M
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A day in the
life of Sunny
A new way
to learn
Monash College students work hard. Monash is a top-100
university and is home to some of the world’s best scholars
and business leaders. The students’ school day is filled with
classes, assignments and class preparation. To ensure they
are prepared, we employ world-leading teaching strategies
to engage them in their studies.
The Associate Director of Transition,
Learning and Innovation, Anne Dwyer,
shares some of the ways our programs
are designed to actively engage students.
At Monash College we are committed
to providing students with learning
experiences and a learning environment
that prepares them for university.
Our academic programs combine
curriculum and modern teaching
techniques to ensure students are
active, engaged learners. This involves
using technology to enhance
students’ learning. One technique,
blended learning, means students
learn through a combination of online,
mobile and face-to-face activities.
This integration allows students to have
a personalised learning experience
through self-reflection, interaction
with their peers, as well as instruction
and guidance from their teacher.
2
Country: China
Program: Diploma of Arts
Destination degree: Bachelor of Arts
Lives: Box Hill
Favourite place in Melbourne: Degraves Street,
for coffee. I love the coffee in Melbourne!
7:30 am
Have you ever
wondered what
a typical day at
Monash College
is like? Diploma
student Sunny
Liu shares her
day with us.
Time to wake up.
I check the weather
(it’s always changing),
eat breakfast and rush
to catch the 8.15am
number 733 bus.
8:50 am
I make it to campus
with just enough time
to meet my friends and
grab a coffee before my
first class starts at 9am.
I see one of my teachers
on the way in and stop
and say hello.
11:00 am
I have 15 minutes’
break before I start my
second class of the day
– media and culture.
Today we are discussing
media ownership and
regulation. Thankfully, I
did my homework on the
weekend and spent some
time watching Australian
TV news stations and
reading newspapers,
as well as completing
the pre-reading.
12:45 pm
Lunch time! I meet my
friends outside the common
room and decide to walk
over to the campus centre
for lunch. There are so
many options for lunch;
we decide on sandwiches
and sit outside on the
lawn and chat about
the weekend.
Another technique, the ‘flipped
classroom’, promotes student-centred
and independent learning. Students have
24/7 online access to the curriculum
and learning resources, and can
complete activities before, during
and after class.
As a student, you may be instructed
to complete a series of learning
activities, such as watching a video,
reading an article or completing a
quiz, before you attend your class.
This will allow you to develop your
understanding of theories and concepts
before joining in class discussions.
It is in class where you will explore the
concepts and apply the theory you
have learned in an environment that
is highly interactive with teachers and
your peers. Feedback is immediate.
Research has shown that this style of
teaching promotes a deeper learning
and understanding of complex
theories and concepts.
At Monash College, we actively promote
the development of communication,
collaboration, learning and thinking,
and leadership skills. By providing a
learning environment where students
work in groups, complete activities
in class, and ask and respond to
questions raised by teachers and other
students, Monash College is preparing
students to be articulate, confident
and successful citizens.
About Sunny
Rohan Bates, the Diploma of Business teaching and learning leader, at work in the ‘flipped classroom’ style.
3:00 pm
Third and final class of
the day. We are given
our first assessment
task, an essay on
moral panic. I decide
to stay back after
class and chat with my
teacher about which
topic I should choose.
She is really helpful
and provides me with
lots of advice and
encouragement.
5:00 pm
Classes are finished for
the day, but before I
head home I decide to
go to the gym. There is
one on campus, so
it’s really convenient.
Today I choose to do
a Zumba class.
7:00 pm
At home I cook pasta
for dinner. It’s my
favourite thing to
cook – it’s quick and
easy to make. I learnt
it from watching online
cooking tutorials.
M
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8:00 pm
I check my timetable
for tomorrow and look
at what pre-work I
need to do to prepare.
I have to read a news
article online and add
my opinion to the blog.
I spend some time
reading through my
friends’ responses
before turning the
computer off and
getting ready for bed.
11:00 pm
I get into bed. It’s been
a long day, but I feel
good that everything
went well. I only have
two classes tomorrow
and finish a little earlier.
I message my friend to
see if she wants to go
out f