Search

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the changing context, from an Australian perspective, for quality teaching in higher education and to examine the drivers for change and implications for the role of academics and managers. The paper uses a review and synthesis of the literature to consider the competitive context within which universities now operate, and which has consequences for the role of academics and managers. The many changes in Australian higher education are a direct reflection of the international trend for increased accountability in higher education and the widely held view of politicians and the public that higher education is critical to nations and individuals alike. While this viewpoint is well understood by many staff in universities, there is little consensus among the academic community as to how the individual contributes to the "business" and is recognised for that contribution. The altered dynamic of a university and student relationship becoming one of a business selling a product to a client has presented both challenges and opportunities. With this shift, universities have been required to undergo extensive reform and change as they provide systematic evidence of effectiveness and efficiency in a much more business-oriented climate. The overt impact on higher education staff engaged in teaching in the corporatised university has fundamentally changed the way they are able to engage in decision making and collegial activity to the point that academics may be described by some as subordinated to the mission of marketing and strategizing developments of the institution and its leaders. The paper concludes that, operationally, the way academics perceive their work is critical; and the failure to understand this is likely to lead to a widening gap between the rhetoric and reality of quality in teaching and learning, which will ultimately impact negatively on the quality of teaching provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the measures of teaching and learning achievement used in Australian universities is Student Feedback on Teaching (SFTs) evaluation forms. Generically, these evaluations are known as the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). These are instruments, according to Ramsden, that, if appropriately constructed, provide invaluable feedback for teacher reflection and are the only way to actually determine the 'quality of the student learning experience'. This paper looks at the policy in the use of SFTs in higher education in Australia. The paper reviews the literature and publicly available data from Australian universities. The aim of the article is to highlight the similarities and differences in policy between Australian universities in their use of SFTs as an appraisal tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy making and practice for gender equity in schools is undergoing substantial change as the focus has shifted in recent years from girls to boys. It has been argued that social policy makers need evidence from a variety of sources to make informed decisions about social policy and program implementation. There should be ways of characterising, comparing and contrasting differing perspectives from the public, the media, research and practitioners so that their similarities and differences can be laid open for inspection and therefore provide broad, deep and useful information to policy makers and practitioners. New approaches to reviewing and synthesising literature have both been claimed to have the potential to provide more useful information to social policy makers about 'what works' than traditional methods of reviewing literature. One is an 'argument catalogue' developed by the Canadian Network for Knowledge Utilisation. This paper outlines an attempt to synthesise literature from a variety of sources, including views from parent bodies, teacher unions, practitioners, the media, government departments, and research and theoretical perspectives on gender in schools. The paper offers the findings from utilising this approach as one possible way of dealing with the complexities facing research on policy and practice in this highly contested field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers issues of diversity and community in Australian higher education as it becomes increasingly globalised and internationalised. As globalisation transforms higher education through market competition, universities worldwide are responding through internationalising all facets of their research and education. The development by many universities of export-oriented 'transnational' programmes, where students are located in a different country to the institution providing their course, is part of this response. Within this context, learning communities are becoming more diverse as different populations of students in different locations experience different modes of programme delivery. This paper draws on research into student experiences of transnational programmes offered by Australian universities in Southeast Asia. The focus of the paper is on how these students negotiate difference and diversity in their learning communities. In particular, strategies for constructing an international identity, gaining membership of the learning community, 'fitting in' to a diverse ethnic and cultural student cohort, and negotiating the competing roles of family, work and study are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent education reforms in Australia and elsewhere are calling for innovative ways to increase school retention and tertiary participation of students deemed educationally ‘at risk’. The Student Action Research for University Access (SARUA) project in Brisbane, Australia, offers a model with the potential to address some of the issues identified in the school reform programs. In a SARUA project, the high school students research barriers to higher education that exist within their own communities and plan consequent activities. In doing so, they not only increase their skills and knowledge, but they are presented with a forum for their voices to be heard and for their own ideas on school reform to be taken up by their schools. There are certain risks for the students in undertaking this work and in critiquing their own schools. Encouraging and respecting student voice, however, also involves attendant risks for those working with the students in the research process — not only must schools be willing to accept student views on their shortcomings, but teachers and the