tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/university-courses-29790/articlesUniversity courses – The Conversation2024-02-11T13:51:49Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2226852024-02-11T13:51:49Z2024-02-11T13:51:49ZThe video game industry is booming. Why are there so many layoffs?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573963/original/file-20240207-19-2zzpmu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=27%2C0%2C4573%2C2152&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Tech companies have laid off thousands of game developers in recent months.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The video game industry had a <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/radio/2023-was-a-banner-year-for-video-games-and-video-game-industry-layoffs-1.7052006">banner year in 2023, with critically acclaimed blockbuster titles selling millions of copies</a>. Yet, it was also a year of layoffs with <a href="https://publish.obsidian.md/vg-layoffs/Archive/2023">10,500 game makers losing their jobs</a>. And with <a href="https://publish.obsidian.md/vg-layoffs/Archive/2024">5,900 reported layoffs in January alone</a>, 2024 will likely surpass the previous year’s numbers.</p>
<p>An endemic <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448211014213https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448211014213">crunch mentality</a>, exploitation, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/09500170211061228">work intensification and growing unionization</a> in the game industry collide with government and lobbyist reports about economic prosperity and employment growth. </p>
<p>The industry <a href="https://canadasvideogameindustry.ca/">contributed $5.5 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2021</a>, an <a href="https://canadasvideogameindustry.ca/#GDP">increase of 23 per cent from 2019</a>. Global game revenue is <a href="https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/industries/tmt/media/outlook/insights-and-perspectives.html">predicted to rise</a> from US$227 billion in 2023 to US$312 billion in 2027. </p>
<p>If the industry is booming, why are there so many layoffs? Who is benefitting? Who stands to lose? And what can we do about it?</p>
<h2>Cycles of layoffs</h2>
<p>In terms of why this is happening, long-standing structural issues related to the supply and demand of labour lead to recurring layoff cycles. Very large teams spend years and <a href="https://gamingbolt.com/marvels-spider-man-2-had-a-total-budget-of-315-million">hundreds of millions of dollars</a> to make a single game. Historically, studios ramp up and hire employees in peak production and hand out pink slips after launch, as they “<a href="https://circa.ualberta.ca/?page_id=307">cannot sustain the expense of idle workers</a>.” Critical and commercial failures escalate these layoffs. </p>
<p>In addition, the labour pool is growing. Post-secondary games programs have proliferated over the <a href="https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/221309/view/">past 15 years</a>. Thousands of graduates with expertise in <a href="https://hevga.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/HEVGA_2019_Survey_of_Program_Graduates.pdf">game design, programming, art, cinematics and music</a> enter the workforce each year with little prospect of finding employment in their chosen profession. These labour supply and demand issues collide with inflation and wider layoffs in the tech industry.</p>
<p>There’s an easy answer to the question of who benefits from layoffs — it’s
shareholders. Many of the largest layoffs have come <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/25/24049050/microsoft-activision-blizzard-layoffs">in the wake of corporate takeovers</a>. Some companies explicitly point to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/unity-software-cutting-25-staff-company-reset-continuation-2024-01-08/">improving profit margins as their impetus</a>. </p>
<p>Whether short-term returns will play out in the long-term remains to be seen. Layoffs often result in planned or ongoing game projects being cancelled and some of the teams left standing seem wildly understaffed. Activision Blizzard’s esports division reportedly had <a href="https://dotesports.com/overwatch/news/activision-blizzard-reportedly-left-with-just-12-esports-division-employees-after-layoffs">only 12 full time staff</a> left after the latest round of layoffs. </p>
<p>As to who is impacted, it is disproportionately young and marginalized workers. Even when layoffs <a href="https://kotaku.com/dragon-age-dreadwolf-bioware-layoffs-lawsuit-ea-1850900755">target senior talent</a>, the influx of experienced developers into the job market pushes junior people further away from access to entry level roles. The 2021 <a href="https://igda-website.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/15161607/IGDA-DSS-2021-Diversity-Report_Final.pdf">Developer Satisfaction Survey</a> showed those most likely to be in precarious positions were gender minorities and racialized people. Waves of layoffs will only exacerbate their marginalization.</p>
<h2>Unions can help</h2>
<p>Can unions protect game industry workers from layoffs? Vocal calls to organize are bolstered by reports that <a href="https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/microsoft-and-activision-blizzard-layoffs-didn-t-impact-a-single-cwa-union-member#close-modal">unionized workers have fared better</a>. Indeed, unions can help. </p>
<p>First, it is more difficult for an employer to change the conditions of work or fire employees when there is an active certification campaign due to the risk of an <a href="https://cirb-ccri.gc.ca/en/about-appeals-applications-complaints/labour-relations-unfair-labour-practice">unfair labour practice</a> complaint.</p>
<p>Second, unions that are engaged in active collective bargaining are better placed to eliminate, reduce or delay the impact of known or anticipated layoffs. They may be able to use the threat of strike action to bargain down the extent of the layoffs or negotiate less harmful alternatives like job sharing, reduced hours or wage freezes. Workers in bargaining are also protected by the <a href="https://newsguild.org/what-is-status-quo-and-how-can-it-protect-you-from-layoffs/">requirement to maintain the status quo</a> on terms and conditions of work. </p>
<p>Third, unions can negotiate specific protective language into a collective agreement. This can range from prevention to mitigation and include “no layoff” provisions, retraining or reassignment obligations, imposed financial transparency, and required negotiation over the nature, extent and outcomes of any restructuring at a company. </p>
<p>But even <a href="https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/microsoft-and-activision-blizzard-layoffs-didn-t-impact-a-single-cwa-union-member#close-modal">unionized workers can be laid off</a>. In many cases, the best a union can do is mitigate the impact through negotiated terms like longer notice periods, severance packages, recall procedures and supplementary unemployment benefits. In the end, a union can only protect what it has negotiated into the collective agreement, and employers strongly resist constraints on their operational flexibility. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573960/original/file-20240207-18-tqec32.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A smartphone displaying the words Riot Games." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573960/original/file-20240207-18-tqec32.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/573960/original/file-20240207-18-tqec32.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573960/original/file-20240207-18-tqec32.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573960/original/file-20240207-18-tqec32.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=337&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573960/original/file-20240207-18-tqec32.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573960/original/file-20240207-18-tqec32.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/573960/original/file-20240207-18-tqec32.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">California-based Riot Games, which is owned by Chinese tech giant Tencent, recently announced it was laying off 11 per cent of its global staff.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>Holding companies accountable</h2>
<p>Another solution is to call for greater accountability from game companies, which benefit from public money. It is no secret that game labour costs are heavily subsidized through government tax credits in countries like the <a href="https://igda.org/resources-archive/rd-tax-credit-opportunities-for-video-game-developers/">United States</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2022/01/04/1068916102/how-subsidies-helped-montreal-become-the-hollywood-of-video-games">Canada</a>, <a href="http://qpol.qub.ac.uk/what-does-the-new-tax-credit-for-irelands-games-industry-actually-mean/">Ireland</a> and <a href="https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/income-deductions-and-concessions/income-and-deductions-for-business/concessions-offsets-and-rebates/digital-games-tax-offset">Australia</a>. </p>
<p>The Financial Services Union, representing Irish game developers, recently called on the government to require employers to sign written statements committing to provide <a href="https://www.thejournal.ie/game-industry-tax-credit-5436230-May2021/">“quality employment”</a> before they can receive a tax credit. Cyclical hiring and layoffs obscure employment statistics and reduce accountability. Governments should be concerned with whether or not their subsidies are creating <em>sustainable</em> jobs.</p>
<p>In addition, the post-secondary supply of “surplus labour” creates a vast and eager reserve workforce. This disincentivizes employers from investing in their employees. Universities and colleges need to take a long hard look at the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1527476419851080">role they play</a> and the promises they make to students. </p>
<p>Claims that students are being prepared for well-paid, exciting careers seem dubious given the current employment situation. These claims are suspect given that few games programs systematically track the career trajectories of their graduates. Exactly what jobs are they preparing graduates for? </p>
<p>This is what we and our colleagues are tracking in our longitudinal employment study, <a href="https://first3yearsproject.com/">The First Three Years</a>. One of this article’s co-authors, Johanna Weststar, spoke about our initial findings regarding <a href="https://gdcvault.com/play/1029220/Lost-XP-Why-Junior-Game">impacts on diversity and career longevity</a> at the 2023 <a href="https://gdconf.com/">Game Developer’s Conference</a>.</p>
<p>Some might take layoffs for granted as a natural part of mergers, acquisitions and other consolidation efforts, however layoffs and exploitation are not new in the game industry. Ultimately they are a symptom of a <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.13169/workorgalaboglob.15.2.0007">financialized industry focused on short-term gains</a> for owners and shareholders. </p>
<p>Unions, worker and consumer activism, and demands for greater accountability for taxpayer dollars and the promises of higher education are important pieces of any solution. So too are efforts to envision <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262545402/the-videogame-industry-does-not-exist/">alternative ways to craft a more sustainable industry</a>. To address this broken system, we ultimately must ask who benefits from layoffs in a booming industry and systematically remove those benefits.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/222685/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer R. Whitson has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to support research on the digital game industry.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Johanna Weststar has received funding from the International Game Developers Association, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Dancap Private Equity Research Award to support her research on the digital game industry. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sean Gouglas has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Higher Education Video Game Alliance to support research on postsecondary games education and the digital game industry. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kenzie Gordon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Recent waves of layoffs shine a light on the systemic issues in the game industry and the post-graduation promises universities are making to students.Kenzie Gordon, PhD Candidate, Digital Humanities & Media Studies, University of AlbertaJennifer R. Whitson, Associate Professor, Sociology and Legal Studies, University of WaterlooJohanna Weststar, Associate Professor of Labour and Employment Relations, DAN Department of Management & Organizational Studies, Western UniversitySean Gouglas, Professor, Digital Humanities, University of AlbertaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1856042022-07-08T00:56:27Z2022-07-08T00:56:27ZSome uni students want to be more than employees, but we’re neglecting these would-be entrepreneurs<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472225/original/file-20220704-36074-tb2wvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C8107%2C5380&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia’s higher education system is, more or less, focused on training people who will work for others’ companies. This “employee mindset” leads students to have a vision of being recruited as an employee in a good company after they graduate. It can stop students from thinking outside the box and so becomes an obstacle to entrepreneurial innovation.</p>
<p>The GUESSS Project (Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students’ Survey) reports on entrepreneurial aspirations and students’ underlying drivers of this career choice in more than 50 countries. The <a href="https://www.guesssurvey.org/resources/PDF_InterReports/GUESSS_Global_2018.pdf">2018 GUESSS Global Report</a> found only 9% of all students intended to become an entrepreneur right after they completed their studies. This figure had increased to 17.8% of students by the time of the <a href="https://www.guesssurvey.org/resources/PDF_InterReports/GUESSS_2021_Global_Report.pdf">2021 GUESSS Global Report</a>.</p>
<p>In Australia, the share of direct intentional founders (students who intend to be entrepreneurs right after their studies) increased from 9.1% in 2018 to 16.1% in 2021.</p>
<p>This significant shift in just three years calls for higher education institutions to respond to students’ entrepreneurial intentions. It points to a need to offer curriculum that helps develop their entrepreneurial skills.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/albanese-promises-support-for-young-entrepreneurs-to-develop-startups-160822">Albanese promises support for young entrepreneurs to develop startups</a>
