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International higher education is the third largest export industry in Australia. Student attrition is an area of concern in higher education institutions. Most research undertaken so far has focus...

PurposeThird-party arrangements where a university offers its degrees in collaboration with another institution are not a new phenomenon, particularly when the third-party arrangements occur in the form of a cross-border education (or widely known as transnational education). Drawing on a critical review of the literature available on quality assurance of domestic third-party arrangements and through the use of interviews with the sessional teaching staff, the paper offers theoretical as well as practical views on the domestic third-party arrangement and seeks to inform key stakeholders in the academic management of such collaboration.Design/methodology/approachThe study was undertaken with 40 sessional academics who are involved in teaching postgraduate courses at several third-party education providers and universities with metropolitan campuses in Australia. Focus group interviews were conducted with 8–10 participants in each group. The qualitative study included seven open-ended questions. Each focus group interview was between 45–60 minutes.FindingsThe study found 11 universities in Australia offering courses in third-party arrangement with a focus on international students. Online third-party arrangement is also gaining momentum. The study found the following areas that require attention: induction and professional development, quality assurance arrangements, maintenance of standards, adequacy of resources and infrastructure and risk related to academic quality.Research limitations/implicationsLimited study has been conducted on third-party arrangements where a university, usually located far from the city vicinity, works in a collaborative mode with another institution, primarily a private institution, to offer degrees at metropolitan city areas in the same country. Further research is needed with a large number of participants.Originality/valueThe study is undertaken for the first time in Australia. No research has been undertaken on the growth and quality assurance of a third-party arrangement in Australia and other developed countries. The study involves the engagement of the sessional academic staff.

PurposeThis paper is based on a pilot study undertaken at an Australian university that has successfully recruited students from Mongolia. The study examined the factors that attracted Mongolian students to study in Australia and at the subject university, as well as students' expectations before arrival, barriers to learning and the university's key areas and services that support learning. The study also examined areas in which the learning experience could be improved, as well as personal, social and cultural gains apart from academic achievement, and the role of education agents in helping students to choose the subject university.Design/methodology/approachThe student cohort consisted of all graduate students. The qualitative survey included eight questions, which primarily aimed to examine the reasons behind Mongolian students' decision to study in Australia. The online survey was pilot-tested with a focus group consisting of academic staff to ensure that the survey was working properly and to ensure that the questions were worded appropriately and easily understood. Based on the responses of the focus group, some questions were reworded to solicit effective responses.FindingsThe study found that Mongolian students were attracted to an English-speaking country and high quality of education. Their expectation prior to arrival was a university campus as portrayed in marketing material, including expansive open spaces. The study also highlighted the need to diversify student profiles at metropolitan locations. It found Mongolian students made friends, learnt a new culture but faced learning difficulties too.Originality/valueMany studies have examined the factors influencing students' decision to study in certain countries. While previous studies have focussed on large countries such as China and India, emerging sources of international students such as Mongolia are ignored. The focus on Mongolian students is original in Australia and overseas.

Purpose The emergence of social media has provided an alternative mechanism for students to provide and access online reviews about universities. These forms of feedback are often not systematically monitored and interpreted by universities. The purpose of this paper is to analyse quantitative ratings and qualitative comments provided by students via Google reviews of 40 Australian universities. The qualitative comments were analysed via thematic coding which identified four key themes including quality of teaching, course design, learning environment and administrative support. The data were also subjected to automated content analysis using the text analytics software Leximancer to enhance the objectivity and reliability of findings. Design/methodology/approach The study involved the extraction of quantitative ratings as well as qualitative comments from Google reviews of 40 Australian universities. Each university was searched on Google and their rating and comments were collected as of August 2019. The qualitative data were included in an Excel spreadsheet along with the name of the universities, and their quantitative ratings. Using thematic coding techniques, the qualitative data were manually coded into four themes: quality of teaching, course design, learning environment and administrative support. Furthermore, the qualitative comments were grouped into two categories: positive comments and negative comments. Findings The paper argues the need for universities to actively monitor these new forms of student feedback which have provided autonomy and freedom for students and other stakeholders to access and provide 24/7 feedback. The study found common themes emerging from the positive and negative student comments related to: quality of teaching, course design, learning environments and administrative support. These aspects contributed to the students’ satisfaction levels when they reflected on their educational experience on Google reviews. The study also found that institutions with high numbers of negative comments tend to have lower ratings compared to those with positive comments. Research limitations/implications The study did not use other learning analytic tools to measure and assess the feedback from students using social media and other forms of feedback. Originality/value Many studies have been undertaken on student experience. Studies have focussed on the experience of home and international students, on-campus and online students, and students from various underrepresented backgrounds. So far no study has been undertaken on the reviews provided by students using Google reviews.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline how qualitative data can be used to gain insights into the experience of different cohorts of students including online and on-campus students. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative data from student surveys are used to analyse three years of data. The text analytics software Leximancer was used to analyse the qualitative student comments. Findings Comparing comments of on-campus and online students, the findings indicate that the students had different perceptions in regards to what they rated as best aspects of their course and what needed improvement. Originality/value The study is based on three years of qualitative comments collected in student surveys. The study is unique, given that previous studies have looked at qualitative comments in general rather than comparing the experience of online and on-campus students.

