6E -
Tracks
Track 5
| Thursday, July 11, 2024 |
| 9:00 AM - 10:25 AM |
| Room E3 |
Speaker
Dr Elizabeth Goode
Southern Cross University
9:00am - 9:25am Enabling modes of delivery: a cross-institutional study of traditional mode of delivery verses an immersive mode of study
9:00 AM - 9:25 AMFinal abstract
Focus
Research outcomes.
Background
The tertiary sector has been exploring alternative delivery models driven by the needs of enabling and undergraduate students who are grappling with contemporary challenges (Goode et al., 2024). This aligns with the Australian Universities Accord, which emphasises the importance of increasing the participation of underrepresented students in higher education (O’Kane et al., 2024). In this context, studies suggest that shorter, more immersive block models can enhance outcomes for non–traditional students (Goode et al., 2024; Roche et al., 2023).
Description
This project is the first cross-institutional study of immersive block delivery within Australian enabling education. The research investigates the differences in student outcomes between 6-week and 13-week delivery models at Southern Cross University (SCU) and the University of Sunshine Coast (UniSC). Insights about effective pedagogies to enhance student success in shorter models are also offered.
Method(s)
Inferential statistical tests were conducted to test for significant differences between student success in 6-week and 13-week models across 5 years at SCU and 3 years at UniSC. Academics also engaged in collaborative autoethnography (Hobbs & Whitsett, 2023) to examine the complexities of offering shorter and longer models, and the benefits and challenges of differing pedagogies in these formats.
Evidence
Both universities report increased student success in the shorter models, exceeding traditional semester offerings. Academics’ autoethnographic reflections reveal rich and nuanced insights into the complexities, benefits and challenges of shorter and longer models.
Contribution
This study is the first to offer evidence across two institutions about the efficacy of shorter models for enhancing the success of under-represented students in enabling education. Practitioner reflections identify best practice pedagogy for teaching and learning in shorter models.
Engagement
Attendees will be prompted to discuss the challenges facing under-represented students entering higher education and reflect on the benefits and challenges of focused delivery models.
Research outcomes.
Background
The tertiary sector has been exploring alternative delivery models driven by the needs of enabling and undergraduate students who are grappling with contemporary challenges (Goode et al., 2024). This aligns with the Australian Universities Accord, which emphasises the importance of increasing the participation of underrepresented students in higher education (O’Kane et al., 2024). In this context, studies suggest that shorter, more immersive block models can enhance outcomes for non–traditional students (Goode et al., 2024; Roche et al., 2023).
Description
This project is the first cross-institutional study of immersive block delivery within Australian enabling education. The research investigates the differences in student outcomes between 6-week and 13-week delivery models at Southern Cross University (SCU) and the University of Sunshine Coast (UniSC). Insights about effective pedagogies to enhance student success in shorter models are also offered.
Method(s)
Inferential statistical tests were conducted to test for significant differences between student success in 6-week and 13-week models across 5 years at SCU and 3 years at UniSC. Academics also engaged in collaborative autoethnography (Hobbs & Whitsett, 2023) to examine the complexities of offering shorter and longer models, and the benefits and challenges of differing pedagogies in these formats.
Evidence
Both universities report increased student success in the shorter models, exceeding traditional semester offerings. Academics’ autoethnographic reflections reveal rich and nuanced insights into the complexities, benefits and challenges of shorter and longer models.
Contribution
This study is the first to offer evidence across two institutions about the efficacy of shorter models for enhancing the success of under-represented students in enabling education. Practitioner reflections identify best practice pedagogy for teaching and learning in shorter models.
Engagement
Attendees will be prompted to discuss the challenges facing under-represented students entering higher education and reflect on the benefits and challenges of focused delivery models.
