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In 1998 Auckland Institute of Technology undertook to survey the employers of its graduates. The purpose of the survey was to determine how satisfied employers are with Auckland Institute of Technology graduates and how important a wide range of graduate attributes were to them. In recognition of the many methodological problems reported in the literature associated with employer surveys, and the obvious difficulties in identifying actual employers of Auckland Institute of Technology graduates, the study was a pilot. Show less

The polytechnic schools of nursing, in collaboration and partnership with the Open Polytechnic and with clinical practitioners, have now begun to develop a distance education approach for the continuing education of nurses and midwives. The project is ambitious but the potential benefits for nurses and midwives would be tremendous.

The project proposal is being developed in a co-operative and collaborative manner. Work will begin in earnest on the development with 1993 as the timeframe to begin implementation. Eleven key objectives that emerged from discussions are listed. Options for developing and offering units of learning are still being explored. Each polytechnic school of nursing wants to co-operate and collaborate to avoid duplication, ensure portability and relevance to courses and thus maximise continuing education opportunities.

Units of learning will be developed and offered from different polytechnics. Some polytechnics will act as regional bases for learning support and a national database of courses will be maintained. Initiatives are already taking place. The collaborative nature of the project is enabling the polytechnics and the clinical practitioners to use their combined expertise to improve access to relevant professional continuing education. Show less

This report presents the findings of the third annual student satisfaction survey conducted at the Auckland Institute of Technology (AIT). Student satisfaction surveys are an important part of AIT's commitment to continuous quality improvement. The survey focuses on the total learning environment for students enrolled at AIT. It allows identification of student satisfaction with a variety of aspects of their experience in the AIT environment and, importantly, also identifies which of these areas are important to students. Those areas which are important to students, but where students are dissatisfied, are priority areas for management consideration. Show less

Quality is now firmly established as a key theme in tertiary education in New Zealand and educational institutions are accountable to a number of stakeholders all of whom have different quality expectations and concerns. A key stakeholder is the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) with its brief to develop a comprehensive and coherent framework for all nationally recognised qualifications. NZQA have a quality monitoring role which is inherent in the framework, ensuring that quality assessment and improvement operates throughout the system. Show less

The theme of the conference was ‘Adaption and change in tertiary education’. The papers were presented in the following thematic areas: Development and change in tertiary institutions; Alternatives in higher education; Vocational education; Staff promotions and student evaluation of teaching; Assessing students, students learning; A problem orientation; Theory and practice in agriculture and science; Methods and resources. The papers presented under the ‘Vocational education’ theme were: Towards a strategy for excellence in vocational education / Nick Zepke; The TAFE National Centre for Research and Development / William C. Hall; The roles of graduate diploma courses in professional education / Clive B. Kings; The relationship between technical education and industrial training / D. Comley. Show less

The current situation of prior learning assessment in New Zealand will be presented from a survey of polytechnics, industry training organisations, private training establishments, and colleges of education. The frequency of prior learning assessments with respect to vocational / subject areas, unit standards and NQF levels will be examined. Key aspects arising from the survey are support services for applicants, education of facilitators and assessors, and implementation issues. The paper will also explore critical issues likely to be significant in relation to the successful practice of the assessment of prior learning. Show less