What We Do

People are at the heart of everything we stand for. Our goal is to improve the fundamental processes involved in teaching and learning at PNG University of Technology.

We act as a resource to the PNG University of Technology academic community to enhance instructional practices and deepen student learning; inform its practice through using and engaging in pedagogical research; and contribute expertise to the broader external discussions in Higher Education. The Teaching Learning Methods Unit exists to inspire teaching excellence, innovation, technology use and inquiry in teaching and learning within and beyond the Papua New Guinea University of Technology. We encourage interactive collaboration with individuals, academic departments, and academic support units to foster capacity and community around teaching and promote an institutional culture that values effective student-centered teaching and meaningful learning. To achieve our mission, we:

• provide higher degree research support and resources to PNGUOT students and staff.
• support exploration, integration, and evaluation of different approaches to teaching and learning
• listen to, question, encourage, and celebrate PNGUoT Educators 
• anticipate and address evolving issues and opportunities within higher education
• offer expertise locally, nationally, and internationally to foster leadership in Teaching
• provide cross-disciplinary, institution-wide  Professional Development programs
• support instructional and curriculum development for individuals, departments, and faculties
• communicate  and support best practices in teaching and learning at PNGUoT
• provide internal industrial training for fourth year School of Communication & Development Studies students in liaison with the surrounding community for community development opportunities
•  provide on the job training (OJT) opportunities for students from rural TVET colleges in Morobe in collaboration with PNGUOT HR.                                                                                                 

Post Graduate Certificate in Student Centered Teaching

The Teaching & Learning Methods Unit runs a Post Graduate Certificate in Student Centered Teaching in Higher Education; a program that equips Academics with introductory learning and teaching concepts,  strategies and methodologies. While this course focuses on integrating ICT  teaching tools via project and problem based learning. It also equips the participants with awareness and appreciation of current pedagogical trends in global higher education. Since its inception in 2015, over 80 staff members have graduated from this program that runs from 4:00-6:00pm weekly. This program is housed in the School of Communication & Development Studies at the PNG University of Technology-Taraka Campus.

Academic Quality Assurance

The Academic Board realized the need to form an Academic Quality  Assurance Team to aid it in its responsibility to foster quality teaching and learning across all of PNGUOT’s schools considering accreditation requirements, as  well as meeting employer expectations of increased graduate core competencies. The Teaching & Learning Methods Unit works with the Academic Quality Assurance Team and 13 Academic Schools in collaboration to inspire a culture of continuous improvement in offerings across all instructional modes to enhance student learning.

Student Online Evaluation of Teaching

The Teaching & Learning Methods Unit also runs a survey among students every end of semester to establish baseline expectations of Academic Staff teaching effectiveness. This survey is known as the Student Online Evaluation of Teaching or SOET. This informs the 13 Heads of Schools to identify and nominate lecturers who need to attend the Post Graduate Certificate in Student-Centred Teaching in Higher Education which the Teaching & Learning Methods Unit runs throughout the year to address teaching and pedagogy  shortfalls discovered from the results of this survey.