Teaching & Learning

Purpose and Themes

The Teaching & Learning Special Interest Group (SIG) in Teaching and Learning (T&L) provides a dedicated forum for CAUTHE members to engage in dialogue, professional development, and scholarship to advance education research and practical teaching strategies in tourism, hospitality, and events. Responding proactively to the rapidly evolving higher education landscape, the T&L SIG emphasises impactful innovation, inclusivity, and digital literacy in pedagogy, supporting members in enhancing their teaching practices and scholarly inquiry.

Current areas of focus and themes include:

  • Curriculum innovation and development, including design, delivery, assessment, and enhancement of student experience.
  • Student learning, addressing contemporary influences, educational practices, diverse pathways, and inclusive learning spaces.
  • Impacts and implications of evolving higher education policies.
  • Digital literacies and technology-enhanced teaching and learning strategies.
  • Globalisation, internationalisation, and inclusive educational practices within higher education.
  • Professional learning, work-integrated learning experiences, and industry engagement.
  • Balancing liberal/social science education with vocational education imperatives.
  • Exploring future directions in tourism, hospitality, and events education.

Key Outcomes for Members

The SIG connects educators passionate about improving their education scholarship, teaching practice and student learning outcomes. Members benefit from exchanging innovative teaching methods, participating in scholarly dialogue, accessing opportunities for publishing research and pedagogical case studies, and contributing to the ongoing development of educational scholarship and practical teaching excellence. The SIG regularly organises symposia, workshops, and professional development events, furthering the teaching-focused practices and scholarly interests of CAUTHE members.

VIEW SIG Snapshot video Dr Niki Macionis

Past activities

2026

Mid-Year Meeting

  • The 2026 mid-year session titled Designing with GenAI, not outsourcing to it: assessment for the next phase of AI fluency on 20 August explored the shift from AI fluency to complete rethink of assessment design, with a focus on moving beyond attempts to ‘secure’ assessment against GenAI and towards designing assessment that makes student reasoning, judgement and decision making visible.

    Participants first used Dr Mark Bassett’s HE Educator’s AI Diagnostic to challenge some of the emerging assumptions and myths around GenAI use, assessment security and detection. The session then moved into practical assessment redesign, exploring where GenAI may replace student thinking and how assessment can instead make students’ reasoning and judgement more visible.

    The workshop also drew on Michael Borck’s open-source resource, Conversation, Not Delegation: How to think with AI, not just use it, as a practical starting point for educators venturing further into the assessment redesign space.

    Resources:

CAUTHE 2026 conference

  • Meeting at the CAUTHE 2026 conference on the theme Developing AI Fluency Through Purposeful Learning Design from 5:00–6:00pm on 11 February  at the National Wine Centre, Adelaide, SA. The workshop, led by Dr Rebecca Marrone (University of Adelaide) and facilitated by the SIG co-chairs, focused on how educators can move beyond tool adoption toward cultivating AI fluency through purposeful class and assessment design. The session reframed the conversation from Will students use AI? to How well can students exercise judgement when using AI? Participants explored how small but strategic adjustments in learning design can make disciplinary thinking visible, rather than assuming it.
  • Download: Workshop slides  | Recording: Workshop recording

2025

Mid-Year Meeting

An online workshop titled Embracing all things GenAI in inclusive assessment design was held on 1 August 2025, 1.45pm-3.15pm, hosted by the SIG co-chairs, Dr Rawan Nimri, Dr Sandra Guisela Cherro Osorio and Anastasia Yeark, which included:

  • A content-rich, theory-informed 30-minute presentation, exploring how Generative AI can be leveraged to support inclusive assessment design, and drawing on current pedagogical frameworks, industry relevance, and ethical considerations.
  • A 30-minute breakout activity with participants divided into three groups, Events, Hospitality, and Tourism, to collaboratively develop teaching strategies and assessment task ideas that integrate GenAI tools in inclusive and meaningful ways.
  • Showcase and discussion: each group shared their proposed assessment task with the wider cohort, followed by an open discussion on adaptability, impact, and implementation considerations.

