The influence of disciplinary cultures on approaches to undergraduate teaching and learning: extending higher education theory and practice. Improving the quality of teaching in higher education is an important priority for Australian universities. There has been rapid growth in the number of training programs for university teachers. This study will directly support these efforts. It will investigate the effectiveness of the diverse approaches to teaching and learning traditionally adopted with ....The influence of disciplinary cultures on approaches to undergraduate teaching and learning: extending higher education theory and practice. Improving the quality of teaching in higher education is an important priority for Australian universities. There has been rapid growth in the number of training programs for university teachers. This study will directly support these efforts. It will investigate the effectiveness of the diverse approaches to teaching and learning traditionally adopted within different fields of study?across the sciences, the arts, the humanities and the professions. The findings will be used to develop new training programs for university teachers that are tailored towards best practice in the particular areas of knowledge in which staff are teaching. Enhanced training of university teachers will lead to better teaching and better student outcomes.Read moreRead less
Maximising the benefits of diversity in university through cross-cultural interaction. Australia is unique among Western nations because of its proximity to Asia and its ability to attract large numbers of international students to its universities. This issue is extremely important as numerous Asian countries (China and India, in particular) have become increasingly dominant players in global markets. This research will contribute to enhancing Australia's capacity to understand and effectively ....Maximising the benefits of diversity in university through cross-cultural interaction. Australia is unique among Western nations because of its proximity to Asia and its ability to attract large numbers of international students to its universities. This issue is extremely important as numerous Asian countries (China and India, in particular) have become increasingly dominant players in global markets. This research will contribute to enhancing Australia's capacity to understand and effectively engage with diverse others through a greater understanding of other cultures and societies. The insights gained from this research will allow us to better prepare our university graduates with the skills necessary to benefit from this diversity. Read moreRead less
Research and innovation leaders for industry. This research project will contribute significant national benefits because it will provide new data on the future likely requirements of 21st century researchers who will play a leading role in promoting Australia's innovation culture and economy. Government, industry, university and graduate stakeholders require an evidence-base upon which to reform Australian research training policy. By exploring the graduate employment outcomes and transitions o ....Research and innovation leaders for industry. This research project will contribute significant national benefits because it will provide new data on the future likely requirements of 21st century researchers who will play a leading role in promoting Australia's innovation culture and economy. Government, industry, university and graduate stakeholders require an evidence-base upon which to reform Australian research training policy. By exploring the graduate employment outcomes and transitions of recent graduates and employers' perceptions of their knowledge and skills, this study will inform the development of research training quality indicators and contribute to theoretical debates about the nature of knowledge production and innovation in post-modern times.Read moreRead less
Professional learning for knowledgeable action and innovation: The development of epistemic fluency in higher education. The ability to work effectively with complex knowledge, as a member of a multidisciplinary team, is essential for many areas of professional practice and in other areas of graduate work. Little is known about the abilities that allow individuals, teams and professional communities to work effectively with complex knowledge. The project will therefore help understand some key a ....Professional learning for knowledgeable action and innovation: The development of epistemic fluency in higher education. The ability to work effectively with complex knowledge, as a member of a multidisciplinary team, is essential for many areas of professional practice and in other areas of graduate work. Little is known about the abilities that allow individuals, teams and professional communities to work effectively with complex knowledge. The project will therefore help understand some key aspects of innovation and of knowledge-intensive work. This has implications for individual employability, the competitiveness of Australian firms in a global economy and the ability of Australian organizations to innovate and improve, using the best available evidence. Project outcomes will be able to inform the enhancement of professional education.Read moreRead less
The Social and Economic Security of International Students in the Global Education Market. Social and economic security is a prime factor in decisions by international students to select Australia as a study destination. It is also central to the long term trajectory of Australian exports. In the international education market security issues have assumed greater importance and urgency in that through 2003 Australian universities lost half of their prior price advantage vis a vis US universities ....The Social and Economic Security of International Students in the Global Education Market. Social and economic security is a prime factor in decisions by international students to select Australia as a study destination. It is also central to the long term trajectory of Australian exports. In the international education market security issues have assumed greater importance and urgency in that through 2003 Australian universities lost half of their prior price advantage vis a vis US universities via appreciation of the Australian dollar. Given that the educational product itself is little different to that of the USA and the UK, differentiation on the basis of student security is likely to be crucial. Yet so far there has been no academic research on student security, and a limited policy focus only on selected aspects.Read moreRead less
