Search Results

Within the Victorian State Training System, the Victorian TAFE Off-Campus Network (VTOCN) has the task of developing and delivering technical and further education subjects to distance education students across Victoria. This study is a regular part of the VTOCN's evaluation of its programs.

The educational performance indicators used in this survey reflect the nature of adults learning at a distance. Input is measured in terms of subject enrolments; throughput is measured in terms of assignment return rates; output is measured in terms of subject completion rates.

In the years covered by the study, more men than women enrolled with the VTOCN, though the proportion of women increased over the period. Most students were in their twenties or early thirties, taking initial level subjects. The study found that student persistence and completion were enhanced by the introduction of fees in 1988. Other factors found to be associated with persistence and completion are outlined in the document. Suggestions are made for further research. Show less

Until recently, the vast majority of California's community college students - hundreds of thousands of students each year - started in remedial courses that slowed down or halted their academic progress. Attrition was high, particularly for Latino and African American students. Few students went on to complete the gateway courses necessary to transfer to a four-year college (known as transfer-level courses). After years of important but piecemeal reforms, in 2017 a landmark law (AB 705) transformed placement and remediation at the state's community colleges. Students are no longer asked to prove they are ready for gateway courses. Instead, colleges must prove if students are not ready. We examine how AB 705 transformed student access, outcomes, and racial equity in fall 2019, the deadline for implementation.

Excerpt from publication. Show less

Educational studies as a discipline is now a feature in many British universities, but little research has been undertaken to explore what kinds of student choose the subject, how easily they access it or how they fare as undergraduate students. This article attempts to address this paucity of research by drawing on a selection of findings from a study undertaken with undergraduate students between 2004 and 2007. The study tracks the progress of a single cohort of students, some from vocational backgrounds and some from traditional academic backgrounds, on a full-time, three-year [Bachelor of Arts] BA Honours educational studies degree. The article initially provides a discussion relating to the historical place of educational studies as a subject for study at undergraduate level and suggests how this links to the British widening-participation agenda. This provides a context for the subsequent sections, which present a selection of findings from the three-year research project. The project was designed to explore the students' experiences by asking which of them were accepted to undertake the degree by admissions staff, how they fared on the degree and, critically, whether their pre-entry qualifications had an impact on their progress and success. This article provides some answers to these questions which suggest that admissions staff are more cautious in accepting vocational entry qualifications, but that the nature of these has little bearing on ultimate success on the degree. It concludes by suggesting how this knowledge might impact on information for potential applicants and on the selection of students in the future.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

This briefing note provides an update on domestic undergraduate student enrolment and equity outcomes from 2008 to 2015. In keeping with the earlier editions of this series, the briefing note focuses on undergraduate outcomes for 'Table A providers' in Australian higher education and enrolments in seven equity groups: (1) low socio-economic status ('low SES') students; (2) Indigenous students; (3) students with disabilities; (4) regional students; (5) remote students; (6) women in non-traditional areas (WINTA); and (7) non-English speaking background (NESB) students (also referred to as 'culturally and linguistically diverse' or 'CALD' students). It provides a guide to trends across equity groups during this period, which included substantial changes to Australian higher education, including the introduction of the demand driven system for enrolments and the Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme (HEPPP) to support low SES undergraduate enrolments.

Results reveal that the rate of expansion in overall undergraduate enrolments in Australia appears to be tapering after several years of growth. However, this growth comes on the back of an historic expansion in enrolments in Australian higher education, one that has seen the system add an additional 184,668 places since 2008, an increase of 34.7 per cent. This has benefited equity student groups in particular, with most groups seeing increases in enrolment above the overall increase in system places, or in the case of regional students, just below average (33.1 per cent). The two exceptions are the WINTA (21.5 per cent) and remote (21.5 per cent) groups who saw substantially lower levels of expansion over this time. This differential growth across equity groups has resulted in a mix of outcomes in participation, with low SES and students with disability groups seeing marked increases in representation, with smaller increases seen in Indigenous and NESB groups. WINTA, regional and remote student groups have seen reductions in their share of total enrolments, albeit in the context of substantial expansions in enrolments among these student groups.

Edited excerpts from publisher's website and publication. Show less

This briefing note provides an update on domestic undergraduate student enrolment and equity outcomes from 2007 to 2013, following Koshy (2014). It focuses on undergraduate outcomes for Table A providers, given policy changes in recent years to Australian undergraduate education that affect them, including the full deregulation of undergraduate places in 2012 under the Demand Driven System (DDS). It reports on the number of domestic undergraduates between 2007 and 2013 in the 38 'Table A providers' in Australian higher education and enrolments in seven equity groups: (1) low socio-economic status ('low SES') students; (2) students with disability; (3) Indigenous students; (4) women in non-traditional areas ('WINTA'); (5) regional students; (6) remote students; and (7) non-English speaking background (NESB) students (also referred to as 'culturally and linguistically diverse' or 'CALD' students).

