Save the Office for Learning and Teaching Petition

The Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) is an Australian Government body which funds research to improve teaching at universities. The Australian government plans to close the OLT in mid 2016. There was a report "A New National Institute for Learning and Teaching" calling for a new body, based at an Australian university, but this has not progressed. In response Associate Professor Angela Carbone, Monash University has set up a petition "Save the Office for Learning and Teaching" calling on the government to either continue the OLT or proceed with the new center.

While I support work to improve university teaching, OLT has not been very effective at doing that. OLT funds research, whereas what is needed is training. The problem is not that there is a lack of research on how to teach, just a lack of incentive to apply it in universities.