Biography
Dr Elizabeth (Liz) Goode is a Teaching Scholar in the Academic Portfolio Office at Southern Cross University, Australia. She has led academic professional development opportunities for designing curriculum in an immersive delivery model, a community of practice in active learning pedagogy, and an institutional scholarship of learning and teaching working paper series. Liz has received multiple teaching awards, including an Office for Learning and Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning. She is currently researching the impact of the immersive Southern Cross Model and active learning pedagogy on students’ achievement, satisfaction and success. For more information: https://researchportal.scu.edu.au/esploro/profile/elizabeth_goode/overview?institution=61SCU_INST
Mr Boya Zhao
Centre for the Study of Higher Education / University of Melbourne
9:30am - 9:55am International students' engagement in the Australian job market
9:30 AM - 9:55 AMFinal abstract
Focus: Presentation of preliminary findings
Background/context: International students actively participate in the Australian job market. However, previous research often explores the challenges and vulnerabilities international students face in the job market, attributing their employment outcomes to limited possession of capital (e.g. Blackmore & Rahimi, 2019; Reilly, 2013). This perspective may overlook international students’ strengths and agency, notably their strategic responses to overcoming difficulties and self-determination in achieving goals (Cameron et al., 2019; Fakunle, 2021). This study employs Marginson’s (2023) “higher education as ‘student self-formation’” as a conceptual framework, exploring students’ autonomous will power in shaping own life trajectory and continuous reflexivity in self-development.
Description: This paper aims to understand the evolvement of international students’ work engagement in Australia from their student years to post-graduation. It examines factors that enable and hinder international students’ employment experiences amid changing circumstances, emphasising their agency.
Method: This study employs a mixed-method design. First, an online questionnaire to 350 international students at three Australian universities was administered to understand their paid work experiences during studies. Then, a follow-up semi-structured interview with 60 graduates investigated the changes in, and relations between motivations, choices, actions and employment outcomes.
Evidence: Preliminary descriptive analyses identified influencing factors on job experience, including social network, past work experiences and English proficiency. Early interviews analyses suggest that while graduates encounter some challenges in their job search, they report goal-oriented strategies and self-controlled decision-making.
Contribution: The study provides new insights into international students’ work engagement that explore both barriers and enablers. The findings may help institutions better support international students to enhance graduate employability and outcomes. It may also assist new students in navigating the labour market.
Engagement: A provocative question will be posed to stimulate audience discussion: What is the role of HE institutions in supporting international students’ employment?
Background/context: International students actively participate in the Australian job market. However, previous research often explores the challenges and vulnerabilities international students face in the job market, attributing their employment outcomes to limited possession of capital (e.g. Blackmore & Rahimi, 2019; Reilly, 2013). This perspective may overlook international students’ strengths and agency, notably their strategic responses to overcoming difficulties and self-determination in achieving goals (Cameron et al., 2019; Fakunle, 2021). This study employs Marginson’s (2023) “higher education as ‘student self-formation’” as a conceptual framework, exploring students’ autonomous will power in shaping own life trajectory and continuous reflexivity in self-development.
Description: This paper aims to understand the evolvement of international students’ work engagement in Australia from their student years to post-graduation. It examines factors that enable and hinder international students’ employment experiences amid changing circumstances, emphasising their agency.
Method: This study employs a mixed-method design. First, an online questionnaire to 350 international students at three Australian universities was administered to understand their paid work experiences during studies. Then, a follow-up semi-structured interview with 60 graduates investigated the changes in, and relations between motivations, choices, actions and employment outcomes.
Evidence: Preliminary descriptive analyses identified influencing factors on job experience, including social network, past work experiences and English proficiency. Early interviews analyses suggest that while graduates encounter some challenges in their job search, they report goal-oriented strategies and self-controlled decision-making.
Contribution: The study provides new insights into international students’ work engagement that explore both barriers and enablers. The findings may help institutions better support international students to enhance graduate employability and outcomes. It may also assist new students in navigating the labour market.
Engagement: A provocative question will be posed to stimulate audience discussion: What is the role of HE institutions in supporting international students’ employment?
Biography
Boya is a current PhD student at the Univeristy of Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education. His research looks at international students' employment in Australia with an emphasis on student agency, development and student self-formation.
Dr Max Mitchell
Edith Cowan University
10:00am - 10:25am Cultivating unity: Teaching practice and learning mobility
10:00 AM - 10:25 AMFinal abstract
Focus:
This session draws upon these pedagogical practices of active learning and engagement within the dynamic context of teaching practice and scholarly growth. The audience will engage with, and practically apply, the 7Cs of Learning Mobility Framework to unify a resilient self-concept, professional identity and personal agency (Mitchell, 2016).
Background/context:
As Australian universities mobilise their institutional learning and teaching governance structures in response to TEQSA’s Assessment reform for the age of artificial intelligence (Hodge et al., 2023), it has become evident that institutions need to focus on building teaching practice, confidence, and capacity across learning, teaching, assessment and the student experience as a catalyst for change (Australian Universities Accord Panel, 2024).
