Jane Burdett

Degrees of separation — balancing intervention and independence in group work assignments

Group work is a widely used learning approach in higher education where it is seen as encouraging the development of collaborative skills and attitudes while producing an assessable product. Group assignments can, however, create dilemmas and tensions for both staff and students. Students often seek academic intervention in the form of support and dispute arbitration; and the types of interventions employed to deal with issues arising during and after group work, and the effectiveness of the interventions, are critical aspects of group assignments.This paper reports the findings from a recent qualitative study based on interviews with ten university academics about their use and management of undergraduate group work. These findings revealed that positive experiences and outcomes can be undermined when staff expectations of group work are at odds with student reality, particularly when academics try to distance themselves from student group problems or intervene retrospectively.The paper concludes that academics must be able and willing to work alongside groups in helping them achieve outcomes that are positive, fair and equitable.

Engaging international students: An analysis of the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) reports

Purpose – Australia has enjoyed two decades of growth in international student enrolments. This phenomenon, combined with the evolution of quality assurance policy frameworks, has stimulated interest in the social and academic experiences of international students and their educational outcomes. The Australian Universities Quality Agencys (AUQA) second round of quality audits assessed and reported on the performance of Australian universities in the area of “internationalisation”. AUQA findings and recommendations for required action send powerful messages to guide university priorities, practices and strategies in pursuit of quality enhancement in relation to student engagement. This paper seeks to address these issues.Design/methodology/approach – This study uses a thematic analysis approach to explore “internationalisation” in 14 AUQA audit reports published between 2006 and 2010.Findings – This paper identifies three key areas arising from AUQA audit reports that form a basis for discussion in this p...

Checking the pulse

Purpose – Growing numbers of international students on Australian university campuses in the last decade have generated interest, change and quality challenges. Research suggests that the future success of Australian universities rests on their ability to meet the challenge of providing a stimulating and rewarding higher education experience for domestic and international students alike. The Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) has sought, through its second round of quality reviews, to focus on the performance of Australian universities with regard to international activities. Specifically, this paper seeks to establish the “pulse” in relation to the issues and strategies aimed at the social engagement of international students as part of their wider experience on campus.Design/methodology/approach – A thematic analysis approach was adopted to explore “internationalisation” in 14 AUQA audit reports published between 2006 and 2010.Findings – The findings of the study have led to first, the develo...

Australian Women in Banking

Women came into the Australian banking industry to “fill in” for men and were left in lower grade, non‐career jobs on their return. For the majority of women, little has changed with respect to their status in the industry. They outnumber men in lower level clerical grades and perform the bulk of part‐time work. Very few women remain in the industry for a significant length of time, contributing to their under‐representation in management. Managers and women themselves need to be aware of the structural, attitudinal, and social barriers which effectively disadvantage full‐time and part‐time women in the branch banking system so that affirmative action programmes can be correctly focused. Makes a number of recommendations to address these problems.

Matters arising. Australian University Quality Agency feedback in relation to the academic engagement of international students enrolled in onshore university programmes

It is now commonplace to find quality audit processes being applied in universities internationally as a means of assessing the quality of teaching and learning. This article draws upon a thematic analysis of 14 second-round Australian Universities Quality Agency reports in order to explore matters arising from the academic engagement of international students against the backdrop of ‘internationalisation’. Given rising international enrolments in universities globally, the discussion in this article is likely to be relevant to other national contexts. The study reveals that university reports and Australian Universities Quality Agency feedback tend to focus discussion of international student engagement and internationalisation around three areas: institutional approaches to defining and responding to internationalisation; the internationalisation of the curriculum; and, in relation to progress, attrition, performance and academic support.

University students in the workplace strategies for successful industry placement experiences

Purpose Increasing numbers of university students in USA, UK and Australia are undertaking industry placements to gain workplace experience. However, outcomes are not always as expected. This paper aims to identify challenges for universities and host organizations in delivering quality student industry placement and presents strategies to achieve successful learning outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The reflections, evaluation and feedback data received from stakeholders, namely, university students, host organizations and faculty mentors in a large Australian university were used to formulate strategies. Findings Lessons learned from the authors’ experience in industry placement programs over 5 years with 180 students in 127 organizations indicate that careful planning and management of placements is needed to achieve successful learning outcomes. Research limitations/implications Further research into the application of these strategies in other universities would be valuable. Practical implications Lessons learned and recommendations offered provide strategies to assist in planning and management of industry placements. Originality/value Given the growing popularity of work experience in university programs, this should be of interest to faculty and organizations.

Reverse mentoring becomes a two-way street: case study of a mentoring project for IT competence

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report on the experiences of a large Australian Government department in the successful trialling of a formal reverse mentoring project for developing information technology (IT) competence in executives. Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach was used to collect data from interviews with the organization’s project leader. Data were also sourced from relevant internal documents and appropriate literature. Findings – The results suggest that formal reverse mentoring projects can have additional reciprocal benefits for both parties such as leadership development, knowledge creation and relationship building. Furthermore, it emerged that clear procedures, effective structures and time spent on participant preparation contributed to the project’s success. Research limitations/implications – Findings from a single case study may not be generalizable to all contexts. Practical implications – This paper provides guidance to trainers and leaders in the planni...