This final chapter identifies some key themes that have emerged from the contributions to this book: the breadth of the student experience; the accountability of teachers; the role of gender in student evaluations; measuring changes in student engagement; the use of open-ended questions; the continuing role of lectures; variations in approaches to teaching; and evidence from social media. The chapter briefly considers how institutions have thus far responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. It concludes by identifying various issues for future discussion and investigation: balancing the need to update feedback questionnaires against the importance of a coherent time series of responses; the need for a more nuanced account of “student satisfaction” and “student engagement”; the scope for bias in course evaluations related to students’ age, ethnicity, and other demographic variables; the responsibilities and accountability of teachers in the changing world of higher education.

The aim of this study is to provide an analysis of online student reviews into the various factors which create satisfying or dissatisfying student experiences. Guided by a qualitative methodology, this study recognises that online reviews represent an insider’s perspective of a phenomenon. Student reviews of twelve Australian universities were extracted from Google reviews for the period of June 2019 to November 2020. The manual content analysis of the online reviews was further assisted through analysis with the Leximancer software. The study identifies the dominant themes and concepts that students share about their university experience as part of online reviews. It shows that both expressive and instrumental factors contribute to the satisfaction of students, and instrumental factors are sometimes particularly evident in the emotionally charged language used to complain about certain aspects in the student reviews. Data from online student reviews provide the opportunity to gain insights into new forms of feedback on the experience of students.

The chapter sets the context of student experience in higher education. It discusses the key trends and student characteristics in the last decade. The chapter considers the COVID-19 pandemic and other current trends impacting on student experience. The chapter also examines the expectations of twenty-first century students. Finally, the chapter provides a brief synopsis of each chapter included in the book.

The COVID-19 crisis has been a salutary stress test of our retention and success ecosystems in higher education. In particular, it has shone a light on the urgency to reimagine our conceptualisations of these core concepts for greater nuancing to reflect the uniqueness and diversity of individual students, their communities and institutions. In this chapter, we revisit the themes set out in Chap. 1 and canvass the meta impact of the pandemic on the book’s foci. We examine disruption-driven, whole-of-institution and curricular good practice, with specific attention directed to COVID-19’s acceleration of issues around mental health and wellbeing, assessment design, learning analytics and engaging with students as partners. Throughout, further success opportunities are highlighted for attention in the next wave of cross-institutional and cross-sectoral action. We conclude by joining with our contributors in calling for a universal commitment to inclusive curriculum, polices, practices, resources and supports to assure and enable all learners’ successful engagement in beneficial and lifelong learning.

This chapter introduces the philosophy of the book, and provides an overview of each chapter: to enable a diverse student population to succeed in higher education and beyond, student engagement in an inclusive learning environment is necessary. This requires institutional transformation. Student diversity is increasing, to reflect national populations; but this requires students to not only access higher education, but to succeed. ‘Success’ often focuses on continuation and completion, but it can encompass wider benefits, and it is context specific. Individual chapters use terms that are relevant to their contexts. Research indicates that student engagement promotes success, and although this is a poorly defined term it underpins the book, and the need for higher education institutions to change to ensure students can be successful. Transformation includes shared responsibility for success, recognising strengths rather than deficits, effective leadership, partnerships with students, inclusive learning and the use of data and the student voice.

The last decade has witnessed a significant growth of private higher education around the world. The growth included the number of private education providers, and also the growing number of studen...

