Best Practice in Professional Postgraduate Coursework …uwa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/494334/best-practice-in... · 4.1 Scope of the Data 63 ... Best Practice in Professional

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Best Practice inProfessional PostgraduateCoursework

Report of an investigationcommissioned by theAustralian UniversitiesTeaching Committee

Ian ReidLéonie RennieBruce Shortland-Jones

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Contents

Acknowledgements 33

Executive SSummary 44

Chapter 11: TThe NNature oof tthe PProject 66

1.1 Background and Rationale 6

1.2 Methodology 6

1.3 Programs Covered 9

1.4 Difficulties Encountered 12

Chapter 22: LLiterature RReview 114

2.1 Previous Studies of Postgraduate Education in General 14

2.2 Studies of Postgraduate Coursework in Australia 16

2.3 Principles of Best Practice in Postgraduate Courses 19

2.4 Course-specific Research Reports 20

2.5 Relevance of the Literature Review to this Project 20

Chapter 33: DDescriptive SSamples oof BBest PPractice 222

3.1 Status of the Samples 22

3.2 Health Programs 23

3.3 Education Programs 38

3.4 Business Programs 49

3.5 Synoptic Patterns 62

Chapter 44: QQuestionnaire RResponses 663

4.1 Scope of the Data 63

4.2 Nature of the Findings 63

4.3 Significance of the survey results 76

Chapter 55: IIssues AArising ffrom IInterviews aand WWritten CComments 777

5.1 Additional Criteria 77

5.2 Staff Workload 79

5.3 Benefits of the Project 80

5.4 Summary Observations and Practical Implications 82

Bibliography 884

Appendix 886

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B e s t P ra c t i c e i n P r o f e s s i o n a l Po s t g ra d u a t e C o u r s e w o r k

Acknowledgements

The Australian Universities Teaching Committee deserves particular recognitionfor its commitment of funding to this project. The AUTC showed foresight inidentifying the quality of postgraduate coursework in professional fields as atopic requiring detailed attention, and the project team has especially valued theencouragement given by Professor John Hay (AUTC chairperson).

The project has also benefited greatly from the advice and support provided bymembers of the National Steering Committee:

Professor Philip Candy (University of Ballarat)

Professor Bernard Carey (University of Newcastle)

Professor Anne Edwards (Flinders University)

Professor Alan Robson (University of Western Australia)

Professor Terri Seddon (Monash University)

Professor Charles Watson (Curtin University of Technology)

The project's administrative base has been the Learning Support Network atCurtin University of Technology, which has also given assistance through itsGraduate Studies Office and Postgraduate Students Association. Thecontributions of Zoran Gacik, Jacinta Spry, Allan Herrmann, Susan Jordan, TinaKulski, Jenny Lalor, and Adrienne Rashford all merit particular mention.

Jodi Burgess has handled the design and technical aspects of the CD-ROMdevelopment with considerable patience and skill.

The project team also wishes to thank the many academics, administrators andstudents from across the Australian university system who responded helpfully tothe invitation to participate in this study, whether by commenting on the draftcriteria for best practice, recommending courses that merited particular attention,making themselves available for interview, administering the survey, orcompleting the survey forms.

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Executive Summary

This study of best practice in professional postgraduate coursework focuses on 24programs in Australian universities, across three broad fields: Health, Businessand Education. The programs include a variety of separate courses, fromGraduate Certificate to Masters level.

In attempting to discover what 'best practice' means in the different contexts ofthese various professionally oriented postgraduate courses, the investigation tookits initial bearings from a review of the existing literature on this topic.Principles that recurred in the previous publications, including reports producedby postgraduate students associations, formed the basis for a draft list of criteriafor best practice. This was circulated widely, improved in the light of comments,and used in its revised form as the basis for a survey instrument.

Senior administrators at all Australian universities were invited to nominatecourses with a claim to be considered exemplary in some aspect of the quality oftheir teaching and learning. Numerous suggestions were received. Thisinformation, along with advice from a national steering committee, guided theselection of a range of programs in each of the three fields and in universities ofdifferent kinds - metropolitan and regional, older and newer, large and small,public and private, some with a technological focus and some offering a moretraditional set of disciplines.

Data from those sources were gathered in two ways: by conducting on-siteinterviews with people responsible for teaching and administering the courses,and by distributing a questionnaire based on the list of best practice criteria.The following report provides a descriptive profile of the 24 programs,summarising points that emerged from interviews, and it analyses the 656responses to the survey instrument received from staff and students.

The questionnaire asked respondents to choose and rank eight of the listedcriteria that they regarded as the most important, and then to rate their owncourse on how well it satisfied each of the criteria. The findings throw aninteresting light on various views about best practice in professional postgraduatecoursework and about the extent to which those principles are embodied incurrent practices. Though some differences of opinion emerged between staffand students, and between respondents from different fields of study, there wasalso a fairly consistent pattern on most points.

The project has produced several positive outcomes.

First, most of the participating teachers, administrators and studentswarmly welcomed this attempt to put the spotlight on quality aspectsof postgraduate coursework. Higher degree research has attractedmajor attention over the years, but until now there has been very littlesystematic investigation of best practice in coursework at thecorresponding level, despite a rapid increase in the number of coursesbeing offered. In helping to right the balance, this report shows thecomplexity of qualitative judgments about teaching and learning,especially in the context of postgraduate courses that have aprofessional orientation.

Second, the list of best practice criteria, devised after wideconsultation, has already proved its general usefulness: severaluniversities have decided of their own accord to utilise for internalpurposes the survey instrument based on that list. Further criteriaemerged from comments made by respondents to the survey. The total

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set of 25 principles can readily be used as a practical checklist fordeveloping, teaching, reviewing and benchmarking postgraduateprograms.

Third, the report presents a descriptive compendium of exemplarycourses that can be drawn on to focus debate, compare variousapproaches to the challenge of providing high-quality learningexperiences, and yield a range of ideas about different and ofteninnovative forms of best practice.

Fourth, the data analysis undertaken for this study has produced anumber of findings that can serve to inform the development,administration and review of postgraduate courses. For example ithas revealed substantial agreement across different institutions,courses and fields of study about what constitutes best practice inpostgraduate coursework; it has found that students generally indicatetheir level of satisfaction with their own courses to be highest inrelation to the criteria they rank as having highest importance; andon the other hand it has identified a few areas of apparent weaknessesin program quality that teachers and administrators would do well toaddress.

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Chapter 1: The Nature of the Project

1.1 BBackground aand RRationale

This report describes the processes and outcomes of an investigation into bestpractice in postgraduate coursework across the fields of Education, HealthSciences, and Business/Management. The project was conceived and funded bythe Australian Universities Teaching Committee (AUTC) and awarded to CurtinUniversity of Technology after a tendering process. Professors Léonie Rennieand Bruce Shortland-Jones co-directed it and engaged Emeritus Professor IanReid, through ReidMac Consulting Services, as Project Officer. A nationalsteering committee, whose members are named on the Acknowledgements page,provided valuable guidance.

In deciding to commission a study of this topic, the AUTC made a timely choice.The proliferation of postgraduate courses in recent years has left much of theterrain unmapped. Given the priorities established by Commonwealth fundingstructures and associated monitoring arrangements, it is hardly surprising - butnonetheless regrettable - that most of the attention has tended to focus onundergraduate and higher degree research programs. For postgraduatecoursework, Australian universities generally lack up-to-date information aboutnational benchmarks and exemplars of high-quality teaching and learningpractices. The need to gather this information is underlined by the likelihoodthat the Postgraduate Education Loan Scheme (PELS), and its foreshadowedsuccessor FEE-HELP, will make postgraduate coursework increasingly popular.The Commonwealth Government introduced PELS in 2002 as an income-contingent loan scheme, similar to the Higher Education Contribution Scheme(HECS) previously established for undergraduate studies except that universitiesthemselves set the tuition fees of courses for which PELS loans are available.PELS is intended to remove financial barriers to people who wish to undertakenon-research postgraduate studies, and although it may not entirely do so it willcertainly attract larger numbers of enrolments. At the time of writing, thegovernment has proposed to subsume it from 2005 within a new loan scheme tobe known as FEE-HELP.

Most postgraduate coursework programs are oriented towards professionalenvironments. As the particular pressures and opportunities that this orientationmay produce will probably vary somewhat from one specific professional field toanother, the present study encompasses three quite different disciplinary areas.One aim has been to discover whether 'best practice' is taken to mean much thesame things in Business, Health and Education.

1.2 MMethodology

For the purpose of establishing what constitutes 'best practice' in professionalpostgraduate studies, the project has aimed simply to collect information andopinion that has the authentic ring of academic workplace knowledge, beinggathered from teachers and students who are actively engaged in postgraduatecoursework and have a practical everyday concern with the quality of theirteaching and learning. This procedure stemmed from a strongly held view, whichthe Steering Committee endorsed, that it would be fruitless to attempt to devisesome abstract standard of excellence that could then be applied invariably to allcourses. Rather, we wanted to elicit through consultation a set of broadprinciples that met with general acceptance, though some might be perceived as

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having more relevance than others to a particular course. We also wanted to givepeople an opportunity to reflect in an evaluative way on the extent to which theirown course satisfied them with regard to each of the principles that emergedfrom this consultative process.

Initially our methodological plan was a little more elaborate. We had thoughtthat a useful first step might be to work through university websites to compile asummary list of current Australian postgraduate degrees in the three designatedfields, mapping them in terms of content, structure, access/delivery modes,nature of teaching/learning interaction, links with professional practice, andassessment requirements. Our intention was not to produce an encyclopedicaccount but just to ensure due coverage as a basis for beginning to identifyexemplars of best practice. Yet even this proved to be unrealistic. The numberof postgraduate courses currently offered in those broad fields is enormous, farexceeding our expectations and our capacity to gather meaningful summaryinformation about them all from websites and printed materials. Some importantdetails, it turned out, are usually lacking from those sources, but anyway thehope of reaching a systematic conspectus was thwarted by the sheer size of theobject of study. For example at least one university offers more than 100separate postgraduate coursework awards in the field of Business alone. Anotheroffers about 90 in the field of Health alone. This multiplicity of offerings (with apaucity of on-line information about many of them) was a noteworthy discoveryin itself, raising questions about the transparency of choices available toprospective students. But we had to give up any attempt to sketch acomprehensive preliminary map of postgraduate coursework programs across thethree chosen fields in Australian universities.

So we moved on to what was to have been the second step, and this did give theproject a good deal of momentum. After sending an introductory letter to allVice-Chancellors, the Project Officer wrote to those officers with senioradministrative responsibility for the designated areas at each Australianuniversity that offers them - Deans, in most cases - requesting that they respond(or ask an appropriate colleague to respond) with either or both of the following:

1. Any comment they might wish to make about an enclosed list of draftcriteria for 'best practice' in professionally oriented postgraduatecoursework programs;

2. A nomination of any postgraduate course that they might thinkworthy of special attention as a best practice exemplar, preferablywith reference to the draft criteria.

The draft criteria had been formulated on the basis of opinions and observationsrecorded in the literature (see Chapter 2 for specific references), and in the lightof advice from the project Steering Committee. Though presented in tentativeterms, the list was generally well received. This was encouraging, as it seemed toindicate a fairly solid consensus within the academic community about the thingsthat matter most in postgraduate coursework. However, respondents madenumerous suggestions for more precise descriptions and also for some additionalcriteria. We were pleased to find that a couple of universities had already drawnup their own sets of best practice principles. These, too, were useful in refiningour draft statement.

Our letter emphasised that, in seeking informal suggestions about programs ofexcellent quality, we had no intention of letting the project become apromotional vehicle for particular programs. There was a clear message that theeventual report would not be attributing champion status to any course. Thiswould have been inappropriate because new programs can appear suddenly, the

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quality of existing programs can change just as suddenly, and today's leader isnot always tomorrow's. The letter explained that the purpose of askingrepresentatives from every university in the country to indicate a few courseswith an apparent claim to excellence was to refine our understanding of generalprinciples of best practice through reference to specific cases.

The letter produced many genuinely useful responses. Some came from Deans orPro-Vice-Chancellors (usually with an indication of having taken advice fromcolleagues); more often the respondents were Heads of School or others towhom they had chosen to pass on the information and request. In the light ofall the comments, our list of best practice criteria was revised and extended. Inaddition the Project Officer soon had an assortment of recommended courses toconsider. In general people seemed to welcome the opportunity to contributetheir views about quality principles. They recognised that this put the wholeproject on a different footing from inspectorial quality audits; it gave a range ofteachers and administrators some sense of part-ownership. And contrary to whatone might cynically suppose, not all of them wanted to claim that their faculty orschool had an exemplary course or two that should be considered. Some saidfrankly that the programs in their own backyards did not yet measure up.

Nevertheless, we needed to face certain questions about our process. What aboutthose who did not reply? There were numerous, and their non-response could bevariously interpreted. Did it mean that they had no conception of best practicein postgraduate coursework and/or no wish to expose any of their courses toscrutiny? Did it mean that they were so unimpressed by the list of draft criteriaand so sceptical about the project's value that, although sure of the quality oftheir own courses, they wanted to have nothing to do with our way of trying toidentify best practice? Did it mean that some people were just so busy thatdespite possible interest in the project they just could not get around to doinganything about it? Or did it simply mean that the message had failed to arrive inthe right place, getting lost somewhere in the interstices between differentinstitutional roles and individual responsibilities? Should the Project Officerhave hounded people by re-sending messages time and again? Or persisted onlyin those instances where a particular course was an acknowledged leader in itsfield?

Most of the procedural riddles were insoluble, and on reflection did not seem towarrant serious concern. Despite regrets that certain universities, faculties orschools would not be included in the project, it seemed likely that we would endup with a sufficiently varied and interesting sample of programs and commentsto permit general conclusions to be drawn with some confidence. Accordinglythe Project Officer proceeded with arrangements to visit numerous campuses forinterviews with those responsible for teaching and/or administering variouscourses that appeared to merit close attention.

Although based on self-nomination, the choice of courses was not determined bythat means alone. The project team took advice from members of the Steering


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Committee and from others with a good knowledge of the relevant fields.Publicly available information about reputations and rankings of particularprograms was also noted. For instance the relative standing of MBA courses isgauged annually in a number of well-known surveys, and although such 'leaguetables' should not be viewed uncritically it would have been cavalier to ignorethem. (More detail on our use of this particular source of information is givenbelow in section 1.3, 'Programs covered'.)

The Project Officer conducted interviews on campuses in all mainland states.That interview stage covered 24 programs: seven in Education, eight in Business,and nine in Health. The term 'program' is used here in a broad sense to refer toan administrative grouping of courses in related areas. The total number ofcourses examined was much larger, because in some places it proved possible togather detailed information on two or three or four separate disciplines - forexample, at one university's School of Health these were in Audiology, SpeechPathology, Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy; at another university'sFaculty of Education the discussions covered degree programs in AdultEducation, Teaching English as a Second or Other Language, and AppliedLinguistics.

The project team devised a simple survey form derived from the list of criteria.Distribution of this form was more problematic, but the attitudes encounteredwere generally cooperative. In most places course administrators and some oftheir colleagues were happy to complete the form, and happy also to involve theirstudents in using the same instrument. The project team regarded it as axiomaticthat a broad range of student opinion should be gathered. But that raisedanother kind of question about the research procedure. For practical and ethicalreasons, it would not have been appropriate for the Project Officer to be givenstudent contact details for survey purposes, and so it was necessary to rely on thewillingness of course administrators to make their own arrangements for passingon the questionnaire instrument to students, collecting the completed forms fromthem, and mailing the batch to the Project Officer. Obviously that informalprocedure opened the technical possibility of distortion of the sample andcontamination of the data. However, the project team did not regard this as aserious methodological defect, because there was never any question of rankingcourses comparatively according to the numbers of students expressing certainlevels of satisfaction. Rather, the focus was clearly to be on exploringagreements and disagreements among students and staff across different coursesand fields with regard to the identification of best practice criteria, and relatedissues, and for this purpose a tightly controlled experiment was not required.

1.3 PPrograms CCovered

Some general points need to be made about the range of examples our studyincludes. First, the main focus is on masters courses. This was not apredetermined restriction; it resulted directly from the nominations received.Nor was it surprising, given the established popularity of MEd, MBA and MHSdegrees in their respective fields.

Postgraduate diploma and certificate qualifications also figure in theinvestigation. In most cases the teaching and administration of masters coursesare closely linked to graduate diploma and graduate certificate offerings: it isusual for these awards to serve as steps towards the masters as well as to becredentials in their own right. Therefore it would not have been meaningful (e.g.in analysing survey data) to separate groups of students in those terms within aparticular university's program. Some individuals who might identify

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themselves as masters students would in fact eventually discontinue their studiesafter qualifying for a Grad Cert or Grad Dip, and conversely some whose currentgoal was limited to a certificate or diploma might later extend their enrolment tothe full masters degree. In many instances, students with different enrolmentstatus work alongside one another in a particular unit or subject, unaware ofthose differences.

Not a single doctoral program is included in this report. There are two reasonsfor this. First, none was nominated. From this it would be reasonable to inferthat doctoral programs in which coursework predominates do not spring readilyto the minds of teachers and administrators as exemplars of best practice.Second, the project team was aware that a good deal of attention has recentlybeen paid to 'professional doctorates', including those weighted mainly towardscoursework. This attention is evident in a series of conferences and inpublications derived from them. The literature review in chapter 2 of the presentreport mentions the publications on professional doctorates.

Since the object of our search was exemplary practice, there could be nodeliberate effort to represent evenly the diversity of kinds of institutions. Yet itturned out that the coverage encompassed regional as well as metropolitanuniversities, sandstone and technology universities, the oldest establishments andsome of the newest. This is pleasing because it reinforces the principle thatexcellence can take a variety of forms.

It is also fortunate that we were able to include one offshore program in each ofthe three fields. This allowed us to look at some of the ways in which Australianuniversities are attempting to maintain high standards in settings that posespecial challenges with regard to entry requirements, language competence, andother matters.

The most widely publicised comparative measures of postgraduate courseworkquality are the national and international rankings of business programs,particularly the MBA. Whatever reservations one may have about the criteria onwhich some of these league tables are based, they can hardly be dismissedaltogether. We used them as a reference point to ensure that our selection ofcourses in that field was defensible. Three MBA programs are regularly groupedat the top of Australian surveys and usually gain the foremost Australian placesin international lists: the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, theMelbourne Business School, and the Australian Graduate School ofManagement. That trio forms the top band in the Australian Financial Review'sBoss magazine survey, published in September 2002, and each is included in theEconomist Intelligence Unit's ranking of the 100 best MBA programs worldwide.Our inclusion of Macquarie and Melbourne in the present project recognisestheir reputation. But it seemed important to include other MBA courses too, notleast because of the variability of tuition fees. The three just mentioned chargearound $40,000 each, while some other courses that are also well rankednationally are much less expensive -Bond and Curtin, for instance, which theAFR/Boss survey places in the second band and which the present studyincludes. Bond has the additional claim of a top-ranking position for its MBAprogram in the national Course Experience Questionnaire ratings, and Curtin hasthe additional claim of being the only Australian business school to receiveEQUIS (European Quality Improvement System) accreditation. Also includedhere is the MBA offered by the University of Queensland Business School;though not making itself available for evaluation in the AFR/Boss survey, thiswas recently rated by Asia Inc. as the best business school in Australia and thesixth-best in Asia.


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insstitutionss.”

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The following programs have participated, some more fully than others, in thepresent study. They come from 17 different universities.

HHEEAALLTTHH

University of Adelaide: Department of Public Health

Curtin University of Technology: Centre for International Health

Flinders University: Faculty of Health Sciences (Nursing; Audiology;Nutrition & Dietetics)

La Trobe University: Faculty of Health Sciences (Health ServicesManagement - China Program; Breast Cancer Nursing)

Monash University: Faculty of Health Sciences (Family Medicine;GP Psychiatry; Sonography)

University of Newcastle: School of Nursing

Queensland University of Technology: Faculty of Health

University of Queensland: School of Health & RehabilitationSciences (Audiology; Speech Pathology; Occupational Therapy;Physiotherapy)

University of Sydney: Faculty of Health Science (Health ScienceEducation; Physiotherapy)

EEDDUUCCAATTIIOONN

Central Queensland University: School of Education & Innovation(Learning Management)

Curtin University of Technology: Science & Mathematics EducationCentre

Deakin University: Faculty of Education

Edith Cowan University: School of Education (Language Difficulties)

Flinders University: School of Education (Special Education)

University of Technology Sydney: Faculty of Education (AdultEducation; TESOL; Applied Linguistics)

University of Western Australia: Graduate School of Education

BBUUSSIINNEESSSS

Bond University: School of Business

Curtin University of Technology: Graduate School of Business

Macquarie University: Graduate School of Management

University of Melbourne: Business School

Queensland University of Technology: Faculty of Business

University of Queensland: Business School

Swinburne University of Technology: School of Business

University of Technology Sydney: Graduate School of Business


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1.4 DDiff icul t ies EEncountered

The main challenge in the conduct of this project was persuading people toparticipate - not only initially, but also through the follow-up stages.

Direct contact with postgraduate students to elicit their views was very difficult.Originally we attempted to survey them by sending out a brief, general, open-ended questionnaire through the President of one university's PostgraduateStudent Association via her counterparts in all the other such associationsaround the country. Despite follow-up messages, we received only a smallhandful of responses by that means. However, student voices have eventuallybecome audible through three other elements of this project:

(1) our criteria-based survey instrument, which more than 600 studentscompleted (see chapter 4);

(2) our literature survey, which highlights some valuable reports onpostgraduate coursework carried out by students themselves; and

(3) our CD-ROM version of the present report, which also includesvideotaped focus group discussions with some students.

As noted earlier, the fact that many academic staff and administrative officersdid not reply to the initial letter of inquiry (and the fact that some who didinitially reply seemed reluctant to follow this through) could be variouslyinterpreted. Someone who did answer was quite candid in pointing to what isdoubtless one of the main reasons:

However important this project is, and however diplomatic andpersuasive your letter is, your requests will be likely to evoke groansof 'Not again!' Academic departments are asked so often to report,evaluate, submit themselves to review, account for themselves, etc.,that this kind of request is almost bound to be regarded as irksome.Furthermore, there will be considerable scepticism regarding itsusefulness, and something less than 100% seriousness in responding.

