820
Providing Authentic Learning Experiences in Process Mineralogy
in an Evolving Learner Landscape
Elaine Wightman, University of Queensland
Cathy Evans, University of Queensland
ABSTRACT: One of the key resources needed to support the transition to green energy is technically capable
people. It is widely acknowledged that the shift to zero carbon will require more mining activity which will in
turn require more people with knowledge and skills in metallurgical engineering to extract critical metals. But
where will those people come from? This paper focuses on the core metallurgical skill of process mineralogy
and explores how the development and delivery of learning experiences in this area have evolved in response to
changes in who the learners are and how they learn.
INTRODUCTION
Does the term ‘skills shortage’ feel overused? If you have
been in the business of educating metallurgists at any
time over the past 50 years, it might feel a little bit like
Groundhog Day… haven’t we been here before? The
answer is of course yes and if you spend some time digging
through the literature you will probably find that it’s been
going on for longer than that. The push to net zero is the
most recent contributor to renewed rhetoric about the sup-
ply of skilled professionals (Hrubá and Samolejová, 2020
Nicholls, 2023).
Universities have been seen as a principal source of
new talent coming into the resources sector. However,
policy choices by universities that constrict or discon-
tinue key undergraduate programs, exacerbated by fund-
ing constraints and reduced interest in the resources sector
from high school graduates, are an ongoing challenge.
Organisations like the AusIMM (AusIMM, 2021) and
the International Mineral Processing Council (Cilliers,
Drinkwater and Heiskanen, 2013) have recognised the cur-
rent and potential impacts of these factors on the sector.
An increasing number of resources companies are investing
in workforce development through graduate training and
professional development (McCaffery, Giblett and Dunne,
2014 Drinkwater and Napier-Munn, 2014) without
directly investing in supporting university undergraduate
courses.
The authors have been sharing their specialist exper-
tise in process mineralogy through training metallurgical
engineering undergraduates and industry professionals for
the last 15 years. Over that time there have been changes
in who the learners are and how they access training, and
this paper describes how the development and delivery of
learning experiences in process mineralogy have evolved
in response to those changes. The authors’ primary goal in
developing and delivering learning experiences is to provide
the learners with skills and experiences that are relevant in
their current or future profession. This is driven both by
the belief that universities have an obligation to provide
high quality graduates to the industry and on literature
that suggests that graduate metallurgists are lacking some
of the basic skills required for their profession (Munro and
Tilyard, 2009 McCaffery, Gibblet and Dunne, 2014 Jak
and Hayes, 2023). Teaching and learning is a shared jour-
ney and should represent a transformative experience for
the participants. It is also an evolving experience for several
Providing Authentic Learning Experiences in Process Mineralogy
in an Evolving Learner Landscape
Elaine Wightman, University of Queensland
Cathy Evans, University of Queensland
ABSTRACT: One of the key resources needed to support the transition to green energy is technically capable
people. It is widely acknowledged that the shift to zero carbon will require more mining activity which will in
turn require more people with knowledge and skills in metallurgical engineering to extract critical metals. But
where will those people come from? This paper focuses on the core metallurgical skill of process mineralogy
and explores how the development and delivery of learning experiences in this area have evolved in response to
changes in who the learners are and how they learn.
INTRODUCTION
Does the term ‘skills shortage’ feel overused? If you have
been in the business of educating metallurgists at any
time over the past 50 years, it might feel a little bit like
Groundhog Day… haven’t we been here before? The
answer is of course yes and if you spend some time digging
through the literature you will probably find that it’s been
going on for longer than that. The push to net zero is the
most recent contributor to renewed rhetoric about the sup-
ply of skilled professionals (Hrubá and Samolejová, 2020
Nicholls, 2023).
Universities have been seen as a principal source of
new talent coming into the resources sector. However,
policy choices by universities that constrict or discon-
tinue key undergraduate programs, exacerbated by fund-
ing constraints and reduced interest in the resources sector
from high school graduates, are an ongoing challenge.
Organisations like the AusIMM (AusIMM, 2021) and
the International Mineral Processing Council (Cilliers,
Drinkwater and Heiskanen, 2013) have recognised the cur-
rent and potential impacts of these factors on the sector.
An increasing number of resources companies are investing
in workforce development through graduate training and
professional development (McCaffery, Giblett and Dunne,
2014 Drinkwater and Napier-Munn, 2014) without
directly investing in supporting university undergraduate
courses.
The authors have been sharing their specialist exper-
tise in process mineralogy through training metallurgical
engineering undergraduates and industry professionals for
the last 15 years. Over that time there have been changes
in who the learners are and how they access training, and
this paper describes how the development and delivery of
learning experiences in process mineralogy have evolved
in response to those changes. The authors’ primary goal in
developing and delivering learning experiences is to provide
the learners with skills and experiences that are relevant in
their current or future profession. This is driven both by
the belief that universities have an obligation to provide
high quality graduates to the industry and on literature
that suggests that graduate metallurgists are lacking some
of the basic skills required for their profession (Munro and
Tilyard, 2009 McCaffery, Gibblet and Dunne, 2014 Jak
and Hayes, 2023). Teaching and learning is a shared jour-
ney and should represent a transformative experience for
the participants. It is also an evolving experience for several