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<h2>How can universities foster entrepreneurs?</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1472811722000490?fr=RR-2&ref=pdf_download&rr=71b027c088355aac">Recent research</a> has shown entrepreneurship education can boost students’ creativity and entrepreneurial capability, thus supporting their entrepreneurial aspirations. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1472811720304171">Another study</a> found “a statistically significant relationship between management students’ entrepreneurship education, attitude towards entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial intention”. The researchers urged universities to provide training modules for students with an interest in being entrepreneurs.</p>
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<p>According to the <a href="https://www.guesssurvey.org/resources/PDF_InterReports/GUESSS_Global_2018.pdf">2018 GUESSS report</a>, universities can play a significant role when it comes to entrepreneurship. The <a href="https://www.guesssurvey.org/resources/PDF_InterReports/GUESSS_2021_Global_Report.pdf">2021 GUESSS report</a> sheds more light on this with the finding:</p>
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<p>“Entrepreneurship education and the entrepreneurial climate at the university are key determinants of entrepreneurial intentions and activities.” </p>
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<p>The report also notes:</p>
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<p>“The ventures run by the students are mostly very young and very small. Still, the entrepreneurs are rather happy with their performance.”</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/from-student-to-start-up-how-a-phd-can-boost-budding-businesses-48983">From student to start-up – how a PhD can boost budding businesses</a>
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<h2>Adding entrepreneurial skills to the curriculum</h2>
<p>In response to this gap in the curriculum, we developed an initiative in the postgraduate project management course at Victoria University. Working with Michael Jackson, a previous graduate who became an entrepreneur and established two project management firms before retirement, we created a project that required students to work in groups to develop a proposal for a project management start-up. The group approach was consistent with the findings of the <a href="https://www.guesssurvey.org/resources/PDF_InterReports/GUESSS_2021_Global_Report.pdf">2021 GUESSS report</a>, which said:</p>
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<p>“Founding teams are of crucial relevance for both nascent and active founders. Only around one-third of all firms have been created without a co-founder.”</p>
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<p>This initiative challenged students and took their skills to a whole new level. Their feedback was very positive. One student said:</p>
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<p>“I found [this initiative] to be exceedingly realistic with a practical approach in trying to start a new business. The professors provided an eye-opening glimpse into the realities of the work life and the opportunities that it offers.”</p>
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<p>Another student said:</p>
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<p>“Applying the theory with a real-world example was great. It also helps for those with aspirations of starting a PM [project management firm] in the future.”</p>
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<p>Another team member noted:</p>
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<p>“This assignment helped me to understand what factors to consider and analyse before starting a business and how to apply the project management principles in real life.”</p>
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<p>I did a follow-up with members of the group with highest project performance, which produced further insights. The group leader said: </p>
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<p>“I’ve always wanted to start my own business […] There are several variables involved in launching a firm and the assignment helped us understand and close any gaps.”</p>
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<p>Among the challenges the group had faced during the project were disagreements on some tasks, and the need for constant communication among team members. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-push-for-researcher-entrepreneurs-could-be-a-step-backward-for-gender-equity-176536">The push for 'researcher entrepreneurs' could be a step backward for gender equity</a>
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<h2>What are the key success factors?</h2>
<p>Various factors contributed to the success of the top performer group. Effective communication and team spirit were among the most important. Although the top-performing team had members from different backgrounds, they seemed to have created a common language by having regular meetings.</p>
<p>Another important factor is “problem-solving” ability. No group effort can be undertaken without any problems. Encountering problems in a group project is not bad in itself, but being unable to solve such problems is a major weakness.</p>
<p>Having a capable team leader is another success factor. One member of the top-performing group appreciated having a team leader who paid attention to details and was very patient with everyone. The student said the group leader made an extra effort to explain the work required to team members who had difficulty understanding the project requirements.</p>
<p>Ability to think outside the box is another success factor. The students had to put aside many of their preconceptions and apply themselves to problems as they arose. One student said this project made them think outside the box while making sure their plan was realistic and practical.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/185604/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amir Ghapanchi does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The proportion of Australian university students who want to found a business after they graduate is increasing fast and is now around 16%. But most of their courses perpetuate an ‘employee mindset’.Amir Ghapanchi, Senior Lecturer and Course Chair, Master of Project Management, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1838082022-06-05T20:02:12Z2022-06-05T20:02:12ZThe inequity of Job-ready Graduates for students must be brought to a quick end. Here’s how<p>Labor’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/labors-promised-universities-accord-could-be-a-turning-point-for-higher-education-in-australia-183810">promise of a “universities accord”</a> suggests a slow and careful approach to higher education policy. A <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/jason-clare-rides-his-zingers-into-the-education-ministry/news-story/05f80142fe540653a596b9eb0908fe13">new education minister</a> without a strong background in the portfolio may also want time to get across the issues. </p>
<p>In general, taking this time to get policy right and build support for it is a good approach. But when current policy is causing problems and lacks significant support there is a case for acting more quickly. This is the situation with the previous government’s <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/job-ready">Job-ready Graduates</a> student funding policy <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_LEGislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r6584">enacted in late 2020</a>. </p>
<p>Job-ready Graduates imposes unfair <a href="https://www.studyassist.gov.au/help-loans">HELP debts</a> on some students, adds to the government’s costs of running the HELP loan scheme, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/labor-offers-extra-university-places-but-more-radical-change-is-needed-173219">distorts university incentives</a> in distributing student places between courses. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/labors-promised-universities-accord-could-be-a-turning-point-for-higher-education-in-australia-183810">Labor's promised universities accord could be a turning point for higher education in Australia</a>
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<h2>How are university courses funded?</h2>
<p>A mix of <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/higher-education-loan-program/approved-hep-information/funding-clusters-and-indexed-rates">contributions from the Commonwealth and students</a> fund domestic undergraduates in public universities. Added together, these contributions are the overall funding rate per subject. </p>
<p>The government sets Commonwealth contributions, which vary by academic discipline. The government pays universities according to their enrolments up to a <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/collections/higher-education-providers-2021-2023-funding-agreements">capped total grant amount</a>.</p>
<p>Universities set student contributions up to a legal maximum, which also varies by discipline. Universities are paid directly by students or through <a href="https://www.studyassist.gov.au/help-loans/hecs-help">HECS-HELP loans</a>. Total student contribution revenue is not capped.</p>
<p>Once universities reach their maximum Commonwealth contribution grant they can still increase enrolments, but on student contribution revenue only. These extra students are called “over-enrolments”. Historically, over-enrolments have been an important source of flexibility in meeting student demand.</p>
<p>In its basic architecture, Job-ready Graduates has similarities with previous funding policies, other than the <a href="https://theconversation.com/demand-driven-funding-for-universities-is-frozen-what-does-this-mean-and-should-the-policy-be-restored-116060">demand-driven system</a>, which uncapped both Commonwealth and student contributions.</p>
<p>Where Job-ready Graduates differs is in the setting of Commonwealth and student contributions. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/demand-driven-funding-for-universities-is-frozen-what-does-this-mean-and-should-the-policy-be-restored-116060">Demand-driven funding for universities is frozen. What does this mean and should the policy be restored?</a>
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<h2>Commonwealth cut per student contribution</h2>
<p>Job-ready Graduates increases student places by keeping <a href="https://andrewnorton.net.au/2021/05/14/the-budget-and-higher-education/">total university grants at roughly the same level</a> but reducing the average Commonwealth contribution. Universities need to deliver more student places for each million dollars in public funding.</p>
<p>Labor has already promised a <a href="https://andrewnorton.net.au/2022/05/22/a-few-notes-on-the-future-of-higher-education-policy/">small, and possibly temporary</a>, increase in total Commonwealth contribution funding. Given the government’s <a href="https://budget.gov.au/2022-23/content/bp1/index.htm">overall budget position</a>, a significant increase per student may not be feasible.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/labor-offers-extra-university-places-but-more-radical-change-is-needed-173219">Labor offers extra university places, but more radical change is needed</a>
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<p>For universities, increases in student contributions at least partly offset reductions in Commonwealth contributions under Job-ready Graduates. </p>
<h2>Student contributions changed radically</h2>
<p>The most radical element of Job-ready Graduates was a further change to student contributions. Before this policy took effect, a mix of assumed private financial benefits and course costs explained student contribution levels by discipline. The price gap between the cheapest and most expensive discipline was about $4,500 a year. </p>
<p>Job-ready Graduates abandoned this system. Instead, it uses student contributions to manipulate student demand. </p>
<p>In nursing and teaching, “job-ready” courses the previous government favoured, student contributions were cut by about $2,700 a year. In disfavoured courses they went up. The biggest increases of $7,800 a year were in humanities other than languages. </p>
<p>The gap between the cheapest and most expensive course more than doubled, to $10,550 a year. </p>
<p>Higher or lower Commonwealth contributions partly offset these changes to student contributions, so overall funding rates changed by less than the student contribution levels. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-big-issues-in-higher-education-demand-the-new-governments-attention-183349">3 big issues in higher education demand the new government's attention</a>
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<h2>Job-ready Graduates has long-term impacts</h2>
<p>The Job-ready Graduates assumption that students would respond to these price signals and change enrolment patterns was never sound. Course preferences still <a href="https://andrewnorton.net.au/2020/06/21/jobs-interests-and-student-course-choices/">depend on student interests</a>. For financially motivated students, <a href="https://andrewnorton.net.au/2020/06/28/financial-influences-on-job-seeking-university-applicants/">differences in job and salary prospects</a> are also more significant than how much they pay for their course. </p>
<p>Job-ready Graduates annually shuffles hundreds of millions of dollars in HELP debt between students. Some students, like those in nursing or teaching, will owe less than previously and repay their debt earlier.</p>
<p>Others, like those taking humanities courses, will owe much more and keep repaying for years longer than before. Some may never fully repay their HELP debt.</p>
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<p>While HELP is designed to allow slow or incomplete repayment, this should reflect varying individual circumstances. It is not sensible or fair to assign repayment periods and risks based on course choices. </p>
<p>Slow or no repayment increases the <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewjnorton/status/1392075423094173697/photo/1">cost of HELP to the government</a>. This is not prudent when it already faces large budget deficits.</p>
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<p>The system also affects the economics of over-enrolment. </p>
<p>In fields such as arts, law or business, the student contribution covers more than 90% of the maximum revenue a university could get per student. These fields are close to a de facto demand-driven system, with only minor financial constraints on increased enrolments for universities already earning their maximum Commonwealth grant. </p>
<p>In fields such as education and nursing, less than 25% of maximum per student revenue comes from the student. Over-enrolments in these fields are almost certainly loss-making, creating a deterrent to accepting more students.</p>
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<h2>How can this system be fixed?</h2>
<p>To fix the system we need student and Commonwealth contributions that vary within a narrower range. </p>
<p>This change can be close to budget-neutral. Course that are too expensive, relative to other fields, would have student contributions decreased and Commonwealth contributions increased. Courses that are too cheap would have student contributions increased and Commonwealth contributions decreased. </p>
<p>Estimates of 2022 enrolments could be used to ensure contribution increases and decreases balance each other, leaving the government and universities in the same financial position. </p>
<h2>A fast or slow change?</h2>
