healthcare professionals, able to independently conduct quality improvement activities in their own clinical practice.
 Associate Professor Megan Wallace School of Medicine, Monash University |  Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick |
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Professor Tina Brock, Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash University
Dr Gurpreet Chouhan, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick
Associate Professor Ian Larson, Drug Delivery Disposition Dynamics, Monash University
Dr Simon Jenkins, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick
Mr Richard Clay, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick
Participating in undergraduate research programs extend a student’s learning portfolio beyond the traditional expectations of the classroom. Alongside a sound academic foundation, participation in research tests determination and perseverance, fosters innovation, and develops critical thinking and intellectual independence. Universities around the world are turning their attention to the creation and promotion of innovative undergraduate research programs.
Over the past five years, the partnership between Monash University and the University of Warwick has seen the development of three successful undergraduate research initiatives; the International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR), the Compass Research Networks Program, and the Global Leadership and Advance Research Program (GLARP). These three initiatives are significant innovations in the global higher education landscape.
Working collaboratively, key members from Monash and at Warwick will demonstrate the impact the initiatives have had on student learning through a series of surveys, focus groups and data analysis. The project will result in two peer-reviewed journal publications and the outcome help develop a deeper understanding of the pedagogical innovations and impact of the initiatives.
 Kate Aldred Academic Coordinator, Monash University |  Emma Barker Journal and Conferences Manager, University of Warwick |
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Kirra Minton, Deputy Director CURIE, Monash University
Victoria Jelicic, Journal and Conferences Coordinator, University of Warwick
Internationalisation within higher education institutions is a dominant issue in the UK and internationally. The recently published Education Strategy at Warwick reflects that importance at a local level and the Education Strategy at Monash similarly outlines that the curriculum will be infused with internationalism and enterprise to prepare our graduates for their futures in a multi-skillset workforce.
Led by Dr Nadine Normand-Marconnet and Caroline Gibson, a student project team will be recruited at both institutions so that staff and students can work together to map best practice in the sector and the two institutions. The aim is to provide practical guidance and resources to staff to enable them to create an internationalised holistic learning experience on campus and in the classroom. The team will seek to establish a community, across institutions for dissemination and cross fertilisation of ideas between academic staff and professional services. This will lead to the launch of a dedicated online space to support ongoing cross-institutional dialogue, review of activities and new areas of practice. By engaging students in the process of internationalising the learning experience, this project will seek to improve students’ valuing of internationalisation opportunities at the Universities and of their ability to access internationalisation opportunities.
 Lecturer, School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics, Monash University |  Deputy Director & Academic Manager, Institute for Advanced Teaching and Learning (IATL), University of Warwick |
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Dr Sarah McDonald, Associate Dean (Education), Faculty of Arts, Monash University
Claire O’Leary, Assistant Director, International Student Office,University of Warwick
Research has demonstrated a positive link between institutional investment in a professional development programme for teaching staff aligned to the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF), and strong levels of engagement reported by students in the UK Engagement Survey (UKES).
The Teaching and Learning Unit at the University of Warwick has been successfully delivering Higher Education Academy (HEA) accredited schemes since 2012. The accreditation provides external and independent confirmation that professional development is aligned with the UKPSF. Successful participants on these programmes/schemes will be eligible to be awarded one of the four categories of HEA Fellowship; Associate Fellowship (Descriptor 1), Fellowship (Descriptor 2), Senior Fellowship (Descriptor 3) or Principal Fellowship (Descriptor 4).
This Alliance Exchange Program is led by Professor Clemans, Academic Director, Monash University and Dr Gramaglia, Learning and Development Manager, University of Warwick. It facilitates both institutions to share expertise in academic development to enable them to develop context-driven, high quality professional development programmes which are benchmarked to the international standards of the UKPSF. It will support the development of an accredited programme at Monash by sharing Warwick’s experience and expertise. Warwick staff will mentor and support colleagues at Monash to gain Fellowship or Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, and to establish an accredited CPD Fellowship programme at Monash. It will also identify possibilities for joint professional learning opportunities for educators at both institutions.
This exchange Working with allow Warwick leaders to deepen their understanding of internationalised approaches to academic development in order to enhance existing development programmes and inform plans for re-accreditation in 2020. Ongoing knowledge exchange will facilitate cross-fertilisation of ideas and approaches relating to education and educational development between the two institutions, and also between Australasian and European networks of academic developers.
In this way, working in partnership through the Monash Warwick Alliance creates unique opportunities to gain insights which are not only of benefit to the field of academic development, but also to the HE sector.