Description:
This session aims to enable educators to explore a personalised roadmap as a catalyst for developing their teaching practice and learning mobility.
Methods:
This practical-based paper draws on the SoTL writing genre of a conceptual article. As a heuristic framework for research and publication, the conceptual article offers new perspectives to advance SoTL (Healey, et al., 2019). Data collection and analysis draw on existing literature and research to reframe existing theorizations (Healey, et al., 2019).
Evidence:
Within this dynamic ecosystem, educators find themselves in a constant state of learning mobility, requiring flexibility, responsiveness, and adaptability to evidence-based, data-driven, and student-focused pedagogical changes (Australian Government, 2023).
Contribution:
Active learning and engagement provide promise to mobilise the dynamic ecosystem of teaching practice. These pedagogical practices can be instrumental in responding to the current discourse on valuing the core university function of teaching (Johnson et al., 2023; Patfield et al., 2023)
Engagement:
Participants will be encouraged to engage in articulating their personal roadmap for teaching practice by actively critiquing their cognitive, emotional and behavioural engagement in their teaching practice through the 7Cs of learning mobility framework (Kahu, 2013; Mitchell, 2016).
This session draws upon these pedagogical practices of active learning and engagement within the dynamic context of teaching practice and scholarly growth. The audience will engage with, and practically apply, the 7Cs of Learning Mobility Framework to unify a resilient self-concept, professional identity and personal agency (Mitchell, 2016).
Background/context:
As Australian universities mobilise their institutional learning and teaching governance structures in response to TEQSA’s Assessment reform for the age of artificial intelligence (Hodge et al., 2023), it has become evident that institutions need to focus on building teaching practice, confidence, and capacity across learning, teaching, assessment and the student experience as a catalyst for change (Australian Universities Accord Panel, 2024).
Description:
This session aims to enable educators to explore a personalised roadmap as a catalyst for developing their teaching practice and learning mobility.
Methods:
This practical-based paper draws on the SoTL writing genre of a conceptual article. As a heuristic framework for research and publication, the conceptual article offers new perspectives to advance SoTL (Healey, et al., 2019). Data collection and analysis draw on existing literature and research to reframe existing theorizations (Healey, et al., 2019).
Evidence:
Within this dynamic ecosystem, educators find themselves in a constant state of learning mobility, requiring flexibility, responsiveness, and adaptability to evidence-based, data-driven, and student-focused pedagogical changes (Australian Government, 2023).
Contribution:
Active learning and engagement provide promise to mobilise the dynamic ecosystem of teaching practice. These pedagogical practices can be instrumental in responding to the current discourse on valuing the core university function of teaching (Johnson et al., 2023; Patfield et al., 2023)
Engagement:
Participants will be encouraged to engage in articulating their personal roadmap for teaching practice by actively critiquing their cognitive, emotional and behavioural engagement in their teaching practice through the 7Cs of learning mobility framework (Kahu, 2013; Mitchell, 2016).
Biography
Dr Maxine (Max) Mitchell is a highly experienced academic practitioner and transformative learning scholar in the field of teaching and learning in higher education. With 25 years of experience in the sector, her personal and professional focus gravitated to technology enhanced learning, in its many evolving forms, and the associated institutional-led professional learning initiatives that cultivated individual agency and identity. Paralleling this period, Max's teaching journey spans diverse higher education contexts, from large first year undergraduate courses in management and marketing to post-graduate courses in leadership and teaching practice.
Max's passion is to co-create contemporary and transformative teaching and learning practices, situated within the third space of professional identity, and learning mobility. Her influence extends beyond the classroom and university boundaries, driving interdisciplinary educational innovations through whole-of-institution scholarly programs. The programs offer a courageous space for people who contribute to teaching and supporting learning to stretch, grow and develop a resilience spirit to take control of their professional learning and liberate their sense of freedom and identity. She is most proud of her sustained educational leadership through such initiatives as Foundations of University Teaching, HEA Fellowship and the Graduate Certificate in Professional Learning. Max holds a Higher Education Academy Senior Fellowship of Advance HE and Associate Fellowship (Indigenous).
Chair
Adam Burston
Senior Lecturer / Research Fellow
Australian Catholic University