<p>Student contribution increases are normally “grandfathered”, so only new students are affected and continuing students are retained on the old rates. </p>
<p>Grandfathering is generally preferable, so students partway through their course are not suddenly hit with unexpected extra charges to finish it. But Job-ready Graduates creates so many problems that it should be ended as quickly and comprehensively as possible.</p>
<p>If the new student pricing system was introduced for 2023, students facing higher charges would have benefited from up to two years of discounted student contributions. Their total course cost at graduation would still be lower than for other students.</p>
<p>A fast fix for the problems of Job-ready Graduates does not preclude later changes coming from the accord process. It is an interim measure to correct errors rather than a long-term policy.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183808/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Norton does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Huge disparities in how much students pay for courses mean graduates of high-fee disciplines will take longer to repay their debts or might never do so. That will ultimately add to government debt.Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1816972022-05-26T12:26:30Z2022-05-26T12:26:30ZWant to expand computer science education? Educate more teachers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464866/original/file-20220523-23-ehi9kr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5691%2C3797&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A teacher works with students in a computer lab.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mature-teacher-assisting-female-students-using-royalty-free-image/1055844022">Maskot via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When advocates push for computer science education, usually they’re talking about boosting the number of schools offering computer science classes – <a href="https://advocacy.code.org/2021_state_of_cs.pdf">with the intent to reach more students</a>. But from our perspective as scholars of computer science education, a key factor is how many teachers are qualified to teach the subject.</p>
<p>Data from 2020 indicates that in one of the most advanced high school computer science classes taught around the country, the College Board’s Advanced Placement Computer Science Principles course, enrollment <a href="https://cs4all.home.blog">grew from nearly 44,000 in 2017 to more than 114,000 in 2020</a>. The growth in enrollment – for that class and other computer science courses leading up to it – has been driven by more teachers taking quick classes on how to teach computer science.</p>
<p>Expanding the number of computer science courses depends on educating even more teachers to teach them. But almost half of all U.S. states don’t have a plan to teach computer science at the K-12 level. There are eight states that lack certification for computer science teachers. And 27 states and the District of Columbia don’t offer incentives for higher education institutions to offer computer science teacher education programs, according to data from <a href="https://code.org/advocacy/landscape.pdf">Code.org</a>.</p>
<p>What this means is schools won’t have enough teachers to expand computer science education. Increasing high-quality access to computer science is important for students who want to use computing as a tool for <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/fullHtml/10.1145/3029595">problem-solving</a> and <a href="https://www.learntechlib.org/p/151572/">creativity</a>.</p>
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<h2>Teacher education programs</h2>
<p>The <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1953163.1953193">National Science Foundation</a> and private groups have <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_id=134316&org=NSF">set up programs to increase</a> the number of computer science teachers. But most of those training efforts happen in <a href="https://code.org/educate/professional-development-online">one- to two-week sessions</a> that typically prepare teachers without a computing background to <a href="https://www.pltw.org/our-programs/pltw-computer-science">teach basic computer science principles</a>.</p>
<p>They do teach some of the computer science content teachers will need to impart, but they emerge from the training often lacking the <a href="https://narst.org/research-matters/pedagogical-content-knowledge">ability</a> to translate that content for students. The short-term courses don’t offer that level of depth.</p>
<p>Without policies and incentives for more dedicated teacher preparation, we believe many new computer science teachers won’t be adequately prepared. Two-week training courses can give prospective computer science teachers a grounding in the basics. But in our view they can’t provide enough depth to prepare teachers to deliver high-quality computer science instruction. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464060/original/file-20220518-21-dyxnjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Girls work on computers while a woman assists." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464060/original/file-20220518-21-dyxnjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/464060/original/file-20220518-21-dyxnjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464060/original/file-20220518-21-dyxnjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464060/original/file-20220518-21-dyxnjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464060/original/file-20220518-21-dyxnjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464060/original/file-20220518-21-dyxnjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/464060/original/file-20220518-21-dyxnjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Fifth graders at Marshall Elementary School in Marysville, Wash., participate in computer science class.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/GirlsTechScores/f038776721b740dcb797dce201f86061/photo">AP Photo/Elaine Thompson</a></span>
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<h2>A combination as a solution</h2>
<p>At <a href="https://education.msu.edu/news/2021/msu-helps-increase-computer-science-equity-and-access-in-detroit/">Michigan State University</a>, in partnership with University of Detroit-Mercy, we have begun exploring another approach that we hope will better prepare school teachers to teach a full range of computer science courses.</p>
<p>Our effort puts university instructors with deep knowledge of computer science in high school computer science classes alongside a schoolteacher who is seeking to become a computer science teacher. The university instructor initially takes the lead, teaching the high school students while simultaneously demonstrating best practices for the teacher. As the year progresses, the high school teacher gains knowledge and experience, ultimately taking on more responsibility in the classroom.</p>
<p>We expect our evaluations to find that this method will allow the teachers to become more comfortable with the content. Then they can independently offer high-quality computer science instruction.</p>
<p>We have also seen great opportunities arise for schoolteachers to connect with their students’ identities and interests to explore computer science. For instance, one teacher used a coding tool called <a href="https://csdt.org/culture/cornrowcurves/index.html">Cornrow Curves</a> – named after an African and African American style of hair braiding – to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3379918">explain and explore how algorithms work</a>.</p>
<p>More recently, we have been thinking about how to build on social relationships that students value – such as with coaches and barbers – to design a computationally and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/3379918">culturally rich learning environment</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/181697/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Aman Yadav receives funding from National Science Foundation, Robin Hood Foundation, and Apple. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Lachney does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Without university-level programs to provide teacher training for advanced computer science, states will not be able to offer high-quality computer science education to all students.Aman Yadav, Professor of Educational Psychology and Educational Technology, Michigan State UniversityMichael Lachney, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology and Educational Technology, Michigan State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1657542021-08-24T20:04:48Z2021-08-24T20:04:48ZCommunication is changing — and most universities haven’t kept up<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415068/original/file-20210807-90251-9bv24g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5381%2C3530&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/5QgIuuBxKwM">Headway/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Almost everyone can agree <a href="https://myfuture.edu.au/career-articles/details/what-are-employability-skills">communication is important</a>. There is much less agreement about what, exactly, communication is or how best to develop skills in it.</p>
<p>Communication today is more multi-modal than ever, but we still tend to give and receive the most <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-tips-on-writing-better-university-assignments-130541">training in writing</a>. Our national survey of introductory communications courses in 2020, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/22041451.2021.1964049">just published</a> in the journal Communication Research and Practice, found more than 70% of assignments in the sample evaluated only a single communication mode. Perhaps unsurprisingly, 85.7% of these were in written form. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/5-tips-on-writing-better-university-assignments-130541">5 tips on writing better university assignments</a>
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<p>Less than a third of the assessment pieces were multi-modal. And only 11% enabled students to practise their spoken, written and visual communication skills in an integrated way.</p>
<p>While writing is certainly a critical communication skill, it’s not the only one. We make and receive messages in spoken or visual form every day. We sometimes seem to believe just by using these modes we’ll naturally get better at them over time.</p>
<p>Sadly, anyone who’s sat through a typical PowerPoint presentation or unending Zoom meetings knows even senior professionals and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/aug/03/politics-rides-roughshod-over-substance-as-scott-morrison-tries-to-spin-his-way-out-of-covid-corner">heads of government</a> often are unaware of or ignore best practices for crafting an effective message in written, spoken or visual form. </p>
<p>And with these three modes being increasingly bundled together, it’s time to stop studying them in isolation. We need to start learning how to thoughtfully integrate them.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/in-a-world-of-digital-bystanders-the-challenge-is-for-all-of-us-to-design-engaging-online-education-147195">In a world of digital bystanders the challenge is for all of us to design engaging online education</a>
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<h2>A growing field but writing dominates</h2>
<p>Universities are a prime training ground for students to learn what communication is. It’s here they should be able to hone communication skills in all its forms before entering the workforce. Despite this, universities have a long history of privileging the written word over other communication types. </p>
<p>English departments, for example, have existed for more than 250 years but not until 1974 did Australia’s <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/15358593.2013.867069">first communication degree</a> enter the scene. Interest in communication has grown since then – <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/22041451.2021.1964049">86% of Australian universities</a> now offer a degree in this field.</p>
<p>However, the ways communication is defined and taught vary widely across the country. In part, this reflects the diversity of where communication degrees are housed. They can be found everywhere from faculties of arts to education, social science, law, business and even health.</p>
<p>Our survey of first-year undergraduate courses found class sizes ranged from as few as 16 students to as many as 1,000 or more. The average was 343. </p>
<p>Such large classes make it hard to achieve consistency across the large teaching teams required to staff these units.</p>
<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced new challenges and increased existing ones related to catering to students from potentially many time zones. In our survey, 20% of universities did not provide synchronous tutorials, where students and teaching staff meet in real time.</p>
<p>Asynchronous learning opportunities, where learners and teachers aren’t meeting in real time, can be convenient for students. However, they don’t allow them to hone the dynamics of real-time conversation and communication. </p>
<p>When assessment tasks are pre-recorded or pre-prepared, are we modelling real-world communication to our students?</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/digital-learning-is-real-world-learning-thats-why-blended-on-campus-and-online-study-is-best-163002">Digital learning is real-world learning. That's why blended on-campus and online study is best</a>
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<h2>The challenges of holistic communications teaching</h2>
<p>Another challenge relates to the background and skills of the teaching team. More than half the universities surveyed had only a single lecturer for the unit. Expecting one person to be able to adequately support the very different modes of written, spoken and visual communication is unrealistic. </p>
<p>A co-taught lecturing approach might better position these programs to define and teach communication more holistically. Our survey found the most popular way to support learning was through student group work. This team-based approach mirrors how much of the professional workforce operates and deserves a closer look. </p>
<p>Shrinking university budgets and <a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/media-item/17000-uni-jobs-lost-to-covid-19/">reduced teaching teams</a> mean much of the work of providing feedback in large units is relegated to group work and peer critique. This can be valuable but shouldn’t substitute for expert feedback.</p>
<p>Encouragingly, unit co-ordinators surveyed are keen to experiment with more innovative assessment types and to consider communication more holistically. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-point-of-assessment-in-higher-education-anyway-32095">What is the point of assessment in higher education anyway?</a>
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<p>To achieve these goals, significant barriers need to be navigated. These include: </p>
<p>1) the length of the semester or degree program, as only so much can fit into a few months and Australia’s degrees are shorter than those in the United States</p>