project's facilitators must also be prepared to learn from the student researchers. Using students' views gleaned from their research reports and focus groups, this paper firstly examines the learning that has ensued from participation in the project for the students in terms of overcoming some of their own educational disadvantage and increasing their confidence as learners and researchers. Secondly, it explores the learning that the project facilitators and the schools have gained from the students. The paper concludes by considering the advantages of this model for more general use in teaching and learning with relevance to at risk students, with particular regard to recent school reforms and the introduction in Queensland of ‘productive pedagogies’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International concern relating to access and opportunity in Higher Education (Council of Europe 1996; OECD 2008; Rougaas 2001) has generated increased research interest in how and why tertiary institutions tend to reproduce privilege (Bourdieu and Passeron 1977, Teese 1996). The 'problem' of widening participation, particularly in relation to traditionally marginalized groups, has proven intractable despite concerted policy efforts (Tinto 2006-7, Kift, Nelson and Clarke 2012). Theoretical work, such as that of Sellar and Gale (2011) and Dei (2008) highlights the need to move from a politics of representation to one of recognition. This paper draws on an analysis of artefacts collected in the development and implementation of a policy and practice framework to support the transition to tertiary education at an Australian university. A design thinking approach was used to try and disrupt the dominant epistemologies and institutional practices that work as powerful technologies (Ball 2003) in maintaining a dominant culture. Insights are provided into how and why institutional practices and epistemologies can militate against inclusivity and ways in which institutions might design more positive and productive higher education experiences for increasingly diverse students are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current context of higher education is dynamic with various demands for change. Among the catalysts for change are competition, market orientation, globalisation and technological innovation. Implementing major change in higher education is not an easy task. Higher education as an entity is unique unlike business organizations. A university has distinctive fundamental characteristics and practices such as the presence of diverse and ambiguous objectives and semi-autonomous organizational structures. The views, perceptions, experiences and knowledge of faculty members also need to be taken into account. All these aspects may contribute to the success of major change. Some also resist change. Research demonstrates that organizational change impacts individuals of the organization and vice versa. Imposed change may create negative emotions such as fear of losing something important, anger and anxiety. On the other hand, planned change may be accompanied by excitement and hope. In all these developments, research has shown that studies on the post change era are scarce. This is interesting because scholars have argued that post change era is an important time since it determines the success and failure of the change. This paper is about the effects of major change in an Australian university. It focuses on the amalgamation of two separate faculties (Arts and Education) into one larger faculty. A main focus of this paper is the phenomenon of leadership during an organizational restructuring process. In this case study, interviews were carried out to extract experiences of leaders and co-workers who had lived through the major change. These multi perspectives provide a rich description of the why, how and what aspects of the major change that may prove useful to leaders and staff of an academic organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internationally higher education institutions are increasingly reliant on precariously employed non-tenured academic staff, contingent academics. At the same time, institutions are facing great difficulties in replacing and replenishing their aging academic workforce. Although contingent academics are responsible for a significant proportion of teaching, they are frequently excluded from professional development opportunities that would allow them to form part of the solution to the shortages among tenured academics. Additionally, in Australia poor outcomes in teaching and learning are often attributed to the presence of high numbers of contingent academics, but little is known of the accuracy of these accusations. This paper reports on a research project based on a survey of contingent academics in the disciplines of business and law at an Australian university. The survey sought information and perceptions on academic development and support, teaching practices, and motivation and satisfaction with their employment situation. The impact of these factors, especially professional development and support, on the ability of such employees to establish tenure track positions and deliver quality teaching and learning outcomes is analysed. Results demonstrate high levels of satisfaction with teaching, but low levels of satisfaction with development and career opportunities. The paper concludes with suggestions for improving access to professional development and career progression for contingent academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to provide a first-hand experience of deploying latest technology allowing the submission of assignments by students electronically, and providing them with feedback on these assignments. In this Australian case study, the lecturers used 'Audacity' and 'echo360' software to communicate with students by providing them with feedback on their assessments. This included general feedback for the benefit of the whole class, directed to all campuses, and weekly lectures' summaries. The findings suggest that the use of such technology develops a range of skills that would enhance students' interest in the unit, and their life-long learning. This paper provides an account derived from the examination of data collected from lecturers and students of undergraduate units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous Australians participate in higher education at a rate significantly less than non-Indigenous Australians. This disparity becomes increasingly evident according to the level of study