This is a sobering comment, and no doubt represents accurately a commonreaction. Its perspective seems to be reinforced by the fact that some of thepeople who were persuaded to meet the Project Officer and be interviewed didnot respond to post-meeting messages requesting further information. In severalcases, survey forms were apparently not distributed to students or stakeholders,despite promises. This situation had to be accepted. There is a limit to thenumber of reminders one can send without becoming uncivil. On the other handmany academics and administrators did seem to welcome the project, to see it asimportant and useful, and to cooperate cheerfully.

The intention of obtaining survey responses from external stakeholders, such asrepresentatives from the relevant professional associations, governmentdepartments, or industries, had to be abandoned. It appears that most courseadministrators did not attempt to pass on the survey form to externalstakeholders even after having undertaken to do so. Though disappointing, thiswas not a damaging problem. It is unlikely, after all, that most of them wouldhave been in a position to make well informed judgements about the relativeimportance of many of the criteria or about the extent to which a particularcourse met those criteria.

A different and minor kind of difficulty should be noted here: terminologicalinconsistency. The fact that nomenclature varies somewhat from university touniversity was occasionally a slight distraction in the conduct of thisinvestigation, and is inevitably reflected in the report. First, although


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coopeerateecheeeerfully“

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'coursework' can constitute a proportion of the requirements for a researchdegree (as it normally does in North American universities), the present projectconcentrates on degree programs in which coursework is the sole or predominantelement, since this is in keeping with what most people understand 'postgraduatecoursework' to signify in an Australian context. Second, the term 'course' isusually - but not always - taken to mean a full sequence of studies whosecompletion qualifies the student for the award of a certificate, diploma or degree,but in some institutions it can refer to one of the component parts, elsewherecalled 'units'. The notes in Chapter 3 on different university programs reflect asfar as possible the local parlance in each case, except where ambiguity wouldresult.

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Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1 PPrevious SStudies oof PPostgraduate EEducation iin GGeneral

With few exceptions, published studies of postgraduate education have tended toconcentrate on higher degree research students. Whether in relation toAustralian practice or to contexts overseas, this focus has usually beenpredominant, if not exclusive. The apparent implication is that research is thenorm and coursework is of secondary importance.

Understandably, many students themselves find this vexing. It is not hard tosympathise with the complaint expressed in a report by the Sydney UniversityPostgraduate Representative Association: 'There has been a disappointing andsignificant silence over the quality of [postgraduate] coursework education, as ifuniversities and the federal government are hesitant to tamper with such aneasily exploitable source of discretionary funding' (Brown, Swinbourne & Harrod2000).

Certainly the general neglect of coursework issues is striking. For examplealthough most of the 17 contributors to Quality in Postgraduate Education(Zuber-Skerritt & Ryan 1994) were Australian, not a single chapter reflects thesurge in postgraduate coursework that was already occurring in this country atthe time of its publication. Rather, the focus throughout the book is on thesiswriting, supervision, and the organisational development of a research culture.Similarly, for a 1995 special issue of The Australian Universities' Review -subsequently published in book form (Lee & Green 1998) - that was devoted tothe theme of 'Postgraduate Studies/Postgraduate Pedagogy', all contributors tooktheir topic to be almost synonymous with higher degree research, most of thepapers dealing exclusively with aspects of thesis supervision. Holdaway (1996)provided a general account of the administration of graduate studies, mainly inAustralia, but most of his discussion referred to research matters such assupervision. Of ten listed concerns and criticisms regarding currentarrangements, only one is particularly relevant to coursework programs: anobservation that 'activities to improve academic skills other than those directlyrelated to research are often not emphasised'. Having simply mentioned thispoint, Holdaway did not pursue it.

The lack of attention to coursework matters is surprising in view of the fact thatthe trend to diversify postgraduate education beyond its traditional researchfocus had been signalled clearly in national and international studies from thelate 1980s. An OECD report (1987) provided a survey of major changes that hadoccurred in postgraduate education across its member countries since the 1970s,including greater responsiveness to 'the perceived exigencies of the labourmarket', a consequently rapid rise in the number and scale of programs inprofessional fields (especially business administration), higher proportions ofpart-time postgraduate students, and a tendency for any growth in enrolments tobe attributable 'not … to research training leading to the PhD, but to a constantor increasing demand for postgraduate specialisation courses'.

Though this is an international trend, it has not attracted much analyticalattention at the systemic level from academics based in North America, where -as noted in Chapter 1- postgraduate coursework traditionally constitutes asubstantial proportion of the requirements for a research degree. Consequentlythe present literature review does not refer to North American scholarly

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15

publications, since few of them deal with quality aspects of degree programs inwhich coursework is the sole or predominant element. There are of course manyU.S. magazine and newspaper articles that regularly report national rankings ofgraduate schools and programs in particular fields of study, and often withreference to a particular delivery mode. To mention just one example:regionally accredited professional on-line courses at the postgraduate level inPublic Health, Business Administration and Teacher Education are ranked in theU.S. News and World Report for 15 October 2001. However, such articles donot attempt to reflect critically on the concept of best practice.

It should be noted, incidentally, that the professional postgraduate coursesoffered by North American universities cannot be readily compared with those inAustralia because the former are usually designed to accommodate students witha broader range of undergraduate degrees than is usual here. This is becauseundergraduate courses in the USA have an eclectic liberal arts character, and inmost cases vocational specialisation begins at the postgraduate level. Partly forthe same reason, standardised entry tests such as the Graduate RecordExamination and the Graduate Management Admission Test are normallyrequired, whereas they are uncommon in this country - though the GMAT iscoming into wider use for Australian MBA applicants.

In Australia, policy-makers and administrators paid little attention to the fullrange of postgraduate education until the late 1980s. The CommonwealthGovernment's White Paper (1988) indicated an intention to conduct a broadreview of postgraduate education, and a subsequent ministerial reference to theNational Board of Employment, Education and Training was taken up by theHigher Education Council, which first issued an interim report (HEC 1989) on'the scope, structure, quality and spread of postgraduate education in Australia'and then, after further consultation, incorporated a revised version of that paperinto a more comprehensive report to the Minister (HEC 1990). Among itsrecommendations were the following (in paraphrase):

That institutions concentrate their postgraduate programs in particularfields of study where they have strength, having regard to availabilityof appropriate facilities, qualified staff and capacity to providestudent support, so that such courses are of high quality and link bothto a sound research base and to the specific needs of the variousprofessions;

That institutions review the pattern of their postgraduate awards inorder to augment traditional programs by introducing professionaldoctoral degrees that require advanced applications of existingknowledge and technology in professional settings, and by makinggreater use of graduate certificate courses as part of professionaldevelopment programs;

That an increase in the provision of postgraduate education take placeas a staged process, with objectives that include improved opportunityfor groups who do not normally participate in higher education andstrengthened professional leadership;

That the cost of expanding postgraduate education be met throughappropriate rates of funding for additional student places.

Government policy soon moved away from some of these principles. The HigherEducation Funding Act of 1988 had allowed fees to be charged for somepostgraduate courses in keeping with guidelines issued by the Minister, whichwere gradually loosened until fees for all coursework programs other thanprofessional entry courses in teaching and nursing were deregulated in 1994.Consequently - as noted in the section below - there has been a decline in total

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“In AAusstralia,policy-mmakeerss aand

adminisstratorss ppaidlittlee aatteention tto tthee

full rrangee oofposstgraduatee

eeducation uuntil ttheelatee 11980ss”

16

coursework enrolments, an aggravation of access and equity problems, and insome quarters a perceived weakening of commitment to the quality of thelearning experience.

Professional doctorates have spread, and their proliferation is scrutinised in somerecent Australian publications, mostly proceedings of a series of conferences onthis important but specialised topic (e.g. Maxwell & Shanahan 1998; Green,Maxwell & Shanahan 2001). Again, the predominant emphasis falls on researchissues, professional doctorates being usually represented as equivalent to the PhDin scholarly rigour though oriented towards practitioner knowledge. There islittle direct consideration of coursework quality as such. The latest publicationof this kind (McWilliam et al. 2002), continues with the same preoccupation, asits title proclaims: Research Training in Doctoral Programs: What can belearned from professional doctorates? In almost all the case study exampleschosen, the degrees are classified as 'research'. The coursework components ofthese programs receive scant comment.

2.2 SStudies oof PPostgraduate CCoursework iin AAustral ia

There are honourable exceptions to the general tendency to neglect postgraduatecoursework. Two useful reports from the University of Melbourne's Centre forthe Study of Higher Education in the mid-1990s recognised certain implicationsof the significant expansion of this area of higher education. McInnis, Jamesand Morris (1995) investigated the masters coursework degree with particularregard to quality issues, while James and Beattie (1996) reported on the use ofdelivery options to create flexible and effective learning environments forpostgraduate coursework.

The first of these reports documented the changing nature of the courseworkmasters in Australia, especially its market-driven diversification, and argued thatquality aspects of this degree would need regular monitoring in order to preserveits credibility. McInnis, James and Morris looked closely at ten courseworkmasters programs from two popular study areas, Health and Business. Notableamong the quality issues that they identified were student selection processes,assessment requirements, flexible delivery methods, course review, studentfeedback, and staff development. The report proposed this set of principles:

That the coursework in masters programs ought to be conducted at aclearly advanced level in terms of the knowledge, skills andunderstandings required;

That the goals of coursework in masters programs should reflect thebroader goals of university education, in particular, fosteringintellectual values which transcend the boundaries of any particularbranch of learning and any particular vocation, and achieving abalance between the transmission of theoretical perspectives, practicalskills, knowledge, and, where relevant, professional values;

That the structure, process and delivery of education in these


“Notablee aamongthee qquality iissssueess ....

ideentifieed wweereesstudeent sseeleection

proceesssseess,asssseessssmeent

reequireemeentss,fleexiblee ddeelivveerymeethodss, ccoursseereevvieeww, sstudeent

feeeedback, aand sstaffdeevveelopmeent”

17

programs should be based on recognition of the special nature ofadult learning;

That quality assurance mechanisms ought to provide for formalconsultation with students and the relevant professional bodies;

That graduate students have needs and aspirations which can usefullybe distinguished from those of undergraduate or postgraduate researchstudents;

That the life and work experience graduate students bring with themshould be recognised and used to enrich learning environments.

James and Beattie (1996) began their report with these remarks:

Postgraduate coursework education will arguably be the mostenergetic and volatile arena in Australian higher education during thenext decade, for two reasons. First, postgraduate coursework hasbeen, and seems likely to remain, one of the fastest growing areas inhigher education due to demand from professionals for advanced andspecialised study. Second, new communication technologies offer avariety of strategies for flexible delivery. In a competitive, market-oriented environment, these two factors seem likely to spur theproliferation of innovative program structures and delivery styles.Multiple delivery options will increasingly be offered to students asthe distinction between on- and off-campus study dissolves.

Although technological innovations in general seem not to have been applied asrapidly or widely as this statement envisages, the courses considered within thepresent project do exemplify a range of choices and combinations of the fourmain delivery categories that James and Beattie went on to describe: face-to-faceinteraction, electronic communication, pre-packaged learning resources, andguided experiential activities.

Their report put forward a number of recommendations, among which those withthe broadest relevance to postgraduate coursework in general refer to the need toprovide open learning opportunities of a flexible nature that are closely linked tostudents' professional or career goals, and a framework of clear learningobjectives appropriate at postgraduate level. There is also an emphasis on theimportance of recognising that 'postgraduate education is adult education' (p.59). Noting that nearly two in every three Australian postgraduate students areaged 30 or more, James and Beattie observe that:

… adult learners are likely to benefit from opportunities for self-direction, clear relationship between their learning, life andprofessional experiences, conscious reflection, and action orexpression as a result of learning (Knowles 1990; Merriam & Carafella1991). These principles lend support for problem-based learning,rather than didactic approaches to teaching. Nevertheless, not alladults can be expected to be self-directed learners and not all willprefer active approaches.

Another set of questions about postgraduate coursework was pursued in twoNBEET-commissioned studies (1997 and 2000), which focused on equity andaccess. Following the Commonwealth Government's introduction in 1989 ofarrangements permitting institutions to charge full fees for postgraduateprograms, concerns had been widely expressed about the fairness of this policy.Accordingly the Higher Education Council was asked to investigate the issues.One of these reports concluded that 'fees have a clearly observable deterrenteffect on enrolment in postgraduate courses and in practice direct some groups,particularly women and those of low socio-economic status, towards HECS-liablecourses' (NBEET 1997:69). The other observed that 'fees tend to reflect demand

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“...thee ccoursseessconssideereed wwithin

thee ppreesseent pprojeectdo eexeemplify aa

rangee oof cchoiceess aandcombinationss oof tthee

four mmain ddeelivveerycateegorieess tthat

Jameess aand BBeeattieewweent oon tto ddeesscribee::

facee-tto-ffaceeinteeraction,

eeleectroniccommunication, ppree-

packageed lleearningreessourceess, aand

guideed eexpeerieentialactivvitieess.”

18

rather than costs'; that prospective students are generally 'not well informed'about available postgraduate coursework options and related career options; andthat although the government's original premise had been that postgraduatecourses would cater for people already employed and therefore able to affordfees, this overlooked the important of such courses for anyone trying to enter orre-enter the workforce in a range of fields (NBEET 2000:38, 70, 76). As Smith &Frankland (2000) observed from the point of view of the Council of AustralianPostgraduate Associations, the 'marketisation' of postgraduate courses restrictsthem to those who can pay the up-front fees, and arguably 'creates strong"dumbing down" incentives'. They noted a decline of 19% in Australiancoursework enrolments between 1996 and 2000, affecting nearly every field ofstudy.

Postgraduate student associations have contributed several reports on qualitativeaspects of the coursework experience. Most of these publications referspecifically to particular institutional arrangements: for instance Brown,Swinbourne & Harrod (2000) discuss course satisfaction measures at theUniversity of Sydney, Rashford and Dowsett (2001) discuss the results of asimilar survey at Curtin University of Technology, and Chang (2001) discussesquality control in relation to PELS administration at the University ofMelbourne. The Sydney report included extensive quotation from commentsmade by students in response to an open question about any aspects of theircourse that they felt had influenced the quality of their experience. Prominentlymentioned were the level of course content, the appropriateness of assessmentprocedures, the availability of infrastructure and resources, and the efficiency ofadministrative functions. The Curtin report listed a number of factors that had astatistically significant influence on postgraduate students' general levels ofsatisfaction with their courses. Noteworthy were the following:

Clear information about the course and administrative procedures;

Appropriate method of selecting students for entry;

Valuing of student feedback;

Alignment of assessment with course structure and level;

Stimulating and engaging curriculum content;

Provision of adequate facilities and resources;

Encouragement to participate in a learning community.

Similarly the Melbourne report, drawing on other such investigations, states thathigh-quality postgraduate coursework education is characterised, from a studentpoint of view, by:

Intellectual engagement, challenge and growth;

Postgraduate pedagogies (valuing students as adults with experienceand expertise);

Suitable course structure;

Appropriate postgraduate status;

An atmosphere of collegiality and community;

Appropriate administration;

Sufficient infrastructure and resources;

Course advice and careers counselling;

Appropriately trained and resourced staff.

These points imply certain best practice principles, which recur in several otherstudies.

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“Posstgraduateesstudeent aassssociationss

havvee ccontributeedsseevveeral rreeportss oon

qualitativvee aasspeectssof tthee ccoursseewwork

eexpeerieencee.”

19

2.3 PPrinciples oof BBest PPract ice iin PPostgraduate CCourses

Some further publications include argument and opinion about principles of bestpractice. According to Trigwell et al. (1997), high quality doctoral programs thatcombine research and coursework have several distinguishing features, mostnotably the following (paraphrased and abridged here):

the aims and purposes of the program are clearly outlined;

the coursework tasks demonstrate clearly how they contribute to thecandidate's understanding of practical research, particularly in theprofessional context if relevant;

external professional bodies are collaboratively involved in programdesign;

the coursework is flexible enough to provide the required professionalorientation and enhance the student's understanding of research in thecontext of professional practice;

entry requirements are linked with course objectives in ways thatencourage and admit appropriate target groups;

collaboration between students, and between students and staff, isencouraged;

the content of both research and coursework components reflects thelevel of the degree;

appropriate support facilities are available;

clear information about the course is available in advance;

assessment requirements are linked with the objectives of program;

continuous program improvement is carried out, through collectionand discussion of data from sources including staff, students andexternal bodies and individuals.

Coulthard (2000) surveyed the satisfaction levels of postgraduate courseworkstudents, with regard both to the course itself and to the resources and servicesprovided by their university. Questions about best practice were not raisedexplicitly, but individual course satisfaction items in the survey included thefollowing:

selection procedures;

accurate information about the course and associated services;

feedback on progress;

range of subject choices;

inclusion as a valuable participant in the academic environment;

course content;

academic standard;

quality of lectures or study materials;

assessment methods;

student input in course evaluation.

Regarding satisfaction with resources and services, Coulthard's survey includedsuch items as library opening hours, access to IT facilities, and assistance withwritten language, along with various matters less directly related to academicneeds (e.g. sports and clubs, child care and career counselling).

An earlier publication by the Higher Education Council (NBEET 1996)investigated the relative responsibilities of universities and professional

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“CCoulthard ((22000)ssurvveeyeed tthee

ssatissfaction lleevveelss oofposstgraduatee

coursseewworksstudeentss, wwith

reegard bboth tto ttheecourssee iitsseelf aand tto

thee rreessourceess aandsseervviceess pprovvideed bby

theeir uunivveerssity.”

20

associations in educating and accrediting graduates, though not in particularrelation to postgraduate pathways. It proposed (pp. 68-69) that, in order toachieve best practice, a process for reviewing professionally oriented coursesshould:

be inclusive of all stakeholders;

be open, consultative and consensus-building about future coursedevelopments;

be transparent to all parties;

mesh external registration requirements with internal academicpriorities;

monitor implementation of recommended changes after accreditation;

involve a continuous cycle of review;

focus on objectives, standards, outputs and outcomes, rather than ondetailed specification of curriculum content.

2.4 CCourse-sspeci f ic RResearch RReports

It is important to recognise that some faculties, schools or departmentscommission their own market research on their postgraduate courseworkprograms. By their nature the reports on these inquiries are usually limited intheir intended circulation. Course administrators use them to provide moredetailed information than can be obtained from standard student evaluationinstruments.

One example of a course-specific research report was made available to theproject team. Conducted by Market Equity for the Curtin Business School latein 2002, the study is titled Evaluating Postgraduate Student Perceptions of CBS.Its commendable aim was 'to develop a better understanding of postgraduatestudents' needs and expectations in relation to Curtin Business School, and toidentify opportunities to enhance their study experience and overall satisfaction'.Focus groups and a quantitative on-line survey (238 responses) providedinformation to the researchers. Of the various results, most interesting in thepresent context was the set of findings summarised as 'Reasons for choosing tostudy at CBS'. The six reasons most frequently cited were as follows (withindicated percentage of students choosing each of them):

Course structure (i.e. units offered) - 50%

Relevance of course content - 38%

Image and reputation of CBS - 36%

Flexibility of the course and study options - 30%

Practical applicability of course knowledge - 25%

Quality of the lecturers - 21%

The items are similar to those that figure prominently in most of the moregeneral studies cited in preceding sections of this literature review. They alsoprovide a useful basis for comparison with the rankings assigned by respondentsin the Business field to certain criteria in the survey conducted for the presentproject, as reported in Chapter 4.

2.5 RRelevance oof tthe LLiterature RReview tto tthis PProject

From the various sources summarised above, certain principles emerge clearlyand consistently. These provided the basis for drafting a list of best practice

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“From tthee vvarioussssourceess ssummarisseed

abovvee, cceertainprincipleess eemeergee

cleearly aandconssissteently.”

21

criteria that was circulated for comment during the first stage of the presentstudy, as described in Chapter 1. The revised list, developed consultatively,provided a structure for the survey instrument and a framework for theinterviews. It reflects or implies most of the points mentioned in several of thestudies mentioned in this literature review, such as the Trigwell and NBEETpublications, and matches in a particularly close way the course satisfactionfactors itemised by Coulthard.

The criteria identified by our process of literature review, drafting, consultationand revision are as follows, listed in random order.

Prospective students can easily obtain clear, detailed and up-to-dateinformation about the course.

Entry standards and procedures appropriately combine rigour, equityand flexibility.

The curriculum content has enough intellectual depth, scholarlycurrency and wide practical applicability to justify its being offered ata postgraduate level.

The structure of the course matches its objectives.

The mode of delivery utilises technology in a way that ensuressuitable access and flexible study options for the target group.

The teaching/learning interaction engages the students as adultlearners whose experience is valued (e.g. by including activities thatgive them scope to contribute their own knowledge).

The course strikes a suitable balance between vocational training andgeneralist education (e.g. by developing high order cognitive skills).

The assessment requirements are aligned with course objectives, andflexible enough to link theory with professional practice.

Assistance is readily available for special needs, e.g. linguistic andcultural support for NESB students.

Feedback to students on their progress is provided frequently,informatively and constructively.

Feedback is obtained systematically from students about theirperceptions of the quality of the course, including how well it istaught.

The course is responsive to input and evaluation from the relevantprofessional/industry bodies.

The course is regularly benchmarked against comparable courseselsewhere, to validate claims made about its quality, distinctiveness,and/or innovative features.

Information about learning outcomes is routinely obtained, comparedwith graduate attribute profiles and requisite professional competencystandards, and used to improve course quality.

Graduates from the course have a high employment rate and highworkplace approval.

Relevant industry/ professional activities are integrated into thecourse.

There are adequate resources (e.g. library, IT, clinical) to support thecourse.

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Chapter 3: Descriptive Samples of BestPractice

3.1 SStatus oof tthe SSamples

The information assembled in this chapter comprises summary descriptive notesmade by the Project Officer on some aspects of each program that was includedin our study of best practice. The notes derive from interviews conducted withpersons having administrative and/or teaching responsibility for programs orparticular courses. These interviews were semi-structured: as far as seemedrelevant, much the same general questions were raised in each case, but roomwas left for other issues to be pursued according to the views and interests of anindividual or a group and the lineaments of the course under discussion.Consequently the topic sub-headings vary somewhat from one set of notes toanother. There has been no attempt to impose a uniform framework.

In almost every interview, the focus of key structuring questions was on thefollowing (not necessarily in this order, and not always posed in the same terms):

entry procedures;

delivery modes;

pressures on course quality;

the generalist/vocationalist balance;

quality measures;

the teaching/research nexus;

resource matters.

Reference was usually made to criteria listed in the questionnaire, though therewas no attempt to cover these comprehensively. Several other questions aroseoften but were not pertinent to all courses (e.g. clinical placement). In somecases the discussion produced different considerations, and these were freelypursued whenever they seemed likely to shed light on the main theme of bestpractice.