<p>2) the disciplinary background of the teaching team</p>
<p>3) workload and marking considerations</p>
<p>4) university bureaucracy, as universities sometimes require a year or more to make changes to how classes are taught, which doesn’t encourage innovation and allow co-ordinators to be nimble.</p>
<p>In this age of lockdowns and remote working, being able to present a message in written, spoken and visual forms is more critical than ever. We need holistic training in all three modes so we can become more effective, empowered and responsible communicators.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/165754/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>T.J. Thomson receives funding from Australian Research Council through Discovery project DP210100859: Amplifying Voices from the Royal Commission into Aged Care and from the Australian Academy of the Humanities.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Glen Thomas and Lesley Irvine do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We live in a world of spoken, visual and written communication, but the third mode continues to dominate teaching and assessment in university communication courses.T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Media, Queensland University of TechnologyGlen Thomas, Senior Lecturer in Professional Communication, Queensland University of TechnologyLesley Irvine, Lecturer in Strategic Speech Communication, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1640442021-08-16T17:48:28Z2021-08-16T17:48:28ZDo university students want more online learning, post-pandemic? Here’s what some chose before COVID-19<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/415311/original/file-20210809-25-149neyb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=178%2C321%2C7761%2C4964&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Pre-pandemic research about courses offered online and in-person found students took online courses selectively and strategically.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Across Canada, <a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/covid-19-updates-for-canadas-universities/">universities are</a> working toward reopening <a href="https://www.cp24.com/news/colleges-and-universities-on-track-to-fully-reopen-in-the-fall-without-capacity-limits-memo-1.5514477">for in-person classes</a>. After a year and a half of teaching mostly online due to COVID-19, universities now have to consider how much ongoing student demand there will be for online options and what resources to allocate for it.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-the-covid-19-pandemic-may-have-changed-university-teaching-and-testing-for-good-158342">How the COVID-19 pandemic may have changed university teaching and testing for good</a>
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<p>How will students choose what they want to study in-person or online? What influence will the experience of fully online learning before and during the pandemic have on what they’re now looking for? These are crucial questions.</p>
<p>Many students undoubtedly experienced some benefits of online learning during the pandemic. But as we launch into new ways of teaching and learning post-pandemic, professors and administrators should resist making easy assumptions about what technological “progress” means or demands. </p>
<h2>‘Emergency remote teaching’</h2>
<p>Traditionally, a fully online university course is developed by a professor with substantial support from someone with expertise in online learning (if the professor doesn’t have such expertise themselves), following a <a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674660021">substantial body of research</a>. During COVID-19 there wasn’t time for this. </p>
<p>Instead, many professors were forced to hurriedly adapt courses normally taught in-person for the internet. For this reason, online teaching experts called the rapid switch online “<a href="https://www.edweek.org/leadership/opinion-this-is-emergency-remote-teaching-not-just-online-teaching/2020/03">emergency remote teaching</a>.” </p>
<p>Remote courses weren’t expressly designed to offer complete flexibility in space and time like a typical fully online course, but this doesn’t mean they couldn’t be great. Still, when my colleagues and I surveyed 100 undergraduates in the summer of 2021 to understand their experiences with such remote teaching, we weren’t surprised to hear that many courses differed little from the traditional in-person course, other than class meetings being held over Zoom. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-pushes-universities-to-switch-to-online-classes-but-are-they-ready-132728">Coronavirus pushes universities to switch to online classes — but are they ready?</a>
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<p>Over the past year, universities did offer instructors <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-ways-to-keep-human-connections-when-moving-learning-online-due-to-coronavirus-134351">support from online teaching experts</a>. Some professors who had taught their whole careers in the classroom <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/cee/news/experiences-johnson.html">invested a lot of effort</a> in pre-recording lectures and changing class activities to provide more flexibility during the pandemic, to maximize the benefits of a technology-mediated experience and to minimize its problems. This kind of practice should continue.</p>
<p>But let’s not get carried away. Some educational technology promoters viewed the forced shift to remote teaching as <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeanneallen/2020/03/13/how-technological-innovation-in-education-is-taking-on-covid-19/?sh=15c18eb47bc7">a reckoning</a> for old-fashioned instructors who had refused to accept the progress of technology. What they fail to realize is that it wasn’t just the instructors but many students who preferred the status quo of attending classes in-person.</p>
<h2>Positives and negatives</h2>
<p>Remote learning has no doubt been a gift for some students, such as those who are chronically ill and face difficulty attending class regularly.</p>
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<p>Remote learning also works well for those who <a href="https://theconversation.com/after-covid-19-funding-post-secondary-students-directly-could-create-more-accessible-education-152112">don’t want to move in order to complete their studies</a>. </p>
<p>Yet, there were also losses. Some students learned that <a href="https://www.universityaffairs.ca/features/feature-article/7-missing-pieces-why-students-prefer-in-person-over-online-classes">not getting to go to campus meant the loss of community</a> and made it harder to find quiet time and space to study. </p>
<p>Finally, since students sometimes choose to attend classes on campus <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/43648697">to make themselves keep pace with their studies</a>, those who had avoided fully online classes in the past may have discovered how much they’d relied on the in-person experience to succeed.</p>
<h2>Choices before the pandemic</h2>
<p>Research from the United States before the pandemic showed that despite a gradual rise in student enrolments in fully online courses and programs over the years, the majority of post-secondary students had continued <a href="https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/read/grade-increase-tracking-distance-education-united-states/">to choose in-person courses</a>. <a href="https://wcetfrontiers.org/2019/03/26/tracking-enrollments-in-online-and-distance-education-in-canada-2018/">The same was the case in Canada</a>.</p>
<p>Prior to the pandemic, my colleagues and I conducted a study of how undergraduates at a public university in Canada chose which courses to take online. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2020.100776">We surveyed 650 students</a> from courses that were offered both in-person and fully online at the same time, across a wide range of disciplines, from archeology to computing science. </p>
<p>Among the things we asked students about were practical issues like how long their commute to campus was, their level of responsibility to care for others at home and the number of hours per week they worked. We also asked about things like their goals in taking a course, and how organized they were about their study time. We used a statistical technique called logistic regression to evaluate the strength of these different influences on their preference for online or in-person courses.</p>
<h2>Reasons for choosing online</h2>
<p>About 30 per cent of the time, students enrolled in an online course as their second choice after failing to get into the equivalent in-person course. </p>
<p>The more important a student thought the course was for them and the more inclined they were to seek help when they were struggling, the less likely they were to prefer the online version. </p>
<p>The more courses a student had taken online previously, the more likely they were to prefer the online version of a course. They were also more likely to prefer the online course the better they were at organizing their study time, and more they aimed to minimize their effort on the course. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A student in front of laptop with headphones." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416066/original/file-20210813-28-1cqi0jh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/416066/original/file-20210813-28-1cqi0jh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416066/original/file-20210813-28-1cqi0jh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416066/original/file-20210813-28-1cqi0jh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416066/original/file-20210813-28-1cqi0jh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416066/original/file-20210813-28-1cqi0jh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/416066/original/file-20210813-28-1cqi0jh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Some students surveyed reported they felt forced into taking online courses to fill their loads, since in-person courses often conflicted.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Selective, strategic</h2>
<p>Overall, findings from our pre-pandemic survey made <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2021.1896484">clear that students took online courses selectively and strategically</a>. Since many students could not get into their preferred offering of a course, the choice they faced was not so much between taking a particular course online or in-person this semester, but between taking the online course as their non-preferred choice this semester, or waiting and trying to get into the in-person course later.</p>
<p>Students also told us that they often felt forced into taking online courses to fill their loads, since in-person courses so often conflicted.</p>
<p>These findings contrast with the assumption sometimes seen in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.11.005">academic research</a> that the important limiting factor to the expansion of online learning is not student demand, but reluctant professors. And this summer, a majority of students surveyed by my colleagues and I told us that the pandemic had not really changed what was important to them when choosing whether to take a course online or in-person.</p>
<h2>The future of university learning</h2>
<p>Some remote teaching has been innovative in ways that enhanced students’ learning experiences. These innovations should continue. </p>
<p>But if students have been subjected to lengthy lectures via Zoom, with few breaks and little student-instructor or peer-to-peer interaction — something students also reported this summer in our survey — they might be desperate to get back into an old-fashioned classroom.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164044/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kevin O'Neill's research on students' choice of online or in-person courses and on teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic has received funding from Simon Fraser University and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p>Some promoters of educational technology see COVID-19 as a ‘tech reckoning’ for professors who refused to accept progress. But before the pandemic, many students also preferred in-person classes.Kevin O'Neill, Associate Professor, Education and Technology, Simon Fraser UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1644022021-07-22T20:04:57Z2021-07-22T20:04:57ZUnis are killing the critical study of religion, and it will only make campuses more religious<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411594/original/file-20210716-25-f327re.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=935%2C0%2C5062%2C3363&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sunlight-falls-onto-slate-tiles-through-664593610">Adam Calaitzis/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Global developments in tertiary education suggest the critical scientific study of religion is endangered. One of the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-unis-consider-more-cuts-including-religion-and-theatre-20210505-p57p3n.html">departments slated for extinguishment</a> amid the pandemic-related upheavals was my own at the University of Sydney. This reflects a <a href="https://www.aarweb.org/AARMBR/About-AAR-/Board-of-Directors-/Board-Statements-/Academic-Study-of-Religion.aspx">trend</a> that has captured the academy in Australia and worldwide.</p>
<p>If we take South Australia as an example, over the past decade programs for the critical study of religion at the University of South Australia have been almost completely extinguished, while programs in theology, such as at Flinders, find their future assured. On the east coast, studies of religion programs at the universities of Queensland, Monash, Deakin and Newcastle have been wound back greatly, bled into “multidisciplinary” programs, or <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-unis-consider-more-cuts-including-religion-and-theatre-20210505-p57p3n.html">closed</a>. Departmental identities have been terminated. What isolated staff are left teach just a handful of electives. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australian-universities-and-religion-tales-of-horror-and-hope-23245">Australian universities and religion: tales of horror and hope</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In the United States, <a href="https://justin-lane.medium.com/changes-in-religious-studies-departments-promoting-enrichment-or-entrenchment-c01acd52fd94">Boston and University of California Berkeley</a> have wound down or shut their programs, as has <a href="https://paulbraterman.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/sad-news-stirling-university-ends-religious-studies-courses/">Stirling</a> in the United Kingdom. A <a href="https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2021/04/15/catholic-religious-studies-intellectual-education-universities-239825">range of American colleges</a> are just not teaching religion critically any more.</p>
<h2>How do studies of religion and theology differ?</h2>
<p>Part of this move to kill the academic study of religion comes from ignorance of what it entails. It is generally accepted that an historian studies history because they want to know what really happened. In contrast, the general assumption is that if a scholar studies religion, then it can only be because they have motives that are only partly scholarly. This is untrue, but the long shadow of theology unhelpfully hangs over us. </p>
