Education Commons^™

Developing A Global Health Assessment Collaboration: Ancillary Report, Daniel Edwards, Jacob Pearce, David Wilkinson

Dr Daniel Edwards

This document reports on a project designed to develop an assessment collaboration between medical schools in both Australia and the United Kingdom. The project was funded by the Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT), utilising surplus funding from a broader assessment collaboration project – the Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration (OLT ID12-2482). The Global Health Assessment Collaboration (GHAC) involved five universities in Australia and the United Kingdom (UK). It developed an assessment framework and item specifications, undertook assessment item drafting workshops, built in a process of review and resulted in the development of a focused suite of assessment items. This report …

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 – …

Understanding The Completion Patterns Of Equity Students In Regional Universitites, Karen Nelson, Catherine Picton, Julie Mcmillan, Daniel Edwards, Marcia Devlin, Kerry Martin

Dr Daniel Edwards

Higher Education Standards Panel Consultation : Transparency Of Higher Education Admissions Processes: Response From The Australian Council For Educational Research, Daniel Edwards, Brad Jackel

Dr Daniel Edwards

This document has been prepared by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in response to the Higher Education Standards Panel’s Consultation on the Transparency of Higher Education Admissions Processes. In developing the document, ACER has drawn on previous experience working in admissions research and admissions testing, and on discussions over time with universities in Australia as a result of this work relating to the issues of relevance to this consultation. This document explores four key areas identified by ACER as critical to improving the admissions processes of higher education providers in Australia. In developing this document, we have approached …

Monitoring Risk And Return: Critical Insights Into Graduate Coursework Engagement And Outcomes, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

Coursework graduate courses have been a significant growth area over the last few decades and are of immense importance to Australian higher education. The knowledge and skills achieved through postgraduate study make a significant contribution to individuals and society. Nearly one quarter of all higher education students in Australia are enrolled in a coursework postgraduate degree. These students generate substantial income for institutions through the fees they pay. Nearly one third of all international students in Australian higher education are enrolled in postgraduate coursework degrees. Overall, international students make up around 50 per cent of all coursework masters enrolments, a …

Engaging College Communities: The Impact Of Residential Colleges In Australian Higher Education, Hamish Coates, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

Residential colleges play a vital role in many of the best universities in the world. Intuitively, it seems clear that living in a university-affiliated residence would enhance students’ educational involvement and outcomes. Reports from those closely involved in residential colleges provide a considerable amount of support for this proposition. Anecdotal reports help build a rich picture of residential life in Australian higher education, but overly relying on such data limits the extent to which colleges can be situated, compared and understood within broader contexts. Hence it is helpful to complement perceptual reports with data that offer more objective insights into …

Work Integrated Learning In Stem In Australian Universities: Final Report: Submitted To The Office Of The Chief Scientist, Daniel Edwards, Kate Perkins, Jacob Pearce, Jennifer Hong

Dr Daniel Edwards

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) undertook this study for the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS). It explores the practice and application of Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in STEM, with a particular focus on natural and physical sciences, information technology, and agriculture departments in Australian universities. The project involved a detailed ‘stocktake’ of WIL in practice in these disciplines, with collection of information by interview, survey instruments, consultation with stakeholders and literature reviews. Every university in Australia was visited as part of this project, with interviews and consultation sessions gathering insight from more than 120 academics and support …

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 …

Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration: From Proof Of Concept To Proof Of Sustainability: Final Report 2014, Daniel Edwards, David Wilkinson

Dr Daniel Edwards

This is the final report for AMAC-2, entitled Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration: from proof of concept to proof of sustainability (OLT project ID12-2482). This project advanced previous work funded by the ALTC and was undertaken from early 2013 to mid 2014. AMAC-2 took the proof of concept achieved through the initial AMAC project with the aim of building an ongoing, sustainable and successful collaboration between medical schools in Australia and New Zealand.

