Education Commons^™

Acer Enews 12 December 2011, Acer

ACER eNews Archive

No abstract provided.

Report On The Development Of The University Experience Survey, Ali Radloff, Hamish Coates, Richard James, Kerri-Lee Krause

Higher education research

In 2011, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) commissioned a Consortium led by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) and including the University of Melbourne’s Centre for the Study of Higher Education (CSHE) and the Griffith Institute for Higher Education (GIHE) to develop an instrument and methodology for a new national survey of the experience of university students—the University Experience Survey (UES). The University Experience Survey (UES) is one of a number of initiatives being developed by the Australian Government to help ensure the ongoing improvement in the quality of teaching and learning in Australian universities. …

Student Engagement In New Zealand’S Universities, Ali Radloff

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

Although the numbers of students entering bachelor level study in New Zealand is growing and is high relative to OECD averages, the number of students leaving with a qualification is low compared to many other countries. Data from the Ministry of Education show that completion rates are relatively low, particularly among certain groups of students. Around one-third of students who began a bachelor degree in 2002 had not completed the degree, or a degree at the same or a higher level, eight years after starting. Completion rates are higher among Asian New Zealand students, but much lower among Maori and …

Children’S Independent Mobility : And The Mobile Phone: 8 To 12 Year Olds, Catherine Underwood

Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

Children who know how to use a mobile phone, as opposed to those who don’t, are more likely to move about their neighbourhood without adult supervision, research from the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) suggests. The study, by ACER Research Fellow Ms Catherine Underwood, examined the extent to which knowing how to use a mobile phone is correlated with children’s physical activity and ability to move through their neighbourhood without adult supervision, also known as independent mobility. More than 800 Victorian primary school children aged between 8 and 12 years participated in the research, of which 84 per cent …

The Hard Work Of Improvement, Geoff N. Masters

School and system improvement

A common strategy for promoting improved employee or organisational performance is to place a strong focus on organisational results. The perceived advantage of focusing on results is that it clarifies and concentrates effort on the main game: the key purpose of the organisation's work. It also provides a basis for evaluating employee performance. As part of their drive for improvement, organisations also sometimes attach incentives to results, either in the form of rewards or sanctions. There is growing evidence, however, that focusing on results alone is an ineffective improvement strategy in many contexts and often leads to unintended behaviours. There …

Leading Learning In Education And Philanthrophy : 2011 Survey Report, Michelle Anderson, Emma Curtin

Leading Learning in Education and Philanthropy (LLEAP)

The findings of the first national survey on philanthropy in education have confirmed that when it comes to grant seeking, those least equipped can often be the ones most in need, with nine out of ten Australian schools surveyed considering themselves novices at philanthropic grant seeking. The three-year Leading Learning in Education and Philanthropy (LLEAP) project seeks to explore whether the full potential of funding and partnerships across the philanthropic and education sectors is being achieved. The 2011 Survey Report, released in November, uses the responses of 302 schools, not-for-profits, philanthropic foundations and trusts to help form a clearer picture …

Acer Enews 11 November 2011, Acer

ACER eNews Archive

No abstract provided.

Literature Review Relating To The Current Context And Discourse Of Indigenous Tertiary Education In Australia, Michele Lonsdale, Greta Rollo, Jenny Wilkinson, Ali Radloff, Stephanie Armstrong, Gina Milgate, Jenny Trevitt

Indigenous Education Research

This review outlines some of the themes that have emerged in the growing global discourse of Indigenous education in the higher education sector. The past decade and a half have seen increased numbers of Indigenous students and academic staff in universities, a proliferation of publications exploring Indigenous issues in the academy, and heightened interest in the nature and meaning of Indigenous knowledge and studies.

This review examined information provided by 22 Australian universities to gain a picture of the research fields and topics that are attracting most interest from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander graduates and academics. It also reviewed …

Enhancing Education, Sheldon Rothman, David Slattery, Sarah Buckley, John Ainley

Indigenous Education Research

The ‘Little children are sacred’ report concluded that improving the quality of education provided the key to solving, or at least ameliorating, the incidence of child sexual abuse in Aboriginal communities. The report identified poor educational outcomes as being at the heart of the exclusion of Aboriginal people from confidently participating in either their own culture or mainstream culture.

Two years after the release of the ‘Little children are sacred’ report and after the introduction of the NTER, data were collected on the health and development of all Australian children. Data from the Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) …

Acer Enews 10 October 2011, Acer

ACER eNews Archive

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of The Sporting Chance Program, Michele Lonsdale, Jenny Wilkinson, Stephanie Armstrong, David Mcclay, Sharon Clerke, Jocelyn Cook, Kanat Wano, Robert Simons, Gina C. Milgate, Meredith Bramich, Australian Council For Educational Research (Acer)

Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

The objective of the Sporting Chance Program is to encourage improved educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (boys and girls) using sport and recreation. Such outcomes may include an increase in school attendance, strengthened engagement with school and improved attitudes to schooling, improved achievement in learning, increased retention to Year 12 or its vocational equivalent and greater parental and community involvement with the school and students’ schooling. The program comprises two elements:

• School-based Sports Academies (Academies) for secondary school students; and

• Education Engagement Strategies (EES) for both primary and secondary school students.