VIEW WORKSHOP RECORDING  | WORKSHOP PPTX PRESENTATION | WORKSHOP PROMPTS

CAUTHE 2025 conference

  • 12 February 16:00 – 17:30 (AEST). Download flyer. Hosted by SIG Co-chairs, Dr Anastasia (Yeark) Fomina, Dr Niki Macionis & Dr Aaron Tham with speakers:
    • Chris Wong, KBS Hospitality & Tourism Facilitator, provided an update on the scenario generator, featuring destination videos created using GenAI.
    • Elizabeth Dominguez, KBS Integrity Officer and Hospitality & Tourism Facilitator, focussed on inclusive pedagogy and how non-inclusive teaching practices, such as poorly designed curricula and assessments, can unintentionally alienate students, leading to disengagement and increasing the risk of academic misconduct. This presentation provided practical insights into the critical points of no return, where students often veer off course and explored how inclusive pedagogical strategies can address these challenges. Followed by an interactive Q&A segment and a social dinner evening.

2024

Mid-Year Meeting

  • On Friday 2 August 1:30-2:30pm, titled Inclusive Teaching Practices, this professional development session focused on inclusive teaching practices for higher education educators committed to creating fair and supportive learning environments through their teaching methods. It covered practical strategies such as providing multiple ways for students to engage, presenting information in various formats, and offering diverse ways to demonstrate their understanding. 
  • VIEW Video recording | DOWNLOAD Inclusive Teaching Practices Presentation by Bozena Rupnik, MCCT Manager of Academic Success Centre, Kaplan Business School

CAUTHE 2024 conference

  • On Thursday 8 February from 16:00-17:30, Anastasia Yeark presented Using GenAI in Assessment Design: Scenario Generator. A guide on how teachers can utilise GenAI to create an authentic assessment that incorporates decision tree logic. This showcase built on the recent TEQSA’s guidance on assessment reform in the higher education sector.

2023

Mid-Year Meeting

  • Panel discussion on Tourism, Hospitality and Events (THE) Education Futures. Thursday 27 July from 16:00 to 17:00 (AEST), online with speakers: Prof Johan Edelheim, Hokkaido University, Japan, Dr Marcela Fang, William Angliss Institute, Melbourne and Ms Elise Lawrence, International Centre of Excellence in Tourism and Hospitality Education (THE-ICE) Download flyer

Japan Summer school course

  • Teaching Tourism: Values-based Transformative Learning Experiences by Johan Edelheim, Professor of Tourism & Media, Hokkaido University, Sapporo on 19-26 August.

CAUTHE 2023 Conference

  • Redirecting and re-focusing teaching in Tourism, Hospitality and Events Education on 6 February, 5.00-6.00pm, followed by dinner at the Norfolk Hotel from 6pm. Download flyer

2022

Online Seminar

  • Wednesday 28 September at 11.00-12.00. What does teaching and learning look like in the wider Asia Pacific context? Three experienced academics will share their insights regarding curriculum, context, and complexities (following COVID-19), and what it means for teaching and learning across tourism, hospitality, and events education in other parts of Australasia. VIEW RECORDING P: E^w*vR2E

Mid-year meeting

CAUTHE 2022 Conference

  • Friday 11 February online, with the theme Translating practice into publication. Co-chair, Niki Macionis, extended gratitude and thanks to Mieke Wistel (SCU) and Tamara Young (UoN) as they stepped down from their leadership of the SIG over many years. Discussion about future activities for the SIG during 2022 and 2023 resulted in the identification of three themed areas to be lead by the new SIG Co-chairs:
    • Sandra Cherro Osorio (Melbourne Polytechnic) – Talking about Teaching
    • Anastasia Yeark (Kaplan Business School) – Cross-institutional ‘Practical Pointers’
    • Aaron Tham (USC) – SoTL support and collaborative mentoring Download full meeting report.

Founding Co-ordinators

Dianne Dredge (Southern Cross Universityand) and Pierre Benckendorff (The University of Queensland)

Date founded: 11 February 2009

SIG Co-ordinators

  • Dr Sandra Guisela Cherro Osorio

    School of Business, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

    Melbourne Polytechnic

  • Ms Anastasia Yeark

    Kaplan Business School

Dr Rawan Nimri
Griffith University