No doubt there is a tendency for those who administer or teach courses toaccentuate the positive aspects rather than the negative. But self-reporting canalso activate a critically reflective attitude, and it must be said that most of theinterviewees were open and candid about areas of potential weakness.

In some respects the descriptive notes are necessarily sketchy. They should notbe regarded as comprehensive accounts of program quality, and are not presentedin a form that allows precise comparisons (let alone evaluative rankings) to bemade. Their purpose is simply to indicate some distinctive features of eachprogram, some particular challenges that they have identified in their pursuit ofbest practice in teaching and learning, and some steps they are taking to meetthose challenges. General patterns will be summarised in Chapter 5.

Draft notes of the discussions were sent to participants for checking, and theversions given here have been modified in the light of comments received.

De

scriptive

Sam

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s of B

est Pra

ctice


“No ddoubt ttheeree iiss aateendeency ....to

acceentuatee ttheepossitivvee aasspeectssratheer tthan tthee

neegativvee.”

23

3.2 HHealth PPrograms

33..22..11 UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff AAddeellaaiiddee:: DDeeppaarrttmmeenntt ooff PPuubbll iicc HHeeaall tthh

Notes of meeting 25/7/02 with Prof. Janet Hiller, Mr John Moss, Dr JudithRaftery, Assoc. Prof. Philip Ryan.

Entry tto tthee MMassteer oof PPublic HHeealth

Entry arrangements can include non-traditional pathways, thoughthese are infrequently used. Examples are given below.

Enrolment in the Grad Cert allows students to put a toe in the water.

A higher degree in another discipline, with an informed desire totransfer to a career in public health, is acceptable in principle asmeeting basic entry requirements

A panel of three staff members considers each application (whichincludes a written statement from the applicant) on merit. Mattersregarded as important include language competence, conceptualability, reasons for wanting to study public health, likelihood of beingable to benefit from the program, and what the person's academic andwork experience will add to the class.

Preliminary interviews are conducted with applicants whosesuitability is unclear.

In rare cases applicants may be admitted without any degree if theyhave a strong enough professional background in public health,though all international students are expected to have a first degree ina health-related discipline.

International students are admitted initially to the Grad Dip program,but this principle, though academically prudent, is becomingadministratively more difficult to maintain because scholarshipproviders do not like it.

In the case of any language problems, one-to-one university-level helpis available, but still the teacher often needs to spend a good deal ofextra time with the student.

The program has always comprised some core courses and someelectives, but the core requirement (one course for the Grad Cert,three for the Grad Dip or the MPH) is less substantial now than itused to be.

All MPH students must take a course in 'Foundations of PublicHealth' as a first step - an intensive unit usually taken in the summersemester.

Non-standard forms of entry to postgraduate coursework programsinclude two innovative schemes of particular note, which are designedto cater for different learning needs and situations from thepostgraduate student norm but can lead eventually to further study.

One is a Population Health Mentoring project, funded by theCommonwealth through RHSET and PHERP grants (the latterinvolving a clawback mechanism), through which participants canobtain a Professional Certificate in PH Studies. This is turn canbecome a stepping stone to the Grad. Cert. In the Mentoring scheme,organizations nominate participants (GP divisional staff) and provideworkplace supervision of them in conjunction with academic partners.

The other innovative scheme is Population Health Education forClinicians, for which a consortium of Public Health departments hasbeen funded to provide GPs with population health information. Thestudy modules can be built cumulatively into a Grad Cert.

De

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Univveerssity oofAdeelaidee::

Deepartmeent oofPublic HHeealth

24

Both these programs are new and small, and it is too early to saywhether they will lead to increased enrolments or levels ofsatisfaction.

Preessssureess oon CCourssee QQuality

There has been some re-packaging and reshaping of the course inresponse to market norms; e.g. the duration of the MPH program wasshortened from two years to 1.5 because other universities had donethis already.

One troubling consequence was that the component of researchtraining in this program shrank from 50% to 33.3%. Previously theAdelaide MPH was known and respected for the strong researchfoundation it provided.

Otherwise the curriculum has remained fairly stable for some years,continuing to concentrate on traditional elements such as biostatisticsand epidemiology (distinguishing the Adelaide program from thecomparable one offered by Flinders) along with public health policy.

Maintaining the focus on high-quality face-to-face teaching is regardedas a priority; very few students take this program externally (thoughAdelaide students are encouraged to avail themselves of up to twoFlinders distance education courses through cross-institutionalenrolment).

On-line learning is not emphasised, partly because of staff doubtsabout quality of teaching and learning when the electronic medium isused extensively and intensively, and partly because of practicalconsiderations of equity and access: many of the students are time-poor (e.g. if there is a computer in their home it will often need to beshared with others). However, basic resources such as Power Pointlectures are available to the students.

There is no great pressure from external stakeholders to keep changingthe course, partly because Public Health is such a diverse area that noprofessional association has specific authority in relation to it.

CCosst IIssssueess

There are very few full-fee-paying students; enrolments arepredominantly HECS-financed. The program infrastructure ispartially supported by funds from the Commonwealth Department ofHealth and Ageing.

But the MPH program is expensive (partly because of a commitmentto offer a wide range of electives), and so needs to be internally cross-subsidised. This is done willingly because it is seen as a flagshipprogram that has substantial benefits for the community.

Doeess ''profeessssional' mmeean ''vvocational' iin tthiss ccourssee?

The Department regards the program as generalist rather thanvocational. It aims to provide an advanced-level education thathappens to be in the public health area.

Some members of ANAPHI (Australian Network of Academic PublicHealth Institutions) want the MPH degree standardised throughaccreditation, but it is not clear who could accredit it, as there is noobviously suitable professional body.

Interaction with the profession in general occurs through theDepartment's relationship with the major employers of its graduates,notably the relevant state and federal government agencies, andcertain qangos such as the Cancer Council. Representatives fromthese groups are members of the Consultative Committee of the SouthAustralian Public Health Consortium, through which Adelaide andFlinders obtain PHERP funding.

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Univveerssity oofAdeelaidee::

Deepartmeent oofPublic HHeealth

25

There is also a triennial survey through which the Departmentmonitors the career destinations of its former students (fromundergraduate and postgraduate programs), and seeks feedback.However, no-one could call to mind any specific instance of a changehaving been made to the MPH program in response to this source ofstudent feedback.

Student opinion was sought when the decision to change the MPHfrom a four-semester to a three-semester course. (Students werestrongly in favour of the change.) Other feedback is received throughthe student representatives who sit on the Board of Studies, and small,non-substantive changes are sometimes made as a result of this.

33..22..22 CCuurrtt iinn UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff TTeecchhnnoollooggyy:: CCeennttrree ffoorr IInntteerrnnaatt iioonnaallHHeeaall tthh

Notes of meeting 12/7/02 with Assoc. Prof. Paola Ferroni, Director CIH.

Naturee oof tthee PProgram

Curtin's program in International Health, now in its third year, hasnearly 150 part-time fee-paying students enrolled across the GraduateCertificate, Postgraduate Diploma, Masters and ProfessionalDoctorate categories. Most of these are studying for the Master ofInternational Health (MIH) award.

The students have diverse professional backgrounds and interests. Themajority of them are already employed. Their occupations range fromnurses and doctors to pharmacists and social workers. The programattempts to provide enough flexibility to accommodate the differentneeds.

About 90% of those enrolled are studying by distance learning mode.All core units are available on-line, but most students prefer to receivetheir materials in print form.

About 80% reside in Australia or New Zealand. It is expected that alarger proportion will be located overseas in the future.

Success in recruitment suggests that information about the program iscirculating effectively, though the main distribution channels aresimply the website and word-of-mouth publicity. Little is spent onadvertising.

Quality MMeeassureess

Close attention is paid to student feedback through annual individualinterviews, and action is taken promptly to address any specificconcerns and suggestions for improvement. For instance earlyevaluation indicated that a more critical edge was needed in somestudy materials, which were seen as too descriptive, and also thatsome assignments were not focusing on core issues; accordingly,revisions were introduced as soon as possible.


CCurtin UUnivveerssity oofTeechnology:: CCeentree

for IInteernationalHeealth

Left: CCurtin UUnivveerssity oofTeechnology

Far lleft: Univveerssity oofAdeelaidee

26

Because the study materials are produced for distance learning, it wasa simple matter to send them to peers in top universities overseas forcomment. This has strengthened the international expertise thatunderpins each unit.

An advisory committee with external membership is also used tomonitor the relevance of curriculum content and other aspects of theprogram.

Another form of benchmarking on standards is provided throughexamination of the research dissertation. Although it counts for onlyone-third of the total assessment, it is always examined externally.

Specific benchmarking of the program as a whole is not possiblebecause Curtin's MIH is unique in its combination of several features:international experience of fieldwork, with supervision providedoverseas as required; interdisciplinary content, includinganthropological, medical, socio-cultural and political perspectives; andthe extent of flexibility, allowing students to access all modes oflearning within one semester. Hypothetically an Australian studentmight start the semester in Sydney studying online; a few weeks latershe might go to Laos for a few weeks, being provided with a hard copyof the unit to facilitate study during that time; and she might thenspend the rest of the semester in Perth, with access to face-to-faceteaching.

Reessourceess

There is a view that the program needs better resources if it is tosustain quality and expand numbers. Those who teach in the programtend to feel that their work is not valued as highly or supported asmaterially as research activity.

33..22..33 FFll iinnddeerrss UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy:: FFaaccuull ttyy ooff HHeeaall tthh SScciieenncceess

Notes of meeting 26/7/02 with Assoc. Prof. Linnett Sanchez (Audiology), Prof.Sandra Dunn and Dr Yoni Luxford (Nursing), Ms Iris Lindemann (Nutrition &Dietetics), Ms Melissa Raven (Primary Health Care).

Doeess ''profeessssional' mmeean ''vvocational' iin ttheessee ccoursseess?

In the Nursing field, difficulties stemming from the basic disparitybetween coursework and research students at the postgraduate levelare compounded by the fact that most of the students are part-time,often studying at a distance, and embedded in demanding professionalsituations. Because the delivery of health care has become engagedwith very complex issues of knowledge management, manypostgraduate coursework students in this field are undertaking furtherstudy simply in order to cope - not for career advancement.Ironically this can aggravate their sense of working under acutepressure. Not only in rural/remote settings but also in cities, thescope of the nurse practitioner role is currently expanding to fill gapsin areas such as intensive care, cardiac treatment, mental health andpalliative care. (State government reports underline this.)Consequently the postgraduate Nursing and Nurse Practitionerprograms are feeling squeezed between powerful external (governmentand community) pressures on the one hand and shifting student needson the other.

By way of contrast, the Master of Audiology program operates in avery different professional climate. Students in this specialist programhave a high level of self-worth and are relatively free of distractions,because theirs is a full-time on-campus program that is the necessary

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entry route to professional practice. Being one of only five suchprograms in Australia, it is very competitive. It distinguishes itselffrom competitors, claiming to be the only program of its kind in theworld with a problem-based learning structure.

The Nutrition/Dietetics program is similar in being full-time, face-to-face and highly competitive, but different in providing bothundergraduate and postgraduate degrees as entry routes toprofessional practice. The Dieticians Association accredits bothprograms according to specified requisite competencies. The masterscourse focuses more on independent learning, including a researchproject that counts for one-eighth (0.125) of the course. At thepostgraduate level students are expected to go off in search ofinformation and to come together not to acquire content but to shareissues.

The M. Nutrition/Dietetics is also distinctive in having a largenumber of international students enrolled (approx. 50% and rising).Because the fee charged for international students is much higher thanfor Australian fee-paying students, the Nutrition/Dietetics operatingunit needs at least that proportion in order to break even. Proficiencyin English for academic purposes is a difficult issue. The University'sspecified IELTS level is not regarded as adequate for linguisticallydemanding courses. The Nutrition/Dietetics operating unit wants tolift the IELTS requirement for its graduate program to 7, or 6.5 alongwith compulsory English.

Leength aand SScopee oof PProgramss

Normalising pressures on the length and scope of programs can haveproductive or negative effects, regardless of whether they stem fromthe market or from academic peers. E.g. the M. Audiol. (Flinders)has moved from 1.5 to two years duration, and those who teach in itare not unhappy about this change. On the other hand there is aperception (and concern) that some administrators are more interestedin 'what the market will bear' than in quality enhancement.

Preessssuree PPointss

Some teachers say that courses with highly competitive entryrequirements face pressure from within the institution to over-enrol,and complain that some administrators still have not grasped thatover-enrolment problems are compounded by distance education,where each extra student requires individual attention (whereas extraon-campus students bring no additional demands in lecture classes).

Moreover, every additional enrolment intensifies the pressure onunpaid professionals in the relevant clinical practice community. Thisis especially so in cities, causing programs to be modified creatively:extensive blocks of class-free time have been scheduled toaccommodate placements located further afield, in rural or eveninterstate situations. Though born of necessity, this gain in flexibilityis seen as positive by all concerned. However, the intensity ofdemands on the workplace remains a major pressure point forprograms with a clinical dimension.

On-llinee LLeearning IIssssueess

Electronic learning facilities are increasing in the Nutrition/Dieteticsprogram through the University's adopted platform, WebCT. There isa particular emphasis on discussion boards that focus on issues ratherthan information. The situation is similar in Audiology.

The Primary Health Care program, though operating entirely throughdistance education, makes very little use of on-line learning. Theintention is to retain print as the main medium, for equity reasons.

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33..22..44 LLaa TTrroobbee UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy:: FFaaccuull ttyy ooff HHeeaall tthh SScciieenncceess

Notes of meeting 31/7/02 with Ms Elizabeth Lavender (Deputy Dean), MsKathy Swift (School of Nursing & Midwifery), Ms Diana Stuyfbergen (School ofPublic Health).

Grad. CCeert. iin BBreeasst CCanceer NNurssing

Nurses can pursue specialised nursing studies at La Trobe Universityeither through a Graduate Certificate course or as a major within thePostgraduate Diploma in Advanced Nursing. The graduate certificatecourses (17 of which are offered by the School of Nursing andMidwifery) comprise four of the eight subjects of the relevantpostgraduate diploma major. Some courses are available by distanceeducation, using online and/or print media. The courses aim to equipstudents with the knowledge and skills needed for entry into specialistpractice.

The certificate courses are open to registered nurses with at least oneyear's experience who hold a degree or a diploma from a college oruniversity, and to registered nurses who hold a nursing certificate froma hospital-based program. All applicants must be eligible forregistration as Division 1 nurses with the Nurses Board of Victoria (orbe similarly licensed to practise in another state) beforecommencement of the course.

Nurses who have not studied at university level before or have notstudied for some time, are uncertain about their skills or have notstudied research methods are encouraged to take two preparatorysubjects offered by the School's Continuing and Distance EducationUnit. These are designed to increase confidence and skill levels inpreparation for enrolment in formal award courses.

By the mid-1990s a need for large numbers of specialist breast-cancernurses was recognised in Victoria. No formal market research wasundertaken (nor has it been carried out since), but stakeholders sharedthe view that breast cancer patients required support beyond thatwhich surgeons could provide.

La Trobe developed a pioneer distance education program under theauspices of the Cancer Council Victoria. The latter owns andaccredits the course, the former runs it.

Originally it comprised a single subject, but three others have sincebeen added to broaden the scope of the course.

As the course has grown into a major professional support system,there has been a suggestion that a website and a chat-room should beestablished to facilitate greater sharing of information.

There are three intakes per annum, with about 40 in each. To dateabout 500 students have completed the course.

Because no course of quite this kind exists elsewhere in Australia,formal benchmarking and rigorous peer review have not beenundertaken, though hospitals and the Cancer Council providepractical quality assurance. It is recognised, however, that a reviewwill be necessary soon so that views from a range of people in thefield can be gathered systematically.

Delivery of the course is precariously dependent on one person.

Massteer oof HHeealth AAdminisstration ((CChina HHeealth PProgram)

The La Trobe China Health Program, offered by the School of Public

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Health, aims to contribute to the development of health care in Chinathrough teaching, research and project cooperation. It providestraining to health service managers through the Postgraduate Diplomain Health Services Management and the Master of HealthAdministration.

The masters program is based in Melbourne and began in 2001. (ThePostgrad Dip, which is run in China through partnership with threeChinese universities, was established several years ago.) It isspecifically designed for managers working in Chinese hospitals andhealth service agencies. It takes two full-time years in all, subsumingthe one-year Postgrad Dip, and comprising six additional months ofintensive coursework in Australia followed by a four-month period offieldwork in China.

About 50 places are offered in this masters program each year, but notall are taken up. At present there are 41 enrolled.

A distinctive feature of the program is that it is taught in Chinese. Ittherefore depends heavily on the two staff members who haveappropriate language credentials: the Head of School and anotherstaff member speak fluent Mandarin. (Back-up is available from sixPhD students who are fluent in both English and Mandarin.) Thelectures are all recorded, streamed through WebCT, and also madeavailable on CD-ROM. Course administrators and teachers can checkstudents' level of understanding through workshops, interactivelectures and assignments. The course draws on bi-lingual resourcesthrough the involvement of interpreters, with a native knowledge ofChinese, who are either working currently towards their PhD or havebeen awarded that degree. These interpreters work closely with thelecturers and subject co-ordinators, translating for each class. Themarking is moderated to the satisfaction of La Trobe's Academiccommittee.

There is a strong cohort emphasis. The students have their own'home' area in the School's building. They are taken to various localhospitals and health agencies to gain familiarity with Australianhealth management practice

The program is recognised by the Australian College of HealthService Executives (ACHSE). Its distinctiveness makes direct formalbenchmarking impossible, but La Trobe's regular MHA program is thebasis of the curriculum, and that does have peer programs elsewhere.

33..22..55 MMoonnaasshh UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy:: FFaaccuull ttyy ooff HHeeaall tthh SScciieenncceess

Notes of meeting 30/7/02 with Ms Glenice Ives (Associate Dean, PostgraduateCoursework), Ms Amanda Hateley, Dr Louise McCall, Mr Peter Coombs.

Faculty CConteext

There are about 90 separate postgraduate courses offered by theFaculty.


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An Academic Review of this range of offerings, galvanised by theprospect of an AUQA audit, is now in train with the help of theUniversity's Centre for Higher Education Quality.

Among other things, this review will address the resource constraintsthat make it difficult to sustain high quality across such a large spanof programs.

Sonography - GGrad. DDip. MMeed. UUltrassound

Developing from a radiography tradition, medical imaging hasrecently produced various specialisations such as MRI and ultrasound.

This Grad. Dip. Med. Ultrasound, accredited by the AustralianSonography Accreditation Board, has a strong vocational focus and isdirected towards a niche market. There are only six competitors inAustralia.

The Monash program is offered entirely through distance education.It has 28 enrolments currently.

It comprises 8 units, 2 of which are foundational, 6 clinical.

Printed course materials are the main focus of study, butsupplemented by a CD-ROM that is highly interactive and known tobe well used by students.

WebCT will begin to be used from next year, but will not becompulsory because many students are anxious about on-line learningand there are equity and access issues.

Meanwhile an on-line news group is available for optional use.

Assessment is a challenge in this kind of program. For the six clinicalunits, competence-based assessment tasks are devised, including amid-semester test. Three-way interaction occurs between theteacher/coordinator, the student and the clinical supervisor. Theclinically based assessment procedures can raise practical problems,for instance with regard to the student's workplace rights or thedisparity between different experiences.

The most vulnerable aspect of the course is that its sense of having anadministrative and educational 'home' has been dependent on oneperson. Recognising this as a problem, The Faculty has now assignedthe administrative role to someone at the School level, leaving theteaching specialist freer to attend to the academic role.

Family MMeedicinee

This flagship program has a decade of distance education experiencebehind it. The clinical masters has been offered since 1998, with theaim of increasing the academic foundation of general practice.

It is a distinctive program with no direct competition. GPEA offersonly short courses, not award programs.

Internationally it is recognised as a leader in providing a clinicallyoriented masters program. There is an increasing number ofinternational enrolments, especially from countries that are goingthrough a health reform process, e.g. Thailand, UAE.

The educational philosophy underpinning it is based on adult learningtheory and constructivism.

The program administers its own distance education procedures,having argued successfully that the University's system was notefficient enough for their purposes.

The course materials are structured interactively, using a combinationof materials and arrangements: print, audiotape, video, audit (pre andpost-testing), and weekend workshops (mostly optional).

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There are some 40 electives but a smaller number of compulsory units.

Assessment: no exams; the focus is on reflective journals and casescenarios.

The course is accredited by RACGP for continuing medical educationpurposes, and also by ACRRM.

Students are all GPs. About 105 are offshore in Hong Kong; about40 (Australian resident and international) on-shore. These numberscover both Grad Dip and Masters.

The course team believes that the key to success is the quality ofinteractions and relationships rather than just good course materials.

There is a strong business focus and customer service ethos. Evidencethat this is a reality rather than a mere assertion can be found in thewithdrawal rates (lower than the University average) and in the factthat the Faculty itself provides personal support to students, e.g.meeting international arrivals at the airport.

Pssychiatry

Since 1998, the Master of General Practice Psychiatry (with a relatedGrad Cert) has been offered through distance education as acollaborative venture with the University of Melbourne across fourdepartments.

There are practical difficulties with the administration of the course.The course management committee agreed that enrolments would besplit 50/50 but Monash's costs are higher because it handles all thecourse administration (Melbourne doesn't offer programs externally).

The program was devised in response to a national initiative in mentalhealth.

Student feedback is now being used as part of the course reviewprocess.

On-line learning is used only where it enhances the learning process.Use is made of teleconferencing and email contact (e.g. it is possibleto submit assignments electronically).

As with any distance education programs, the time and cost ofupdating study materials can entail 'shelf life' issues. Materials arebeing revised according to a priority schedule. For some units,specialist panels of external advisers are used to ensure the currencyof materials.

33..22..66 UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff NNeewwccaasstt llee:: FFaaccuull ttyy ooff HHeeaall tthh

Notes of meeting 2/08/02 with Ms Isabel Higgins and Mr Ron Sharkey.

Faculty CConteext

Currently the Faculty of Health offers postgraduate courseworkprograms in some 20 fields, from Occupational Health & Safety toMidwifery, and from Sports Nutrition to Medical Radiation Science.The following comments apply to programs within the School ofNursing.

Quality CCheecklisst

The University's Postgraduate Coursework Committee has adopted alist of criteria for course approval. This list was initially developed bythe School of Nursing, which needed a clear framework to guide itsevaluation of partner programs.