<p>Once theology was seen in the Western academy as the “<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0953946819868092">queen of the sciences</a>”. The study of Christianity and its philosophies was considered the keystone of all other knowledge. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="view of King's College at the University of Cambridge" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/411596/original/file-20210716-1960-1m3chrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The legacy of the time when theology was ‘queen of the sciences’ can clearly be seen in King’s College at the University of Cambridge.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/cambridge-united-kingdom-15-november-2017-789134380">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This began to break down in the 18th century. Ideas that seemed resolutely Christian began to have <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_in_comparative_mythology">Egyptian origins</a>, or show <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3140852?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents">links to the Persian religion of Zoroastrianism</a>, or were <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/mystery-religion/Mystery-religions-and-Christianity">connected to the Roman cults</a> of Mithra or Isis.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/get-literate-in-myth-religion-and-theology-38283">Get literate in myth, religion and theology</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Theology was further removed from its queenly status when <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-science-figured-out-the-age-of-the-earth/">geologists showed us</a> the age of the planet was many millions rather than thousands of years old. Then, of course, came Charles Darwin’s <a href="https://theconversation.com/guide-to-the-classics-darwins-on-the-origin-of-species-96533">On the Origin of Species</a> in 1859. A few decades later <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-nietzsche-nihilism-and-reasons-to-be-cheerful-130378">Friedrich Nietzsche</a> finally <a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/god-is-dead-god-remains-dead-and-we-have-killed-him-9780241472842">declared</a> God dead. </p>
<p>Yet Christian theology was deeply embedded in the university system. Despite a revolution in faith, the development of the secular state and rising adherence to atheism, theology still influences our understanding of how scholars study religion today. Partly this is because many age-old theology departments continue to survive in the academy. </p>
<p>Their primary aim is to make Christianity fit for purpose in modernity (and therefore to stem the flow of apostates and retain its power in the public sphere). This is not an ideal nor inclusive academic aim in our multicultural, multifaith world. These centres will continue to survive because of church and other external funding as much as by the force of tradition. </p>
<p>Additionally, the uneasy relationship between religion and secularism makes cutting the scholarly examination of religion the lazy go-to for management in their present <a href="https://theconversation.com/defunding-arts-degrees-is-the-latest-battle-in-a-40-year-culture-war-141689">war against humanities</a> education. They see it as not being <a href="https://theconversation.com/our-unis-are-far-behind-the-worlds-best-at-commercialising-research-here-are-3-ways-to-catch-up-159915">industry-focused</a> nor turning out <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-government-is-making-job-ready-degrees-cheaper-for-students-but-cutting-funding-to-the-same-courses-141280">“job-ready” graduates</a>. </p>
<h2>Religion isn’t going away</h2>
<p>During the 20th century, the badly evidenced <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/politics-and-religion/article/abs/secularization-theory-and-religion/7C26EFDB037491E784038E6FF765DF15">“secularisation” theory</a> posited that religion would eventually die out as our states became more secular and scientific. This is clearly not happening – although it might seem to some that it is. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-should-rethink-secularism-to-deal-with-religious-diversity-43414">Universities should rethink secularism to deal with religious diversity</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Inside modern multifaith democracies, religions honour an unstated social contract by mostly keeping themselves away from our public spaces. This curated invisibility does not mean religions are ceasing to exist. It also means their influence on public policy can be much more discrete. Unless these influences and behaviours are critically examined by experts trained in religious literacy, they can go unseen. </p>
<p>Religions have shaped and will continue to shape our social, cultural and political structures. We have a Pentecostal prime minister, and faith-based lobby groups are constantly vying for our politicians’ ears. We have new religions constantly coming into being. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-pentecostalism-and-how-might-it-influence-scott-morrisons-politics-103530">Explainer: what is Pentecostalism, and how might it influence Scott Morrison's politics?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>And religions can, on rare occasions, threaten our security. Yet a careful examination of our suburbs will demonstrate the significant contributions a wide range of global religious communities make to social cohesion and community prosperity. The facts of these developments will go uncharted if theology is the only academic paradigm for examining the spirituality of our nation. </p>
<h2>What happens if we lose religious studies?</h2>
<p>The consequences of the closures of religious studies programs are clear: in a world that ceases to be <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2021/05/18/problems-come-colleges-sweeping-religion-under-rug-opinion">critically aware of religion</a>, religious authority is strengthened through an ignorance that can be shrouded in mysticism. If the only chance we have to study religion at the tertiary level is through a Christian, theological viewpoint, then Western universities are returned to shoring up the high status of one religious tradition over all others. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/want-a-safer-world-for-your-children-teach-them-about-diverse-religions-and-worldviews-113025">Want a safer world for your children? Teach them about diverse religions and worldviews</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>While theology continues to focus strongly on the faith study of Christianity, at Sydney we find one of the last departments in Australia where the critical investigation of all religions still takes place. It is a necessary part of the academy and yet its closure is quite possible. </p>
<p>Abolishing what is left of the critical study of religion on our campuses will allow theology, biblical studies and other faith-focused fields to determine how our graduates examine religion. This will not be through the scholarly tools of science, sociology or history, but through close study of scripture and church philosophy. </p>
<p>University campuses more generally will be affected, too. Students and staff will become less critical of religious claims when they see no scholarly force with the religious literacy and confidence required to seriously question those claims.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/164402/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>I am a senior lecturer in the Department of Studies in Religion - and so have some vested interest in keeping the critical study of religion alive.</span></em></p>The world today needs a critical understanding of religion, not a return to the historical tradition of universities dominated by faith-based study.Christopher Hartney, Lecturer of Religion, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1613452021-06-21T20:11:59Z2021-06-21T20:11:59ZThe government linked the cost of university teaching to funding and student fees, but the numbers don’t add up<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/406381/original/file-20210615-2626-gd5om3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C18%2C6016%2C3989&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/money-cost-saving-goal-success-school-1086637427">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Our newly published <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/abac.12230">research</a> on the costs of university study fails to support estimates used by the Australian government to justify its <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/job-ready">Job-Ready Graduates Package</a>. The legislated policy directly <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/job-ready/improving-accountability-information-providers">linked funding to the cost of teaching</a>, which the government also used to justify increased HECS student contributions in some subjects. Our <a href="https://www.herg.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Cost-of-Higher-Ed-and-Research-Web-abridged-version.pdf">findings</a> indicate teaching costs could be significantly lower than the government policy settings imply. </p>
<p>In June 2020, the then federal education minister, Dan Tehan, announced an extra 39,000 university places by 2023 and 100,000 by 2030. To fund these places, he said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“[…] we will address the misalignment between the cost of teaching a degree and the revenue that a university receives to teach it. We will reform the system so that the student contribution and the Commonwealth contribution actually equals the cost of teaching that degree.” </p>
</blockquote>
<p>For <a href="https://www.herg.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Cost-of-Higher-Ed-and-Research-Web-abridged-version.pdf">our research</a>, we took one discipline, business, for which tuition fees <a href="https://theconversation.com/fee-cuts-for-nursing-and-teaching-but-big-hikes-for-law-and-humanities-in-package-expanding-university-places-141064">increased by 30%</a>. We sought to investigate whether an undergraduate degree did cost the claimed A$15,600 a year to teach. </p>
<h2>Course costings were questioned from the start</h2>
<p>The proposed mechanisms of the Job-Ready Graduates legislation were criticised in many of the 280 submissions to the Education and Employment Legislation Committee <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Education_and_Employment/JobReadyGraduates/Report">inquiry</a> into the bill. </p>
<p>In its submission, the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) said its consultant’s (Deloitte) costings “informed” the calibration by the Commonwealth. Deloitte’s data collection used questionnaires for a sample of universities. </p>
<p>Opposition Senator Kim Carr <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjEjr32-YnxAhXhumMGHe02AlAQFjAAegQIBBAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aph.gov.au%2FDocumentStore.ashx%3Fid%3D713caed5-696d-4d59-b209-769c8b9903bc&usg=AOvVaw1XM9HyQxJuDhJLxV-aL_Uc">questioned</a> these costings:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>“The underlying data used to calculate [the] cost of provision [of education] far exceeds the limitations of the data identified in the Deloitte report […] What further work has the department conducted to ensure this policy change is based on reliable data?”</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The department referred the senator back to the 2019 Deloitte report. It gave no response about data reliability. </p>
<p>A DESE official advised one author on May 10 2021 that the consultants were unaware of the Job-Ready Graduates legislation when undertaking their analysis. </p>
<p>One commentator <a href="https://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/tehans-jobready-package-unfair-to-university-students/news-story/5c00b7b5c41ecafd49db77928e4c0da4">wrote</a>: “Few people in the higher education sector found the figures plausible (and to be fair, Deloitte themselves put caveats around the data). A common complaint is that the report over-estimates the cost to universities of delivering business, law and many humanities courses.” </p>
<p>The report’s caveats were understandable and reasonable. The critical question becomes: why was a questionnaire-based dataset, with several significant caveats disclosed, used as the basis for the multi-billion-dollar funding program? </p>
<h2>Data on costs exist, but requests for access failed</h2>
<p>Studying the production costs of education is complex and requires valid and reliable data because of the joint and common costs. DESE holds a significant dataset known as “<a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/higher-education-statistics/higher-education-data-committee">Datamart</a>”. This was not used for its costing analysis. When we were not given access to this data, we needed an alternative to examine the cost of business education. </p>
<p>Budgetary data from 283 US public university business schools was used instead. While not optimal, this dataset is a reasonable proxy. The US public higher education system is not a low-cost provider, so its costs are likely higher than Australia’s.</p>
<p>Using actual budgetary data allowed us to control for the impact of the costs of:</p>
<ul>
<li>graduate education</li>
<li>research training (PhDs)</li>
<li>university research. </li>
</ul>
<p>A limitation of our dataset is the absence of university-level overhead costs. A positive is that we could measure potentially differing costs between research-intensive and teaching-focused institutions. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.herg.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Cost-of-Higher-Ed-and-Research-Web-abridged-version.pdf">Our results</a> show that, excluding all overheads (at university and school levels), the average (mean) cost per undergraduate student per year is about $A2,700. Significant differences exist between research and teaching-focused universities.</p>
<p>An intriguing result was the high cost of research publications, ranging from $A110,000 when published in “regular” scholarly journals to over $A400,000 for “elite” publications, and varying between research and teaching-focused schools.</p>
<h2>What about overheads?</h2>
<p>We re-estimated our results in several ways. Only when the school’s overheads, research and research training costs are “loaded” into the cost of education did the cost of undergraduate business education increase to something greater than $A5,000 a year. This amount is likely over-estimated since this approach treats research and research training as valueless byproducts of teaching. </p>
<p>We provided our preliminary results to DESE. The department correctly noted the exclusion of university-level overheads, saying overheads “would presumably be a reasonably large component of the cost”. However, the difference between our estimate of A$2,700 and DESE’s A$15,600 is substantial. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1276422539640627200"}"></div></p>