Implementing Common Assessment: Lessons And Models From Amac Developed By The Australian Medical Assessment Collaboration, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

The aim of this document is to provide insight into the implementation of common assessments in higher education in order to assist in future work on conducting these kinds of projects. The discussion here draws heavily on the AMAC experience, attempting to broaden the learning from this project for use in future collaborations. The focus of this project has been on medical education, and as such, much of the detail is related to this field. However, it is hoped that the general ideas discussed here can be seen as informative for other fields and disciplines in higher education and at …

Focus Groups For Informing Awpa’S Engineering Workforce Study 2014: Final Report, Daniel Edwards, Jacob Pearce, Kate Perkins, Justin Brown

Dr Daniel Edwards

This report highlights the findings of a project undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for the Australian Workplace and Productivity Agency (AWPA) that will contribute to a wider study of the Engineering Workforce. The project involved the development, coordination, implementation of focus groups and the reporting of outcomes in a way that generates first-hand information about the experiences and attitudes of specific groups of people in relation to the engineering labour market – women, mature-age workers and new graduates. The work here also explored the views of the next generation of engineers, gathering information from school students …

Higher Education Enrolment Growth, Change And The Role Of Private Heps, Daniel Edwards, Ali Radloff

Dr Daniel Edwards

This paper offers a mapping of change in higher education enrolments through the 2009 to 2012 period. It examines the massive growth in the system during this time and the extent to which this growth was distributed – by student enrolment characteristics, demographics and importantly by type of higher education provider (HEP). The authors provide a snapshot of the higher education sector captured using the most recently available data, and contextualise the potential role that could be played by non-university higher education providers in future expansion of the system. The work draws on data from the Commonwealth Government’s Higher Education …

Profiling Diversity Of Australian Universities, Hamish Coates, Daniel Edwards, Leo Goedegebuure, Marian Thakur, Eva Van Der Brugge, Frans Van Vught

Dr Daniel Edwards

There is a good deal of consensus that institutional diversity in higher education is a good thing. Simply put, systems with more diverse institutions perform better than systems with less diverse institutions. Yet the overall diversity of Australia’s higher education system remains unclear. Significant questions and opportunities remain unresolved. How diverse are Australia’s institutions today? How can stakeholders— particularly institutions and policymakers—understand and manage this diversity? This LH Martin Institute and ACER research briefing seeks to shift discussion of diversity to a more considered level. The analysis moves beyond extant sectoral partitionings and contingent policy interventions to expose emerging dynamics …

Ib Graduates In Australian Universities : Entry And Outcomes : A Case Study Of Two Institutions : Project Report, Daniel Edwards, Catherine Underwood

Dr Daniel Edwards

This report explores the entry into and progression through university of graduates from the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP). It focuses on two Australian universities, used as case studies for exploring the higher education pathways of IB DP graduates. The study has been conducted for the International Baccalaureate, the organisation which oversees the IB DP. This project responds to one key element of the IB research agenda, which focuses on establishing and expanding empirical evidence related to the postsecondary transitions, academic outcomes and experiences of IB DP graduates in the tertiary education sector. This report is intended to provide …

International Students’ Engagement With Effective Educational Practices: A Cross-National Comparison, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

Findings from the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) provide a new and unique means of tracking international students’ participation in higher education. The AUSSE is the largest cross-institutional collection of data from currently enrolled students in Australasia, and has formative links with the 1,200-institution USA National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The AUSSE has been validated rigorously for use in Australasia, and taps into fundamental aspects of educational quality – students’ engagement with effective educational practices, including important beyond class experiences. Evidence-based feedback such as this plays a critical role in growing and improving Australasia’s international higher education industry. …

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

Dr Daniel Edwards

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 …

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

Dr Daniel Edwards

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 …

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

Dr Daniel Edwards

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 …

International Engagements: The Characteristics Of International Students’ Engagement With University, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

The international student market is important and lucrative for Australian universities and the Australian economy in general. In 2006, nearly 15 per cent of all income of Australian tertiary providers was derived from international student fees, a total of $2.3 billion. This makes international education Australia’s largest service export and its third largest export industry overall. Between 2001 and 2006, enrolments of undergraduate international students in Australian universities increased 43.3 per cent. By comparison, the growth in enrolments of domestic undergraduate students in this time was much smaller at 1.7 per cent (DEST, 2001 - 2006). In 2006, 14.2 per …

International Students’ Engagement With Effective Educational Practices: A Cross-National Comparison, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

Findings from the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE) provide a new and unique means of tracking international students’ participation in higher education. The AUSSE is the largest cross-institutional collection of data from currently enrolled students in Australasia, and has formative links with the 1,200-institution USA National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The AUSSE has been validated rigorously for use in Australasia, and taps into fundamental aspects of educational quality – students’ engagement with effective educational practices, including important beyond class experiences. Evidence-based feedback such as this plays a critical role in growing and improving Australasia’s international higher education industry. …