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The partner programs are offered by local RTO providers such as theHunter Area Health Service, which have traditionally devised anddelivered Grad Cert courses in fields such as Mental Health and AgedCare. The University's School of Nursing has maintained a closerelationship with these service providers so that it can makeappropriate arrangements for advanced entry into its own mastersprograms. Being a small School, it could not easily manage to coversuch a range of postgraduate courses alone. The collaborativerelationship with local professional bodies is seen as mutuallyproductive, and beneficial for students.

Entry tto NNurssing PProgram

The normal requirement for admission to the masters is a 3-yearundergraduate degree in Nursing or a closely related area.

Students are encouraged to enrol in the masters program rather thanGrad Dip, though they may exit at the Grad Dip stage rather thancontinue.

Fleexiblee MModee

In response to market demand for greater flexibility, the postgraduateprogram was converted into an internet-based form.

All enrolments (currently 98) are in the distance education mode, andmostly part-time.

Except for a local midwifery program, which requires clinicalplacements, on-line learning is used almost exclusively.

Various platforms and products have been tried, but Blackboard is nowthe standard.

The need for IT skills in utilising on-line resources is not seen as amajor hurdle. For those who are not computer-literate, specialarrangements can be made such as provision of telephone tutoring bya designated IT adviser.

CD-ROM material is used for introductory purposes, and provides afall-back medium if necessary in case of web access problems.

A buddy/mentor arrangement is used in some postgraduate units, andan on-line version of this is now being developed.

33..22..77 QQuueeeennssllaanndd UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff TTeecchhnnoollooggyy:: FFaaccuull ttyy ooff HHeeaall tthh

Notes of meeting 5/08/02 with Prof. Ken Bowman (Dean), Ms Robyn Nash(Academic Adviser, Faculty of Health), Assoc. Prof. Sandra Capra (DirectorAcademic Programs, School of Public Health).

Faculty CConteext

Because of the applied nature of postgraduate coursework programsoffered by the Faculty, integration with the relevant professionalorganisations is seen as an important priority. It is also consistentwith QUT's focus on the 'real world' and work-integrated learning.For instance postgraduate coursework programs in Nursing are offeredjointly with hospitals and health care agencies, and 'corporateprograms' are contextualised to provide a high level of service tospecific industry-based groups.

Most of the Faculty's postgraduate coursework students are mid-careerprofessionals.

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Massteer oof HHeealth SScieencee

The Master of Health Science (MHS) has been suggested as a bestpractice exemplar because it caters to a very diverse range of studentsby providing a high degree of flexibility within a single coursepackage. (There is also a Master of Public Health, offered jointly withGriffith and the University of Queensland.)

On the generalist/vocational spectrum, the MHS can provide aneducational experience towards either end, or at points between, buthistorically QUT has regarded the MPH as a more generalist degree,and the MHS as more training-focused.

The program's main claim to fame is its flexibility of structure andmode: off/on campus, but mainly mixed mode; on-line learning;also block study arrangements for some units.

About 150 students are currently enrolled (Grad Dip and MHS).About half that number started this year (60 MHS, 15 GD).

Student enrolment mode is classified according to unit rather thanprogram as a whole. Many students are off-campus for some units,on-campus for others.

Unit development occurs at the School level. Schools must put in anannual report on each program to the Faculty's Teaching and LearningCourses Committee. These reports are discussed and thenincorporated into a Faculty report that goes via the UniversityTeaching and Learning Committee to Academic Board.

Issues raised in these reports include attrition, the teaching/researchnexus, and maintaining consistent quality in mixed-mode provision.

QUT has a university-wide steering committee to ensure thatconsistent quality is maintained in on-line learning work. The Facultyhas now developed a quality assurance plan for on-line learning. Useof on-line learning is still optional within the Faculty. Units are quitevariable in the nature and extent of their on-line components.

There is a precarious dependence on one or two people in somemajors, though extensive use of distance education ensures that manyunits (perhaps 50%) have some printed course materials available as abackstop.

33..22..88 UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff QQuueeeennssllaanndd:: SScchhooooll ooff HHeeaall tthh && RReehhaabbii ll ii ttaatt iioonnSScciieenncceess

Notes of meeting 6/8/02 with Professor Bruce Murdoch, Head of School.

Massteer oof AAudiology SStudieess

Nearly a decade ago the Masters degree superseded a Grad Dip as theentry point for the audiology profession. This move came as aresponse to pressure from the profession.


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The degree is normally undertaken full-time. It covers four semesters(two years).

Until now, in recognition of the fact that it is the only entry point forthe profession, the course has been primarily HECS-based. Next yearthe UQ program will be fee-based because the University wants to freeup HECS places for other areas.

From about 80 applicants per annum, there is an intake of 20 to 25.This may change with the introduction of the new fee arrangementsand the PELS scheme.

The course is open to international students who have a minimumIELTS score of 7 overall with at least 8 in the spoken band.

There is a high employment rate for graduates. The UQ course is theonly one in Queensland.

As audiology is a highly technical field, this course has differentclinical requirements from other masters programs in Health. Beingmore dependent on specialised instrumentation than the otherprofessions, it requires one-to-one supervision.

Massteer oof SSpeeeech PPathology SStudieess

This is a new course, and unique in Queensland. The first group ofabout 20 students will soon complete their work.

Like other programs offered in the School, it is available only face toface. Clinical education requirements rule out enrolments in adistance mode. Flexibility is provided through the option of part-timestudy.

International students must meet the same IELTS score requirementas for the Audiology program.

Massteer oof OOccupational TTheerapy SStudieess

In this field there are alternative points of entry to the profession: afour-year bachelors program or a two-year fee-paying mastersprogram.

The two-year graduate course is very intensive, comprising sixsemesters. It is a relatively new program: the first graduates have justemerged.

There were about 20 new enrolments this year.

There is a competitor program at James Cook University.

The overall IELTS score required for students whose first language isnot English is 7, as in the other Health programs, and 7 is also theminimum level on the spoken band.

Massteer oof PPhyssiotheerapy SStudieess

Another new course. It had an intake this year of 35, from about 85applicants.

Although the masters degree is now an established point of entry toemployment in this field, it has had to be 'sold' to the profession.

Griffith University has a similar course, but this does not create acompetitive problem because demand in Queensland is always high.

On-line learning is used, but not consistently across the School'sprograms. It mainly takes the form of access to WebCT-basedresources. There is some electronic submission of assignments.

The relevant professional bodies give no particular directive about on-line learning, but do emphasise the need for greater flexibility in the

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provision of continuing education, especially in view of the remotelocations in which some physiotherapists work. While distanceeducation may be possible in the long term, practical requirementsprevent this development at the moment.

The overall IELTS score required for students whose first language isnot English is 7, as in the other Health programs, and 7 is also theminimum level on the spoken band.

CClinical PPlaceemeent IIssssueess

The clinical practicum is a significant part of these programs. Thelocation can often be rural, sometimes interstate, even occasionallyoverseas.

Placements involve a complex set of arrangements with clinicians,who have not hitherto been paid, though this may have to change nowthat the University is deriving income from the programs. It isexpected that universities generally will be under pressure to make afinancial contribution to professional bodies such as QueenslandHealth. Clinicians and their organizations do already receive benefitsfrom the placements, both through the services that students supply inthis capacity and also through such forms of recognition as honoraryappointments.

The labour-intensive work of arranging individual placements placespractical limits on the growth of enrolments.

However, this problem is alleviated to some extent by using in-houseclinics for all four disciplines. For instance the School runs the largestSpeech Pathology clinic in Australia, with about 280 clients per week.These clinics are run on a cost recovery basis. They are preventedfrom becoming profitable by competitive neutrality requirements andby the need to avoid jeopardising professional relationships withprivate practitioners. They could never replace external clinicalplacements because so many specialisations need to be covered.

Balancee bbeetwweeeen TTeeaching aand RReesseearch

The expectation that staff will engage actively in research as well asteaching requires a delicate balancing act now that the summer isbeing utilised so extensively for three of the four programs. Feeincome may improve this situation by funding periods of time releasefor research purposes.

However, because of the history of these allied health disciplinessome staff are not yet experienced researchers. It is only recently thata doctoral qualification has been required for lecturing appointmentsin some areas.

Deepeendeencee oon KKeey IIndivvidualss

At present the staffing of these postgraduate programs is well backedup because there are corresponding undergraduate programs; theservicing of both protects the School from over-dependence on anyone person.

But that will change if government policies and professional normsmove in the Canadian direction - abolishing undergraduate programsas an entry point to the profession.

Evvaluativvee PProceedureess

Student evaluation of courses is carried out routinely throughmechanisms administered at the institutional level by the Teachingand Educational Development Institute.

Through the clinical fieldwork undertaken in all graduate entry

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masters programs, there is regular professional appraisal of thestudents. Employer feedback is also monitored.

All programs are formally accredited by their respective professionalorganizations and registration boards (where applicable).

No systematic benchmarking has been done to date. Except for theMaster of Audiology Studies, the graduate entry masters programshave been introduced only in the last couple of years.

33..22..99 UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff SSyyddnneeyy:: FFaaccuull ttyy ooff HHeeaall tthh SScciieennccee

Notes of meeting 11/9/02 with Assoc. Prof. Dianna Kenny (Assoc. Dean,Graduate Studies), Mr Martin Mackey and Dr Kathryn Refshauge (School ofPhysiotherapy), Ms Victoria Neville and Dr Carol O'Donnell (School ofBehavioural & Community Health Sciences).

Faculty CConteext

In several schools within the Faculty of Health Science at Universityof Sydney, graduate coursework programs are now offered only at themasters level, as a one-year full-time course or the part-timeequivalent. This is the case in Physiotherapy, for example.

The Faculty of HS offers numerous Master of Health Science (MHS)coursework programs. To a large extent these differ in terms ofvocational specialisation, but they all aim to foster throughassignment tasks a high level of critical thinking, problem solving,integration of theory with practice, and (in most programs) clinicalreasoning based on real professional situations.

In general, applicants for MHS programs must have at least a year'sexperience in the health industry as well as a first degree in a healthscience discipline.

Massteer oof HHeealth SScieencee ((Education)

No similar course exists elsewhere in Australia. Sydney's Faculty ofHealth Science has offered studies in this field since 1989, and for thelast five years the masters program has been available through distanceeducation, which has become increasingly popular and now accountsfor about 90% of the enrolment.

There is no residential requirement. Students are located in manyparts of Australia and several countries overseas. They work in avariety of contexts, from community health education to universities,and their backgrounds include nursing, pharmacy, social work, sportsscience and several other fields.

Feedback is sought systematically by various means. A comprehensivesurvey in 1997 of all current and past students indicated a high levelof satisfaction with the course as a whole, and support for proposedchanges (which had been based on input from unit evaluation forms,focus groups and market analysis). The survey also showed that halfof the respondents had either gained promotion or achievedemployment entry in the health education field during their studies.

That kind of student feedback is a necessary and appropriatesurrogate for evaluation by external professional/industry groupsbecause these stakeholders are too varied and diffuse to be surveyedefficiently. As the students themselves are professionals andeducators, their perceptions provide enough relevant data.

All units use print materials; all are supported by on-line resources -at least in the form of websites and email discussion groups.

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There are two core units and six electives (chosen from a wide range,according to the student's particular needs and interests).

The two full-time staff members who work in this program have bothwon awards for excellence in teaching.

One of the teachers in this program manages the Faculty's WELL(Web Education Learning and Literacy) website, which provides arange of excellent practical resources for students on topics such ashow to study, how to search for electronic information, and how touse referencing and other conventions of academic writing.

Massteer oof HHeealth SScieencee ((Physsiotheerapy)

The University of Sydney's School of Physiotherapy is the largest suchschool in Australia. This allows it to offer a range of specialisationslinked to the research strengths of staff. The School claims to be anational leader in certain areas, notably evidence-based practice andclinical reasoning.

Its MHS (Physiotherapy) comprises 8 units of study: three core units,three specialist academic units, and two clinical units. There are fiveareas of specialisation: cardiopulmonary, manipulative, sports,neurological and paediatric physiotherapy as well as a generic orelective masters in physiotherapy in which graduate students are ableto undertake course offerings according to their choice and needs

Face-to-face classes are the norm, but the School of Physiotherapy isbeginning to offer some units in the elective masters through moreflexible arrangements, including web-based format and a combinationof distance learning with on-campus block workshops. Core units ofstudy for all masters will be in flexible delivery mode by 2004 andclinical practice units are all off-campus.

The relationship of the academic programs to the professionalcommunity of physiotherapists is characterised as respectful but notsubservient. For example the FHS Physio curriculum has for a longwhile featured an emphasis on measuring scientifically the effects oftreatment, something that the profession has generally been slower totake up.

Review processes (e.g. two years ago, when the new one-year masterscourse was devised, eliminating the graduate diploma level) doincorporate a good deal of input from the physiotherapy industrythrough representatives on advisory committees and through solicitedsubmissions. Focus groups with stakeholders are also used. Exitsurveys of graduating therapists have been conducted annually.

Staff VVieewwss aabout BBeesst PPracticee

It was stated that best practice should involve, fundamentally, thesethings: accountability within and outside the university, strongleadership on the importance of high academic standards, and acollegial ethos that is expressed in team teaching.

While it is recognised that the AUTC project report will concentrateon 'good news' as a positive basis for benchmarking, some staffmembers feel there should be an acknowledgement that standards varyconsiderably from school to school.

A major problem is 'juggling quality in a resource-challengedenvironment.'

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3.3 EEducation PPrograms

33..33..11 CCeennttrraall QQuueeeennssllaanndd UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy:: SScchhooooll ooff EEdduuccaatt iioonn &&IInnnnoovvaatt iioonn

Notes of meeting 30/10/02 with Dr Mark Sinclair (Rockhampton campus)

Thee MMassteer oof LLeearning MManageemeent ((MLM) PProgram aand iitss SStudeentss

Educational pphilosophy: As signalled in the name of the degree, thisprogram responds to contemporary changes in teaching and learning.It is conceived in terms of professional roles within the knowledgeeconomy and its application of new technologies to education andtraining. The assessment tasks are based on action learning relateddirectly to the individual's place of work. The MLM aims to identifysolutions for practical problems that face educators and trainers,rather than to express the interests and traditions of an academicdiscipline. Its management orientation (closer in some respects to anMBA than to a traditional M.Ed. Admin) is reflected in the requiredreading, which involves topics such as information value chains anddrivers of change in the information society rather than educationalresearch as such. 'The aim of the course is to graduate learningmanagers', whether they are employed as schoolteachers/administrators, in the TAFE system, in the health industry,or elsewhere.

Structure: Flexibility is the main feature of the MLM, whichcomprises one core course (Advanced Learning Management) and 10electives. The electives may be chosen from 5 set courses, 5individually customised professional studies with negotiated content,or a combination of both. It is possible to exit with a GraduateCertificate after successfully completing 3 courses. The duration ofthe MLM is one year full-time or two years part-time.

Entry: Bachelor of Learning Management, B.Ed, or equivalent four-year qualification.

Student bbody: There are 80 students enrolled, most of them at thePomona site with smaller numbers at Rockhampton and Gladstone.The fees are comparatively low, and will rise 50% next year. This mayreduce the enrolment numbers.

Of special note is the fact that the largest cohort (with 53 students) isorganised collaboratively with the Queensland government'sEducation Department. CQU sees great value in this partnership,through which the state bureaucracy provides a delivery site andfacilities (in Sunshine Coast school rooms) and staff (e.g. schoolprincipals and central office specialists are involved in shaping someof the curriculum and conducting some of the assessment).Correspondingly the Education Department is pleased to have morecontrol over the content and delivery of the program than is usual inmasters programs, ensuring that its focus remains practical.

Modes oof ddelivery: mixed mode, varying from weekly face-to-facesessions through to very limited attendance requirements wherebyface-to-face teaching occurs only for an initial extended weekend ofintensive work on the core course. Other contact is on an individualbasis (e.g. through telephone and email). Course outlines andreadings are available on-line but there is no formal use of bulletinboards etc. except for the Pomona-based group, which participates inthe state Education Department on-line system.

Quality IIssssueess

It is recognised that, being in its first year of operation, the program

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has yet to prove itself. However, there is already evidence of itssuccess at the individual level. Some students have written to theRockhampton course coordinator to say that they have secured newleadership jobs in the education sector, attributing this in largemeasure to the MLM work.

Some practical difficulties are being experienced because of thepressure that this individually tailored program can create for itscoordinators. A few 'high-maintenance' students can give rise to alabour-intensive situation with slower than intended turn-around timefor assignments.

Benchmarking with other institutions is hardly possible, except in verybroad terms, because of the uniqueness of the program.

However, parity with comparable programs is addressed throughassessment of equivalence procedures contained in the MLM rules.

Student evaluation of the course and the teaching has proved difficultto administer because the University's standard reporting software andsystems do not seem entirely suitable for a program with this kind ofmixed-mode delivery.

33..33..22 CCuurrtt iinn UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff TTeecchhnnoollooggyy:: SScciieennccee && MMaatthheemmaatt iiccssEEdduuccaatt iioonn CCeennttrree

Notes of meeting 17/10/02 with Prof. David Treagust and Prof. Darrell Fisher

Naturee oof SSMECC CCoursseewwork PProgramss

Curtin's postgraduate programs in Education are unusual, andprobably unique, in being split between two Divisions: Humanities(which includes the Faculty of Education's range of undergraduateand postgraduate courses) and Engineering & Science (which includesthe Science & Mathematics Education Centre [SMEC], operating onlyat the postgraduate level).

SMEC - integrated with the Curtin-based National Key Centre forSchool Science and Mathematics, established by the CommonwealthGovernment in 1988 - is the world's largest provider of postgraduateeducation in science and mathematics. It has approximately 300research students across three doctoral programs in addition to thosewho are studying for coursework awards. In all, about 700 studentsare enrolled in SMEC programs. They come from all Australian statesand territories and some 20 countries overseas. Most are practisingteachers in the primary, secondary or tertiary systems. Their meanage is about 40 years.

There are two similarly structured coursework masters programs:MSc (Science Education) and MSc (Mathematics Education).Postgraduate Diplomas and Graduate Certificates are also available inthose same two specialisations. Additionally there is a GraduateCertificate in Learning Technologies.


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The focus of discussion for the purposes of the AUTC project was onthe two coursework masters degrees and the Grad. Cert. Learn. Tech.

The MSc takes one year full-time or the equivalent. It involvescoursework units and a practical project on the student's professionalsituation.

The Grad. Cert. Learn. Tech. is an on-line course designed forteachers who want to use IT appropriately in their teaching. Curtinprovides website subscriptions. Initially there were some 500 studentstaking the course, because of the large unmet demand and theavailability of fee subsidies from the WA Department of Education forthat first cohort. Enrolments are now considerably smaller.

Modeess oof SStudy

Flexibility in the structure and delivery of programs is a feature of allSMEC programs. They may be undertaken through full-time or part-time study, on-campus or off-campus. About four in every five SMECenrolments are in the off-campus mode. Students have no on-campusattendance requirements.

Some units are available as short courses (known as 'institutes') forintensive study during school holiday periods. These are held not onlyin Perth but also in interstate and overseas locations - e.g. in parts ofNorth America (Miami and Fullerton), South Africa, Thailand,Brunei, and New Zealand. SMEC staff members conduct theseinstitutes along with associates from the local areas. Attendance canbe credited towards a course if students complete the requiredassignments during the following semester. At least 25% of thecoursework masters students choose this option.

Internet-based units, CD-ROM resources and/or print materials areavailable for distance study. The Grad. Cert. Learn. Tech. is entirelyon-line.


The National Key Centre status of the entity in which SMEC is thekeystone testifies to Curtin's recognised pre-eminence in science andmaths education, and to the substantial research base for its teachingoperations.

Staff members have won numerous international awards for theirwork, and all courses are directly linked to their research expertise.Distinguished international academic visitors are frequent guestparticipants in the teaching.

Graduate outcomes, according to independent measures, are excellent.

The formal approval process for course content includes endorsementby a Board of Studies.

Student opinion about the quality of units and teachers is frequentlysought through a range of evaluative instruments (SEEQ, SUE, andin-built feedback mechanisms for on-line units).

Staff members use interactive methods (e.g drafting requirements) toensure the authenticity and integrity of assignment work done bydistance students.

Some assignments submitted by masters students have subsequentlybeen published in professional journals.

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33..33..33 DDeeaakkiinn UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy:: FFaaccuull ttyy ooff EEdduuccaatt iioonn

Notes of meeting 29/07/02 (Waterfront Campus, Geelong) with Assoc. Prof.Marie Emmitt (Associate Dean), Ms Lyn Harrison, Ms Gillian Burgess and MrJohn Henry.

Adminisstrativvee MMatteerss

For the last three years the Faculty of Education has been engaged ina strategically focused 'masters renewal' process, which involvesimproving cross-campus coordination of the postgraduate courseworkprogram, rationalising the large number of units, and catering moreconsultatively for the market.

There has been a gradual movement away from the Grad Dip (whichhas declined in demand since the replacement of the three-yearundergraduate degree by a four-year degree) to the masters bycoursework.

Masters courses are mainly provided through off-campus study. Thereis on-campus availability only for the TESOL strand and for certaincohorts.

Those units that are classified as generic receive preferentialresourcing so that they can be produced in high-quality on-line form.

Two masters courses were discussed: the MEd and the MPET (Masterof Professional Education and Training). The former caters mainlyfor those in traditional teaching situations. The latter caters mainlyfor those who specialise in workplace training, adult learning,vocational programs and the human resource industry. (Deakin alsooffers a Masters of Arts TESOL/TLOTE and MEd TESOL. These areundergoing changes that will make them similar in structure to theprograms being considered here.)

In each case it is possible to enrol initially in a graduate certificate ordiploma and have that work credited subsequently towards a mastersdegree.

Because these programs are provided externally, and DeakinUniversity specialises in distance education, there are rigoroustracking systems for assignments and well-established supportarrangements for students at the institutional level.

At the Faculty level, coordination (handled by a different staffmember for each of the courses) focuses on course-specific inquiries,complaints and practical matters such as supervision.

For each generic unit there is a team of about four academics withshared responsibility for development and teaching, if numbers aresufficient. For specialist units the numbers vary depending on thenumber of staff with expertise in the area. An earlier Deakin practiceof involving visiting experts in the shaping of study guides is nolonger the norm because of cost constraints.

The mode of delivery is hybrid: there are fully on-line resources forgeneric units but the study guide is in print form and a CD-ROMprovides an alternative version of the electronic material.

For international students, the entry English requirement is an IELTSscore of 7. Preliminary and ongoing support for language skilldevelopment is available at the institutional level, and strandcoordinators monitor the progress of students receiving thisassistance.