<p>If DESE’s observations on overheads explain this difference, more than eight dollars in ten is spent on “overheads” (at university and school levels). If such a small percentage of teaching costs is directed to “frontline” teaching activities, that implies considerable inefficiency in our universities. We do not believe these inefficiencies exist on such a scale. </p>
<p>An alternative position is that these eight dollars are not all spent on “overheads”. Instead, some of this money subsidises other activities, potentially including teaching of other disciplines and/or research. </p>
<p>Of the many implications of our findings, we raise only one. If the cost of business education is actually much lower than estimated, and if one believes university funding is a “zero-sum” game – meaning there are no large overall surpluses or deficits – then could other fields be undercosted and therefore underfunded? Such fields might include science or technology or involve clinical and practical components, such as nursing.</p>
<h2>Why transparency about costings matters</h2>
<p>A policy of identifying the cost of education and linking it to funding allows for a more transparent and open market. However, the implementation needs repair. </p>
<p>Who cares? Australian business undergraduates should because their tuition fees are paying for activities other than their education. </p>
<p>Universities should care. This study raises the prospect that their activities in science, technology and clinical care fields may be undercosted and underfunded. </p>
<p>The government should also care. False costings will undermine the very misalignment it wanted to eliminate.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161345/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Keith A Houghton has previously received funding from the Australian Research Council under the Linkage and Discovery programs. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christine Jubb has previously received funding from the Australian Research Council under the Linkage and Discovery programs.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Past President American Accounting Association</span></em></p>The Job-Ready Graduates policy aims to remove ‘the misalignment between the cost of teaching a degree and the revenue that a university receives to teach it’. But new research challenges its costings.Keith A Houghton, Emeritus Professor, Australian National UniversityChristine Jubb, Professor of Accounting, Associate Director Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of TechnologyNancy Bagranoff, Professor of Accounting, University of RichmondLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1444142020-08-17T20:12:59Z2020-08-17T20:12:59ZUni student failure rate is a worry, but the government response is too heavy-handed<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353073/original/file-20200817-16-1vvm3m3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=46%2C0%2C5227%2C3372&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/single-sad-student-checking-failed-exam-644598994">Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>In a surprise move, the government has revealed <a href="https://andrewnorton.net.au/2020/08/13/checking-that-students-are-on-track-to-pass-the-governments-proposal/">several new policies</a> to reduce rates of failure in university subjects. If the <a href="https://www.dese.gov.au/job-ready/job-ready-graduates-package-draft-legislation-consultation">legislation</a> passes, it will require universities to:</p>
<ul>
<li>monitor student academic performance more closely</li>
<li>prevent students enrolling in too many subjects</li>
<li>exclude students who <a href="https://andrewnorton.net.au/2020/08/14/should-students-lose-commonwealth-support-for-failing-too-many-subjects/">fail more than half their subjects</a>, except in special circumstances. </li>
</ul>
<p>The problem with the new laws, which include withdrawal of funding for students who fail too many subjects, is they will push universities towards faster, and possibly premature, termination of student enrolments. </p>
<h2>Failing is expensive</h2>
<p>In 2018, <a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiYWM2NjRkYTktZGJkNC00MGVkLWJlYjItMGRjNTc3Y2FkNmVkIiwidCI6ImRkMGNmZDE1LTQ1NTgtNGIxMi04YmFkLWVhMjY5ODRmYzQxNyJ9">nearly 17% of subjects</a> taken by Commonwealth-supported students were not successfully completed. The students either failed or withdrew after the census date when they incur a HELP debt. </p>
<p>This lack of subject success is expensive. Exact costs are not published, but taken as a proportion of <a href="https://app.heims.education.gov.au/HeimsOnline/IPInfo/Determination">Commonwealth payments</a> the fail-or-withdraw rate translates into nearly A$800 million in HELP debt and almost A$1.2 billion in subsidies to universities. </p>
<h2>Some fails are avoidable</h2>
<p>Some students fail subjects because, despite their best efforts and those of their teachers, their academic work is not satisfactory. We would worry about academic standards if the pass rate was 100%. But other failed subjects are potentially avoidable. </p>
<p>Sometimes students fail due to academic factors universities can do something about, such as by improving teaching or helping students who are falling behind. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/failing-a-subject-isnt-just-the-students-fault-universities-can-and-should-help-126195">Failing a subject isn't just the student's fault. Universities can and should help</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Universities cannot control student life issues such as health, work and family matters. All of these are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07294360.2019.1664999">reasons students give</a> for failing subjects. But universities can judge whether these issues are temporary or manageable. If so, they are not fundamental obstacles to future academic success.</p>
<p>Other students fail because they are not going to class, handing in essays or sitting tests. They have effectively dropped subjects or their course, but have not officially notified their university. The system then automatically registers HELP debts and fails. </p>
<p>When <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/universities-must-exorcise-their-ghost-students">La Trobe University examined its records</a>, it estimated a quarter of all fails were by “ghost students” who did not submit the work needed to pass. If these students can be encouraged to formally withdraw earlier, subject fails and HELP debts will decrease.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-students-are-going-to-university-than-before-but-those-at-risk-of-dropping-out-need-more-help-118764">More students are going to university than before, but those at risk of dropping out need more help</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The government’s measures to reduce fails</h2>
<p>The legislation has several measures intended to limit ghost enrolments and failed subjects. </p>
<p>Students would not be allowed to enrol in more than double the subjects a full-time student normally takes in a year, unless they had a demonstrated capacity to do so. University policies already prevent major subject overloads, as taking on too much increases the risk of failure. </p>
<p>But some students – <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/no-help-uni-students-who-fail-half-their-subjects-to-lose-taxpayer-support-20200812-p55l18.html">about 2,500 on the government’s figures</a> – enrol in more than one university at once. <a href="https://heimshelp.education.gov.au/resources/TCSI">Upgrading the government’s enrolment IT</a> should help identify and regulate these students.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2015L01639/Download">By law</a>, universities must check before enrolment that each prospective student is academically suited to their course. The new law would extend this requirement to the subject level. </p>
<p>How this would work in practice is unclear. With more than eight million subject enrolments a year, checking every one would be a massive exercise. </p>
<p>Focusing on students with prior fails may be sufficient. It would be in line with <a href="https://www.deakin.edu.au/students/studying/assessment-and-results/academic-progress">existing</a> <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/managing-your-course/classes-and-assessment/academic-progression/international-student-requirements/academic-progress-and-early-intervention">university</a> <a href="https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/academic-progress-and-final-results/academic-warnings-and-showing-cause">policies</a> on students who fail half or more of their subjects in a semester. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/dropping-out/">2018 Grattan Institute report</a> I co-authored found that, of the 7% of commencing bachelor-degree students who failed all their first-semester subjects, a quarter continued and also failed all second-semester subjects. Future outcomes like that may signal non-compliance with the academic suitability law.</p>
<p>Finally, the legislation would give the government power to deprive universities of funding for students it deems not “genuine”. Genuineness indicators already <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2019L01699">used in private higher education institutions</a> include whether students are reasonably engaged in the course, whether they have satisfied course requirements and, if the course is online, how many times they have logged on. These provisions target ghost students.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-need-to-train-lecturers-in-online-delivery-or-they-risk-students-dropping-out-133921">Universities need to train lecturers in online delivery, or they risk students dropping out</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Consequences for students</h2>
<p>As general themes, the ideas in the legislation are not inherently bad. Many reflect standard or common practices in higher education. </p>
<p>The problem is that universities have to balance the risks of further fails and HELP debt against the benefits of giving students a second chance. </p>
<p>If the legislation passes, universities will be nervous about being fined for breaching the academic suitability rule and losing funding for non-genuine students. This creates an incentive to end enrolments, possibly prematurely, after one bad semester. </p>
<p>Students who fail more than half their subjects, after taking at least eight in a bachelor degree, <a href="https://andrewnorton.net.au/2020/08/14/should-students-lose-commonwealth-support-for-failing-too-many-subjects/">already face exclusion from their course</a>. But the legislation would limit which factors universities can consider in making this decision. </p>
<p>Universities could take into account failures due to reasons <a href="https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2013C00782/Download">beyond a student’s control</a>, such as their own or a family member’s illness. But universities could not consider general difficulties adapting to university life, or other reasons a student could plausibly have controlled. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353071/original/file-20200817-14-1gb1gj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="University lecturer discusses a student's work with them." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353071/original/file-20200817-14-1gb1gj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/353071/original/file-20200817-14-1gb1gj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353071/original/file-20200817-14-1gb1gj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353071/original/file-20200817-14-1gb1gj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353071/original/file-20200817-14-1gb1gj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353071/original/file-20200817-14-1gb1gj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/353071/original/file-20200817-14-1gb1gj0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The provisions of the current bill could lead to students who could succeed with proper support being denied a second chance.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/professor-gives-bad-grade-after-oral-150629666">Adam Gregor/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>A different approach</h2>
<p>Patterns of subject failure are worth investigating, to protect students put at unacceptably high risk of further fails and debt. But this task should be handled not by the Department of Education, which would implement these laws, but the <a href="https://www.teqsa.gov.au/">Tertiary Education Quality and Standard Agency</a>. Many subject fails are linked to the course admission, teaching quality and course retention matters that TEQSA already regulates. </p>
<p>TEQSA operates under a “regulatory necessity, risk and proportionality” principle, which lets it take a nuanced approach. Universities that put failing students at high risk of continued poor performance would have to improve their practices. But universities would still be free to consider the complex trade-offs of each individual case, without inflexible rules driving them to one conclusion. </p>
<p>Students should also be made more aware of the census date’s importance. <a href="https://andrewnorton.net.au/2020/08/13/disengaged-and-failing-students-are-an-issue-worth-policy-attention/">A small Grattan Institute survey</a> showed many students did not know what the census date was, or thought they did but gave an incorrect answer. A name change that highlights its significance, such as “payment date”, would encourage students to drop subjects sooner to avoid HELP debt and fails.</p>
<p>Although the government has identified a real problem, its heavy-handed regulation would create unnecessary red tape for universities and exclude students who should get a second chance.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/144414/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrew Norton works for the Australian National University, which would be affected by the policies discussed in the article. </span></em></p>Although the government has identified a real problem, its heavy-handed regulation would create unnecessary red tape for universities and exclude students who should get a second chance.Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1345492020-03-30T04:47:42Z2020-03-30T04:47:42ZStudying a uni course online? Here are 4 tips to get yourself tech ready<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323880/original/file-20200330-146705-9xqb3k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australian universities have responded in a number of ways to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. These include <a href="https://www.idp.com/australia/corona-virus-information-for-idp-students/">delaying enrolments</a>, <a href="https://www.itnews.com.au/news/online-mass-exodus-how-australian-unis-are-coping-with-the-covid-19-pandemic-539630">moving semester breaks forward</a>, abolishing late payment fees and <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/australian-universities-begin-moving-classes-online-to-tackle-covid-19-outbreak/">moving courses online</a>. </p>
<p>Engaging students in online content is easier said than done. <a href="https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1133612.pdf">Research</a> shows results can improve with the use of techniques such as shortening content and making it more focused, and establishing rapport between the lecturer and students. </p>