The Impact of Risk Management on Higher Degree Research Policy and Pedagogy in Australian Universities. In the context of heightened concerns about the outcomes of Higher Degree Research (HDR) programs in Australia, this project seeks to make a systematic inquiry into the ways that higher degree policy and pedagogy are impacted by the recent focus on risk management as an organisational imperative in universities. It will do so by investigating whether and how the social, cultural and institutio ....The Impact of Risk Management on Higher Degree Research Policy and Pedagogy in Australian Universities. In the context of heightened concerns about the outcomes of Higher Degree Research (HDR) programs in Australia, this project seeks to make a systematic inquiry into the ways that higher degree policy and pedagogy are impacted by the recent focus on risk management as an organisational imperative in universities. It will do so by investigating whether and how the social, cultural and institutional processes related to the management of risk are changing HDR policy and pedagogy in science- and social science-related departments within four Australian universities - a Group of Eight, an ATN, a 'dual mode/regional and a Private university.Read moreRead less
Learning through inquiry in Higher Education. This project can make a significant contribution to socioeconomic well-being. It addresses a major dilemma in higher education practice. It focuses on learning through inquiry - an approach to education that many claim is particularly appropriate for training graduates for knowledge work in the 21st Century. Our project makes a timely intervention by providing broad-based evidence that can inform debates about the future direction of this area of hig ....Learning through inquiry in Higher Education. This project can make a significant contribution to socioeconomic well-being. It addresses a major dilemma in higher education practice. It focuses on learning through inquiry - an approach to education that many claim is particularly appropriate for training graduates for knowledge work in the 21st Century. Our project makes a timely intervention by providing broad-based evidence that can inform debates about the future direction of this area of higher education. In practical terms, take-up of the outcomes of this project can improve the quality of Australian higher education, as well as the knowledge and skills of graduates entering the Australian workforce. It helps understand what is involved in promoting an innovation culture.Read moreRead less
International student mobility and educational innovation: Chinese students and the internationalisation of Australian and American universities. Given China's entry into the WTO and building upon research into the uses of international education this project will investigate educational changes arising from Chinese students studying abroad. Its theoretical and empirical focus is the changes that the mobility of international students is effecting in the universities in which they are studying. ....International student mobility and educational innovation: Chinese students and the internationalisation of Australian and American universities. Given China's entry into the WTO and building upon research into the uses of international education this project will investigate educational changes arising from Chinese students studying abroad. Its theoretical and empirical focus is the changes that the mobility of international students is effecting in the universities in which they are studying. It will explore how Chinese students' identity formation, career trajectories and transnational relationships inform changes in Australian and American universities. The outcomes will be knowledge of the ways their presence impacts on the different historical trajectories of these university systems to produce varying possibilities for educational innovation.Read moreRead less
Extending the capabilities of argumentative Chinese students: Enhancing Australia's pedagogical capacity for engaging China through internationalising research education. In 2007, 90,000 students from China were studying in Australia. This represents 23% of Australia's international students. This project will improve Australia's capacity for engaging China by producing an innovative framework for teaching mainland Chinese research students. It will explore the educational value of engaging thes ....Extending the capabilities of argumentative Chinese students: Enhancing Australia's pedagogical capacity for engaging China through internationalising research education. In 2007, 90,000 students from China were studying in Australia. This represents 23% of Australia's international students. This project will improve Australia's capacity for engaging China by producing an innovative framework for teaching mainland Chinese research students. It will explore the educational value of engaging these students' Chinese intellectual heritage; their communicative abilities in English and Chinese, and the knowledge they access via digital technologies. Australia's knowledge about the internationalisation of its research education and developmental, cooperative approaches to research will be increased. This will enhance Australia's capacity for research-based engagement with the educational culture of China. Read moreRead less
Learning through online and co-present discussion in higher education: expectations, experiences and outcomes. This project will make a substantial contribution to international research in the fields of learning and teaching in higher education and learning and teaching with ICT. In practical terms, the project will provide evidence-based guidelines for the integration of 'blended' learning approaches, especially with respect to the ways ICT can support small group discussion activity. Scientif ....Learning through online and co-present discussion in higher education: expectations, experiences and outcomes. This project will make a substantial contribution to international research in the fields of learning and teaching in higher education and learning and teaching with ICT. In practical terms, the project will provide evidence-based guidelines for the integration of 'blended' learning approaches, especially with respect to the ways ICT can support small group discussion activity. Scientifically, the project will add to our understanding of how students and teachers approach learning and teaching through discussion (co-present and online). Such knowledge is a vital, strategic asset given the growing economic importance of Australian higher education and of its international reputation for quality.Read moreRead less