The extent of Deakin's dominance of the field could be regarded as

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testifying to the quality of its programs. The University has thelargest masters program for educators and trainers in Australia.Distance learning is its forte, and it enrols more than 87% of thosestudying off-campus for a postgraduate coursework qualification in theeducation/training field.

The combination of internet-based and print-based study materials,along with audio and video resources, makes the program very flexibleand learner-centred.

All study materials go through a double quality check at theUniversity level: they are scrutinised by the Learning Services Unitand by the Production Unit.

Formal benchmarking has not been done and is difficult tocontemplate because comparable institutions are hard to find. It willbe undertaken once the renewal program is more fully implemented.

Advisory committees are not in place at present, as they are beingrestructured.

All Deakin programs are reviewed on a five-year cycle. This processincludes external representatives.

There is no national industry/professional accreditation process of thekind that is common in (e.g.) Health programs.

Student evaluation occurs systematically. All unit guides have astudent evaluation form included with a request for it to be completedand sent to the unit chair. The evaluations can be anonymous.Currently a University-wide unit evaluation process, collated centrally,is being instituted. There is an on-line discussion space for evaluativecomment on generic units, and a formal on-line questionnaire is nowbeing developed.

Otheer IIssssueess

Specialist units, which by their nature attract smaller enrolments,suffer from a relative lack of budgetary resources. Consequently theirstudy materials are seldom available in on-line form (except for somebasic information).

There is a Darwinian logic to this: specialist units must adapt to thesituation if they are to survive. On the other hand, a reduction in therange of specialist units may mean a reduction in the program'smarket appeal.

The viability of units has been enhanced in some cases bycollaborative arrangements with other institutions - e.g. with theUniversity of South Australia in devising and delivering some MEdunits in literacy, and with the University of Calgary in flexiblelearning.

The diversity of student backgrounds (a feature of off-campusprograms) makes some of the work heavier for staff. It is not possibleto have a one-size-fits-all tightness of structure. This is an acute issuefor the MPET, where assignment projects must be negotiatedindividually to suit the various work situations and professionalcontexts.

Catering for staff development needs is challenging, especially inrelation to new technologies, research project supervision, andconnection with the relevant professional sector. Action in these areasis checked routinely through the individual performance reviewprocess.

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33..33..44 EEddii tthh CCoowwaann UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy:: SScchhooooll ooff EEdduuccaatt iioonn

Notes of meeting 10/10/02 with Assoc. Prof. Judith Rivalland (Assoc. Dean,Teaching & Learning) and Dr Mary Rohl (GCE-LD course coordinator)

Naturee oof tthee GGCCE ((LD) PProgram

ECU offers other GCE courses too, but the Graduate Certificate ofEducation (Learning Difficulties), like the closely related GCE(Special Education), is new and distinctive. This is the first year ofoffer.

A Graduate Certificate comprises four units. Both strands (LD andSE) include a core unit on current issues in special education, theother three units being selected from a group that have all beenaccredited by the Education Department of WA for specialistemployment purposes. There is some overlap between units availablefor the two strands.

Students taking the LD strand must study a unit on literacy learningand/or one on mathematics learning. This focus reflects the findingsof a DETYA-funded research project based at ECU, 'Mapping theTerritory: Primary School Students with Learning Difficulties inLiteracy and Numeracy'. The project report was completed in 1999and a brochure summarising recommended support strategies andother issues was distributed by DETYA to every primary school inAustralia.

A Graduate Certificate in Education is for trained teachers only. Bycontrast, enrolment in a Graduate Diploma, which is a pre-servicequalification, is available to anyone with a degree in another field. Itis possible to gain credit towards the MEd program once the GCEunits have been completed. However, a GCE is seen as the mainopportunity for up-skilling schoolteachers now that the Department ofEducation WA has a policy of running its own in-service programsand providing the incentive of paid release time for this purpose.Formerly, completion of the BEd (Conversion) course used to entitleteachers to an automatic salary increase, but no such tangible materialreward is available these days to acknowledge the benefit of increasedqualifications (in contrast to the situation in Canada, for example).Being relatively short and inexpensive, the GCE is generally moreattractive to practising teachers than a masters degree.

The course is fee-paying. But Fogarty Foundation scholarships,covering the fees fully, have been granted to most of the initial cohortof students for the Learning Difficulties strand. Some funding fromthis source will continue for four years, providing subsidies for thosewho enrol in a coursework masters program in this field.

Modee oof SStudy

At present the course is available only through face-to-face on-campusstudy. An on-line version is currently being developed. This isintended as an alternative to the classroom-based mode of delivery forthose students who prefer or require greater flexibility, but it will notreplace the traditional study arrangements.

At least two units will be available on-line for 2003, and this willenable the University to market the program in rural WesternAustralia. (Every school teacher in the state has at least a laptop andschool-based remote access.) There have also been preliminarydiscussions with a potential interstate partner interested in purchasinga licence for use of the on-line units.

On-line resources will also be utilised extensively for on-campusstudents as well.

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It is planned to modularise the units so that intensive short coursescan be offered, with the possibility of aggregating credit towards aGraduate Certificate.

Profeessssional PPartneersship AArrangeemeentss

The GCE (LD) and (SE) have a long development history thatinvolves negotiation with the Department of Education WA.

In the past the state has not been well equipped with curriculumadvisors specialising in support for learning difficulties, or withtrained classroom teachers who have expertise in this area. Thegovernment's 'Getting it Right' initiative was designed to placeliteracy/numeracy specialists in selected schools, the training for thisbeing supplied through an in-house Department of Education WAprogram.

There was concern among ECU's School of Education staff about thelack of credentialled recognition for teachers who complete trainingprograms of this sort. The University therefore proposed that teacherswho submit a satisfactory portfolio based on the government-provided'Getting it Right' training should be able to gain advanced standing forit in the GCE (LD) course. This was approved.

Nearly 40 students are enrolled in this first year of the GCE (LD).Most of them are currently employed either as mainstream teachers oras education bureaucrats. This mixture poses some difficulties;situations could arise where curriculum officers within the group havean inhibiting effect on fellow-students, or do not perform as well astheir status might lead one to expect.

Quality IIssssueess

The course approval process requires that the Teaching and LearningCommittee of the Faculty of Community Services, Education andSocial Sciences must be satisfied about the educational cohesiveness ofa proposed new development.

There is also a stringent procedure at the Faculty level for selecting acourse that will be developed on-line, and the University's Learning &Development Services section specifies various instructional designand other quality control requirements as a condition of releasingfunds for this purpose.

No formal peer review or benchmarking has yet been undertaken, butit is planned for 2003.

Student evaluation of teaching: monthly use is made of feedbackforms during the semester. In addition, formal standardised studentevaluation of units and of teaching quality is now mandatorythroughout the University.

The Fogarty Foundation requires regular reports on the course as acondition of its generous donation of scholarships, and thisaccountability has a further quality assurance function.

33..33..55 FFll iinnddeerrss UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy:: SScchhooooll ooff EEdduuccaatt iioonn

Notes of meeting 26/7/02 with Bernice and Lindsay Burnip.

Markeet ffor tthee MMassteer oof SSpeecial EEducation

This is a niche program - one of Australia's few masters courses inspecial education. The others tend to differ in being adapted M.Ed.courses with certain added units. Since its origins in the former Sturt

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College the Flinders program has been focused specifically on specialeducation.

Nearly all of the (approx.) 140 students currently enrolled arestudying in the off-campus mode. There are no residentialrequirements for these distance education students

Nearly all are practising teachers (an ageing group) - not always in oraspiring to tagged special education positions, but often generalclassroom teachers who want to know how to deal properly withdisabled students.

The program is open to people who are not working in the teachingprofession, but is not designed to prepare them for teaching and is notable to make them eligible for registration as teachers.

Numbers are growing, and include a substantial proportion ofinternational students. Some of these are Australian expatriates, andthe others (e.g. about 30 Canadian and 10 Singaporean) are all fromEnglish-speaking countries, so language competence issues are not aproblem.

The catchment area is wide. Nevertheless most of the enrolments arefrom people in metropolitan locations (about 35-40% in Adelaide).

Entry

The normal requirement for admission to the masters is a 3-yearundergraduate degree at least. A large number of students getadvanced standing on the basis of a four-year degree or relevantprofessional experience.

There is a Grad Cert award that can either be gained by a student whowithdraws from the masters program after completing a certainnumber of units or used as a basis for entry to the masters programwith advanced standing.

Fleexiblee MModee

The distance education mode is not much used at Flinders, andtherefore to some extent this program has gone its own way. Forinstance the University's standard on-line learning vehicle is WebCTbut because this does not meet the requirements of the specialeducation area they use standard web technologies, well documented.

The M.Spec.Ed is mostly print-based but uses email and web resourcesextensively. For some topics, bulletin boards are also used. Someseven years ago an attempt was made to go fully on-line with twotopics but students were not ready for it, so CD-ROM was (and hascontinued to be) used instead for audio and video material.

Those responsible for the course do not want it to become a totallypaperless unit. This is partly because many of the students, thoughteachers themselves with certain responsibilities to utilise IT properly,are actually not very IT-literate.

Quality FFeeatureess

The main key to satisfaction in this course has been the high level ofpersonal support provided to students (e.g. during recent problemswith a new student administration system). This view is borne out byresponses to a survey of students enrolled externally (reported in apaper submitted for publication by the course administrator).

Interaction with students will become very challenging as the numberkeep growing. Therefore the intention is to arrange cohort-baseddedicated tutoring.

Contributors to course (re)development include experts from

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elsewhere brought in to ensure/improve quality in certain topicswithin the program. This practice is expected to increase.

33..33..66 UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff TTeecchhnnoollooggyy SSyyddnneeyy:: FFaaccuull ttyy ooff EEdduuccaatt iioonn

Notes of meeting 12/9/02 with Prof. Andrew Gonczi, Dr Jenny Hammond, MsSue Knights.

Geeneeral FFeeatureess oof tthee PProgramss

Two clusters of programs were discussed: MA (TESOL) andassociated courses, and MEd (Adult Ed) and associated courses.

These are both large programs. In each cluster (Language/Literacyand Adult Education) there are about 300 students, mostly part-time.Each draws for its teaching on a substantial number of staff,preventing undue dependence on a few specialists.

Both clusters of teaching activity are energised by correspondingresearch activity, much of it consolidated through the Centre forLanguage and Literacy or the Centre for Organisational andVocational Adult Learning. For instance students in the MEd (AdultEd) program are able to undertake one or two Independent StudyProjects involving supervised participation in ongoing research workof one of the Faculty's research centres.

Languagee EEducation

Within this cluster there are three interrelated masters courses (withgraduate certificate and diplomas attached to them): TeachingEnglish to Speakers of Other Languages, Applied Linguistics, andLanguage & Literacy Education. There are several entry pathways,and a dozen separately packaged awards.

In keeping with the applied nature of UTS programs generally, thesecourses aim for distinctiveness through a particular balance betweentheory and practice. (By comparison, for example, the Macquariecourse in applied linguistics tends to be regarded as more broadlytheoretical.)

Accordingly, a large proportion (more than half) of the student bodycomprises AMES/ESL practitioners. For entry to the MA (TESOL)and the MA (Language & Literacy), students are normally required tohave a recognised teaching qualification already, and relevantclassroom experience.

The theoretical orientation of the UTS program is sociolinguistic,with a strong systemic-functional emphasis. This provides a stronglink with the NSW school curriculum.

The students are predominantly part-time, though the full-timeenrolments are growing. About one-third of the students are studyingoff-campus, but mainly within NSW. About one-fifth are internationalstudents, mainly from Japan, China and Vietnam.

Adult EEducation

UTS probably has the largest concentration of adult educationspecialists in any university anywhere in the world. About 20 full-time staff teach in the MEd (Adult Ed.), assisted by about the samenumber of fractional employees. Its long-established teaching andresearch programs in adult education have attracted leading academicsin the field from other countries. The strength of the masters degreecomes from that consolidation of expertise. There is an emphasis on

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cross-cultural issues in some units.

Most of the students are enrolled part-time. Only a minority of themchoose to study in the off-campus mode.

Given the diversity of backgrounds and interests among the students,and the capacity of the large staff group to cover a wide range oftopics, the structure of the MEd (Adult Ed.) emphasises electives.This requires careful guidance. Consequently the advisory role of thecoordinator is onerous.


Because of the large number of staff and students in the programs,maintaining consistency is acknowledged to be a major challenge.Procedures to minimise quality variation include regular liaison onassessment protocols between the subject coordinator and all thoseteaching in the program.

The usual kinds of student evaluation are used: individual teacherassessments (confidential to the staff member), subject/unitassessments (in accordance with a university-wide process), CEQreports from graduates, and channels for concerns and complaints tobe raised. Examples were given of changes currently being made tothe teaching arrangements in response to feedback.

Preessssuree PPointss

Changes in academic work practices are creating difficulties.Struggling to maintain quality with increased levels of casualisation isone consequence.

As more full-time members of staff are shouldering heavyadministrative loads, maintaining the teaching/research nexus isanother challenge.

33..33..77 UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff WWeesstteerrnn AAuussttrraall iiaa:: GGrraadduuaattee SScchhooooll ooff EEdduuccaatt iioonn

Notes of meeting 1/10/02 with Dr Marnie O'Neill (Dean) and Prof. TomO'Donoghue (Deputy Dean)

Naturee oof tthee MMassteerss PProgram

Five masters courses (minimum duration of one year full-time, or theequivalent part-time) are offered by the Graduate School of Education(GSE): Master of Education, Master of Education in AppliedLinguistics, Master of Educational Management, Master of SpecialEducation, and Master of Educational Studies.

The first three can be taken by thesis only (research degree), by thesisand coursework (research degree), and by coursework only. TheMEdSt is available as coursework only, or by course work and thesis(research degree) but is not available by thesis only. The MEdSpEd isnot available as coursework only, but is available by course work and


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thesis (research degree) or by thesis only (research degree).

The doctoral program is entirely research-based, whether leading tothe PhD or to the EdD.

The masters program is being restructured for 2003 in response to theUniversity standardisation of course structures. For the GSE masterscourses this will involve a reduction of the total number of units toabout 25, four of them being generic.

Offsshoree DDeelivveery

The domestic market for UWA postgraduate degrees in Education issmall and declining. This reflects the fact that employment-relatedincentives are weak; the completion of such a degree provides nospecific guarantee of career advantage to the student (in contrast tothe system of formalised professional credit that operates in someother places).

Several years ago the GSE was faced with a parlous financial situationthat led it to start developing offshore partnerships for the delivery offee-based programs.

Its main commercial and educational partners are the Hong KongBaptist University and ICMD in Singapore. Generally UWA providesthe curriculum, assessment, and teachers; the local institutionprovides a recruitment service, learning support facilities, and unitevaluation data for comparison with the feedback organised by UWAstaff. In Singapore the unit evaluation is conducted by the Centre forStaff Development at UWA. At Hong Kong Baptist University(HKBU) the unit evaluation is conducted by the HKBU centre forStaff development and then sent back to the GSE, UWA.

AT HKBU students have full access to their own university library,which is strong in the education field as HKBU itself has a very goodEducation Faculty and indeed offers programs similar to UWA's.What gives UWA an opportunity to enrol students there is simply thatthere is more demand than HKBY itself can meet.

UWA makes no use of local tutors in HK. For some units GSE staffgo back once between the taught course and the date for submission ofthe assessment to conduct tutorials.

A distinctive feature of these programs is that they provide students inlocations overseas with essentially the same resources and teachingsupport that they would receive if they were enrolled for on-campusstudy. Comprehensive printed materials (of the same kind that wouldbe used for distance education, though UWA does not teach in thismode) are supplied at the outset. Face-to-face lectures and other classsessions are presented by UWA staff members who travel to theoffshore locations for intensive periods of teaching, so that thestudents receive the same amount of tuition as their counterparts inPerth but in a highly compressed form. The only difference in contentis that the range of units offered is narrower than for Perth-basedstudents.

Print-based delivery is the chosen medium because GSE staff regard itas generally more effective for learning (e.g. being portable andlending itself readily to annotation), more reliable (not troubled bytechnical problems of the kind that can make access to on-lineresources difficult), and fairer (as cost-shifting is often theconsequence when students print out resources provided to themelectronically).

Quality IIssssueess

Language competence is sometimes a concern with the Hong Kong

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students. There is no formal test of English for entry to the program,but problems have emerged and it is intended to introduce an IELTSrequirement with HKBU's agreement.

Although it is recognised that GSE programs must have a cooperativeinterface with the education profession, there is a concern that thepressure of expectations from the WA government's EducationDepartment is pushing the University towards an undue emphasis oncertain practical matters such as classroom management to thepossible detriment of more theoretical studies. This tends to erode thedistinction between a Grad Dip, which prepares the student to be aclassroom practitioner, and the masters degree, which should developa higher level of expertise.

3.4 BBusiness PPrograms

33..44..11 BBoonndd UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy:: SScchhooooll ooff BBuussiinneessss

Notes of meeting 29/10/02 with Dr Lyndal Drennan, Dr Amy Kenworthy-Uren,Dr Ray McNamara, Prof. James (Ben) Shaw, and Assoc. Prof. Barry Williams.

Thee MMBA pprogram aand iitss SStudeentss

The Bond MBA program comprises 12 integrated 'subjects', which -because of the trimester structure - can be completed in one full-timeyear. (There is a part-time program but few enrol in it.)

Nine of the 12 equivalent subjects are core requirements. The firsttwo 14-week teaching periods are tightly structured; the third permitsa choice of half-unit electives.

The broad objective is to provide a generalist business education forpeople who already have some work experience. Those students whowant a grounding in a specific vocational area choose a morespecialised masters degree, such as the Master of Accounting orMaster of Finance. Alternatively it is possible to add four extrasubjects to the MBA in a particular field, graduating with a designatedspecialisation such as MBA (Marketing). A further option is thatstudents may undertake a double degree program that combines theMBA with one of the other masters courses (e.g. MBA/MFin) for atotal of 18 subjects.

There is also a dual degree MBA ('Global Focus') program offeredjointly with Thunderbird, the Arizona-based American GraduateSchool of International Management, which allows the student toemerge with two credentials.

A new 12-month program, the Tri-Region International MBA, is beingplanned for 2003. Students take five units each at locations inAustralia (Bond campus), Malaysia, and France (Archamps campus ofThunderbird). Students earn an International MBA from Bond and aCertificate in International Management from Thunderbird.

Bond offers an Executive MBA too, structured as several concentratedblocks of teaching. Though this is administered quite separately fromthe MBA, some mixing of the EMBA and MBA students is arrangedto enable them to share different perspectives.

The body of students is relatively small. Currently there are about 70enrolled in the MBA program, drawn from two intakes of about 35during the year. The limited size of each cohort is seen as anattractive feature of the Bond MBA, as it permits closestudent/teacher and student/student interaction. Classes are more

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intimate and cohesive than would be possible in most businessschools, and students can receive a high level of personal attention.These advantages also apply to the Executive MBA program, whichhas about 25 students enrolled. Within the Business School, thestudent:staff ratio is approximately 15:1.

Student interactions and assignments are linked to the distinctive scaleof the Bond MBA classes. 'You can't hide in a small class.' There isan emphasis on intensive group work and individual presentations thatdevelop certain competencies, especially communication skills andbusiness planning processes. The success of this approach is reflectedin the excellent performance of Bond students year after year in theinternational 'Moot Corp' competition.

The students come to Bond from many countries, 28 being representedin the current MBA cohort. English language proficiency among theMBA students is regarded as 'generally excellent', though there is anEnglish Language Institute on campus to provide support if needed.Most of the international students have English as their first languageor have achieved a high level of fluency in English because of theircosmopolitan background. Staff and students alike regard themulticultural diversity, concentrated within a small group, as adistinctive feature and particular strength. It shapes much of what isdone in the program and how it is done.

Given the strong emphasis on the value of face-to-face interactionbetween students, on-line learning is not regarded as a substitute. Noform of distance study is available - with the exception of Bond's BBTprogram, which offers an MBA in Japan, delivered electronically andsupplemented with videotaped lectures through cable TV. This courseinvolves a study tour to Bond.

A range of electronic and on-line resources is used, the extent towhich they occur varying from subject to subject. Computer literacy isexpected, and MBAs must complete Management Information Systemsand Business Analysis Methods.

Quality IIssssueess

The fact that there is an international mix of students means that staffmust keep actively abreast of trends in various business environmentsoverseas. The treatment of curriculum topics reflects this. Forinstance, the study of HR management cannot focus on industrialrelations to the extent that would normally be considered appropriatefor an Australian group, because many of the students will bereturning to places where the HR issues are different; a cross-culturaldimension must be central to the way the subject is presented.Similarly, the Markets and Institutions course must address bothAustralian and overseas situations in a thorough way so that the needsof different students and the standards of different professionalorganizations are properly met. This poses a special challengeconcerning the choice of suitable textbooks.

Although there is no formal benchmarking, staff members try toensure that subjects are aligned with international best practicethrough comparison with other relevant courses using internet sources,contacts with colleagues around the world, and visiting teachingfaculty who are frequently used at Bond. The Master in Accountingprogram was developed with assistance from and accredited by therelevant Australian accounting associations.

It is not easy to attract guest lecturers from companies, because thecampus is not close to city-based commerce and industry.

The independent CEQ survey has indicated that Bond's School ofBusiness provides the best MBA teaching of any university in

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Australia. Course evaluations are conducted in each subject eachsemester. There is also a process whereby course feedback is soughtfrom students within the first 4-5 weeks of the semester. Courseevaluations are used in determining the School of Business TeachingExcellence Award, which is given to the highest rated faculty membereach semester.

The integrated approach to the curriculum requires more teamcollaboration than might be thought necessary for teachers in someother MBA programs.

33..44..22 CCuurrtt iinn UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff TTeecchhnnoollooggyy:: GGrraadduuaattee SScchhooooll ooff BBuussiinneessss

Notes of meeting 30/8/02 with Prof. Margaret Nowak, Assoc. Prof. Des Klass,Mr Eliot Wood and Ms Marita Naude.

Naturee oof tthee MMBA aand MMLM PProgramss

While the MBA focuses in a traditional way on organisational matters,the Master of Leadership & Management focuses distinctively onindividual development within an organisational context. Forinstance it emphasises and facilitates team leadership and personalnetworking for career development.

The annual MBA intake is about 150; the MLM about 30. Thisdisparity is expected to continue because the MBA has an establishedrecognition value whereas the MLM still tends to be regarded as a'new' product. However, these numbers are regarded as ideal for eachprogram respectively.

