Australian academics’ perspectives on quality and accountability

Abstract

Universities have been challenged as teaching as well as research institutions. On the one hand, universities have been required to teach more students and pay more attention to quality of teaching and educational programmes; on the other hand, there has been increasing focus on faculty research performance. This paper examines whether these are conflicting demands, or whether university faculty are able to fulfil these requirements simultaneously. In Norway, the number of university students almost doubled between 1987 and 1995. Norway is, therefore, a sound case to examine the impact of massification on university research.     

The Australian higher education quality assurance framework

The Australian government initiated a review of higher education in 2008. One of the outcomes of the review was the formation of a national regulator, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), with responsibilities to: register all higher education providers, accredit the courses of the non self-accrediting providers, assure quality against externally set standards and reduce risk by monitoring institutional performance on various measures. One of the key changes in Australian higher education quality assurance is the shift from a ‘fitness-for-purpose’ approach to quality assurance to a compliance-driven approach using an externally developed set of standards monitored by the national regulator, which has legislated powers to place sanctions on universities and other providers for non-compliance. This article outlines the new framework introduced by the government and analyses its limitations in assuring and improving quality in core and support areas. It cautions universities against being dominated by TEQSA's compliance agenda. Rather, it encourages the development and maintenance of shared governance principles and strong internal quality improvement processes along with the establishment of an outcomes focus, which will stand the test of external compliance auditing while allowing the institution to pursue its own educational objectives. The article is based on the authors’ experience and reflection on external, improvement-led quality audits in Australia over the past decade compared with the present compliance-oriented audits now required for institutional registration and ongoing accreditation.     

Academic failure of first-year engineering and technological students in India and assessment of motivation factors – a case study

This study has been conducted to show that there is a recent trend in engineering colleges in India that students who are considered to be highly intelligent show poor academic performance during their 1st year. This article is proposed to examine the role of motivation factors such as teaching methods and learning material in the academic performance of engineering and technological students in India. A test was carried out among engineering students. A total of 200 male and female students participated in this test. A 2-group discriminator analysis was done to analyse the data. The results showed that there was a significant correlation (p = 0.000) between motivation factors and academic performance of engineering students. The higher the rating of these factors by the students, the higher their performance.     

Scaling-up Sustainable Land Management Practices through the Concept of the Rural Resource Centre: Reconciling Farmers' Interests with Research Agendas

Abstract

Purpose: Formal agricultural research has generated vast amount of knowledge and fundamental insights on land management, but their low adoption has been attributed to the use of public extension approach. This research aims to address whether and how full participation of farmers through the concept of Rural Resource Centre (RRC) provides new insights for the development of alternative and farmers-based extension methods.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Using the Concept of RRC, this research assesses the role of farmers in on-farm demonstrations and scaling-up of land management practices, and investigates effective ways to enhance beneficial interactions between researchers, extension workers and farmers in view of improving adoption.

Findings: The findings suggest that farmers can effectively participate in demonstrations and scaling-up of agricultural practices. This participation is enhanced by judicious incentives such as higher crop yields that motivate farmers and influence adoption. The current success of the approach stems from the fact that farmers, extension workers and researchers jointly implement the activities and their different aims were achieved simultaneously: scientific results for researchers, better agricultural practices for extension workers, and economic success and free choice for farmers.

Practical implications: This research concludes that farmers have the capacities to play an innermost role in demonstrations and scaling-up of agricultural practices. However, there is a need to build and strengthen their capacities to facilitate their participation and contribution.

Originality/Value: The article demonstrates the value of the preponderant role of farmers in on-farm demonstrations and scaling-up practices by exhibiting the beneficial interactions between researchers, extension workers and farmers.     

高校经管类专业第二课堂教学体系研究

高校经济管理类专业涵盖了工、管、文、经、法等学科,学科交叉明显,专业结构复杂。通过分析经管类专业开展第二课堂教学中存在问题,结合经管类专业的专业及学生特色,提出经管类专业学生第二课堂教学体系的建设方案,为全面提高经管类专业学生的综合素质提供了有力的保障。     

指导本科生参与科研活动的体会与思考

文章结合长期从事基础课程教学和指导本科生参与科研活动并取得优异成果的实例,论述了本科生科研的必要性,提出了指导本科生从事科研活动的4个方面,概括了需要注意的问题,并给广大本科生提出了"十字箴言",以帮助本科生尽快形成正确的科研意识,更好地从事科研活动。     

试谈网络生活中的道德和礼仪

网络生活是一种特殊的社会生活,要求网民要有道德操守、要有文明礼仪。能正确使用网络工具,健康进行网络交往,网络交往讲礼仪,养成网络自律精神。     

通识教育视野下当代大学生道德教育的创新维度

大学生道德教育在社会道德建设中具有至关重要的地位,但目前我国高校道德教育中还存在一些误区,急需理论工作者的关注并寻求出路。从通识教育的视角可以反思出当前我国大学生道德教育的困境:道德教育与知识教育相分离、道德教育与社会现实相分离、规范教化与德性培育相分离、灌输教育与学生主体性相分离,在此基础上,可以认清通识教育视阈下大学生道德教育创新的方法、内容、形式等多重维度。     

新建本科院校课堂教学质量评价模型探析

课堂教学是影响教学质量的最主要因素,科学合理的评价一堂课的优劣是一项非常复杂的工作,我们旨在给出较为合理的课堂教学评价指标和课堂评价数学模型,开展教学的良性竞争,有效地提高教学质量,关注教师专业成长,不断提升办学内涵.     

高校课堂教学质量结构方程模型构建与应用——教师评价的视角

将结构方程模型方法用于高校课堂教学质量研究,可以借助观测模型和结构模型来探索潜变量及其相互间的因果关系。基于教师评价视角,对某高等学校课堂教学质量进行调查,对构成课堂教学质量及其因果变量的相互关系进行分析和模型的路径设计,构建了高校课堂教学质量模型,并借助LISREL8.7软件进行了分析,证实模型有较好的拟合度。