The report shows that between 2007 and 2013, the 38 Table A providers in Australian higher education saw a 26.4 per cent increase in domestic undergraduates, an expansion in student numbers of around 139,821. Increases in equity group numbers have either tracked or exceeded this expansion in terms of growth, with the exception of remote student enrolment which has seen growth of less than half of that of the system as a whole.

Excerpts from publication. Show less

Since 2003, Southbank Institute of Technology has been offering dual awards with partner universities in the Brisbane metropolitan area, notably Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology, and the University of the Sunshine Coast. Over the past few years, the number of these offerings has increased from a handful to a projected 40+ in 2008. This paper will report on research undertaken by the Institute's Applied Sciences team which comprises teachers experienced in the delivery of dual award programs. This paper seeks to engage with one of the conference's key themes, students and individuals, by reporting on trends in the number of students who enrol in Southbank's cross-sectoral programs, students' motivation for choosing such pathways and finally how students perform both in the [vocational education and training] VET and higher education components of the dual awards.

Published abstract.

A list of the presentations from this conference may be found at TD/TNC 90.554; available papers are indexed from TD/TNC 90.555 to TD/TNC 90.578. Show less

This briefing note reports on recent trends in student enrolment in Australian higher education in key equity groups. Specifically, it reports on the number of domestic undergraduates between 2007 and 2012 in the 38 'Table A providers' in Australian higher education and enrolments in six equity groups: (1) low socio-economic status ('low SES') students; (2) Indigenous students; (3) students with disabilities; (4) regional students; (5) remote students; and (6) non-English speaking background (NESB) students (also referred to as 'culturally and linguistically diverse' or 'CALD' students). The report shows that Australian higher education has seen a major expansion in student numbers since 2007, with the 38 Table A providers seeing a 20 per cent increase in domestic undergraduates between 2007 and 2012, equal to 105,590 more students in 2012. This increase has been accompanied by a larger than 20 per cent increase across all student equity groups except that of regional and remote students.

Excerpts from publication. Show less

This briefing note provides an update on domestic undergraduate student enrolment and equity outcomes from 2007 to 2014, following Koshy and Seymour (2014). It focuses on undergraduate outcomes for Table A providers, given policy changes in recent years to Australian undergraduate education that affect them, including the full deregulation of undergraduate places in 2012 under the Demand Driven System (DDS). It reports on the number of domestic undergraduates between 2007 and 2014 in the 38 'Table A providers' in Australian higher education and enrolments in seven equity groups: (1) low socio-economic status ('low SES') students; (2) students with disability; (3) indigenous students; (4) women in non-traditional areas (WINTA); (5) regional students; (6) remote students; and (7) non-English speaking background (NESB) students (also referred to as 'culturally and linguistically diverse' or 'CALD' students).

The report shows that between 2007 and 2014, the 38 Table A providers in Australian higher education saw a 31.6 per cent increase in domestic undergraduate enrolments, with total enrolments reaching 695,869 in 2014. With the exception of the WINTA (19.8 per cent), regional (30.3 per cent) and remote (16.1 per cent) student groups, all equity groups saw growth in excess of the overall growth in student numbers (31.6 per cent), as measured by enrolment.

Excerpts from publication. Show less

This article reports on a three year case study and interview project of a federal initiative to help low income students access college called individual development accounts (IDA). The study focused on partnership development between community agencies that offer IDAs and postsecondary institutions, examining challenges and facilitators. A set of challenges are identified as well as strategies for overcoming the obstacles. The results also suggest underlying reasons for challenges: (a) postsecondary institutions being hesitant to partner with community agencies that they perceive as having limited assets and prestige (essentially disempowered) and (b) community agencies lacking familiarity with the higher education environment.

Published abstract. Show less

Enrollment in online courses has outpaced overall university enrollment for the past several years. The growth of online courses does not appear to be slowing. The purpose of this study was to compare course completion and student academic performance between online and traditional courses. Archival data from the host university student records system was collected using the structured query language. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze student characteristics. Chi-square analysis was used to determine if statistically significant differences existed between students enrolled in online and traditional courses when comparing course completion and academic performance.

Analysis found statistically significant differences existed in both course completion and academic performance for students enrolled in online versus traditional courses. Additional analysis indicated statistically significant differences existed in course completion by course discipline.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less