The MBA is strongly committed to flexible delivery, but a strategicdecision has been made not to develop the MLM fully in an on-linemode (though 3 of its 12 units are available electronically).

Teachers often work in both programs. Despite the differences, theMBA & MLM do share some common units; three are fully common.Students in both programs are able to substitute another two units insome circumstances and there are common electives.


Feedback for each unit is conveyed by student representatives, whoreport to the course administrator individually and meet everytrimester as a group to evaluate their experiences. Responses tocomments are posted on the secure program website.

Each unit must be evaluated each year, and results go to the coursecoordinator (and to the Head of School, if issues need to beaddressed). The evaluative instrument was devised specifically forthese postgraduate coursework programs.

In addition there may be special review processes. For instance thewhole MLM program was reshaped recently to bring it into line withstandard structural features of masters programs. Some units werecondensed and a new one (on Business Strategy) was introduced.Focus groups of past and present students, industry-based AdvisoryBoard members, and a visiting academic from overseas providedvaluable input into this process.

The move to e-learning in the MBA necessitated and energised acomprehensive qualitative review of that program. All staff arerequired to be expert in the appropriate use of on-line resources, andformal workshop training is conducted to ensure this.

The GSB recently won the education section of the Asia Pacific (WA)

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Yellow Pages IT&T Award for its flexible delivery program. WithinCurtin it received an Innovative Teaching Practice team award in2002.

International benchmarking occurs through the European Foundationfor Management Development. Curtin's Business School is the onlyAustralian institution to have gained European Quality ImprovementSystem (EQUIS) accreditation.

33..44..33 MMaaccqquuaarr iiee GGrraadduuaattee SScchhooooll ooff MMaannaaggeemmeenntt ((MMGGSSMM))

Notes of meeting 11/9/02 with Prof. Richard Dunford (Director, AcademicPrograms) and Mr Chris Clark (MBA Director).

Naturee oof tthee MMBA PProgram aand iitss SStudeentss

Macquarie's is one of the longest established MBA programs inAustralia, having begun in 1969. It is generally regarded (e.g. Sept2002 issue of the Financial Review magazine Boss) as belonging tothe small top band of MBAs, along with those offered by the AGSMand Melbourne Business School.

It has not been deemed eligible for inclusion in the Financial Times(UK) rankings because it does not conform to the 'classic' American-style MBA, based on a distinct full-time cohort. However, despite notbeing formally structured as a cohort, there are numerous full-timestudents (110 for 2002) in the MGSM MBA program and on this basisit may be included in future rankings.

MGSM has always focused on the experienced practitioner rather thanthe young student, and its 16 units are designed flexibly for thatreason. Increasingly the main demand comes from the mature-agepart-time segment of the market. As this student profile is a featureof the program, MGSM continually monitors the composition of itsintake, recruitment rates, graduate starting salaries and so forth.

Most institutions would offer an Executive MBA (which cansometimes be a pared-down program) to experienced practitioners.However, MGSM provides these students with a full (16 unit) MBAprogram, not an abbreviated 'Executive' version.

The Macquarie MBA has always been a generalist degree. Staff atMGSM would question whether 'vocational' should really beconsidered as distinct from that, let alone set in opposition to it. TheMGSM view is that preparing someone for executive leadershipshould involve developing critical judgment and analytical skills. Theten core units focus on the philosophy of the discipline.

The Master of Management is in part a cut-down MBA, leaving roomfor specialisation in a particular field such as marketing.


Survey rankings such as the Boss report (see above) indicate a


Macquariee GGraduateeSchool oof

Manageemeent(MGSM)

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consistently high reputation.

Student evaluation (SETS) gives regular feedback on units andindividual teaching performance. In addition there is a complaintsprocess monitored by the Director, Academic Programs.

The program is large enough to ensure that it is not precariouslydependent on a few individual teachers. About 35 full-time staffmembers teach in the program, assisted by about 25 adjunct staff.This allows for multi-skilling and interchangeability of personnel innearly all units.

There is a strong emphasis on the value of face-to-face interactionbetween students, and therefore on-line learning is not regarded as asubstitute. Off-campus enrolment is not an option.

In other respects there is plenty of flexibility. For example on-linelibrary access and support facilities are of good quality, and intensiveuse is made of weekend schools.

Administrative support for students is cited as a cause for pride.

Stakeholder relationships are carefully managed. Liaison withemployers occurs through an Advisory Board and a career service.Alumni networks are maintained.

Areeass oof CConceern

The other side of the smooth client management coin is a tendency toregard students as customers. While this brings with it certainbenefits, it can have a downside - a decreased awareness on the part ofthe 'customers' that they have entered into a relationship that is asmuch a learning relationship as a commercial one.

The cash-cow status of MGSM within the University, based on themisconception that the School's income is easily earned, causes someapprehension about continuing access to the resources needed tooperate high-quality programs.

There is a danger that efficiency in all the small administrative detailscan sometimes slip as the School grows.

33..44..44 UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff MMeellbboouurrnnee:: BBuussiinneessss SScchhooooll

Notes of meeting 28/10/02 with Dr Jenny George (Assoc. Dean, Students), MsAnn Sankey (General Manager, Award Programs), and Assoc. Prof. KennanSethuraman (teacher and researcher in Technology and OperationsManagement).

Naturee oof tthee MMBA PProgram aand iitss SStudeentss

Structure: The Melbourne Business School (MBS) MBA programcomprises 20 'subjects', half of which are core requirements. There isa broad choice of electives.

Duration: The full-time program lasts for four 14-week terms (1.4years) and has an intake of about 150-170 each year. In the three-yearpart-time program there are about 300 students enrolled at any onetime, with two intakes a year. There is some integration of theteaching for these two.

EMBA vversion: Separately, beginning in 2002, there is an ExecutiveMBA, with an initial intake of 28 and an intended maximum classsize of about 40. Designed for senior managers with long experiencein the workplace, this course can be compressed into four full-timeintensive residential modules over a 14-month period. The second

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module is delivered at a partner institution in Germany, and includesvisits to European industry sites. (This interview did not include anydetailed discussion of the EMBA.)

Aim: The MBA course attempts to produce well-rounded graduates.Its educational philosophy is generalist rather than vocationallyspecific. The breadth offered in both core and electives reflects thisapproach.

Admission: A committee selects students for entry. While academicaptitude is important, and students who seemed likely to strugglewould not be accepted, the main objective is to choose students whohave high management potential. It is usual to reject one or twoapplicants with strong academic records who do not meet othercriteria. Subsequent failure by a student would be seen as indicating aprobable failure in the selection process. GMAT is an absoluterequirement. (Only AGSM among other Australian business schoolsinsists on this.) Applicants must have at least two years ofappropriate work experience; about six years is the average (eight forthe part-time program).

Student ddiversity: In the full-time program, about half areinternational students. These come largely from English-speakingcountries. PRC and Indonesia are the main source countries in whichEnglish is not the first language.

Language iissues: IELTS (6.5 requirement) or TOEFL (610), alongwith the verbal part of the GMAT test, are considered in the selectionprocess. There is a Learning Skills Unit on campus, to which studentswith language difficulties can be referred.

Mode oof ooffer: Off-campus enrolment is unavailable as an option.There is a strong emphasis on the value of face-to-face interactionbetween students, and therefore on-line learning is not regarded as asubstitute. Bulletin boards and chat groups get little formal use,though some students may choose to communicate in this way.Subject websites are of two sorts: some mainly provide a repositoryof documents for downloading, while others are more interactive,incorporating regularly updated material.

Reeputation aand QQuality IIssssueess

The MBS is generally regarded as belonging to the small top band ofMBA programs in Australia, along with those offered by the AGSMand Macquarie. Various public survey ratings, national andinternational (e.g. Financial Times, Economist), testify to this.

However, MBS believes that, while some important things arecaptured in these reputation-based ratings, they do not measure whatmatters most - the quality of teaching. Nor is student evaluation (e.g.CEQ) seen as a reliable comparative guide to quality of teaching,because students seldom have an informed basis for comparison withwhat is done in other business schools, whereas most of the academicstaff do.

Accordingly, staff recruitment policy places a strong emphasis onteaching credentials. MBS says it has decided not to hire someexcellent researchers because they posed too great a risk of performingpoorly in the classroom. Candidates must provide evidence ofteaching ratings from other institutions; they must present a seminarso that MBS can get an idea of likely classroom performance; andtheir referees are asked about performance or potential as teachers.Adjunct faculty are also subjected to rigorous evaluation standards,and cannot be hired unless they have teaching experience. There areregular staff seminars on teaching topics, such as student diversity,case study methods, and team teaching.

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The vast majority of the regular MBA subjects (full-time and part-time) are taught by individuals. The EMBA is designed differently,and involves extensive collaboration between faculty members.

Mentoring arrangements have recently been introduced as a formalprogram for newly appointed staff.

Formal student evaluation of subjects as well as teaching occurs at theend of each term. The results are made public through internet andlibrary channels, except that there is a first-year embargo on resultsfor new subjects and new staff. Poor results for an individual teacherwould lead to counselling by the Dean in the context of annualperformance reviews, and arrangements for mentoring and additionalhelp if appropriate (particularly for newer faculty members).

An exit survey of graduates is also conducted. This lookscomprehensively at the whole MBA experience and its adequacy as apreparation for employment.

33..44..55 QQuueeeennssllaanndd UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff TTeecchhnnoollooggyy:: FFaaccuull ttyy ooff BBuussiinneessss

Notes of meetings 05/08/02 (with Assoc. Prof. Jennifer Radbourne, AssistantDean) and 06/08/02 (with Mr Mark Christensen)

Faculty CConteext

At the masters level, the Faculty's programs spread across thespectrum from generalist (MBA) to specialist (Accountancy,Marketing, International Finance etc.). The latter may perhaps beregarded as vocationally focused but they are certainly discipline-focused.

Entry requirements vary accordingly. A pass in an undergraduatedegree is the norm, though alternative entry is possible on the basis ofinterview, portfolio etc.

Disciplinary frameworks tend to be somewhat territorial; e.g. thoseresponsible for the generalist MBA want to expand it through alimited suite of specialised electives but this conflicts with the viewheld by those responsible for the more specialised programs.

Processes for course re/development approval: (1) the Dean'sManagement Group acts as a regular forum for placing proposalswithin a policy/strategy framework (e.g. DBA has been put forwardmore than once, but without success so far because the details needmore sifting); (2) there are more formal steps within the School forscrutinising the outline of curriculum, assessment etc.

QUT has avoided over-extending its offerings in this Faculty. It hasjust one generic undergraduate degree, the B.Bus, with 8 core unitsand several majors. Similarly at the postgraduate level there are onlyfour discipline-specific masters programs (with associated Grad Certand Grad Dip options) in addition to the generic MBA.

The mode of delivery for a particular unit or course is decided at theSchool level by those who are closest to particular markets. Everyunit has some on-line presence, but the extent varies. Face-to-faceenrolment is the norm in this Faculty. Some DE arrangements mayoccasionally be made for special cohorts or purposes.

International students often pose problems of communication. Evenif the IELTS test score meets the University's requirementcomfortably, there may still be a lack of familiarity with certain genresof academic writing. However, students can take two units of

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Academic English as electives, along with one on Australian businesspractice.

Massteer oof AApplieed FFinancee

Before QUT established its course, three MAF programs were alreadyavailable locally. The one offered by Macquarie was available mainlythrough self-directed distance study, which did not suit everyone; theone offered by the University of Queensland was seen by some asinflexibly structured and not really applied in its content; and the oneoffered by the Securities Institute was a highly vocational coursedesigned to upskill people already working in the industry.

QUT developed its MAF course in 1998 for a distinct target group:one that wanted plenty of face-to-face contact, a strongly appliedfocus but with plenty of analytical depth, and a curriculum that suitedthose looking for a career change. So while preserving academicrigour, it needed to have enough flexibility to accommodate individualgoals. To this end, every student entering the program is interviewedand guided on unit choice and other matters. This upfront advice isintended to reduce later problems.

A distinctive feature of the course is that a Securities Dealing Roomfacility has been set up for it within the School of Economics to givestudents access to current market data from sources such as Reutersand Bloomberg. This provides a window view of what is actuallyhappening in the financial world.

Also distinctive is flexibility of choice, allowing students to take oneor two specialist units through the Securities Institute if they wish.This reflects a very positive relationship between the QUT course andthe SI: they are not so much competitors as collaborators (e.g. SIsponsors the QUT MAF Open Day). Because they tend to cater fordifferent groups, QUT and SI often recommend each other's course tostudents when appropriate.

Quality CChalleengeess

The enrolments have jumped dramatically: from about 30 newentrants last year to about 90 new students this year (including GradDip and Grad Cert along with Masters). As numbers grow, the coursecoordinator's role is increasingly complex and difficult because of thelabour-intensive work involved (e.g. interviewing all students at theoutset to guide their choices and make sure they understand thenature and extent of study requirements).

Originally the MAF was for part-time study only, and when a full-timeversion became available it took four semesters at first. But thiscreated problems for international students wanting to reduce the timespent in Australia, so it was restructured to a three-semester program.An effort was made to retain academic rigour: prerequisites and coreunits remain the same.

Language competence is determined by the University's InternationalOffice, and if international students who want to enter the programdon't meet the standard QUT language levels, a Study Abroadbridging program is available. (Some international students are fromScandinavia, and their English is excellent - better than that of manyAustralian students.)

There is an acknowledged inconsistency within the School with regardto the nature and extent of on-line learning. No uniform practice isrequired across different programs. While there is some use of on-linelearning resources in every unit, it is not a substitute for face-to-facecontact. For instance lecture materials are available on-line but theyare skeletal and not self-contained enough to be depended on forpassing a unit.

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The drop-out rate is high. Three reasons are cited: (1) slow andawkward central university admission procedures tend to demotivatestudents at an early stage, e.g. because they cannot access on-linelearning systems until their enrolments are finalised; (2) careerdevelopments can make the course seem less relevant, e.g. somestudents no longer need to complete it in order to get the job theywant; (3) the course may simply turn out not to meet individualneeds, although personalised entry advice is intended to minimise thisproblem.

Each unit tends to depend heavily on an individual teacher, butprecarious over-reliance is largely avoided through mentoring of staff.

33..44..66 UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff QQuueeeennssllaanndd:: BBuussiinneessss SScchhooooll

Notes of meeting 29/10/02 with Prof. Tim Brailsford (Head of Business School)and Assoc Prof. Art Schulman.

Naturee oof tthee MMBA aand iitss SStudeentss

Structure: The UQ MBA program comprises 16 'courses', of which 12are core requirements. The program can be completed in 16-24months fulltime or 30-48 months part time. (Also available are aGraduate Certificate, comprising 4 core courses from the MBAprogram; a Graduate Diploma, comprising 6 core courses and 2electives; and an EMBA, offered through a partnership with the MtEliza Business School.)

Entry: A bachelor degree or postgraduate diploma plus at least twoyears relevant work experience.

Student ddiversity: Approximately 250 EFTSU are enrolled in theMBA, and about 25% of them are international students, coming fromsome 25 countries.

Modes oof ddelivery: Full-time and part-time students mingle in mostclasses. These are held during the daytime, the evening and asintensive weekend sessions.

Group ffocus: Instead of relying on lectures, students participate inteam projects and various small group activities, which are seen aspreparing students well for the realities of workplace operation. Classsize is capped at 50 for each course.

Educational pphilosophy: the MBA is a generalist degree,encompassing a range of topics and perspectives; those students whowant something more vocationally specific would take the M. Com.

Reeputation aand QQuality IIssssueess

Rating ssurveys: The UQ Business School advertises its top Australianranking and high Asian ranking in a recent survey of business schoolsconducted by Asia Inc. It does not appear in the 2002 Boss magazine(Australian) survey, having declined to participate, and does not figurein international business school rankings such as the Financial Timessurvey. Although some of its programs have long been established(e.g. the M. Com), its administrative structure as a separate businessschool is very recent (2002).

Alliance ffor eexecutive eeducation: UQBS has a strategic partnershipwith the Mt Eliza Business School, internationally well ranked in theexecutive education field. An Executive MBA is offered through thisalliance, with UQ providing the quality assurance framework(including governance mechanisms) as well as the administrativeinfrastructure for students (e.g. enrolment processes), while Mt Eliza

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provides the operational arrangements. As Mt Eliza is located nearMelbourne and delivers programs in several states, the alliance helpsUQ to achieve a national profile. Some UQBS staff memberscontribute to the teaching of the EMBA in Brisbane.

Prime ffocus: UQBS regards the quality of teachers and the currencyof their professional knowledge as more important elements in bestpractice than anything on the list of criteria generated by this AUTCproject. Its own prime focus is on achieving and maintainingexcellence among its own academic staff.

Teaching/research nnexus: UQBS attaches great importance to thenexus between teaching and research, believing that good scholarsexcel at formulating difficult and productive questions both forresearch investigation and for classroom inquiry. Accordingly itplaces a strong emphasis on research performance, measured in theusual way (e.g. publishing in the world's best journals, winningcompetitive grants, and attracting expert international visitors).Students are assumed to be beneficiaries of this research ethos.

Teaching rresponsibilities: Senior professorial staff members areheavily involved in the MBA teaching, each typically taking individualresponsibility for a course. Adjunct staff are used in an integratedway; none is in charge of a course, and their total involvement isrelatively small. Most courses include guest speakers from industry asa regular feature. All core courses are taught by more than oneperson. Each has a designated coordinator, but is normally a teameffort.

Resources: Curriculum design and flexible delivery are well resourcedby UQ at the institutional level.

Benchmarking aand aaccreditation: UQ's membership of the Universitas21 alliance will provide opportunities eventually for systematic peerreview at a high international level, but does not yet do so. TheSchool is currently focusing its attention on the long accreditationprocess through AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schoolsof Business), one of the two* prestigious non-profit accreditationagencies operating internationally in the business education field.More than 400 universities (all but 34 being based in the US) havegained AACSB acceptance for their business schools. In Australia,AGSM has just received this recognition, with several others in aqueue. (*The other is EQUIS, from which the Curtin Business Schoolgained accreditation in 2001.)

33..44..77 SSwwiinnbbuurrnnee UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff TTeecchhnnoollooggyy:: SScchhooooll ooff BBuussiinneessss

Notes of meeting 1/8/02 with Ms Barbara Cargill (Head of School) and MrDenis Vinen (Program Manager MIntA)

Naturee oof tthee MMintA ((Vieetnam) PProgram

One of only four masters programs run by Swinburne's School ofBusiness, the Master of International Accounting (MIntA) program(Vietnam) is offered in conjunction with the National EconomicsUniversity (NEU) Business School, Vietnam. The program runs bothin Hanoi and in Ho Chi Minh City. Swinburne provides the programadministration (e.g. enrolment processes, practical arrangements andsupply of lecturing staff) and the NEU provides administrative supporttogether with tutoring support. Its claim to uniqueness is that it is theonly fully accredited postgraduate accounting program offered inVietnam that leads to CPA (Australia) status.

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At present there are some 100 students enrolled in the program. Thefirst group (about 25) has just graduated. Most of the enrolments(approx. 80%) come from information evenings. Mere advertising isinsufficient, as other Australian universities have found.

The Vietnamese higher education system is 'awash' with generalistcourses such as MBAs. This program, in contrast, has a stronglyvocational focus. Unlike the MBA, which several Australian andNorth American universities have tried with doubtful success inVietnam, the MIntA program is well received because it emphasiseshands-on skill development in Accounting and related businesssubjects.

The first year of operation for the MIntA program was 1998, but thisfollowed a long period of groundwork and planning.

From 1993 onwards Swinburne had run a range of short courses onAccounting and Finance topics in Vietnam, and also a GraduateCertificate in Business. In that year it signed an agreement with theVietnamese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to cooperatein the provision of training courses, and in 1994 it was granted anoperating licence by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET).

In 1997 the World Bank funded Swinburne's provision of non-awardtraining modules to clients in the Vietnamese banking sector. Thiswas seen as meeting an urgent need because auditing standards werevery poor and some banks were actually insolvent. Having gainedconsiderable kudos in Vietnam from that program (together with theGraduate Certificate in Business programs), Swinburne claims to bethe best recognised Australian university in the financial field.

Out of these experiences an opportunity emerged eventually foroffering a program at the masters level that would qualify graduatesfor membership of the CPA Australia, the largest professionalaccounting body in Australia. There was very little local expertise inthe accounting field, and no international competitors were operating.

CPA Australia support was obtained from the outset and has been anintegral part of the marketing of the program as CPA acts as a qualitywatchdog. It accredits the program on the basis of thorough on-the-spot scrutiny and vigilant follow-through (e.g. monitoring theperformance of graduates in the sequel procedures of professionalexamination). As CPA Australia has a strong membership in severalAsian countries (notably Singapore, Malaysia, China and Hong Kong)and is keen to establish itself as the region's leading provider, it setshigh standards for the MIntA program in Vietnam.

The leading international accountancy firms, such as Ernst & Young,KPMG and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, are enrolling their Vietnamesestaff in the MintA program.

Swinburne envisages future diversification of programs on the basis ofits current success.

Adminisstrativvee AAsspeectss aand QQuality IIssssueess

The MIntA program is run as a fully commercial project. Sunk costs,which were substantial, have been retrieved and ongoing costs arecovered.

Although the Program Manager's role is vital for this kind ofoperation, and the incumbent has established his credibility in Hanoiand Ho Chi Minh City over many years, care is taken not to let theMIntA program become precariously dependent on one individual.For instance eight other staff members have had extensive involvementin the teaching both of short courses and of the MIntA in Vietnam.

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Their accumulated experience means that the program cannot easilybe wrong-footed.

English language competence, recognised as an important issue, isestablished initially by personal interview. Admission to the mastersprogram requires an IELTS score of 5.5. The aim is to add valueduring the course so that by the end of the program all students reachIELTS level 6, though this is not a strict requirement for graduation.

Student evaluation of the program and performance of teaching staffhas always been sought. Recently the form it takes has been alignedwith Swinburne's student evaluation processes in general. The averageratings have improved steadily from good to very good. Changes havebeen made to the course materials (manuals and texts) in directresponse to student feedback.

Library resources provided locally within the NEU library areregularly checked and updated by Swinburne with prescribed andrecommended textbooks now available to students for all subjects inthe MIntA program.

On-line learning resources have been developed as a supplement to thenormal course material. There is a course website. Email messagesbetween students and staff are all copied to the Program Manager andProgram Co-ordinator so that they can monitor the interactions.Digital copyright is not an issue, because the involvement of the localpartner university means that it is not a case of offshore delivery ofelectronic material.