International higher education is a major source of revenue in many developed countries. Historically the top destination countries for international students have included USA, UK, France and Australia. The key countries where most international students are recruited from include China, India and other parts of Asia. The extant literature has mostly examined the factors influencing international students to study in Western countries. A new trend is now emerging with an accelerating growth of international students in countries such as China and other parts of Asia. This mixed-methods study addresses the gap in the literature by exploring the factors that influence international students’ choice to study undergraduate or postgraduate courses in China. The study found that China is becoming an important destination choice for international students due to the distinctiveness of the Chinese language, the rise of its universities in global rankings and the country’s economic growth.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the dynamics facing transnational education (TNE) in Australia through literature review in three major areas: policy changes in Australia and major importing countries of Australian TNE, and recent development in online learning and the impact of the prevailing TNE models. The paper concludes by shedding some light on how these changes could affect the sustainability of the growth of Australian TNE in the future. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on review of literature and use of secondary data on TNE in Australia. The paper analyzes the external quality audit reports with focus on TNE. It finally analyzes the future sustainability of Australian TNE based on growth of higher education in Asia and emergence of online learning. Findings TNE is experiencing growth in Australia. Based on the current model such as setting overseas campus and partnerships, the growth may not be sustainable. The emergence of online learning and developments in Asian higher education may pose increased risk and competition. TNE has been subject to external scrutiny through the external quality agency in past. The current compliance-driven quality assessment may put the transnational quality assessment at risk with increased focus on assessing the quality based on review of documentation. Originality/value The paper is original and it is based on Australian TNE.

Curriculum design, teaching methods, assessments and range of academic support need to be inclusive in Open Access Enabling courses. The findings of this study confirm a correlation between student...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present approaches effectively used by a large multi-campus Australian university to improve the research student experience as a direct result of their feedback. These approaches include: identifying trends in the research student experience and areas needing improvement through the Research Student Satisfaction Survey conducted by the University in 2009, 2011 and 2013; prioritising and implementing improvement solutions; and monitoring the improvement actions to measure their efficiency based on student feedback, and to identify areas warranting further improvement attention. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative study was undertaken with research students. Findings The study outlines the need for universities to have a systematic approach in measuring and enhancing the experience of research students. Systematic approach enables the university to take timely action to enhance student experience. Research limitations/implications Undertaking analysis of the survey at faculty or school level. Increased accountability on Associate Deans (Research) to implement improvements at faculty level. Originality/value The paper is based on ten years of study in a large multi-campus university.

Open access enabling courses have experienced growth in Australia. The growth is evidenced in student enrolments and the number of public and private institutions offering such courses. Traditionally these courses have provided a second chance to many students from various equity groups who have been unable to access tertiary education due to poor academic achievement in high school or lack of post-secondary education. In recent years, open access enabling courses have attracted both young and mature-age students from mid and high socio-economic backgrounds, and international students. Open access enabling courses are similar to final year of high schooling and enable students to access degree courses. These courses are not regulated and not part of Australian Qualifications Framework and nor are they subject to any external accreditation or assessment. This paper argues that in the quest to achieve equity aspirations in the absence of appropriate regulation and accreditation in a rapidly expandin...

Universities have a long history of collecting student feedback using surveys and other mechanisms. The last decade has witnessed a significant shift in how student feedback is systematically collected, analysed, reported, and used by governments and institutions. This shift is due to a number of factors, including changes in government policy related to quality assurance, and the increased use of the results by various stakeholders such as governments, institutions, and potential students and employers. The collection, analysis, and reporting of results are systematically carried out in many institutions worldwide. However, how to use student feedback to effectively improve student learning experience remains an issue to be addressed. This paper will contribute to this debate by comparing how Australian and Scottish universities use student feedback results to inform improvements. Based on thematic analysis of external quality audit reports of all Australian and Scottish universities, this paper suggests that universities have systematic processes to collect student feedback using a range of mechanisms, but limited work is done to use the data to inform improvements. This paper argues the need for universities to genuinely listen to student voice by facilitating partnership between students and institutions to act on their feedback as part of quality assurance.

The context of higher education across the world currently presents evidence of university failures. These failures are evident in areas such as governance, financial and risk management, conduct of senior leaders and quality assurance issues surrounding international education. Having this in mind, the present paper argues the need to add a new definition (to what is already known) of quality. The conceptual approach proposed by the authors takes into account ethics and morals as key virtues of the higher education sector. The literature shows that it is still difficult to find agreement on a single definition of the concept. University leaders and quality assurance professionals define quality in many different ways. However, despite the ethical challenges in the current higher education landscape, little has been discussed on the connection between quality, ethics and moral values. Therefore, the authors provide the unexplored relationship between these concepts.

