Learning & Teaching

‘True education means more than pursuing a certain course of study. It has to do with the whole person… it prepares a student for the joy of service in this world…’ (E.G. White)

Avondale’s longstanding commitment to personalised learning in a faith-based environment has resulted in a strong track record of positive student outcomes. Innovative curriculum design, evidence-based practices and values-driven approaches to student engagement are some of the hallmarks of Avondale’s good practices in teaching and learning.

Our practices are underpinned by a commitment to holism in the student experience, and research-informed approaches to fostering the intellectual, spiritual, social, and physical dimensions of learning shape curriculum innovation and co-curricular activities.

Avondale has a proud history of quality assurance guided by regulatory frameworks and higher education standards, implementing good practices and advances in teaching and learning, and sharing those practices with the sector.

Learning & Teaching Strategic Plan →

Avondale University’s current strategic plan is shaped by our commitment to provide a supportive learning environment shaped by our values which promote the Christian ethos of empowering graduates and staff to serve their world for good. The Learning and Teaching strategic plan also responds to sector priority areas such as academic integrity, assessment innovation and student wellbeing.

Student Stories

Nursing: I Just Knew
Benjamin Rippingale had a busy 2023, completing Year 12 by distance education and a traineeship in patient and health services at a public hospital. To focus on his studies, he registered for early entry to our nursing course—ranked number one in Australia on all educational experience indicators by The Good Universities Guide—and received an offer and a $2000 cash scholarship. All before his examinations.
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"I Want To Give Back"
Meet Edward Ligaiviu, a classroom leader in the making. He’s a student in one of our undergraduate teaching courses—the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary). The courses are, according to The Good Universities Guide 2024, number one in Australia for overall educational experience, student support, learner engagement and teaching quality. They give students like Edward practical experience, skills, access to school networks . . . and influence.
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Quality Teacher To Be
Zoe Clair wants to see her children—and others—succeed in the classroom. She is invested, studying a Master of Teaching (Primary) at Avondale University, where, according to The Good Universities Guide 2024, postgraduate education courses rank number one in Australia for skills development and teaching quality.
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Lifelong Learner
An adjunct senior lecturer became the oldest person to complete doctoral study at Avondale when he graduated from the university this past weekend.
Don Roy received a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) for a second time. “I’ve always been a curious person, and I’m not content unless I’ve got answers,” he says.
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Nursing is #1
Sreyleak Tip did her research. An international student, she wanted to find the best university in Australia for nursing. She discovered ComparED, a website that explores and compares institutions and study areas based on real-life student experiences. “Avondale ranked number one for overall experience.”
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We Need Interns
Working as an intern makes John Fui a better student. The accounting and marketing major is learning not only how to be professional—being on time, building relationships with colleagues, meeting deadlines—but also how to relate practice to theory. “When my lecturer says something, I say, I know this. I’ve done this at work.”
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Master of Nursing
Amelia Archer is now a Master of Nursing, graduating from the degree this past year. As a Clinical Nurse Specialist and Clinical Midwifery Specialist at Sydney Adventist Hospital, she was already in a senior position as provider of acute and maternal care, but completing the course has provided experience in a new area—education.
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"I'm Glad I Chose Nursing"
Taylor Watson grew up 20 minutes from our Sydney campus on the grounds of Sydney Adventist Hospital but had never heard of Avondale University until her grandmother became ill.
“She went to the San and had some really nice nurses looking after her, but she’d never seen the logo on their uniform before,” Taylor explains. “After she came out from hospital, she told me to look into Avondale, because the nurses from there were so good.
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Super Science Teacher
Why did I do this to myself? Ellie Penman remembers thinking this in each of the science units she completed for her teaching degree. But learning about the “intricate way the world works” is “one of the best decisions I’ve made,” she said at the time. “I can now confidently answer the question every student asks, ‘Why do I need to know this?’.” Ellie is now imparting this love of knowing why the world works to Year 8, 9 and 10 students at Northpine Christian College in Queensland. We asked her about her experience as a new graduate in the workplace.
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Natalie Ranks Nursing #1
The care a pastor received as a patient then nurse-in-training and her responses to a national survey show why students rank our course best in Australia. Natalie Turley thanks staff members in our School of Nursing and Health for “giving me their time.” She remembers struggling with chemistry in one of the science units, “so the lecturer said, ‘Let’s meet up. I’m free here, here and here. She gave us so many opportunities to go over the material. In the end, we understood what we needed to know.” Natalie, her husband and four children were also moving house so she missed a few classes, “but the lecturers helped me catch up.”
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