Intersectoral Articulation and Quality Assessment in Australian Higher Education

Findings of recent Australian research demonstrate that student articulation into Technical and Further Education (TAFE) from previous higher education backgrounds (both as graduates and non‐graduates) is more common than assumed, and at levels considerably higher than better known and widely promoted technical to higher education articulation. An exploration is made into the nature and levels of this bi‐directional student movement, as well as of ways of assessing and measuring the movement. Implications and explanations are proposed of this phenomenon of reciprocity of articulation between technical and higher education. An illustration is provided of ways in which post‐secondary students are using less standard and less well‐identified articulation pathways, in larger numbers, without encouragement, advice or assistance, and in the relative absence of formal credit transfer arrangements. It is argued that a number of assumptions inherent in current statistical measures of articulation and credit transfer need to be redefined to take better account of the way in which students are actually accessing and using intersectoral pathways, and of the motivational factors associated with student choice to return to, or continue to study. New models are proposed which better explain the phenomenon of higher to technical education articulation, both for higher education graduates and discontinuing students. It is suggested that retraining, retrenchment, academic and vocational credentialism and elevated levels of graduate unemployment are impacting significantly on choices to return to study in higher and technical education across a range of institutional types, course types and discipline areas for different student cohorts. A case is presented for the provision of better information to graduates as well as to discontinuing students on what has been studied and assessed, whether a course has been completed or not. A case is also presented for better policies and mechanisms which allow for credit transfer on subsequent, often much later, return to study.