The purpose of …

Food, Fibre And The Future : Report On Surveys Of Students’ And Teachers’ Knowledge And Understanding Of Primary Industries, Kylie Hillman, Sarah Buckley

National Surveys

Primary Industry plays a vital role in Australian’s economy and society, but the gap between rural and urban communities is growing, contributing to a lack of understanding of where food and other basic necessities of life come from. The goal of the Primary Industries Education Foundation (PIEF) is to provide a source of information on primary industries for educators, to better equip students with not only knowledge about what goes into their food and fibres but also what career opportunities exist in primary industries. In 2010, PIEF contracted the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to design and conduct a …

Current Requirements For Tertiary Qualifications In Early Childhood Education : Implications For Policy : Final Report, Glenn Rowley, Julie Kos, Bridie Raban, Marilyn Fleer, Joy Cullen, Alison Elliott

Early Childhood Education

The Office of Early Childhood Education and Child Care (OECECC) within the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to map and analyse currently available Early Childhood education and care (ECEC) tertiary courses across Australia. ACER is undertaking this project in partnership with Monash University. This report considers issues raised by the project and sets out four key issues raised by this work, detailing the possible policy implications that could flow from the findings, in addition to potential further research implications.

Acer Enews 09 September 2011, Acer

ACER eNews Archive

No abstract provided.

National Assessment Program : Civics And Citizenship Education 2010 : Year 6 And Year 10 : Technical Report, Eveline Gebhardt, Julian Fraillon, Nicole Wernert, Wolfram Schulz

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

The first cycle of the National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship (NAP – CC) was held in 2004 and provided the baseline against which future performance would be compared. The second cycle of the program was conducted in 2007 and was the first cycle where trends in performance were able to be examined. The most recent assessment was undertaken in 2010. This report describes the procedures and processes involved in the conduct of the third cycle of the NAP – CC. This report describes the technical aspects of NAP – CC 2010 and summarises the main activities involved in …

Uniting Teachers And Learners : Critical Insights Into The Importance Of Staff-Student Interactions In Australian University Education, Sarah Richardson

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

This briefing focuses on perhaps the most fundamental aspect of university student learning– the role of teaching staff at universities. It does so by reporting insights from both teaching staff themselves and the students whom they teach. If the scholarship of teaching requires bridges to be built between teachers and learners, this briefing examines the structural integrity of those bridges in contemporary university education in Australia. In doing so it focuses attention on perhaps the most obvious but most woefully neglected aspect of quality in higher education – the role which teaching staff play in inspiring, challenging and engaging students.

Assessing Student Learning: Why Reform Is Overdue, Geoff N. Masters

Assessment and Reporting

Advances in our understanding of human learning require new approaches to assessing and monitoring student learning. Much assessment thinking has changed little over the past fifty years. The field continues to be dominated by twentieth century introductory textbook concepts, including such dichotomies as formative versus summative assessment, criterion-referenced versus norm-referenced testing, quantitative versus qualitative assessment, informal versus formal assessment – distinctions that often hamper rather than promote clear thinking about assessment. Assessment practice also has changed little over this period. Traditional, high-stakes examinations continue to dominate what is taught and learnt in many of our schools and universities. Greater use …

Acer Enews 08 August 2011, Acer

ACER eNews Archive

No abstract provided.

Gambling And Young People In Australia, Nola Purdie, Gabrielle Matters, Kylie Hillman, Martin Murphy, Clare Ozolins, Pam Millwood

Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

This study was undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research Ltd (ACER) and presents a number of findings related to the gambling behaviour of young people in Australia. Three surveys were developed and administered between August 2009 and May 2010. They included on-line; pencil and paper; and computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI). The CATI interviews were administered to young people in all Australian States and Territories.

The study found that overall 77% of young people have participated in a gambling activity at least once within the 12 month period preceding the study. Gambling frequency as reported by young people …

The Power Of Expectation, Geoff N. Masters

Assessment and Reporting

Success in most fields of endeavour depends on an ability to visualise success. It has long been known that elite athletes mentally rehearse each performance prior to its execution. Advances in neuroscience show why this may be so important: the neurological processes involved in visualising a performance are almost identical to those involved in the performance itself. Indeed, simply watching somebody else perform activates ‘mirror’ neurons in the observer paralleling neuronal activity in the performer. The ability to visualise success and an accompanying belief that success is possible appear to be prerequisites for most forms of human achievement.