undertaken, with postgraduate study revealing the greatest difference. In response to such disparity, Indigenous units were established and are now common place in Australian universities, with their roles and responsibilities varying from one unit to the next. Some units have failed to evolve from their original enclave formation existing for the sole purpose of providing personal, cultural and academic support to students, whilst other units have flourished into larger departments or schools with additional responsibilities that are inclusive of teaching and research. This paper explores the various roles attributed to Indigenous units whilst arguing the need for all units to support the learning needs of their students through a model that centres on understanding through experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a research theme for investigating the effectiveness of collaborative learning in online learning teams in university classrooms where substantial variations exist among students in terms of professional experiences, academic and socio/cultural backgrounds. The research theme is the result of a systematic investigation of the current literature, and deriving factors that were cited to affect student's perception of the effectiveness of collaborative eLearning. The effectiveness of collaborative eLearning therefore is investigated from the student's perspective. The outcome of the present study is a survey instrument to be administered to students. The ultimate goal of this study is to support the achievement of student's graduate attributes by developing a generic survey for assessing the effectiveness of collaborative eLearning initially used by the Australian School of Business, and ultimately to be utilized by similar organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws on recent qualitative research conducted with academics working 'onshore' in the production and management of various Australian university transnational programmes, and with academics engaged 'offshore' in the delivery of these programmes in Asia, to identify quality issues and problems and to suggest protocols and practices to assuage these concerns and enhance the quality of transnational educational curriculum and pedagogy. The focus is on 'what works' and 'what doesn't' in regard to quality control from the perspectives of those directly involved in teaching and learning in Australian transnational programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As early as the 1980s, the avalanche of innovative performance witnessed in the global economy has seen the rise of the entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship is recognized as being a vital factor that promotes social change through innovation, leading to opportunities for job and wealth creation, thereby improving the economy. The study of entrepreneurship is, therefore, an important consideration for the long-term social and economic development of a nation. The contemporary competitive globalized work environment requires a range of entrepreneurial skills, not only to start new ventures but also for these ventures to thrive and be sustainable. Being an entrepreneur is an occupation based on specific properties of entrepreneurship. An exploratory study was conducted with university students in Australia to ascertain students' views on entrepreneurship and study programs. The responses were compared with an audit of course offerings from Australian universities' websites to determine whether current programs meet students' expectations in relation to the skills and abilities required to be a successful entrepreneur. The findings suggest that Australian entrepreneurship study programs should be reconceptualized to provide specific experiential learning that enables graduates to hit the ground running in start-ups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher Education approaches to professional training in the health sector have moved from undergraduate to postgraduate in recent years. In Australia the health system has evolved, giving more responsibility to allied health professionals. In addition the cost of providing clinical training for students has steadily increased as has the need for qualified professionals. In response to these imperatives the Faculty of Health Sciences at La Trobe University has undertaken significant curriculum review and restructure. This has resulted in the development of a model incorporating a common first year across ten health disciplines delivered to approximately 1500 students, across five campuses. Enquiry based learning was chosen as the learning approach with the aim of establishing a collaborative learning environment to enable greater student interaction, and to engage them in an interprofessional learning experience. The revised first year curriculum was designed and developed over two years, and implemented in March 2009. Surveys of students and staff were conducted during the first year as a preliminary indicator of the experience of this altered mode of learning and teaching. This paper outlines the theoretical base for the curriculum design, the development process and provides data on initial staff and student responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper will discuss the results of a qualititative analysis of journalism studies course content at Australian universities. I will argue that a focus on the contribution of tertiary education to the formation of journalistic 'professional identity' must be seen within the much broader context of a socially produced field of expertise and cultural practice. This has particular ramifications for understanding of some of the influences on journalistic self definition, especially in a contemporary era of contestation of journalism culture and authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the introduction in 2006 of the Learning and Teaching Performance Fund (LTPF) the Australian Government has provided around $220 million to reward universities for excellence in learning and teaching. This has stimulated in Australian universities a renewed focus on the quality of teaching and learning and the establishment of institution wide performance indicators to measure and reward teaching excellence. This paper reports on the pilot of an on-line scheme designed to reward quality teaching, foster scholarship in teaching and improve the external profile of a large multi-campus Australian university. The scheme rewarded high scores on student evaluations of teaching, course review and benchmarking