This study was conducted to investigate the ability to be self-directed in learning among Vietnamese students in English listening skills (ELS) and to suggest ways to improve listening skills. To collect considerably objective data, questionnaires were used and distributed to both teachers and students. The findings then revealed that Vietnamese students in surveyed universities are not ready enough to study ELS on their own and they need more instructions from teachers to be able to be self-directed in learning a difficult skill like ELS. In addition, some suggestions to improve students’ self-directed learning are also presented, and the most significant is to organize regular test/examinations in ELS to motivate students to learn more effectively.

Universities in many countries are developing strategies to enhance the student experience. This focus has never been so important since the development of rankings and the use of student experience measures in institutional performance assessment. Australian government policies to link student experience measures to performance funding were a key driver to increase the prominence of the student voice between 2004 and 2008. This paper analyses the strategic plans of 33 Australian universities with the aim of outlining the extent to which the enhancement of student experience is embedded as one of their key priorities. This review comes at a time when universities in Australia and elsewhere are realigning their future strategies and directions to achieve government aspirations for tertiary education with the introduction of various policy instruments including the possibility of rewarding universities on the basis of student experience measures. The paper also provides a comparative analysis of gov...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to outline four separate studies undertaken in two Australian universities between 2003 and 2012 on employer feedback on the quality of university graduates. Higher education has expanded significantly in the past decade. The expansion has been in student enrolments with a focus on increasing the participation of disadvantaged students; the emergence of new kinds of providers other than universities; new modes of education delivery; and the internationalisation of higher education. The diversity of higher education institutions and quality issues require the assessment of graduate quality based on feedback from employers. The lack of such assessment on graduate quality based on employer voice risks the production of graduates with focus on success (quantity) rather than excellence (quality). It also disconnects the engagement between higher education institutions and employers to assess trends and changes in various industries and professions that require employer input in course development and renewal to meet the changing needs of the industries. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative method using online survey to gather feedback from employers of university graduates was used. The survey tool has been previously used in other studies. Findings – A decade of study using quantitative and qualitative methods with different employers in two different geographic locations clearly shows that employer views on the quality of university graduates in a range of capabilities have remained consistent. The study also outlines the challenges in gathering feedback from employers and how data are used in curriculum reviews and enhancements. Research limitations/implications – The study has a number of limitations, including gathering up-to-date employer data, and engagement of employers in the survey. Practical implications – Practical implications could include the use of survey data in new course developments, review of courses and further enhancement to ensure course relevance. Originality/value – This is the first longitudinal study undertaken using the same survey instrument in two universities. The study engaged 485 employers.

Student evaluations of teaching and the unit of study have been used in most Australian universities for more than two decades. The main aim of such evaluations is to monitor student perceptions of teaching and unit quality and to identify areas of good practice and areas needing improvement. The results of such evaluations are used by some institutions to review academic staff performance and to identify professional development needs. In some universities, recent government policies in Australian higher education related to quality assurance and performance-based funding using teaching quality measures such as student satisfaction or experience have resulted in the shift of voluntary teacher and unit evaluations to mandatory tools to assess and reward academic staff performance. This chapter provides a case study of an Australian university where teacher and unit evaluations have been made mandatory and where the outcome is used in the academic staff performance development and review process. The chapter concludes that government policy to improve teaching quality via performance-based funding may achieve political ends rather than enhance the educational experience of students.

Student surveys are used to improve the quality of the learning experience. Various instruments are used to monitor the experience of students. Some national and international instruments enable benchmarking and setting new targets and initiatives. Historically, an area of limited focus in student feedback has been the use of qualitative data to improve students’ learning experience. More than 300,000 qualitative comments are collected annually from a range of surveys in medium-size universities with 30,000 students. To date, limited attempts have been made globally to analyse such data and compare the results alongside quantitative findings. The use of quantitative, qualitative and other institutional performance data, such as student complaints, learning analytics and student retention and attrition, provide a trigger to identify areas needing improvement. This chapter outlines how qualitative student feedback can be used in a university with the help of specialist software to analyse such feedback.

