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James Williams, Project Manager, Swinburne University delivered this presentation at the inaugural Student Experience conference in 2013. A quality student experience is a critical component when examining the attributes a university offers a prospective student. It is equally as important sector wide, in producing highly educated, well rounded and qualified individuals that make up the future of the national workforce. As a result, it is crucial for universities to assess not only ways they can improve their institution’s student experience but ways they can differentiation themselves in an increasingly competitive marketplace. Factors that holistically impact student experience include the interconnections between student services, methods of course delivery and the use of technology along with all that this entails. The Inaugural Student Experience Conference will endeavour to address these complex and challenging issues within the context of the evolving Higher Education sector. For more information about the event, please visit the conference website http://www.informa.com.au/studentexperienceconference
Citation preview
Valuing Student Voices When
Exploring, Creating and Planning
for the Future of Australian Higher
Education Swinburne University of Technology &
University of Technology, Sydney
James Williams, Swinburne University of Technology
The project team
Swinburne University of Technology
• Dr Simone Buzwell, PVC Professor Gilly Salmon, PVC Professor Glen Bates, Professor Janet Gregory,
James Williams, Sean Tinker
University of Technology, Sydney
• Associate Professor Jo McKenzie,
DVC Professor Shirley Alexander, Dr Ali Crosby
Support for this project has been provided by the Australian Government Office for
Learning and Teaching. The views expressed in this document do not necessarily reflect the view of the Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching.
Summary of
project aims
• This project seeks to addresses the fundamental questions of:
• How can learners help Higher Education [HE] to consider preferred and viable options for HE learning in the future?
• What are the preferred learning and teaching futures of our current students?
• How can universities best create learner-centred learning and teaching approaches?
Higher Education is in a
state of change due to:
• Digital and web technologies
• Changes in the student demographic
(e.g., Bradley review)
• Other reasons
(e.g., restructuring of universities)
The Future of
Australian Higher Education
“Just as it is important to realise the future
cannot be „predicted‟, so also it is important to
understand that Alternative Futures can and
should be forecasted, and the consequences
of the alternatives considered before
Preferred Futures are envisioned and created.” Dator 2004
How to respond?
• Consult a primary stakeholder: THE STUDENTS!
Why?
• To encourage greater cooperation between staff and students.
• To enable universities to plan.
• To enhance student engagement and reduce attrition.
Methodology
Students require assistance to develop constructive visions of Higher Education in
the future.
Creative Events
• Sculptures and a world café
• Photography
The first event
Results
Results continued
Last One…
Responses to sculptures
What do you love about the sculpture?
• The reflections focussed on the importance of the sculptures incorporating multiple styles and views.
• The sculptures presented a great overview which showed an end to the learning journey.
• A number of students also indicated that they loved that the sculpture was well balanced.
• The most popular response was that what was loved most was that the sculpture was student directed.
Responses to sculptures
If emotions can talk…
• A mix of positive (e.g. hope) and negative (e.g.
frustration) emotions were recorded.
What is wanting to die?
• A mix of personal issues (e.g. fear of failing) and
aspects of university learning (e.g. hierarchical
learning paradigms) were indicated. A greater
proportion of responses focussed on personally
relevant issues.
Responses to sculptures
What is waiting to emerge?
• Most responses focused on the personal (e.g. sense of
achievement; job aspirations). In terms of learning they
focused on choice and having input.
What are the key conflicts Higher Education will face?
• The need to keep engaging students and to keep
university learning relevant.
What is the deeper meaning of learning emerging?
• The need to think critically and in many different ways.
Responses to World Café
• What needs to change... – More practical learning – More group discussions – More discussion board – Virtual group discussions – More real life examples – Lecture discussion – Tutors should know their students – Seminars rather than lectures – Less overly structured assignments – More diversity in the style of teaching
Responses to World Café
• How will this future happen? – Better facilities (e.g., library) ******* – Run more workshops like this ***** – Act on feedback provided in tutorials **** – Research / testing of new methods vs old methods and
integration of these new ideas into course structure **** – Pilot implementation of the recurring ideas in the student
population across all faculties ** – Cyclic progression of idea generation <-> implementation <->
testing across various learning measures/styles ** – Cultural change- break down hierarchy ** – Students should become part of the change ** – There needs to be Accountability **
Next steps
• Further focus events on the desired future
and how to get there [Methodological issue].
• The next event will be in December.
• Further events that have been confirmed
include:
An event with online students
An event with students on probation
First year event during orientation
Conclusion
• Our first event revealed some surprises and confirmed some current understandings.
• The event verified the importance of gaining the students’ perspective of the future of learning and teaching.
• We are excited to discover if the views of different student cohorts paints a different picture of their perspective of the future of Australian Higher Education or if all students speak with one voice.
Further Information
and
Updates
Please email Simone Buzwell
if you wish to be kept informed of the
project outcomes and techniques