activities, scholarship in teaching and the design of high quality teaching resources. An evaluation of the scheme highlighted the complexities involved in measuring teaching quality and the difficulties of gauging the potential for the scheme to achieve its stated aims. Nevertheless, the funds were welcomed by staff and there were indications that the scheme had impacted on teacher behaviours and was driving organisational change. There was also an increased focus on the quality of teaching and a robust dialogue about how the quality of teaching and learning can best be measured and improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational institutions provide a diverse range of courses and services for students using a myriad of delivery modes. Changes in the higher education cultural environment have altered student expectations. The development of the study tour program demonstrates a proactive response to the massive shift in the expectations of cohorts of fee paying students. "The learning area need not necessarily be enclosed within the school premises." (Stone, 2004). New cohorts expect "fun, social connection, training, personal development and greater environmental sustainability" (McCrindle, 2006) in the workplace. The study tour program conducted by the College of Business at RMIT University, Australia, was developed to prepare students for the workforce by providing a culturally inspiring international learning. It is structured so as to create capacity for global business understanding and imagination in students. The tour encourages students to investigate and analyse a variety of issues such as working collaboratively in a group setting to achieve a common goal, to the demonstration of cross cultural issues such as individual cultural practices, cross cultural differences in both tertiary education and business practices, and processes of cultural and society studying and living in another culture. This paper outlines requisite capabilities, activities and assessments scheduled for successful study tours across the globe to evaluate the effectiveness of the components. Implementation of a formal survey instrument provides evidence that students develop insights into cultural differences, communicate effectively and embark upon unfamiliar problems. Student feedback continually reinforces the contribution of the study tour program at a number of different levels, personal and professional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three major mining education providers implemented in 2007 a highly innovative approach to educating mining engineers in Australia with the establishment of Mining Education Australia (MEA). In July 2006 a Joint Venture Agreement was signed between the three universities: Curtin University of Technology, The University of New South Wales, and The University of Queensland. An important aspect of MEA is the linkage with industry which through the Minerals Council of Australia has provided significant financial support. MEA is a world first collaborative undergraduate mining program that provides a common curriculum for the final two years of the four year degree program. The program has incorporated a range of collaborative teaching and learning tools. For example as each partner university has a different learning management system, MEA registered its own web domain within Moodle in mid-2007. In 2008 the majority of the courses used Moodle as the common learning management system in MEA. Most MEA courses also use a project and/or problem based learning approach resulting in more group work by students. This required a strategy to ensure group work standards were consistent across the program including peer assessment. As part of this, MEA trialed different peer assessment tools such as iPeer and SPARK and is investigating new tools for learning/teaching such as online and digitally mediated tools. This paper describes the collaboration success of MEA and also discusses the teaching and learning management systems and peer assessment tools used across the MEA universities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid expansion of Australian university transnational education, with courses being delivered offshore and onshore in a variety of formats and configurations, and in collaboration with a range of overseas partners, is changing the nature of teaching and learning in the tertiary sector. Transnational courses in some cases are delivered in full in the host country, and in other cases allow or require students to complete part of their degree onshore. Transnational activities include moderated programmes, where a local overseas institution teaches its own programme, with quality assurance provided by an Australian university. The university then offers 'advanced standing' to graduates of the local programme. This paper reports a qualitative case study of the perspectives of key academic stakeholders involved in one such moderated programme regarding the issues that arise for them with respect to quality teaching and learning. The findings are presented in terms of three key emergent themes, namely, welfare, curriculum and pedagogy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the implications of an academic service learning program "Crossing Borders" on transnationalism and the internationalization of higher education. For individuals coming into Australia from other cultural and linguistic backgrounds, education arguably plays an especially significant part in the negotiation and construction of their understandings of Australian culture and identity. Transnational students are encouraged to disregard standards and norms developed in their home country and adopt those of the host country. This process is clearly complex since cultural norms and beliefs are embedded into the student and thus putting these aside is difficult. As a result, cultural differences exist in the student-lecturer relationship. Transnational students tend to be more reluctant to question the opinions of a lecturer as this is a position of authority. Students coming from cultures where study is very much teacher-led may find the transition to an academic environment with a strong emphasis on independent learning difficult. Using Bourdieu's theory of social capital and cultural reproduction as a conceptual framework, this study explores the role of the "Crossing Borders" program in enabling transnational learning communities generate and sustain empowering knowledge networks. Such insight might inform educators and policy makers at some