The student voice is gaining importance in many parts of the world. The renewal of quality assurance in many countries has increased the emphasis on using student experience measures to assess – and in some cases reward – institutions. For many years universities have used different kinds of survey instruments and methodologies to collect student feedback. However, few attempts have been made to use the results and to implement changes and improvements in a timely manner. The engagement of students in implementing and communicating improvements, together with rewarding improvements and excellence in teaching and other support services, is also an area of limited research. There are indications that the student voice will be used by governments to assess and reward universities. This strategy has been used in Australian higher education since 2004, and the government plans to continue to reward universities using various measures, including student survey results. The literature on student satisfaction and experience is substantial, although research is limited relating to examples of the practical application of survey and improvement frameworks that have proven to be successful in tracking, monitoring and improving student satisfaction and rewarding consistent positive performance. This chapter addresses the current gap in research and practice by outlining features of an effective student feedback and experience framework based on four factors: recommendations made in quality audits, the research literature, the practices in universities that are in the external quality agency's good practice database and our own practical experience with managing a number of surveys in five different Australian universities.

Student and staff engagement in feedback is an important driver in optimising response rates. Research demonstrates that if students and teachers are kept in the loop when a feedback process is taking place, they tend to participate more. To achieve the best possible outcomes, however, there is without doubt a need for staff members to engage participants at the grassroots level. The best outcomes are achieved by teaching staff who encourage their students to provide feedback and also demonstrate that the student voice is important in achieving improvements. This is done by demonstrating what improvements were carried made when the feedback was last analysed. Some research reinforces this by arguing that an effective improvement process needs to integrate students' views into a regular but continuous cycle of analysis, action and reporting.

Across the world, the student population in higher education is becoming increasingly diverse. The current student profile in Australia includes increased participation by students from underrepresented backgrounds such as non-English-speaking backgrounds, low socioeconomic status, first in family to attend university, refugees and students from remote areas who live far from the university. If institutions are to improve academic outcomes such as retention and success, they must be able to measure the expectations and actual experience of these non-traditional students (described in this chapter as ‘new majority students’). This is also important because many countries are placing increased emphasis on increasing the participation and success of non-traditional students in higher education. This chapter provides a case study of using a first-year experience survey with undergraduate and postgraduate students that measures both expectations and experience in the first year.

Student surveys are increasingly being used to assess the quality of student experience of the courses, subjects, teachers and other support services provided by universities. In countries like Australia, the government plans to use student survey results in assessing and possibly rewarding universities, and to make the results available in the public domain for use by various stakeholders to assess institutional performance. The increased emphasis on student experience as a measure of educational quality requires institutions to develop strategies to improve student engagement with surveys and to improve the response rate with all cohorts of students. The literature on student experience is enormous in various contexts. Various studies have highlighted low response rates in internally and externally monitored student surveys. While student survey data are now used to assess the quality of student experience, limited research with students has been undertaken worldwide to determine their key reasons for not completing or participating in such surveys. This chapter is based on a study of graduating students in an Australian university with the aim of identifying their key reasons for not participating in the national survey. The results have implications for all quality approaches utilising surveys to measure the student experience.

Transnational programs are increasingly being offered by higher-education institutions –either by those setting up their own overseas campus or through partnership arrangements with local universities or private institutions. In most cases there is heavy focus on the programs’ financial sustainability and limited focus on academic quality issues such as monitoring and enhancing the student experience and graduate outcomes. Student feedback comes under the microscope when external quality audits require evidence of student experience or when self-initiated reviews are undertaken. Institutions have made limited attempts to systematically engage transnational students and partners in the feedback process. This chapter outlines the case of Australian higher education wherein government policies have failed to monitor the quality of transnational student experience, despite the growth of transnational education. We argue that if governments and universities recognise transnational higher education as an important engagement activity that generates significant income, diversifies the student profile and promotes Australian higher education, then feedback from students, regardless of their location, is important to ensure a positive learning experience.

The measurement of student experience was traditionally a research-based activity in institutions. It then became a core activity as part of institutional quality assurance for learning and teaching. Student feedback was collected and reported to various academic committees for discussion, and in some cases actions were taken for improvement. Two decades ago, student experience measures were not part of institutional strategy, and neither performance measures nor targets requiring with accountability were set at the university or faculty level. Other stakeholders such as governments, students, and external quality agencies have recently shown a vested interest in monitoring the quality of student experience. This chapter outlines how student experience has shifted from an internal institutional assessment tool to one that is increasingly being used and assessed by governments and external quality agencies. Discussed in this chapter is how student feedback is now changing focus from an internal assessment of quality to one with other stakeholder interest.

