Education Commons^™

Assessment Of University Support Services For Regional And Remote Students On Transition To University: Final Report, Darren Matthews, Gina Milgate, Leyna Clarke

Gina C Milgate

This report details the development and piloting of an Assessment of university support services for regional and remote students on transition to university. The project forms part of the Australian Government’s response to the Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote Education led by Emeritus Professor John Halsey. In its recommendations, the Review highlighted how critical it is to “Support RRR [regional, rural and remote] students to make successful transitions from school to university, training, employment and combinations of them”. In relation to this recommendation, this project is designed to support the Australian Government’s response to the Halsey Review by …

Final Report: Development Of An Online Engagement Scale, Darren Matthews, Ling Tan, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

The Commonwealth Department of Education and Training commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to review the Learner Engagement Scale (LES), a key measure of student experience. It is administered as part of the Student Experience Survey, an annual survey of a sample of the 400 000 first and final year undergraduates studying at Australian Higher Education institutions – 80 per cent on-campus and around 8 per cent off-campus. Over the years, LES results have consistently shown substantially lower engagement levels in off-campus students – far in excess of the variation between teaching modes that might be expected – …

Baby Boomers In The Brave New Academic Library, Kathy Campbell, Leslie Adebonojo

Leslie Adebonojo

Excerpt: The baby boomer generation is larger than any generation that has preceded it. Boomers are more likely to live longer and better than previous generations, and they have changed jobs more often than previous generations. They understand the necessity and have the desire to be life-long learners.

Changing Deferral Patterns : The Influence Of Growth, Changing Support And Geography, Sheldon Rothman, Daniel Edwards

Dr Sheldon Rothman

This research briefing examines changes in university deferral rates over the period from 2008 to 2012. The focus of the analysis is on Victorian school leavers, whose transitions after school completion are followed through the 'On Track' survey. The analysis explores the extent to which deferral rates for young people from rural areas have changed over this time, and the influence policy changes to financial support may have had on the decision to defer a university offer.

Completing University In A Growing Sector: Is Equity An Issue?, Daniel Edwards, Julie Mcmillan

Dr Julie McMillan

Access to university has always been an issue for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the recent context of an expanding higher education system in Australia, some accessibility issues have been alleviated. This context offers an opportunity to explore the pathways of disadvantaged students through university. In this expanded system, will disadvantaged students be more or less likely to complete university? Will demographic or enrolment characteristics influence the likelihood of these students to complete? This report details the findings from a research project funded by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) that explores new data tracking student …

Completing University In A Growing Sector: Is Equity An Issue?, Daniel Edwards, Julie Mcmillan

Dr Julie McMillan

Access to university has always been an issue for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the recent context of an expanding higher education system in Australia, some accessibility issues have been alleviated. This context offers an opportunity to explore the pathways of disadvantaged students through university. In this expanded system, will disadvantaged students be more or less likely to complete university? Will demographic or enrolment characteristics influence the likelihood of these students to complete? This report details the findings from a research project funded by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) that explores new data tracking student …

Completing University In A Growing Sector: Is Equity An Issue?, Daniel Edwards, Julie Mcmillan

Dr Daniel Edwards

Access to university has always been an issue for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. In the recent context of an expanding higher education system in Australia, some accessibility issues have been alleviated. This context offers an opportunity to explore the pathways of disadvantaged students through university. In this expanded system, will disadvantaged students be more or less likely to complete university? Will demographic or enrolment characteristics influence the likelihood of these students to complete? This report details the findings from a research project funded by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education (NCSEHE) that explores new data tracking student …

Exploring Anomalies In Indigenous Student Engagement : Findings From A National Australian Survey Of Undergraduates., Ali Radloff

Ali Radloff

Increases in participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in higher education across Australia continue to be promising. However, it is also known that Indigenous students' attrition, retention and completion rates remain areas of concern. In this paper, the author authors report findings from an analysis of Indigenous student responses to the 2009 Australasian Survey of Student Engagement. Overall, Indigenous Australian students express positive responses in relation to engagement, but are more likely than non-Indigenous students to be planning to depart. The authors explore this somewhat unexpected anomaly, whilst also suggesting that much more needs to be known about …

Monitoring And Improving Student Engagement, Ali Radloff, Hamish Coates

Ali Radloff

Higher education is a co-produced activity. The time and effort students devote to learning and broader developmental activities is critical for productivity and the quality of outcomes. This chapter looks at how Australian universities monitor students' engagement in education, and reviews empirical insights relevant to emerging policy directions. It discusses how institutions can respond to new and emerging patterns of engagement, and approaches that institutions are using to improve how students learn and what they achieve.

Designing Online Assessment For Improved Student Learning And Experience, Roy Wybrow, Pauline Taylor, David Smorfitt

Associate Professor Pauline Taylor-Guy