Regenerating The Academic Workforce: The Careers, Intentions And Motivations Of Higher Degree Research Students In Australia: Findings Of The National Research Student Survey (Nrss), Daniel Edwards, Emmaline Bexley, Sarah Richardson

Dr Daniel Edwards

The main findings of this report are based on the outcomes from the National Research Student Survey (NRSS) conducted in June 2010 across 38 of the 39 universities in Australia. In total 11,710 Higher Degree by Research students (those enrolled in PhD and masters by research degrees, also referred to simply as ‘research students’ in this report) responded to the NRSS, providing a 25.5 per cent response rate across the country. These response numbers represent the largest collection of survey responses from research students ever undertaken in Australia. The report primarily explores the career intentions and motivations of these students. …

International Students’ Engagement With Effective Educational Practices : A Cross-National Comparison, Daniel Edwards, Hamish Bennett Coates, Ali Radloff

Dr Daniel Edwards

International students in USA universities have higher levels of engagement with their institution when compared to international students enrolled in Australasian universities. ❚ The largest difference between USA and Australian international students was related to student and staff interactions. ❚ The growth in engagement with their institution between first and later year students among the international cohort is more prominent among those enrolled in USA than those in Australia or New Zealand. ❚ Among Australasian higher education students the international student group on average have higher levels of engagement than domestic students. ❚ When compared cross-nationally, the engagement score difference …

The 2008 Graduate Pathways Survey : Graduates Education And Employment Outcomes Five Years After Completion Of A Bachelor Degree At An Australian University, Hamish Coates, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

This report presents findings from the first national study in Australia of bachelor degree graduates five years after degree completion. It details the design, development, implementation and outcomes of the Graduate Pathways Survey (GPS). Findings from the 2008 GPS are wide ranging. They must be read within the context of the project's methodology which is detailed in Appendix B, but it is clear that the findings have the capacity to shape university education and the development of Australia's economy and professional workforce. Findings from the 2008 Graduate Pathways Survey are of interest to a wide range of audiences. Potential university …

The Attractiveness Of The Australian Academic Profession : A Comparative Analysis, Hamish Coates, Ian Dobson, Daniel Edwards, Tim Friedman, Leo Goedegebuure, Lynn Meek

Dr Daniel Edwards

This briefing provides an analysis of challenges facing the sustainability and development of the academic workforce in Australia. It draws together insights from national statistics collections and a number of recent studies, sheds light on current characteristics of the academic profession, and identifies key problem areas. From a review of the evidence, we argue that now is the time for both policy action at the national and institutional level to address these problems, and for further research that can inform workforce planning and development in the years to come.

Supply, Demand And Approaches To Employment By People With Postgraduate Research Qualifications In Science And Mathematics: Literature Review And Data Analysis, Daniel Edwards, T Fred Smith

Dr Daniel Edwards

This report is the first in a project that investigates the demand for and supply of people with science and mathematics postgraduate qualifications in Australia. This report is divided into two main parts: a literature review and a data analysis. The report uses numerous national data sets to present a picture of the supply, demand and employment dynamics of postgraduates in the natural and physical sciences in Australia. The figures indicate an increasing number of postgraduates are completing studies in these fields. However, compared with other fields of education, supply in the natural and physical sciences is increasing at a …

Competition And Choice: Determinants Of Access To University Places Via The Victorian School System, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

The provision of secondary school education in Victoria has changed substantially over the past 50 years. This thesis examines the consequences of these changes for the academic opportunities of government school students. In the 1950s and 1960s, unprecedented numbers of students and near-universal school participation provided a challenge to governments in relation to education provision. As a result, the comprehensive ideal for organising government secondary schooling was adopted. This system became an important vehicle for providing educational opportunities for many students who previously had limited access to the post-primary years. In the 1970s, funding for schooling in Australia received a …

Competition, Specialisation And Stratification: Academic Outcomes Of The Government School System In Melbourne, Australia, Daniel Edwards

Dr Daniel Edwards

Following the increase in the school-aged population as a result of the post-war baby boom, Australia, like many other nations, established a large comprehensive public school system. This system was not only designed to cope with the growth in school enrolments, but also to provide a well rounded education and promote social cohesion. However, unlike many other comparable nations, Australia’s non-government school sector has also played an extensive role in the provision of school education – a role which has grown substantially over the past couple of decades.

Since the mid-1990s, enrolments in government secondary schools have been decreasing. As …