<p>Students’ views on online learning can be mixed. Some <a href="https://www.learntechlib.org/p/111541/">research</a> shows they can find online simulations such as in physics and engineering to be efficient, but say completing many online modules takes too long.</p>
<hr>
<p><iframe id="qgSEK" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/qgSEK/4/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<hr>
<p>If you’ve found yourself having to study your university course online, here are some ways to ensure you’re ready for your virtual experience.</p>
<h2>1. Laptop and software</h2>
<p>It goes without saying that, to learn online, you need a laptop or a desktop PC with a reliable internet connection. You will need this to participate in the virtual class, for writing essays and other assignments, and navigating your university’s learning management system – such as Moodle or Blackboard.</p>
<p>Connecting your phone’s earphones to your computer is perhaps the cheapest alternative to a speaker and microphone. </p>
<p>You might see advertisements for a webcam with a fancy 4K definition. While this will provide a high quality video, you are unlikely to need this to participate in your online class. A high resolution camera uses a lot of data and requires a high speed internet connection. </p>
<p>So it’s advisable to use a webcam with no more than 720p resolution to reduce the amount of bandwidth you use (to use less of your data). Most laptops’ webcams have a resolution of 720p. </p>
<p>You can check the resolution of your webcam <a href="https://webcamtests.com/resolution">here</a>. </p>
<p>If you do not have access to a computer at home, you can check with your university library about borrowing a laptop. Many universities <a href="https://www.swinburne.edu.au/library/about/borrow/equipment-loan/laptops/">loan laptops</a> as part of their <a href="https://library.westernsydney.edu.au/main/guides/borrowing-renewing/loan-conditions">student services</a>. But this may be as hard as getting your hands on a roll of a toilet paper. So put your request in early.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-need-to-train-lecturers-in-online-delivery-or-they-risk-students-dropping-out-133921">Universities need to train lecturers in online delivery, or they risk students dropping out</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>If you need access to a specific software, such as the Microsoft Office package, you should also check with your university library if it provides a free login for students to use the software. All Australian university and school students have <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/education/products/office">free access to the Microsoft Office package</a>, but there may be others your university has signed up to.</p>
<h2>2. Make sure you know how much data you’re using</h2>
<p>Most Australian universities are running their virtual classes via <a href="https://zoom.us/">Zoom</a> video conferencing software. By now you would have received instructions on how to download and set up your Zoom account.</p>
<p>But it’s important to know how much data you will need and whether your internet speed is enough.</p>
<p>A typical one hour 720p video call would use almost 540MB of data download (data received) and the same for upload (data you sent). This means, on average, total data use per hour may be more than 1GB. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/say-what-how-to-improve-virtual-catch-ups-book-groups-and-wine-nights-134655">Say what? How to improve virtual catch-ups, book groups and wine nights</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Netflix, in comparison, uses 1GB per hour for standard definition, and 3GB per hour for HD streaming.</p>
<p>Assuming you are enrolled in four units this semester, you may need to attend up to eight hours of lectures and eight hours of tutorials per week. This brings your consumption to a rough average of 16GB per week. You will also need to account for browsing and other general use. </p>
<p>Below are some extra tips for improving the quality of your video call.</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323871/original/file-20200330-146678-18kf9os.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323871/original/file-20200330-146678-18kf9os.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323871/original/file-20200330-146678-18kf9os.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=617&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323871/original/file-20200330-146678-18kf9os.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=617&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323871/original/file-20200330-146678-18kf9os.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=617&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323871/original/file-20200330-146678-18kf9os.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=775&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323871/original/file-20200330-146678-18kf9os.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=775&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323871/original/file-20200330-146678-18kf9os.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=775&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
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<span class="attribution"><span class="source">The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<h2>3. Set yourself up with a university VPN</h2>
<p>Many universities provide staff and students with a Virtual Private Network (VPN), to access the university’s services when off campus. </p>
<p>If you are overseas, this may be essential. A VPN gives students and staff secure access to the university network. When you install the university VPN client on your computer, it will create a kind of a secure, private “tunnel” so the data exchanged between your computer and the university network won’t be seen by other internet users. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-a-virtual-private-network-vpn-12741">Explainer: what is a virtual private network (VPN)?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><a href="https://sydneyuni.service-now.com/sm?id=kb_article&sys_id=e10e1396db01b3485beaf9b7f4961981">Some universities</a> have set up a VPN specifically to help students in China impacted by the COVID-19 travel restrictions.</p>
<p>Regardless of your location, accessing university services (e-learnning platform such as Moodle, Blackboard, special software and journals) via VPN will simplify many of the security and access control policies enforced by your university such as dual and two- factor authentication.</p>
<p>Accessing the university library website via VPN will also give you free access to many paid research databases. As with any networking resource, if multiple students are accessing it at the same time, there is a chance of congestion. </p>
<p>For information on how to set up a VPN connection on your computer, consult your university library or IT support department.</p>
<h2>4. Abide by some basic etiquette rules</h2>
<p>A final point to remember is though you are attending classes from home, this doesn’t mean you should behave as if at home. An online classroom is a professional environment.</p>
<p>There are some basic etiquette rules for online learning, which include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>be on time for class. Try to login five minutes before so you can make sure your audio, video and other features are set up</p></li>
<li><p>wear the kind of clothes you would wear to class. Just because it’s virtual, doesn’t mean you can be in bed while Zooming in</p></li>
<li><p>mute your microphone when others are speaking</p></li>
<li><p>try to reduce your movements when your camera is turned on</p></li>
<li><p>don’t assume people will remember your name and introduce yourself when you speak</p></li>
<li><p>don’t shout over, or interrupt, others who are speaking.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323886/original/file-20200330-146683-uy0m6o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323886/original/file-20200330-146683-uy0m6o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/323886/original/file-20200330-146683-uy0m6o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=1500&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323886/original/file-20200330-146683-uy0m6o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=1500&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323886/original/file-20200330-146683-uy0m6o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=1500&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323886/original/file-20200330-146683-uy0m6o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1885&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323886/original/file-20200330-146683-uy0m6o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1885&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/323886/original/file-20200330-146683-uy0m6o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1885&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption"></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/134549/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mahmoud Elkhodr is a Lecturer in ICT at CQUniversity. He is also the Nomination Chairman of IEEE NSW Section </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Belal Alsinglawi and Omar Mubin do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>How much data are you using when streaming lectures? What camera do you need? And what’s a VPN? Here are some handy tips to be technologically prepared for your virtual university experience.Mahmoud Elkhodr, Lecturer in Information and Communication Technologies, CQUniversity AustraliaBelal Alsinglawi, PhD Candidate in Data Science and ICT Lecturer, Western Sydney UniversityOmar Mubin, Senior Lecturer in human-centred computing & human-computer interaction, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1179702019-06-18T19:57:46Z2019-06-18T19:57:46ZThe three things universities must do to survive disruption<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279755/original/file-20190617-118497-11qf926.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">More people are learning what they want, wherever they want.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wes Mountain, The Conversation</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This essay is part of a series of articles on the future of education.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>The nature of global communication (for better and worse) has changed. Virtually all young people in Australia <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/729928/australia-social-media-usage-by-age/">spend an average</a> of <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/medibank-survey-adults-spend-nine-hours-a-day-in-front-of-screen/news-story/cc7252754ef395b2da16401eaad500db">nine hours a day online</a> and about three hours of that interacting on <a href="https://wearesocial.com/au/blog/2019/02/digital-report-australia%20https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2019/01/how-much-time-do-people-spend-social-media-infographic.html">social media</a>. That means they spend more time online than sleeping. </p>
<p>Smartphones and smart technologies are our <a href="https://www.technology.org/2019/04/10/why-smartphones-play-such-a-crucial-role-in-our-lives/">personal assistants</a> with diary, shopping, research, translation, social and telecommunications capabilities all a swipe away. As you read this, or have Siri read it to you, people are solving problems, writing music, dating, visiting a tele-nurse and conducting business – all online. It is the new normal.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, massive open online courses (<a href="https://www.classcentral.com/report/mooc-stats-2017/">MOOCs</a>) offer tens of thousands of opportunities for people to be exposed to the best researchers, practitioners and university talent in the world. MOOCs are one example of our <a href="https://www.bestcolleges.com/perspectives/annual-trends-in-online-education/">interconnected world</a>, which allows expertise to be <a href="https://www.trainingjournal.com/blog/global-village-technology-helps-us-connect-and-communicate">universal and accessible</a> – <a href="https://cdn.ey.com/echannel/au/en/industries/government---public-sector/ey-university-of-the-future-2030/EY-university-of-the-future-2030.pdf">anyone can learn what they want</a>, where they want, when they want and how they want.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/mooc-and-youre-out-of-a-job-uni-business-models-in-danger-9738">MOOC and you're out of a job: uni business models in danger</a>
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<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279748/original/file-20190617-158917-hhdb96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279748/original/file-20190617-158917-hhdb96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279748/original/file-20190617-158917-hhdb96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279748/original/file-20190617-158917-hhdb96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279748/original/file-20190617-158917-hhdb96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279748/original/file-20190617-158917-hhdb96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279748/original/file-20190617-158917-hhdb96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279748/original/file-20190617-158917-hhdb96.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Our world is online and universities need to get with the times.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If you want to study psychology, master computer coding or complete an MBA, why would you pay big fees to a large university to support its infrastructure costs and hear someone lecture in a huge hall, when you could watch the world’s best experts from the comfort of your apartment or on your phone, wherever you are?</p>
<p>To remain relevant, Australia’s universities will need to transform into very different entities, with new business models that foster innovation and embrace the interconnection technology offers. And they will need to do so quickly. </p>
<h2>The old university model is becoming obsolete</h2>
<p>The American business academic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clayton_M._Christensen">Clayton M. Christensen</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Innovative-University-Changing-Higher-Education-ebook/dp/B005C776E4">used the term</a> “disruption” to discuss the implications of the massive changes to the student base of universities. </p>
<p>He likened the situation to how discount stores such as Target disrupted the business models of department stores like Myer and David Jones, capturing an increasing chunk of middle-class spending on everyday personal and household goods. Christensen challenged universities not to be like the big steel mills that are mostly relics of the past.</p>
<hr>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/former-ambassador-jeffrey-bleich-speaks-on-trump-disruptive-technology-and-the-role-of-education-in-a-changing-economy-73957">Former ambassador Jeffrey Bleich speaks on Trump, disruptive technology, and the role of education in a changing economy</a>