point in the future so that other transnationals will benefit from an increased understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved in crossing cultures. Further benefits of transnational education are that it helps in the development of university involvement with other nations and also provides the opportunity for crosscultural experiences for domestic students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early career academics in a higher education institution may come from varied backgrounds which are not necessarily teaching based. Universities employed such academics to undertake an array of tasks including teaching administration and research. In current budgetary constraints an academic is normally required to undertake all 3 tasks. Teaching is a core activity of any university but there are enormous pressures for such academics to undertake research either through publication or undertaking research degrees and little attention is given to assisting with the philosophy and implementation of good teaching practices. This paper will examine a program at an Australian university with the use of mentoring from senior colleagues to assist not only in the teaching process but to also interweave this into research based publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing global migration and interconnectedness presents us with the challenge of finding ways to incorporate diversity and its inherent potential for change. The higher education field exemplifies these global trends as international students from a variety of cultural backgrounds choose to study overseas. One of their important motives in doing so is the opportunity to gain intercultural experiences. Yet consistently they report dissatisfaction with the nature and frequency of their interactions with and among members of the host culture. Educational institutions face losing a lucrative market if they do not pick up the opportunity to engage differently with this diversity. The challenge is to facilitate interactional experiences that will improve working relationships and provide potential for ongoing collaboration between all students and between students and staff of all backgrounds. University of South Australia recognises the potential of inclusivity in developing qualities of global citizenship among all students and is researching critical elements that make a difference. This paper explores alternative interactive strategies being developed at UniSA that explore the effect of differing worldviews on interaction among international and local students and staff. This inclusive model is based on Process Oriented Psychology which emphasises change through increasing awareness among participants. It discusses the critical role of intercultural interaction in developing awareness about cultural assumptions and expectations of themselves and others, and how these shape ongoing and future interactions. Central aspects that have previously received little attention are the role and impact of rank in determining a dominant communication style and how each person's culturally defined understanding of power and rank impact their ability and choices to contribute in any given context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International students in Australia (students from overseas countries with temporary study visas) tend to encounter a range of challenges in adjusting to study in a culturally unfamiliar environment. Difficulties associated with different teaching and learning styles may be compounded by students' limited previous use of libraries and online resources for study. In an increasingly ICT-dependent educational environment that promotes independent, problem-based learning these difficulties can be barriers to achieving equitable academic outcomes. How can they be alleviated? This paper — which draws on the findings of a research project into the use of online information resources by a group of international students at an Australian university — highlights the importance of addressing the cultural and linguistic diversity of the student population in the design of online information resources, and in the planning and delivery of information literacy education. The authors contend that international-friendly improvements to online resources and an inclusive approach to information literacy education, would enhance the online use and academic outcomes of international and local students alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In December 2008, the Australian Government was presented with a report from a Review of Australian Higher Education known as the 'Bradley Review'. The report clearly articulates many challenges that lie ahead; it questions the structure, organisation and financial position of Australia to effectively compete in the global economy. This paper provides a succinct discussion of some of the challenges and dilemmas encountered at a metropolitan Australian university in Melbourne within the Faculty of Arts and Education in the School of Education. The courses will be reaccredited in 2016 and has to comply with the new Australian Qualification Framework (AQF), the Australian Teaching Standards Framework (AITSL) and the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT). By employing narrative inquiry, reflective practice and document analysis as methodology, I discuss the Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary)ZBachelor of Arts course (degree), the largest secondary pre-service teacher education course at a university in Melbourne presenting some strategies and inviting international dialogue in relation to some of the challenges faced regarding increased numbers of students and lower entrance scores. Limitations of the current course are acknowledged and generalizations cannot be made to other education courses at universities across Australia. However, some new initiatives in the faculty are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia is a country, yet a continent, geographically positioned near vastly populated, growing Asia. The distinguishing environment, characteristics, and historical background of Australia make it a vital member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The government plays a significant role in the direction setting and monitoring of higher education performance in Australia. Therefore, Australia’s education system is recognized worldwide, and the country is regarded as a high-quality study destination. This research seeks to examine the importance of intercultural attributes on the