Acer Enews 07 July 2011, Acer

ACER eNews Archive

No abstract provided.

Student Demand Projections: Supporting Analysis: Gippsland Tertiary Education Plan, Daniel Edwards, Paul R. Weldon

Higher education research

There is considerable interest in the provision of, and access to, tertiary education within Victoria by the State Government. In 2010, a Tertiary Education Plan was released by the Government, detailing various targets and policy objectives in this sector. Despite a change of Government, the broad objectives in the plan continue to be pursued. As such, a number of more specific plans, based on geographic locations within Victoria, are being constructed. One such plan is being constructed for Gippsland. An Expert Panel has been formed to create the plan for Gippsland, chaired by Professor Kwong Lee Dow. This document provides …

Literacy And Numeracy Learning: Lessons From The Longitudinal Literacy And Numeracy Study For Indigenous Students, Nola Purdie, Kate Reid, Tracey Frigo, Alison Stone, Elizabeth Kleinhenz

ACER Research Monographs

In 2000, ACER commenced the Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Surveys for Indigenous Students (ILLANS), which set out to track the development of English literacy and numeracy skills in a group of Indigenous students from school entry through the early years of schooling and beyond, to establish a data-rich picture of educational opportunities for Indigenous students. Phase 1 of ILLANS collected data from Indigenous students at 13 schools across Australia that had been nominated by education systems as examples of good practice in education for Indigenous students. The first three years of the study were reported in the monograph Supporting …

Acer Enews 06 June 2011, Acer

ACER eNews Archive

No abstract provided.

Student Profile: Supporting Analysis: Gippsland Tertiary Education Plan, Daniel Edwards, Catherine Underwood

Higher education research

There is considerable interest in the provision and access to tertiary education within the Victoria by the State Government. In 2010, a Tertiary Education Plan was released by the Government, detailing various targets and policy objectives in this sector. Despite a change of Government, the broad objectives in the plan continue to be pursued. As such, a number of more specific plans, based on geographic locations within Victoria are being constructed. One such plan is being constructed for Gippsland. An Expert Panel has been formed to create the plan for Gippsland, chaired by Professor Kwong Lee Dow. This document provides …

Industry, Employment, And Population Profile: Supporting Analysis: Gippsland Tertiary Education Plan, Daniel Edwards, Paul R. Weldon, Tim Friedman

Higher education research

There is considerable interest in the provision and access to tertiary education within the Victoria by the State Government. In 2010, a Tertiary Education Plan was released by the Government, detailing various targets and policy objectives in this sector. Despite a change of Government, the broad objectives in the plan continue to be pursued. As such, a number of more specific plans, based on geographic locations within Victoria are being constructed. One such plan is being constructed for Gippsland. An Expert Panel has been formed to create the plan for Gippsland, chaired by Professor Kwong Lee Dow. This document provides …

Dropout Dna, And The Genetics Of Effective Support, Hamish Coates, Laurie Ransom

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

Australia is seeking to expand participation in higher education – to get more students into the system and keep these people engaged in effective learning through to completion. In 2009 the Australian Government set attainment targets coupled with an explicit mandate to diversify the student mix, in particular by balancing the inclusion of people from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Supporting students’ engagement in higher education is fundamental to the success of these reforms. To support engagement meaningfully requires data on the effectiveness of engagement activities and conditions which goes beyond commonly collected data regarding student satisfaction with the quality of provision. …

Student Engagement At New Zealand Institutes Of Technology And Polytechnics : Key Results From The 2010 Pilot, Ali Radloff

Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE)

The Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) provides data that tertiary institutions throughout New Zealand and Australia can use to attract, engage and retain their students. Through measuring the time and effort students devote to educationally purposeful activities and other aspects of their experience at their institution the AUSSE provides a greater understanding of students’ engagement with study and their learning. Instead of focusing on student satisfaction, retention and completion rates, looking at the way in which students learn and the outcomes they achieve allows institutions to gain a better understanding of the quality of education students are getting. The …

Acer Enews 05 May 2011, Acer

ACER eNews Archive

No abstract provided.

Trial Of The Engagement Matrix Component 2: The Reliability And Validity Of The Engagement Matrix. Report, Petra Lietz, Mollie Tobin

Student learning processes

The second component of the trial of the Engagement Matrix (EM) seeks to examine empirically the reliability, validity and dimensionality of the EM by way of various analyses, particularly Rasch modelling. Responses to an online survey of more than 300 ICAN/FLO staff and teachers were analysed to ascertain whether the statements a) could be grouped together along the three assumed underlying dimensions (Relationships, Involvement in learning and Well-being) and if these dimensions were related to a common underlying trait, namely Engagement, b) measured these dimensions reliably, c) could differentiate between students with different levels of engagement and d) worked to …