 Academic Director, Monash Education Academy, Monash University, Malaysia campus |  Head of Academic Development, Academic Development Centre, University of Warwick |
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Dr Jennie Mills, Senior Academic Developer, Learning and Development Centre
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, employees are seeking graduates who have knowledge and understanding of the world around them. They need an intercultural mindset, an understanding of cultural diversity, and must be able to work successfully with colleagues and clients no matter where they are in the world. They need to be able to develop a strong global-mindset.
Whilst students at both universities can access a broad range of international mobility programs, an opportunity exists for the Monash Business School and Warwick Business School to jointly develop a program targeted at preparing students for a global workplace.
A short-term mobility program will be designed comprising two components. The first component will include the creation of teams across business schools where students will collaborate in virtually professional contexts. The second component will comprise face-to-face meetings during an international study abroad experience in Italy. Throughout the program, students will work together virtually and physically to solve a real-world business problem sourced from industry and alumni. As their global knowledge expands, student will also be able to take advantage of many networking opportunities.
The program outcomes will be shared beyond the business schools across broader networks in each university. Over time, the network of engaged education partners will expand to include the School of Business at Monash University’s Malaysia campus and other pre-existing partnerships across Asia and Europe.
 Deputy Dean (International), Faculty of Business and Economics, Monash University |  Assistant Dean (Internationalisation), Faculty of Social Sciences, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick |
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Lee Kramer, Director of Student Life, University of Pennsylvania
Despite Healthcare systems in the UK and Australia being ranked among the best in the developed world, there is rising public, political and economic pressures mounting over the gap between evidence and translation into patient experience, clinical outcomes and quality of care. It is understood that an innovative healthcare system requires a skilled and collaborative workforce able to generate and mobilise new knowledge.
To address this issue, Professor Helen Skouteris, Monash Warwick Alliance Joint Professor in Healthcare Improvement and Implementation, and Professor Graeme Currie, Professor of Public Management Pro-Dean for Research from the Warwick Business School, will lead a team to co-design and deliver a suite of short, low-cost, online micro-credential academic and workforce development courses. The courses will support leaders and frontline clinicians to embed healthcare improvements and implementation across all levels of healthcare systems. The course content will be informed by findings from ongoing research, as well as interviews and surveys with industry experts.
The project aims to strengthen the international program of research and education that is being successfully fostered between the Business and Health faculties at both universities. So far the team have achieved great success in developing and delivering a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) in ‘Leading Healthcare Improvement’ with 4,000 enrolments from countries including UK, Australia, Africa, Asia and the EU, and a successful 25% completion rate. A MOOC in ‘Implementing Innovation in Healthcare’ is also currently being delivered.
 Monash Warwick Alliance Joint Professor, Monash Centre for Health Research & Implementation (MCHRI) |  Professor of Public Management, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick |
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Professor Bernard Crump, Professional Teaching Fellow, Warwick Business School
There has been a push for internationalisation in higher education due to its demonstrable benefits in terms of the development of key graduate attributes. This push for internationalisation has translated to an increase in demand for student placements and international mobility experiences in the sector. However a number of barriers to student participation exist including; limited availability of physical placements, cost, and inflexible course structures.
Supported by the Alliance, Associate Professor Basia Diug, Monash University and Associate Professor Olanrewaju Sorinola, University of Warwick plan to develop a ‘Global Classroom’ that utilises a novel digital approach whereby students engage in case-based learning (CBL) to solve a problem collaboratively using an off-the-shelf mobile technology.
This virtual global classroom has the opportunity to innovatively, quickly and efficiently bridge this international divide whilst also using the emerging field of learning analytics to better understand and optimise student learning and the online environment.
 Associate Professor Basia Diug Head, Undergraduate Courses, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University |  Associate Professor, Warwick Medical School (WMS), University of Warwick |
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Professor Dragan Ilic, Head, Medical Education Research and Quality (MERQ), School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
Professor Colin Macdougall, Head of Medical Education, Warwick Medical School (WMS), University of Warwick
Professor Patrick Oliver, Associate Dean, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University
Dr Lucy Hammond, Deputy Pro Dean Education and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Warwick Medical School (WMS), University of Warwick
Professor Dragan Gasevic, Professor of Learning Analytics, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University
Dr Louise Davis, Associate Clinical Professor, Lead for Case Based Learning (CBL), Warwick Medical School (WMS), University of Warwick
Dr Tom Bartindale, Lecturer, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University
Cath Fenn, Senior Academic Technologist, Warwick Medical School (WMS), University of Warwick
Dr Danijela Gasevic, Senior Lecturer & Head, Professional Education Program, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University
Dr Debbi Marais, Director of PGT Programmes, Warwick Medical School (WMS), University of Warwick
Professor Shah Yasmin, Head of School, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University, Malaysia