Faculty of Education - Research Publications
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 7 of 7
-
ItemThe Australian academic profession: A first overview(Research Institute for Higher Education, Hiroshima University, 2008)
-
ItemInnovation in higher education: the university paradox(Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), 2006)Innovation is one of the major buzzwords in economic as well as higher education policy debates world-wide. In Europe, the Lisbon Agenda is the embodiment of this, with the clearly stated – though very difficult to attain – objective of Europe being the most dynamic and innovative economic block by 2010. In Australia the notion of transforming the economy from a primary industry-base to a knowledge-based economy is paramount in the governments policy, resulting in catchphrases such as the Clever Country. And in Asia, economies are rapidly transforming with the Chinese economy being one, though certainly not the only, example of major change and expansion. Within this framework, much emphasis is placed on the role of higher education and in particular of universities in supporting and sometimes even leading the quest for innovation. In this chapter we address this drive for innovation and the question of innovative universities by not only tackling the question why the theme of innovation has come so much to the fore and what places universities in so central a role in this. We also focus on the question what prevents universities to fully exploit their potential in stimulating innovation in our societies and economies. We do this by focussing first on the changing environmental conditions that universities face, including a particular stakeholder approach. Secondly, we explore the nature of the beast of little more through an analysis of the basic characteristics of universities. On the basis of this in the final part of this chapter we formulate some suggestions for effective reactions by universities for optimising their position in what we today so easily term the knowledge society.
-
ItemRethinking equity in tertiary education: why we need to think as one sector and not two(Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA), 2010)Equity policy in Australian tertiary education is differentiated by educational sector, with the higher education and vocational education and training sectors having different policies, and in some cases, different definitions of equity groups. This is problematic because pathways from VET to higher education are meant to act as an equity mechanism by providing students from disadvantaged backgrounds with access to higher education. This presentation examines equity policies and definitions in both sectors, and it examines data on student pathways within VET and between VET and higher education. It finds that, apart from students with disabilities, students from disadvantaged backgrounds are over- represented in VET and under-represented in higher education. However, students from disadvantaged backgrounds are over-represented in lower-level VET qualifications and under-represented in higher-level qualifications, particularly in diplomas and advanced diplomas. This matters because diplomas are the ‘transition’ qualification which VET students use as the basis for admission to higher education. The presentation argues that the diploma is the key qualification for equity policy in both VET and higher education. Rather than separate VET and higher education equity policies and separate sectoral policies that mean pathways are of some importance only ‘at the borders’, a tertiary education policy framework will be needed that considers equity outcomes and pathways within and between sectors and places these outcomes as key concerns of both sectors. The presentation first problematises the extent to which pathways are able to act as a mechanism to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds to access higher level studies. Second, reasons why we need to consider equity from a post-compulsory or tertiary education perspective are presented, and it argues that the diploma is the key qualification for pathways and thus for equity policy. This is followed by an analysis of the relative position of equity groups in VET. Finally, the presentation considers the implications for equity policy.
-
ItemWhat kind of access does VET provide to higher education for low SES students?: not a lot(National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education, 2009)This paper addresses three questions: the first question explores the extent to which VET diplomas and advanced diplomas provide students with an educational ladder of opportunity. The second question explores the extent to which VET pathways provide students from low socio-economic backgrounds with access to higher education and thus provides a social ladder of opportunity. The third question explores the institutional destinations of VET students from low socio-economic backgrounds in higher education. The paper concludes by examining the implications for policy. Overall, the findings are that pathways from VET to higher education provide access to universities, but not to the elite universities. It also finds that VET pathways are not a mechanism for redressing socio-economic disadvantage in higher education more broadly, because the socio-economic profile of VET articulators is very similar to students already in higher education and within individual universities, with a few notable exceptions.
-
ItemBetwixt and between: higher education teachers in TAFE(Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA), 2009)This paper reports on the views of 20 teachers who were involved in designing and delivering higher education programs in TAFE institutes.
-
ItemExcellent measures precede measures of excellence(Australian Universities Quality Agency, 2006)This paper identifies quantifiable indicators that might enhance the national evaluation of learning and teaching in Australian higher education. It begins by setting out a framework suitable for guiding the identification and selection of indicators. After a brief critical review of current indicator possibilities, it defines a number of possible indicators that might be developed. The paper works from the premise that as greater significance is placed on the outcomes of measurement, we need to place greater significance on measurement itself. It is imperative that appropriate and contemporary analytical methods are used, and that evaluations are developed in ways that ensure that the basic availability of data does not dictate the approach.
-
ItemWhat's the difference?: models for assessing quality and value added in higher education(Australian Universities Quality Agency, 2008)This paper outlines two approaches being piloted by Australian universities in 2008 for assessing the quality and outcomes of higher education. The approaches offer alternative and complementary means of estimating the value that has been added by university education. They also provide a means of assuring the quality of the routine student assessment processes and results which may be used to underpin quality considerations. The paper concludes that the application of these approaches in Australian universities is important, for it flags innovative ways of thinking about how educational institutions measure and verify the quality of student learning.