A recent innovation has been to offer students from Vietnam theoption of studying their last stage-3 subject (Accounting Theory) inAustralia. Twenty students from both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Cityattended Swinburne's Hawthorn campus in mid-September 2002 forthis purpose. This inaugural 'study in Australia' opportunity, whichincluded participation in organised activities such as field trips to theAustralian Stock Exchange and to CPA Australia, was regarded ashighly successful, and Swinburne will consider making it an integralpart of the MIntA program.

33..44..88 UUnniivveerrss ii ttyy ooff TTeecchhnnoollooggyy SSyyddnneeyy:: GGrraadduuaattee SScchhooooll ooff BBuussiinneessss

Notes of meeting 11/9/02 with Mr Antoine Hermens (EMBA Director) and MrKingsley Mundey (student and businessman)

Naturee oof tthee EEMBA PProgram

The UTS Executive MBA course is new this year. In relation to thepresent AUTC project, it is an interesting example of an attempt togain rapidly a respected place in a crowded educational market bydefining itself in innovative ways.

It claims a distinctive focus that is linked to its selective intake and tothe quality of interaction that it generates between participants.Enrolment is limited to about 25 initially, and any expansion isintended to be gradual.

The cohort is carefully balanced to ensure that it includescomplementary skills and represents a cross-section of different kindsof industry. The Director's desire is 'to bring academe and industrytogether in a new reciprocal learning experience' by creating a'discomfort zone.'

All the students are already middle or senior managers with a gooddeal of business experience - at least seven years, and much more inmost cases.

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Sam

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ctice


Univveerssity oofTeechnology SSydneey::Graduatee SSchool oof

Bussineessss

61

The composition of the student group allows the program toconcentrate on advanced skills development through sharedknowledge. Attention is paid to basics, but it is unnecessary to dwellon them because of the substantial practical background of groupmembers.

The fee is pitched at about the mid-point of the Australian range.

The structure comprises 8 core units and 4 electives. (The normalEMBA structure is 16 units but UTS regards its units as larger inscope.) There are fewer contact hours than in most such programs.The first and last subjects are residential: students begin the coursewith a week-long study of 'Applied Leadership and Strategy' and endit with an international project conducted in partnership with a client.

Disstinctivvee FFeeatureess

The small size and elite composition of the student group, situatedwithin the largest graduate business school in Australia, allows UTSto choose teachers carefully (e.g. drawing on those with particularresearch expertise) and keep them on their toes.

The deliberate balancing of experience within the group ensures (forexample) that big business and small business are both represented,and that a variety of kinds of knowledge and experience can beeffectively communicated.

The kind of international project experience, linked to a specificclient, is an unusual arrangement. The University meets some of thecosts involved.

The central location in Australia's largest city provides students withconvenient access.

A SStudeent PPeersspeectivvee oon QQuality IIssssueess

After extensive checking of the alternatives, Mr Mundey (executivedirector of a company) chose the UTS course for three reasons: itspractical approach reflected a genuine understanding of business, itsstructure guaranteed that the student cohort would comprise peoplewith seniority in business, and its teaching staff seemed well qualified.

He is enthusiastic about the calibre of his fellow-students and aboutthe trust that has already developed, binding the cohort together. Thisspirit encourages them to share information openly, to learn about the'wafer-thin difference between losses and wins' in each other'sprevious experience, to debate issues in a way that leads to cohesionrather than conflict, and to elicit the range of knowledge embedded intheir diversity.

However, he sees their collective knowledge as insufficient: thestudents need the discipline of a rigorous formal structure to providenew ideas and prevent the busy-ness of their occupations fromrestricting their thinking.

The first subject, an intensive residential learning experience, was'constructively humbling' for all concerned: 'We had to throw ourepaulettes in the bin.'

The group is functioning well. To some extent it has become self-winding, organising extra meetings and keeping each other up to themark, because they all see themselves not just as students but also asstakeholders. They are keen to contribute to 'building the brand' sothat this new UTS credential acquires high status.

They hold group discussions with the Dean of the Faculty as well aswith the program Director, so that all aspects are kept under review.Each subject is also formally evaluated.

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Bussineessss

62

3.5 SSynoptic PPatterns

From a synoptic view of the foregoing individual and group discussions, manycommon themes appear. These include a number of positive features, such as afrequently expressed determination to integrate teaching and learning withresearch, and a strongly shared sense of responsibility to prepare students wellfor employment and career advancement. They also include notable areas ofconcern, for instance the burdensome nature of course administration, thefrequent lack of rigorous benchmarking procedures, and the apparent tendency ina few programs to be somewhat casual about the language competence levelsrequired of students.

While conceding that the reliance on self-appraisal may prevent some mattersfrom coming fully to light, one can hardly doubt the value of seeing certainobservations and convictions recur when those 24 sets of interview notes arejuxtaposed.

Consideration of these and other general issues will be taken up further inChapter 5.

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“onee ccan hhardlydoubt tthee vvaluee oof

sseeeeing cceertainobsseervvationss aand

convvictionss rreecur”

63

Chapter 4: Questionnaire Responses

4.1 SScope oof tthe DData

An ideal process - the researcher's fantasy - would allow one to gather equallyrich and reliable data for all courses. Unsurprisingly this could not be achievedhere. Practical constraints on the distribution of survey forms, described insection 1.2 of the first chapter, meant that several courses produced only ahandful of returns, sometimes simply because of small enrolments. In a fewother cases the number of student responses was large. Therefore it should beacknowledged that patterns emerging from the total sample may have beendisproportionately influenced by the views of students in a minority of thecourses participating in the project. Just four of the 24 surveyed programsproduced half of the responses. On the other hand a comparison (not recordedhere, to protect confidentiality) of responses from people studying or teaching inthose programs with the results overall indicates that there were fewdiscrepancies. The four courses associated with relatively high numbers ofresponses spanned the three fields of study, and broadly reflected the largerpatterns in their respective fields.

It is pleasing that, despite the procedural difficulties always associated with thiskind of study, we were able eventually to assemble a substantial body of data onthe importance ranking of various best-practice principles and the satisfactionrating of particular courses in terms of those principles. The criterion-basedquestionnaire (reproduced in the Appendix) elicited 656 returned forms - 615from students and 41 from staff. Not all of these returned forms were complete:for example while criteria may have been ranked properly (by the orderednumbering of eight boxes in the middle column, identified here as 'A'), therespondent's particular course was not always rated in terms of those criteria (bymarking a figure in each row of the 'B' column on the right) - and sometimes viceversa. In a surprising number of returned forms there was some deviation fromthe requested form of response: for example courses were often rated in relationto some criteria but not all of them. It is impossible to tell when suchirregularities were deliberate, when they reflected a misapprehension about whatthe survey was seeking, and when they stemmed from difficulties inherent in thequestionnaire form itself. (As one respondent commented politely, 'choosingbetween 17 criteria is a challenging conceptual task'.) Perhaps the error ratecould have been reduced by some improvements in the design and physical layoutof the survey instrument. However, since the error rate seems to have beenhigher for those courses conducted offshore for students of non-English-speakingbackground, it may well be the case that language comprehension difficultieswere a major factor.

Nearly half the responses (309) came from students and staff in the Educationfield. Though considerably smaller, the numbers for Business (157) and Health(190) were still large enough to lend themselves satisfactorily to analysis.

4.2 NNature oof tthe FFindings

The questionnaire responses provide a good deal of information about twomatters: the relative importance attached to the various criteria, and the levels ofsatisfaction with particular courses in relation to each criterion. Clear patternshave emerged on each count. Fourteen tables of summary data are assembledand discussed in this chapter.

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“Wee wweeree aableeeevveentually tto

asssseemblee aassubsstantial bbody oof

data oon ttheeimportancee rranking

of vvariouss bbeesst-practicee pprincipleess

and tthee ssatissfactionrating oof pparticularcoursseess iin tteermss oof

thossee pprincipleess.”

64

It was anticipated that there would be some significant differences between staffand student views on both counts, which proved to be the case. It was alsoanticipated that patterns of response would differ somewhat from one field ofstudy to another, and this too was confirmed.

Except where the responses were not numerous enough to provide a basis forreliable inferences, comparative information drawn from the data has been madeavailable confidentially to those in charge of each participating program so thatthey can view the pattern of responses generated by their own course in relationto the general patterns for the relevant field of study and for all three fields.

44..22..11 RReellaatt iivvee IImmppoorrttaannccee ooff CCrrii tteerr iiaa

Table 1 shows for all respondents the frequency distributions of items given a 1-8ranking in answer to the first question, 'Which are the eight most importantcriteria for this kind of course? (If a respondent ranked any items beyond eight,these have been treated in the analysis as 'missing' values.)

Three criteria for best practice stand out clearly, each having been included bymore than 71% of respondents in their list of the most important principles.These were criterion 3A on the survey form, concerning the appropriateness ofthe curriculum content - intellectual depth, scholarly currency, practicalapplicability - for study at a postgraduate level (486 listings); criterion 8A,concerning the use of assessment procedures that are aligned with courseobjectives and flexible enough to balance theory with practice (473); andcriterion 6A, concerning the engagement of students as adult learners whoseexperience is valued (466). No other criterion was listed by more than 57% ofrespondents.

Even if nothing more had been elicited by the survey, there would beconsiderable value just in this general finding. It indicates emphatically whatmatters most to most of those who enrol in postgraduate courses or areresponsible for course development and delivery.

Regarding the principle that attracted the strongest endorsement, it should beacknowledged that its defining terms are fairly broad, and indeed that theybundle together somewhat different elements: a course may have 'scholarlycurrency' and yet be somewhat deficient in 'practical applicability', or perhapsthe converse may be true. Ideally, the question ought to be unpacked in order toarrive at a more precise picture of the criteria perceived to be important.Nevertheless it is quite clear that three out of every four respondents expect thecontent of their coursework to be distinctively postgraduate in its standard, andthat they see intellectual depth, scholarly currency and practical applicability asaspects of that standard.

[[SSeeee TTaabbllee 11 oovveerr ppaaggee]]

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“It iiss qquitee ccleearthat tthreeee oout oof

eevveery ffourreesspondeentss eexpeectthee cconteent oof ttheeir

coursseewwork tto bbeedisstinctivveely

posstgraduatee iin iitsssstandard...”

65

While frequency distribution is an interesting way of reflecting the perceivedimportance of different criteria, it is not the only one. A comparison of theforegoing table with the next two shows that the rank order derived from thenumber of respondents who include a particular criterion in their list of the eightmost important (Table 1) does not always correspond to the rank order derivedfrom the mean score for that criterion.

Tables 2 and 3 indicate two different methods of mean score ranking. Theformer represents all responses while the latter counts only those responses inwhich a criterion figured among the eight most important. In both cases thelowest mean figures indicates the highest ranking of importance.

The resulting differences can be significant. For instance only 272 of the 656respondents made room in their 'eight most important' list for criterion 15A(referring to employment and workplace outcomes) - nine other criteria werechosen more often. Similarly it is half way down the list on the mean score ascalculated for Table 2. Yet the fact that it is third-ranked on Table 3 indicatesthat most of those who did include it evidently attached great importance to it.No doubt this reflects the fact that while some students undertake postgraduatecourses with employment matters primarily in mind, others already havesatisfying jobs and enrol for other reasons. This is an issue with professionalcourses generally, since their value for an individual may often lie in theirgeneral educative functions at least as much as in their vocation-specificfunctions.

In contrast, the mean figure for criterion 10A (referring to feedback to students)gives it a much lower importance ranking in Table 3,where it is in equal 11th


“Thiss rreefleectss ttheefact tthat wwhilee ssomee

sstudeentss uundeertakeeposstgraduateecoursseess wwith

eemploymeent mmatteerssprimarily iin mmind,

otheerss aalreeady hhavveessatissfying jjobss aand

eenrol ffor ootheerreeassonss.”

TTAABBLLEE 11::FFrreeqquueennccyy ddiissttrr iibbuutt iioonn ffoorr rraannkkiinngg ooff ccrr ii tteerr iiaa

66

place, than it appears to have if one simply counts the frequency total (Table 1),where it is in 4th place, or the mean score generated by all responses (Table 2),where it ranks 6th.

Table 2 shows, then, a mean figure for each of the 17 criteria, calculated fromthe rankings supplied by all respondents. If a respondent did not rank a criterionamong the eight most important, it has been coded '9' for the purposes of thisanalysis. Therefore the possible range of mean scores here is from 1 to 9.


TTAABBLLEE 22::RRaannkk oorrddeerr aaccccoorrddiinngg ttoo mmeeaann ssccoorree,, bbaasseedd oonn aall ll rreessppoonnsseess

67

Table 3, like Table 2, reports the mean rank order of the 17 criteria, but with thedifference that the order is calculated from the rankings of only thoserespondents who included them among their eight most important.Consequently the mean scores are calculated from different numbers ofrespondents, and in this case the minimum mean is 1 and the maximum is 8.


TTAABBLLEE 33::RRaannkk oorrddeerr aaccccoorrddiinngg ttoo mmeeaann ssccoorree,, bbaasseedd oonn rreessppoonnsseess tthhaatt rraannkkeedd tthhee rreessppeecctt iivvee ccrr ii tteerr iiaaaammoonngg tthhee eeiigghhtt mmoosstt iimmppoorrttaanntt

68

Table 4 summarizes the ranks derived from the three different methods used forthe previous tables. The 'Frequency' column gives a ranking of each criterionaccording to how often it is included within the most important eight. 'TotalMean', being based on all respondents, is determined by choice (to include or notto include a criterion in the top eight) and by rank position. 'Subtotal Mean' isdetermined only by rank position, calculated from the place assigned to aparticular criterion by those respondents who chose it among the top eight.


TTAABBLLEE 44::CCoommppaarr iissoonn ooff rraannkkss ff rroomm tthhee tthhrreeee mmeetthhooddss ooff ccaallccuullaatt iinngg tthheemm

69

Table 5 shows for each criterion listed on the survey form the frequency withwhich it is ranked as most important, second in importance, and so on. Thedistributions are interestingly different. For instance, the three principles thatrecurred most often in the rankings (each being included in the top eight by 71-74% of all respondents) did not attract similar patterns of ranking: the'appropriateness of curriculum content' criterion (3A) was regarded as first orsecond in importance by 56% of those respondents who included it, the 'use ofaligned and flexible assessment procedures' criterion (8A) as first or second inimportance by only 28%, and the 'valuing of student experience' criterion (6A) asfirst or second in importance by 43%.

Response patterns for each of the three fields - Business, Health and Education -are given below in Tables 6-8. The same criterion, appropriateness of curriculumcontent, is ranked first in importance across all fields, but after that the order(measured by mean scores) is different. For respondents in the Education fieldthe next most important principles, in descending order, refer to engagement oflearners as adults whose experience is valued, assessment procedures,benchmarking and employment outcomes. For those in the Health field thesecond and subsequent principles refer respectively to employment outcomes,engagement of adult learners, the vocationalist/generalist balance, andassessment procedures. For those in the Business field they refer to engagementof adult learners, employment outcomes, the vocationalist/generalist balance,and the fit between course structure and objectives.

Several other differences are noticeable. For example, responsiveness toprofessional evaluation is more highly ranked in the Business field (a mean of4.2) than in the Education field (a mean of 4.8); and conversely benchmarking ismore highly ranked in the Education field (a mean of 4.2) than in the Businessfield (a mean of 4.7). Entry standards and procedures are more important to the


TTAABBLLEE 55::PPeerrcceennttaaggee ff rreeqquueennccyy ooff rraannkkss cchhoosseenn ffoorr eeaacchh ccrr ii tteerr iioonn

70

Business and Education respondents (4.4 and 4.5 respectively) than to those fromHealth (5.1). A good match between course structure and course objectives ismore important to respondents from Health and Business (both 3.8) than to thosefrom Education (4.5).

It should also be noted that the span of figures indicating the mean rank for eachcriterion is larger for Education (from 2.6 to 5.1) than for Health (from 3.1 to5.1) or Business (from 3.0 to 4.8). This corresponds to the fact that Educationrespondents tend to concentrate their rankings more decisively, suggestingrelatively definite views about how much they value certain aspects of theircourses. For instance 45% of the Education students who listed appropriatecourse content among their eight most important criteria gave it top ranking,compared with 37% both for Business and for Health.


TTAABBLLEE 66BBuussiinneessss rreessppoonnddeennttss


TTAABBLLEE 77EEdduuccaatt iioonn rreessppoonnddeennttss

TTAABBLLEE 88HHeeaall tthh rreessppoonnddeennttss

72

As mentioned previously, the survey results for individual university programsare confidential to those who administer them. For the most part, in fact, asimilar pattern emerged from each sample. However, two differences arenoteworthy and can be mentioned in general terms.

First: responses from the Health students at one university (a fairly large group)were exceptional in not assigning top rank, or anything near top rank, to thecriterion 'The curriculum content has enough intellectual depth, scholarlycurrency and wide practical applicability to justify its being offered at apostgraduate level'. That group ranked eight other criteria ahead of this one. Itattached most importance to the principle 'Graduates from the course have ahigh employment rate and high workplace approval', and next in importance wasthe principle 'Relevant industry/professional activities are integrated into thecourse'. Both of these criteria were low (10th and 11th place respectively) on theaveraged overall scale of importance shown in Table 1.

Second: for one large group of students enrolled offshore the ready availabilityof clear, detailed and up-to-date course information was the highest-rankedcriterion, whereas on the average of all survey responses it was placed only ninthin importance. It seems likely that anxiety relating to language difficulties maylie behind that group's response pattern.

44..22..22 LLeevveellss ooff SSaatt iiss ffaacctt iioonn

Analysis of responses to the second survey question, 'How well does your coursesatisfy each criterion on the full list?' reveals some variation from one course toanother, as might be expected. However, no details about any particular coursewill be disclosed here; they have been made available only to those withadministrative responsibility for the course.

Across all responses the patterns of relative satisfaction or dissatisfaction are ofconsiderable interest (Table 9). Here the higher mean figures indicate higherlevels of satisfaction. It is pleasing to see that respondents (predominantlystudents) generally indicate that they are most satisfied with regard to the criteriathey rank as having highest importance, such as appropriateness of curriculumcontent and engagement of adult learners.

The main apparent exception to this close correspondence is on criterion 15,which refers to employment outcomes (ranked high in importance, but relativelylow in satisfaction). However, care should be taken in interpreting the rankorder summarised in this table, as the placement of the 'not sure' category at themid-point of the sequence of five boxes results in a low mean figure for thosecriteria about which large numbers of students felt unable to make an informedjudgement. If one excludes from consideration several items at the bottom ofthis table, where about half the responses had marked the 'not sure' box, itbecomes clear that two of the remaining items do give cause for concern. Bothconcern feedback - the channel of evaluation and communication betweenstudents and staff. As many as 21% of respondents said that their course only'partly' met, or did not meet at all, the requirement of providing feedback tostudents frequently, informatively and constructively on their progress (criterion10), while 18% made the same dissatisfied judgment on whether feedback wasbeing obtained systematically from students about their perceptions of thequality of the course and the teaching (criterion 11).

Affecting the figures just mentioned is the fact that nearly half the responses inthe total sample are from Education. Tables 10-12 reveal certain differences

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patteernss oof rreelativveessatissfaction oor

dissssatissfaction aaree oofconssideerablee

inteereesst”

between the three fields of study with regard to satisfaction levels. On the two'feedback' criteria, it is plainly evident that respondents from Education aremarkedly less satisfied than those from Health or Business. (To what extent thismay reflect higher expectations in that professional field rather than an objectivereality of lower standards is impossible to say on the basis of these figuresalone.)


TTAABBLLEE 99::LLeevveellss ooff ssaatt iiss ffaacctt iioonn wwiitthh ccoouurrsseess - aall ll rreessppoonnddeennttss

TTAABBLLEE 1100::LLeevveellss ooff ssaatt iiss ffaacctt iioonn wwiitthh ccoouurrsseess - BBuussiinneessss rreessppoonnddeennttss


TTAABBLLEE 1111::LLeevveellss ooff ssaatt iiss ffaacctt iioonn wwiitthh ccoouurrsseess - EEdduuccaatt iioonn rreessppoonnddeennttss

TTAABBLLEE 1122::LLeevveellss ooff ssaatt iiss ffaacctt iioonn wwiitthh ccoouurrsseess - HHeeaall tthh rreessppoonnddeennttss

44..22..33 TThhee RReessppeecctt iivvee VViieewwss ooff SSttaaff ff aanndd SSttuuddeennttss

Although there were too few notable differences of perception between staff andstudents to make it worthwhile to display comparatively the results for everysurvey item, Tables 13 and 14 show those that stood out most from the 'A'column and the 'B' column respectively.

With regard to the ranking of criteria, the significant difference of viewconcerned the importance of employment outcomes and workplace approval(criterion 15A). Only two staff respondents (6%) put this in first or second orthird place on their list, compared with 135 of the students (53%). This findingsuggests that there may be a tendency for staff to underestimate how stronglymany postgraduate students feel about the vocational utility of their coursework.

With regard to the course satisfaction ratings, the largest discrepancy betweenthe two groups concerned the obtaining of feedback from students (criterion11B): whereas 49% of staff respondents thought their course satisfied thiscriterion 'very well', only 22% of students themselves agreed with that rating.Again there seems to be a clear message here for those who teach or administerthe courses.


“Thee ssignificantdiffeereencee oof vvieeww

conceerneed ttheeimportancee oof

eemploymeentoutcomeess aand

wworkplacee aapprovval”

TTAABBLLEE 1133::SSttaaff ff aanndd ssttuuddeenntt ppeerrcceepptt iioonnss:: iimmppoorrttaannccee rraannkkiinngg ffoorr ccrr ii tteerr iioonn 1155AA:: GGrraadduuaatteess hhaavvee hhiigghheemmppllooyymmeenntt aanndd wwoorrkkppllaaccee aapppprroovvaall

TTAABBLLEE 1144::SSttaaff ff aanndd ssttuuddeenntt ppeerrcceepptt iioonnss:: ssaatt iiss ffaacctt iioonn rraatt iinngg ffoorr ccrr ii tteerr iioonn 1111BB:: FFeeeeddbbaacckk oobbttaaiinneeddssyysstteemmaatt iiccaall llyy ff rroomm ssttuuddeennttss

76

4.3 SSignif icance oof tthe ssurvey rresul ts

What do all these results add to an understanding of best practice in professionalpostgraduate coursework? Do they uncover anything new, or does the analysis ofsurvey responses just confirm what was known previously?

