Higher Education Research Group of Adelaide (HERGA)

HERGA is a cross-disciplinary community of educators, representing all of the South Australian universities and other members from across Australia and New Zealand, with the intention to promote high quality university learning through sharing evidence-based, practical approaches to teaching and learning.

HERGA organises collaborative activities and professional development opportunities, including the annual HERGA Conference, our seminar and workshop programs and our collaborative networking events, as well as shares local and online educational events by partnering organisations.

HERGA Updates

HERGA Conference 2019: 21st Century Teaching and Learning.
Although we are only 20 years into the 21st century, there has already been significant change to the way we teach and students learn. Work commitments, teaching specialists, new technologies, students as partners are all relatively new initiatives and they are having significant impact on the way we function in universities. At this conference we'll look at what has changed and how effective it is. We'll look at what is currently changing and how we are adapting and we'll try and take a peak into the next 20 years and see what it may bring.
We welcome your contributions, attendance and lively discussion. As always the HERGA conference is a place for colleagues to openly discuss new and challenging issues in a friendly and supportive environment. We look forward to seeing you there.
This years conference will be hosted by UniSA on the 25th of September with space for a symposium on the 24th (subject to submissions).

This years themes are
  • New and changing assessment practices
  • Teaching specialists and their impact on students and universities
  • New modes of teaching
  • Theories of teaching that elate to 21st Century skills
  • New technologies
  • Evaluating 21st century teaching
  • The role of students in design, evaluation and development of their learning
  • Learning spaces​​
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Our keynote speaker this year is Dr Pamela Roberts. Pam is a Chemical Engineer who worked in industry and as an engineering academic at a number of professional and research universities. Her transition from professional engineering to higher education began with managing the first women in engineering project at RMIT. Her research focused on inclusive engineering education and working with engineering academics to change the engineering culture and curriculum. This led to her recent role as an academic developer, providing educational professional development for staff in formal award courses, workshops and one-on-one consultations. I have been Course Director for a number of graduate certificates in higher education at ANU, University of Canberra and Charles Sturt University. Pam’s teaching and research interests relate to curriculum design and innovation, research-based teaching and learning and professional learning. She is currently the ACT Chair for HERDSA.
Key information and dates
The HERGA conference is Abstract only submission. We do not accept full papers
Abstracts should be

  • approx 500 words in length. 
  • They should demonstrate understanding of the literature which is best done by utilising references
  • They may be for panels, workshops, presentations, or half day symposia (for the 24th Sept.)
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Last year we had a number of people take advantage of the early-bird submission. These authors gained feedback on their drafts before the submission date in order to refine their work. We particularly recommend this path to new researchers in education.

Key dates
  • July 29th early-bird submission for early review
  • Aug 11th submissions due
  • Aug 18th authors informed of acceptance
  • Sep 25th HERGA Conference

Abstracts can be submitted at
https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=herga2019
We encourage new members, so please let your colleagues know about this conference. It is free to join and attend the conference for our contributing institutions. Your institutions are key supporters of HERGA and want to see as many attendees as possible.
Review and Publication Processes

​All submissions undergo a double-blind peer review process. 
There are five review criteria, which were all weighted equally:
  • Relevance to the conference themes
  • Importance of the theme or the findings to the education/learning/teaching community
  • Clear articulation of content and conclusions
  • Evidence of appropriate use of the relevant literature/methods/methodologies
  • Potential for practical applications by others and/or significant theoretical implications
​Submission Details
Individual Papers: 25 minutes (15 mins presentation maximum; 10 mins discussion)
A submission for an individual presentation may take the form of an abstract (500 words not including references) or a full paper.  Abstracts will be submitted to the HERGA conference reviewers. A book of abstracts will be published as the conference proceedings.

Panel Sessions: 60 minutes (40 mins presentation; 20 mins discussion)
Submissions for panel sessions led by presenting teams are encouraged. A panel proposal may take the form of an abstract (750 words not including references) or full paper.

Workshops: 60-180 minutes
Submissions for workshops led by presenting teams are encouraged. A workshop proposal may take the form of an abstract (750 words not including references).
You can submit your abstracts through easychair

​As a guide to submissions, the schedule for the 2017 conference with full abstracts is available here
Connect with us & the HERGA community @HergaAdelaide #HERGA