Instagram account managed by the Australian government (@studyauofficial) to portray the identity of Australia related to Western education concepts. The methodology used in this study is Peirce’s triadic scheme consisting of object, representamen, and interpretant. The results show that the identity of Australia is placed squarely in commitment to the Western education concept. Therefore, the signs on the Instagram messages are appealing for future higher education students, particularly in Asia, who wish to obtain a high-quality education to ensure the success of their career path or to secure a better future for their family [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a marked increase in the number of international higher education students studying at Australian universities in Singapore. Simultaneously, there has been a corresponding decrease in the number of such students choosing traditional study abroad locations such as Australia. The study aimed to understand why one current group of international students studying in Singapore chose to study at an Australian campus in Singapore rather than study in Australia or elsewhere in the world. The research design employed both qualitative and quantitative approaches, using a focus group interview and a survey. The study found that most international students left their home country to study abroad to gain a global perspective of the professional field in which they hoped to work on the completion of their degree. Singapore was chosen over other locations because of its reputation for safety, comparatively lower cost of living, cultural similarity to students' home country, nearness to students' home country, and the perception that Singapore offered better job prospects upon the completion of students' degrees compared to other locations. Most students chose an Australian university because of its reputation, its fast tracking of degree programs, and--for Indian international students--a similarity of curriculum content and learning approaches. The study highlights future recommendations for universities in attracting and catering for students from overseas countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After years of reduced Government funding, high student-to-staff ratios are a now a reality in many Australian universities, alongside an increasingly casualised workforce and a growing reliance on technology enhanced teaching. At the same time, the Australian Government has set ambitious new targets in the attainment rate for bachelor degrees by 2025, which promises to lead to a further rapid expansion of the sector post 2012. In this context, the assurance of teaching quality in large enrollment courses, which are taught across multiple campuses and in various modes, poses significant challenges for course coordinators. Thus, the requirement to become an effective manager of a teaching team, which often has a high proportion of casual and contract staff, is one example of the changing nature of academic work in an increasingly complex higher education landscape. This case study explores a course coordinator's approach to the collegial development and management of an effective teaching team in a large enrollment undergraduate Business Studies course. The aim was to improve the student learning experience and outcomes through effective teamwork and by developing a shared understanding amongst the team members of best practice in teaching and assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multinational corporations have followed the strong global trend of adopting e-Learning systems to facilitate their organizational learning. In Australia, corporations have been quick to embrace this technology in order to provide ubiquitous training programs in the workplace. Whilst much research has been undertaken in the area of e-Learning in higher education, there is a general dearth of studies relating to e-Learning in the workplace across both Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Given the fact that there are fundamental differences in the assumptions underlying e-Learning in the workplace and in higher education, this embodies an area of interest. The current study presents findings of two case studies in Australia seeking to identify and understand factors of an e-Learning system, specifically those influencing the overall satisfaction of adult learners in the workplace. A number of existing theoretical models in the fields of systems and organizational behavior were studied which both explained and predicted individuals' attitudes and acceptance of information systems. However, it soon became evident that major limitations exist in the validity of these models in their original form when applied to e-Learning in today's general workplace environments, and in particular, in the Australian environment. Based on the findings from the case studies the authors propose an improved conceptual framework for defining the relationships between perceived adult learner satisfaction and e-Learning environmental characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human centred and co-design approaches to designing often involve working in collaborative, multi-disciplinary contexts. In such situations promoting collegial and open environments and methods of engagement to bring forward and capture the ideas, opinions, perspectives, of the participants for discussion are paramount. Visual action methods provide appropriate ways of promoting 'safe' environments, eliciting information, promoting discussion and facilitating consensus in group situations. These methods provide ways for gaining deeper understandings of the research situation that is appropriate to practice, research and education. There are various methods or tools used within visual action research alongside ways of capturing the data that can take the form of both qualitative and quantitative data. The workshop proposal is for a 60 minute workshop introducing participants to key principles of visual action methods through the enactment of the method via a hypothetical research scenario. The workshop will enact and demonstrate how visual action methods develop rich pictures of a complex situation. The picture allows for disparate interdisciplinary groups to develop shared understandings. The picture holds the context and highlights the issues for discussion and development. This method of research and design engagement is being developed and tested for the purpose of the Australian Learning and Teaching Council Priority Project - A protocol for