It should be emphasised, first, that there is substantial value in the confirmationand refinement of previous observations. Our study has brought the combinedexperiences of 656 people to bear on a set of fundamental questions about thequality of advanced-level teaching and learning in Australian universities. Ineliciting their opinions within a framework that was itself developedconsultatively, the study has produced patterns that can be set alongside thoseindicated by other researchers. The extent of broad agreement is heartening, andmay reasonably be taken as validating certain principles of best practice.

The three top-rated criteria, which refer to appropriate content level, appropriateattitude to student experience, and appropriate assessment procedures,correspond fairly well to those that had come to light independently. The factthat such a high proportion of respondents attached such high importance to thisparticular set of principles reinforces the views expressed by students throughother surveys cited in Chapter 2. Reporting on feedback from a sample of 151Curtin postgraduate coursework students, Rashford and Dowsett (2001) foundthat 95% of them saw 'stimulating and engaging unit content' as either veryimportant or essential, and 89% thought 'assessment that accurately reflects unitstructure' was either very important or essential. Chang (2001), in her study ofquality issues relevant to the University of Melbourne Postgraduate Association,observed that coursework students 'expect postgraduate learning to be morechallenging and intellectually engaging than their undergraduate experience -truly postgraduate', that they 'also express surprise and disappointment whencurriculum is not designed to value their adult experiences, expertise or pastlearning', and that 'the key to successful assessment of adult learners is to buildin flexibility'.

Beyond this consensus regarding general priorities, the following further pointsof interest are worth attention:

Variations from one field to another, shown in Tables 6-8 and 10-12,may not be surprising but they have not been measured before. Theyprovide a useful reminder that 'postgraduate coursework' is by nomeans homogeneous, even across fields of study that share a broadlyprofessional orientation.

Similarly the fact that staff perceived certain things differently fromstudents (Tables 13-14) is now a matter of record rather than of meresuspicion, and while inferences should be cautiously drawn there is atleast an evidential basis for them.

However, the tabulation of survey results is only part of the picture that thisstudy enables us to draw. In the next chapter we supplement these statisticalpatterns with additional insights from the interviews with those responsible forteaching or administering the 24 participating programs, and from writtencomments provided by some respondents.

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“Our sstudy hhassbrought tthee

combineedeexpeerieenceess oof 6656

peeoplee tto bbeear oon aasseet oof ffundameental

queesstionss aabout ttheequality oof aadvvanceed-

leevveel tteeaching aandleearning iinAusstralian

univveerssitieess.”

77

Chapter 5: Issues Arising from Interviewsand Written Comments

5.1 AAddit ional CCriter ia

Interviews, correspondence generated in the course of the project, and commentswritten on some of the survey response sheets have all elicited an interestingrange of issues that relate to course quality, not only in its positive aspects butalso in relation to challenges, impediments, pressure points or compromisingfactors. This final chapter assembles many of the valuable comments made bystaff and student participants in the project, and draws from them a number ofpractical implications that shed further light on the topic of best practice.

The survey form asked respondents whether there was any further criterion theywished to add to the list provided. Fewer than 10% took this opportunity tomake an additional point. What they had to say was in some instances anamplification or reformulation of something already on the list; in otherinstances they did bring forward genuinely new considerations; and there werealso points that had particular relevance to one kind of course or enrolment.The three following subsections deal with each of those in turn.

55..11..11 EExxtteennssiioonnss ooff PPrriinncciipplleess AAllrreeaaddyy LLiisstteedd

It is not easy to hold in one's mind simultaneously all 17 of the best practicecriteria listed on the survey form, especially as some of them are formulated inquite complex terms. Consequently it is unsurprising that some of the'additional' criteria supplied by respondents are actually restating points on thatlist or extending them in particular ways.

For instance the principle that feedback to students on their assignments shouldbe 'detailed, clear (legible), and specific' is partly implicit in criterion 10, andthat it should 'bear a close relation to the task set' is partly implicit in criterion 8.Similarly one might well see criterion 10 as covering the principle that 'Turn-around time for assignments is prompt' and criterion 9 as anticipating that'Tutors are supportive of student needs, particularly in an external studiescontext'. One respondent, with an eye on criterion 11, reasonably insisted thatfeedback should be 'not only obtained from students but also acted upon'.Someone else suggested that 'Students enjoy the course' and 'Students developimagination and sound judgment' would be appropriate measures of bestpractice, though criterion 14 seems logically prerequisite because it refers to thegathering of information about learning outcomes. 'Expectations are outlined atthe beginning of each new unit' is also a fair principle, but one that simplyextends criterion 1. In some cases it seems that a respondent simply wanted toreinforce something on the list; one person, having given top ranking to criterion9 ('Assistance is readily available for special needs'), proposed 'Study skillsupport' as a particular example.

55..11..22 NNeeww CCoonnssiiddeerraatt iioonnss

Of the various points that did introduce some new consideration about bestpractice, the following recurred most saliently. All seem entirely reasonable,though some may have particular application to certain kinds of course.

There is consistency of standards between units and teachers.Versions of this point included: 'The quality of teaching is

Issues arising from interview

s & w

ritten comm

ents


“ssomee cconssideerationssreecurreed ssalieently”

78

consistent', 'Coordination of content across units is consistent', 'Thereis no discrepancy in marking standards between tutors', and 'Markingof assignments is standardised among tutors'.

Teachers have excellent credentials. This was variously expressed as'Those responsible for content and evaluation possess currentknowledge', 'Lecturers have the experience, expertise and ability todeliver the course content in an effective manner making use of adultlearning principles', 'The quality of staff is seen in the way theyimpart the course to students', and 'The status and expert knowledgeof course designers is well known'.

Teachers are personally supportive. This emerged as 'Staff attitudesare student-friendly and helpful', 'Lecturers are resourceful andencouraging', 'Lecturers show flexibility and understanding', 'Teachingstaff are approachable', 'Key staff are accessible when students faceproblems', and 'Tutors respond promptly to inquiries'.

The needs of students with different cultural backgrounds are met. Asone person put it: 'The curriculum and teaching/learning approachesare culturally inclusive, explicitly value diversity, and are equallyhospitable to diverse Australian and international studentpopulations'; and in the words of another respondent: 'The course isadaptable to diverse cultural settings and suitable for a variety ofoverseas markets'.

The course gives value for money. In other words, 'The course isreasonably priced, so that all students can afford it'.

Assessment is fair and transparent. Versions of this principle included'Assessment items accurately reflect individual effort/performance'(this student also expressed concern about inequitable aspects ofgroup-based assignment work), 'Test results are discussed so thatstudents can learn from their mistakes', and 'Examination quality ishigh'.

Information is provided about post-course employment. Thisextension of criterion 15 was echoed in comments about theavailability of 'career counselling' and 'work placement'.

Networking in the field is promoted. One formulation of thisprinciple was 'The course networks the student both with academicsand with practising professionals'.

Adding those criteria to the 17 already listed on the survey form, we have a totalof 25 important general principles of best practice! That is still not an absolutelydefinitive list, but even so the sheer number and variety is a salutary reminderthat the concept of excellent quality in education is multi-faceted and composite.'Best practice' cannot be encapsulated in a simple formula or slogan; it dependson a delicate balance between many different things. And indeed it may varysomewhat according to the particular learning needs of specific groups ofstudents.


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Some of the additional criteria proposed by respondents, while no doubtimportant to a specific group, were not applicable to postgraduate coursework ingeneral. For instance several students in the Health field wanted to includeexplicit reference to clinical matters: 'Quality clinical placements are arrangedfor all students', or 'Clinical placements contribute to assessment, or 'Courseassists students to gain clinical skills'.

Similarly, a number of students whose enrolment was external attachedconsiderable importance, naturally enough, to matters pertaining to the off-campus mode of study. They wanted to include such criteria as: 'Courseschedule is flexible, allowing different commencement dates and interchangeablesemesters for distance students', or 'Distance students can interact with otherstudents', or 'Communication with isolated students on administrative matters isefficient'.

5 .2 SStaff WWorkload

Of all the matters raised during interviews, perhaps the most heart-felt concernwas voiced by those for whom the double role of being both teacher and courseadministrator causes conflict with their commitment to principles of bestpractice.

I'm completely overwhelmed with marking and finalising end-of-yearmatters for the five Masters courses I co-ordinate … Isn't it ironic,and somewhat typical of our current situation, that the demands ofactually keeping coursework masters programs on the road make itcompletely impossible to stand aside and think about them!

The sense of acute pressure behind that disconsolate remark arose several timesduring the interviews. It may also help to explain why a large number of peopledid not respond to the invitation to participate in the first place. There seems nodoubt that certain changes in academic work practices have created severedifficulties of time management for many conscientious academics who areshouldering a range of postgraduate coursework responsibilities. In particular,increased levels of casualised employment in the university sector can make it astruggle to achieve and maintain high quality in the teaching and administrationof courses, as most full-time staff members need to carry correspondingly heavieradministrative loads.

Those troublesome changes in work practices can aggravate what is often analready arduous undertaking. Postgraduate coursework programs tend to beintrinsically labour-intensive, for four main reasons.

First, the students usually come from very diverse backgrounds -especially so in most off-campus programs - and some of them are (toquote one conscientious but weary teacher) 'extremely high-maintenance'.

Second, some professional programs necessarily involve a substantialamount of individually tailored content, for instance in relation to thelocal requirements of different workplace projects.

Third, those who teach postgraduate students often have significantstaff development needs, especially in relation to new technologies,research project supervision, and linkage with the relevantprofessional sector.

Fourth, professional postgraduate courses are by their nature moreliable to come under pressure from external stakeholders and students


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to change and update aspects of the curriculum than is the case withmore broadly framed undergraduate courses.

The pressure that these difficult workload factors necessarily create for teachersand course coordinators has various practical consequences. The consequencesmay include administrative inefficiencies, such as slower than intended turn-around time for assignments; they may also include program restrictions, suchas a narrowed range of offerings. That second example came up several timesduring interviews: the viability of elective units in postgraduate courses hasbecome increasingly problematic in some universities. Yet solutions cansometimes be found. Some exemplary inter-institutional arrangements have beenundertaken to preserve choice for students in professional programs, and indeedcollaborative enterprises of that kind could well be regarded as a feature of bestpractice. Schools and departments may need to work with their counterparts inother places to reduce the dependence of some postgraduate courses on anunsustainable number of specialist staff.

In this climate of workplace stress, attempting to establish a teaching/researchnexus is especially challenging, as other Australian studies have recognised(Zubrick et al. 2001). Yet it is not only teachers who want postgraduate coursesto be strongly linked with research. Students, too, generally expect this. Itshould be remembered that the top-ranked criterion refers to the need for acourse to be informed by 'scholarly currency', and the point was reinforced invarious ways: for instance, in answer to the questionnaire prompt 'Is there anyfurther criterion you would like to add?', one student wrote 'Curriculum contentshould incorporate the latest research findings and constantly be updated withthe most recent information for best practice'.

5 .3 BBenefi ts oof tthe PProject

Some incidental benefits are already discernible as a consequence of the project.

Development of the survey instrument

Not only do the survey findings send several clear messages(summarised below) to those who teach or administer postgraduatecourses, but the criteria-based survey instrument itself has met with apositive reaction.

Several teachers and administrative staff have said that they intend toincorporate it into their own regular internal review purposes.

Some see it as specifically useful in helping their school/faculty gatherinformation for AUQA audit processes and other such purposes.

There is broad agreement that its emphasis on identifying principlesand priorities for best practice gives it a distinctive value and makes itcomplementary to the usual kinds of student evaluation.

The fact that it has been developed consultatively, with input fromteachers and administrators in several fields in many universities, isrecognised as giving it a certain status and credibility, despite anytechnical imperfections.

Emergence of a consensus about principles

There is a fairly high level of agreement across different institutions,courses and fields of study about what constitutes best practice inpostgraduate coursework.

More than 71% of all respondents included the following three itemsin their list of the eight most important principles: appropriateness ofthe curriculum content (intellectual depth, scholarly currency,


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practical applicability) for study at the postgraduate level;engagement of the students as adult learners whose experience isvalued; and use of assessment procedures that are aligned with courseobjectives and flexible enough to balance theory with practice.

On the other hand there is a significant difference of view concerningemployment outcomes and workplace approval, which appear to bemore important to students than to staff.

Evidence of high levels of overall satisfaction

Students generally indicate that their satisfaction with their owncourses is highest in terms of the criteria they rank as having highestimportance, such as appropriateness of curriculum content andengagement of adult learners.

On the other hand there was a discrepancy of views about thegathering of feedback from students: whereas one in every two staffrespondents thought their course satisfied this criterion 'very well',only one in five students agreed with that rating.

Identification of some weaknesses in program quality

Responses to two survey items, both of which relate to the channel ofevaluation and communication between students and staff, reveal ageneral need for improvement in this respect.

The staff workload problems discussed above can make it difficult toachieve and sustain levels of excellence.

Except in a few areas (e.g. MBA), systematic benchmarking is rare.The usual defence-that course X is unlike anything else because it hasbeen shaped for a particular niche market - is not always entirelypersuasive.

A few programs appear to have elastic arrangements foraccommodating NESB students who do not meet normal IELTSadmission standards.

Development of the CD-ROM as a teaching resource

The CD-ROM version of this project report is designed to be ofpractical help to teachers.

It presents the main findings from survey data and interview notes ina convenient format, and also includes video footage of discussionswith postgraduate students and teachers about some of the issuesraised.


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5.4 SSummary OObservat ions aand PPract ical IImplicat ions

In the complex world of postgraduate coursework, high quality takes manyforms. There is no single 'gold standard' by which teaching and learning can besimply measured. The demands of different disciplinary fields, differentprofessional contexts, and different study modes - to mention only the mostobvious variables - produce an array of courses that exhibit remarkable diversityin their pursuit of excellence.

One can observe this diversity without lapsing into unprincipled relativism. Thepresent investigation has shown that there is substantial agreement between staffand students across different institutions, courses and fields of study about theprinciples of best practice in postgraduate coursework. Of the 17 criteria thatemerged from the literature review and consultative process, and were thenincorporated into the survey instrument, all but two were chosen by at least one-third of all respondents for inclusion in their ranked list of the eight mostimportant criteria. (Support even for the remaining two was far from negligible.)This indicates clearly that the listed items did resonate strongly for staff andstudents. If we add the eight supplementary criteria cited in section 5.1.2 above,representing additional considerations noted recurrently by respondents, theresult is a total set of 25 principles of best practice.

These can be arranged as follows. (The sequence and sorting are arbitrary; it isobvious that some principles relate to more than one aspect of best practice.)

Best practice in course administration

Prospective students can easily obtain clear, detailed and up-to-dateinformation about the course.

Entry standards and procedures appropriately combine rigour, equityand flexibility.

The course is regularly benchmarked against comparable courseselsewhere, to validate claims made about its quality, distinctiveness,and/or innovative features.

Information about learning outcomes is routinely obtained, comparedwith graduate attribute profiles and requisite professional competencystandards, and used to improve course quality.

Best practice in curriculum development

The structure of the course matches its objectives.

The curriculum content has enough intellectual depth, scholarlycurrency and wide practical applicability to justify its being offered ata postgraduate level.

The course strikes a suitable balance between vocational training andgeneralist education (e.g. by developing high order cognitive skills).

Relevant industry/ professional activities are integrated into thecourse.

Best practice in pedagogy

The teaching/learning interaction engages the students as adultlearners whose experience is valued (e.g. by including activities thatgive them scope to contribute their own knowledge).

The mode of delivery utilises technology in a way that ensuressuitable access and flexible study options for the target group.

Feedback to students on their progress is provided frequently,informatively and constructively.


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Feedback is obtained systematically from students about theirperceptions of the quality of the course, including how well it istaught.

Best practice in assessment

There is consistency of standards between units and teachers.

Assessment is fair and transparent.

Assessment requirements are aligned with course objectives, andflexible enough to link theory with professional practice.

Best practice in student support

Teachers are personally supportive.

The needs of students with different cultural backgrounds are met.

Assistance is readily available for special needs, e.g. linguistic supportfor NESB students.

There are adequate resources (e.g. library, IT, clinical) to support thecourse.

Best practice in dealing with the professional context

Networking in the field is promoted.

Information is provided about post-course employment.

The course is responsive to input and evaluation from the relevantprofessional/industry bodies.

Graduates from the course have a high employment rate and highworkplace approval.

Best practice in providing value

Teachers have excellent academic and professional credentials.

The course as a whole is affordably priced and gives value for money.

Set out in this manner, the 25 principles can readily be used as a practicalchecklist by individuals or groups responsible for developing, teaching, reviewingand benchmarking postgraduate courses, especially courses with a professionalfocus. Though each item on the list may seem unremarkable when statedabstractly, all acquire more colour and nuance in the light of the descriptiveprofiles of specific programs (chapter 3) and the excerpts from videotapedstudent interviews (CD-ROM links).

In short, the project team believes that the level of detail and substantiationprovided in this report puts flesh on the bones of points made in previous studies(discussed in chapter 2). The report can therefore contribute significantly to thetask of subjecting postgraduate coursework quality issues to the same kind ofserious and systematic attention that has traditionally been accorded topostgraduate research.


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Bibliography

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Chang, R. 2001, Postgraduate Coursework Fee-Paying and Quality Control atthe University of Melbourne: PELS and Quality, Melbourne PostgraduateAssociation, Melbourne.

Coulthard, D. 2000, Identifying the Changing Needs of Australian CourseworkPostgraduate Students, DETYA [EIP 99/9], Canberra.http://www.dest.gov.au/archive/highered/eippubs/eip99-9/

Garrick, J. & Rhodes, C. (eds) 2000, Research and Knowledge at Work:Perspectives, Case-Studies and Innovative Strategies, Routledge, London.

Green, B., Maxwell, T.W. & Shanahan, P. (eds) 2001, Doctoral Education andProfessional Practice: The Next Generation?, Kardoorair Press, Armidale.

Higher Education Council 1989, Australian Graduate Studies and HigherDegrees: Initial Report, NBEET, Canberra.

Higher Education Council 1990, Higher Education Courses and GraduateStudies, NBEET, Canberra.

Holdaway, E. 1996, 'Current Issues in Graduate Education', Journal of HigherEducation Policy and Management, 18.1, pp. 59-74.

James, R. & Beattie, K. 1996, Expanding Options: Delivery Technologies andPostgraduate Coursework, DETYA [EIP 96/2], Canberra.

Lee, A. & Green, B. 1998, Postgraduate Studies/Postgraduate Pedagogy, Centrefor Language & Literacy [UTS], Sydney.

Lee, A., Green, B. & Brennan, M. 2000, 'Organisational Knowledge, ProfessionalPractice and the Professional Doctorate at Work', in Garrick and Rhodes, pp.117-36.

McInnis, C., James, R. & Morris, A. 1995, The Masters Degree by Coursework:Growth, Diversity and Quality Assurance, DETYA [EIP 95/6], Canberra.

McWilliam, E., Taylor, P.G, Thomson, P., Green, B., Maxwell, T., Wildy, H. &Simons, D. 2002, Research Training in Doctoral Programs: What can be learnedfrom professional doctorates?, DEST [EIP 02/8], Canberra.

Market Equity 2002, Evaluating Postgraduate Student Perceptions of CBS(Curtin Business School), Perth.

Maxwell, T. & Shanahan, P. (eds) 1998, Professional Doctorates: Innovations inTeaching and Research [Proceedings of a conference held at Coffs Harbour],University of New England, Armidale.

NBEET 1996, Professional Education and Credentialism, AGPS, Canberra.

NBEET 1997, The Effects of the Introduction of Fee-Paying PostgraduateCourses on Access for Designated Groups, AGPS, Canberra.

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NBEET 2000, Access to Postgraduate Courses: Opportunities and Obstacles,AGPS, Canberra.

Rashford, A., & Dowsett, L. 2001, CUPSA Coursework Survey 2000, CurtinUniversity Postgraduate Students' Association, Perth.http://www.curtin.edu.au/cupsa/noticeboard.html#SURVEY

Smith, B. & Frankland, M 2000, 'Marketisation and the New Quality Agenda:Postgraduate Coursework at the Crossroads', Australian Universities' Review,43.2, pp. 7-16.

Trigwell, K., Shannon, T. & Maurizi, R. 1997, Research-coursework DoctoralPrograms in Australian Universities, DETYA [EIP 97/7], Canberra.http://www.dest.gov.au/archive/highered/eippubs/eip9707/front.htm

Zuber-Skerritt, O. & Ryan, Y. 1994, Quality in Postgraduate Education, KoganPage, London.

Zubrick, A., Reid, I. & Rossiter, P. 2001, Strengthening the Nexus betweenTeaching and Research, DETYA [EIP 01/2], Canberra.http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/eippubs/eip01_2/default.htm

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Appendix

The criteria-based survey instrument reproduced on the following pages wasconstructed through a consultative process described in Chapter 1 andadministered in order to produce the responses analysed in Chapter 4. With theconcurrence of course administrators, it was prefaced by this statement whendistributed to students:

An eexplanatory nnotee oon tthee aaccompanying ssurvveey iinsstrumeent

Your assistance is being sought with an investigation of best practice inpostgraduate coursework across the fields of Education, Health Sciences, andBusiness/Management. This project is funded by the Australian UniversitiesTeaching Committee. Letters describing its scope and rationale have gone to allAustralian Vice-Chancellors and to Deans (or other senior officers) in the threefields indicated.

It is not a quality audit. It is collegial in spirit, not inspectorial. Its main aim isjust to gather information and opinions on how principles of best practice areinterpreted in different contexts, and what issues the staff, students and otherinterested parties identify as especially important in that regard.

The list of best practice criteria incorporated into the survey instrument wasdeveloped consultatively with input from many stakeholders. Suggestions werealso received from various sources about programs worth special attention.

As Project Officer I have visited several universities in recent weeks to interviewsome of those involved in teaching certain courses, and also some studentrepresentatives.

As you will appreciate, there is no intention of letting the project become apromotional vehicle for particular courses. The report that we produce will notbe holding up A, B or C from universities X, Y and Z for star rating. Newprograms can appear suddenly, the quality of existing programs can change justas suddenly, and today's leader is not always tomorrow's.

However, general principles of best practice need to be considered in relation tospecific exemplary cases, and your program is one of those being considered inthis context.

Therefore, with the agreement of those responsible for the administration andteaching of this program, I am asking you to take a few minutes to complete theaccompanying form and return it promptly to your course coordinator foronward transmission to me. Your opinion about the relative importance ofdifferent criteria and the extent to which your course meets them will bevaluable.

Yours sincerely,Emeritus Professor Ian ReidProject Officer

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