Feedback from students is critical in any higher-education institution that has an effective quality assurance and enhancement system. Such feedback can inform change and reassure students that their voice is being heard. To achieve an effective change outcome, it is essential to close the loop; this comprises a mechanism to collect qualitative and quantitative feedback from all cohorts of students; triangulating the data from various sources to identify areas of good practice and areas needing improvement; communicating the results of the feedback to students, staff and partner institutions; implementing improvements in consultation with stakeholders; communicating with current and prospective students about the actions taken; and monitoring the impact of actions in future student surveys. These steps constitute an effective framework for a quality management system. This chapter outlines the need for institutions to develop systematic processes to effectively use student feedback data to inform timely improvement. It also outlines the current weakness and strategies for effectively using student feedback to inform improvements.

Government policies have played an important role in higher-education reforms related to quality assurance. External pressures and the changing directions of policy related to higher education have resulted internal reforms in universities. Change in universities can be slow; however, an external lever can influence universities to strengthen processes and outcomes to manage risks. Throughout the past 15 years, higher education has witnessed innovative ways in which students engage with external quality agencies. Such agencies have realised that the value of student input in the audit process is not only critical but morally right. As a result of strategies used by external quality agencies to engage students, universities have also adopted similar initiatives whereby cohorts of students are engaged in various aspects of quality assurance, such as panel sessions, as members of review panels, helping the university to access participants in the audit process, and as members of relevant committees.

University rankings are increasingly used as a measure of quality and reputation. Institutional leaders are increasingly using the outcomes of ranking in marketing of university courses. Both the critics of ranking and those who support have different viewpoints. Institutions that are ranked high celebrate their achievement however limited research is known on how outcomes of ranking are used to reward academic staff. Likewise some institutions that are not ranked enjoy ongoing student demand with increased diversity of student population, and comparable graduate outcomes. Some research suggests that students consider ranking to determine their choice, however others have ruled out. This chapter reviews the literature on both sides of the argument about ranking and it then presents the graduate employment data related to Australian universities to find out if elite universities have better graduate employment outcomes compared other universities.

Student surveys have been used by universities for many decades. Paper-based and online surveys are systematically used to assess the quality of teaching, learning and other supports. In some institutions staff–student liaison committees, focus groups and other forums are used to provide an opportunity for student feedback. The increased use of technology and social media has enabled students to engage in learning, which in turn provides opportunities for institutions to assess student behaviour. The use of online learning technologies allows institutions to gain new insights on student engagement and enables institutions to assess academic risk and predict success in learning. This chapter outlines how learning analytics and other feedback could be used to gain insights into students' engagement and their learning experience.

The measurement or monitoring of student experience in the future may not necessarily be in the hands of institutions because there is a push to standardise surveys across the sector. The advantages of such a move will no doubt be the ability to benchmark with and learn from other higher-education providers. Though this seems likely to be the approach at least for the next two decades, the weakness in the model comes back to what was pointed out nearly 25 years ago based on student experience data: the lack of any systematic engagement to make changes based on the student voice. This chapter discusses the future of measuring and enhancing the student experience in light of current trends and changes that are mostly driven by government policy as well as the growth of higher education.

The demand for flexible modes of delivery in higher education, especially online learning, has grown over recent years. A number of factors are contributing to the upsurge of student participation in online learning. They include innovations in technology; increased numbers of students in part-time and full-time work seeking opportunities to study at a convenient time and location; and greater use of online modes of delivery by educational providers to take advantage of the developing market. Another new phenomenon is the growth of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) which enables students across the world to undertake short online courses without financial cost. This paper presents preliminary results from research into how an online enabling program in an Australian university is widening student participation in higher education. The paper compares the participation rates of various equity groups in the online program with those in the equivalent part-time on-campus program, and across the Australian higher education sector. The paper argues that the online program is playing an important role in widening participation for students from regional, low socio-economic, mature-aged and Indigenous backgrounds, and is providing women with past or present child-rearing responsibilities an opportunity to pursue higher education actively through an alternative pathway. This opportunity has made it possible for disadvantaged students from diverse backgrounds to gain a qualification for undergraduate admission and contribute to labour market needs in areas of skills shortage. Key terms: enabling education, online learning, widening participation