developing curriculum led humancentred next generation learning environments in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars around the world are currently engaging in new debate about what constitutes culturally appropriate, sustainable and effective pedagogy in contexts involving international education (Hellstén & Reid, 2008). There is today universal agreement among the community of scholars that most higher education learning sites in contemporary society are at least culturally and ethnically international. The issue of global academic accountability and best practice is therefore positioned at the core of recent pedagogical articulations. However, at the ground level, where teaching and learning reveals its intricacies of a 'human kind', academics and students alike are struggling with relating to the new jargon defining the 21st Century Scholar. This 'scholar' is well equipped for the new global era, is amicably versed in the communicative repertoires of globally aware citizens and has an impressively mapped cross-cultural academic pathway and graduate capabilities supported by their institution. In this article we report on discussions with current international students about their academic and professional visions of and for the future, and their sense of place among the community of scholars of the 21st Century. The study was conducted in Australia and Finland, two countries that have received recent comparable attention on student literacy levels internationally (PISA), and consequently on the quality of teaching, including teacher educators. The empirical data consists of students' written and spoken commentary which were analysed using discourse analysis. About 30 students provided data for the research. We offer some implications for developing pedagogy, policy and practice for higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to uncover the perceptions of first-year Confucian-heritage students towards their lived experience of university study in Australia. Data was gathered from the students via interviews and analyzed using a phenomenological approach. From the students' perspective, prior experience of western-style pedagogy was found to be helpful in giving students an idea of what the Australian learning environment would entail, although many students still had difficulty with classroom interaction due to persistent cultural conditioning. In terms of teacher behaviour, important factors include the lecturer demonstrating an understanding of the student's culture, using humour in teaching, being a role model, developing a good relationship with the student and demonstrating a commitment to their learning. Issues included the students' lack of understanding of the true significance of assignments and lecturers' misunderstanding of the valuable role of memorization in Confucian-heritage students' learning. The findings of this work allow academics an insight into the lived educational experiences of the student participants. They may also be tentatively offered as a means of informing future course design and delivery, with the goal of improving the quality of student learning and, therefore, academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australia Youth Research Centre has been conducting a longitudinal study mapping the transitions of young people since they left school and chose to enter further education. The participants in this research were the products of new policies in Australia promoting the importance of higher education and successful future as a result. However at the end of their first degrees over 50% returned to further study as they were dissatisfied with their current employment/future options. Participants expressed a strong desire to achieve more than their parents were able to, but more importantly they wanted greater fulfillment from the path they were going to take. "I won't do what Dad did and stay in a job he found completely boring for 25 years, I want more". This desire for different, combined with a sense of entitlement for ongoing challenge, stimulation and fulfillment has led to some interesting and surprising pathway choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly group work forms a significant element of assessment in higher education. Two major reasons for the high rate of group work in higher education are that it develops teamwork and lessens the burden of marking time for teachers of large cohorts. However, with this increased implementation of group work comes an increased concern of how to assess each student's individual contribution to the project in order to allocate final marks for each student. One method most often used to allocate group marks is to allocate the same mark to each member of the group. This method has invited much criticism as it does not acknowledge individual contribution to either the group process or to the product, and further, it rewards 'free-riders'. However, the implementation of peer assessment in group work to determine allocation of individual marks has had mixed responses. The purpose of the study was to explore final year education students' perceptions of the introduction of secret peer assessment to determine the allocation of individual student marks for a group project. It was also to determine whether the process made any difference to those individual marks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalisation and the recent rapidly-increasing size and diversity of the student population produce new demands and challenges on universities and their cultural, academic and local communities. With China becoming the major international student source for Australia, educational institutions are challenged to develop strategies to improve educational and social outcomes for these students. Based on results from a major research project involving Chinese students studying at Edith Cowan University, Western Australia, we identify significant cultural and equity issues of Chinese students studying in Australia. Factors and their significance that have impacts on these issues for Chinese students are identified and analysed. This research draws on the experience of the authors of academia and senior management of Australian and Chinese universities and an educational consultancy company. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations made for senior management of Australian universities to develop strategies of facilitating Chinese students' participation and integration in academic and local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]