</strong>
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</p>
<hr>
<p>Similarly, US scholar <a href="https://www.cathydavidson.com/">Cathy N. Davidson</a> has <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/New-Education-Revolutionize-University-Students-ebook/dp/B06XS4WBNJ/ref=pd_sim_351_2/357-4598083-4438631?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B06XS4WBNJ&pd_rd_r=4e73f3a1-8033-11e9-b44e-f76fb66d5db1&pd_rd_w=x0t3C&pd_rd_wg=8k32p&pf_rd_p=f09e5598-fbdb-4712-af44-62e0022496fc&pf_rd_r=MN5WCKWTPMWN0BGJETE6&psc=1&refRID=MN5WCKWTPMWN0BGJETE6">urged universities</a> to abandon generic degrees and impersonal forms of teaching, to make university education more accessible and relevant.</p>
<p>In most university programs, a student completes courses in large facilities at mandated times. In the first year of many degrees, learning is primarily passive and assessment is typically in the form of easily marked exams.</p>
<p>The current university funding model is <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2019/01/10/top-6-trends-in-higher-education/">mainly based on the assumption</a> completing multi-year undergraduate and postgraduate coursework degrees, broken into semesters or terms of 10-15 weeks, is still a relevant measure of learning. </p>
<p>This mode of “seat time” as learning is becoming obsolete. Learning in courses made of <a href="https://www.fya.org.au/2018/09/21/lifelong-learning-and-reskilling-the-promise-of-microcredentials/">short chunks</a>, certificates, or <a href="https://evolllution.com/programming/credentials/microcredentials-micromasters-and-nanodegrees-whats-the-big-idea/">micro-credentialled</a> <a href="https://www.obviouschoice.com.au/what-are-micro-credentials">mini units of study</a> is growing as the preferred method for this generation of students and industry.</p>
<p>Some will say <a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/the-source/the-future-of-learning-and-teaching">Australian universities are already on it</a>, with <a href="https://landing.smartsparrow.com/digital-learning-innovation-report-2017">innovation hubs</a>, <a href="https://www.monash.edu/about/structure/senior-staff/vice-chancellor/profile/vice-chancellors-speeches/how-will-australian-higher-education-change">new academic products</a> including <a href="https://www.candlefox.com/blog/micro-credentials-the-opportunities-for-education-providers/">micro-credentials</a> and increasingly online delivery.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279745/original/file-20190617-158958-d7m8eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279745/original/file-20190617-158958-d7m8eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279745/original/file-20190617-158958-d7m8eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279745/original/file-20190617-158958-d7m8eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279745/original/file-20190617-158958-d7m8eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279745/original/file-20190617-158958-d7m8eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279745/original/file-20190617-158958-d7m8eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279745/original/file-20190617-158958-d7m8eg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The passive, seat-mode of learning is becoming obsolete.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But these features are generally bolted on to the status-quo funding model, based on teaching the first year of a program cheaply to drive profit that can be spent on more engagement-oriented upper-level courses, and to support research and infrastructure. </p>
<p>These pop-up innovations are mostly used to drive the marketing of university brands and promote reputations rather than as sustainable ways of doing business. They are mostly <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_leader">loss leaders</a>, similar to sales at your local supermarket.</p>
<h2>What are the three pillars of a future-focused university?</h2>
<p>With a population of 25 million people, <a href="https://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/english/australian-education/universities-and-higher-education">does Australia need</a> 40-plus universities? Probably not if it means 40-plus big stores whose business models require mass lectures in the first year, bolstered by increasing international student enrolments to fund high infrastructure and staffing costs.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-regional-universities-are-at-risk-of-going-under-109374">Why regional universities are at risk of going under</a>
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</p>
<hr>
<p>But there is a bright future ahead if universities redefine themselves beyond the rhetoric of value propositions and marketing schtick, and fully embrace the below three key pillars: </p>
<p><strong>1. Promote engagement and impact</strong> </p>
<p>Virtually every academic program should be formatted to embrace new ways of learning. Students of any short course, module, certificate or degree should have meaningful opportunities to do real work for real purposes as part of their experience. Students should <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Mind-Brain-Education-Neuroscience-Implications-ebook/dp/B0046W6UDY">learn by doing</a> and learning should connect theory with practice. </p>
<p>While this seems obvious in nursing and teaching, it is just as critical in English or biology. Likewise, assessment should <a href="http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb03/vol60/num05/How-Classroom-Assessments-Improve-Learning.aspx/">primarily be <em>for</em> learning</a> more than <em>of</em> learning.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279753/original/file-20190617-118526-1afhywq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279753/original/file-20190617-118526-1afhywq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279753/original/file-20190617-118526-1afhywq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=952&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279753/original/file-20190617-118526-1afhywq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=952&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279753/original/file-20190617-118526-1afhywq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=952&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279753/original/file-20190617-118526-1afhywq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1196&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279753/original/file-20190617-118526-1afhywq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1196&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279753/original/file-20190617-118526-1afhywq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1196&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">STEM.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>2. Enhance humanity</strong> </p>
<p>The complexities of interconnection are leading us quickly toward a machine-based world. Decisions we make about our future interconnections will not just be about driverless cars, but about <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/04/relying-on-technology-could-be-eroding-our-core-principles">handing over moral decisions</a> to smart tools.</p>
<p>To preserve humanity, our STEM-focused career tracks should embed multiple opportunities to integrate ethics, history, arts, philosophy and morality.</p>
<p><strong>3. Expand student access</strong> </p>
<p>To this point, most universities have been sorting institutions. High marks and test scores from school leavers have equalled access and opportunity. Yet, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/30/will-you-drop-out-of-university-report-reveals-australian-students-at-risk">high failure rates in first year</a> driven by poor assessments lead to a large exodus of students.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-students-are-going-to-university-than-before-but-those-at-risk-of-dropping-out-need-more-help-118764">More students are going to university than before, but those at risk of dropping out need more help</a>
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<hr>
<p>With lifelong learning required for all of us to stay flexible both intellectually and professionally, we must shift our attention to opportunity, knowledge promotion, and flexible entry and access points for the new-fangled chunks of learning experiences we offer. </p>
<p>Maintaining high expectations, rooted in fairness and widening opportunity coupled with flexible designs, will be a challenge for large universities that pride themselves on <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-21/atar-relevance-under-fire-as-report-says-fewer-students-admitted/9569052">accepting high-ranking students</a>, or that assume entrance requirements such as the Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) are predictors of future success in the interconnected world.</p>
<h2>Universities must change their KPIs</h2>
<p>University leaders use metrics such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-kpis-on-university-engagement-need-more-thought-78026">key performance indicators</a> (KPIs) to evaluate their performance. KPIs can be counting the numbers of website hits, noting the number of students who complete the first month of a new semester, or increasing the number of international applications. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-kpis-on-university-engagement-need-more-thought-78026">Why the KPIs on university engagement need more thought</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Each faculty and supporting division at each campus will need new key performance indicators (future-focused KPIs) to launch the transformation necessary to rethink learning outcomes:</p>
<p><strong>Prepare for an interconnected world</strong> </p>
<p>Most future life and work will be housed in interconnectedness locally, nationally and internationally. For our younger students it already is.</p>
<p><strong>Become transdisciplinary experts</strong> </p>
<p>Most knowledge does not reside in separate disciplines as we have typically chunked them in universities. Instead, experiences should cross the dotted lines of discipline and expertise, mixing the arts and sciences in truly human ways.</p>
<p><strong>Be life-ready more than work-ready</strong> </p>
<p>Unlike in the past, most of us will <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeannemeister/2012/08/14/the-future-of-work-job-hopping-is-the-new-normal-for-millennials/#78c0d32b13b8">shift our career paths</a> multiple times across our lives. University experiences should provide multiple opportunities for takeaways that help graduates of programs of whatever duration be nimble and continue to learn. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279933/original/file-20190618-118518-13ngvyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279933/original/file-20190618-118518-13ngvyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/279933/original/file-20190618-118518-13ngvyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279933/original/file-20190618-118518-13ngvyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279933/original/file-20190618-118518-13ngvyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279933/original/file-20190618-118518-13ngvyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279933/original/file-20190618-118518-13ngvyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/279933/original/file-20190618-118518-13ngvyq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Semesters will be replaced with personalised learning on demand.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/SYTO3xs06fU">Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>Promote well-being</strong></p>
<p>Most universities provide multiple reactionary systems for students in crisis, but they do little to frontload well-being and <a href="https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1790&context=jutlp">mental-health support</a> into their formal offerings. </p>
<p>Our lack of effective self-care threatens our day-to-day human health and happiness. We often succumb to the stressors of modern life because we don’t proactively address social, emotional and physical well-being as <a href="https://melbourne-cshe.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/2302603/MCSHE-Student-Wellbeing-Framework_FINAL.pdf">part of our formal learning</a> to prepare for life’s challenges. </p>
<p><strong>Change ‘seat time’ as the default learning measurement</strong></p>
<p>As we shift to flexible learning formats and durations, seat time in lectures and tutorials will no longer effectively determine completion. Learning will. </p>
<p>Semesters of 15 weeks will be replaced with personalised learning on demand. This is <a href="https://itali.uq.edu.au/files/1279/Discussion-paper-Personalised_learning_an_overview.pdf">already the norm</a> in military education and corporate training. </p>
<p><strong>Share expertise across the world</strong></p>
<p>Faculties will merge forces to share talent in creative ways, not for financial efficiency but to provide learners with access to the best and most knowledgeable teachers and scholars in the world. </p>
<p>Mediocre offerings will be replaced by gold-standard teaching and learning, allowing local staff to support student engagement and impact while promoting excellence and equity. </p>
<p><strong>Embrace smart tools</strong></p>
<p>Smart tools and mixed-reality learning experiences will make the lecture model nearly redundant. Artificial intelligence and virtual reality systems, which continue to grow in sophistication, will render didactic teaching irrelevant. </p>
<p>Smart tools can <a href="https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20190116094437946">personalise learning</a> in dynamic, interactive ways across all disciplines. These systems will require infrastructure to support them. </p>
<p>Picture <a href="https://www.studyinternational.com/news/how-the-integration-of-new-technology-is-changing-the-higher-education-landscape/">lecture halls refurbished</a> as engaged learning centres for artificial intelligence platforms, with smart tutors and mixed-reality experiences. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/five-ways-artificial-intelligence-will-shape-the-future-of-universities-94706">Five ways artificial intelligence will shape the future of universities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Over the next few years there will likely be mergers and closures across the university sector in response to the multiple disruptions facing tertiary education.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, every Australian will need to be part of post-secondary learning many times in their lives to remain viable. That includes retraining for new work, new learning for jobs we haven’t even thought of yet, and engaging in university experiences to help us become smarter and better people.</p>
<p>Disruptive innovators should be the rule, not the exception. If we come together as learners in a community of well-being, kindness and keenness to solve problems and create knowledge in flexible ways, using emerging smart tools to reinforce learning, we can fully embrace the opportunities and challenges of the interconnected world.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>What is the purpose of education today? Read another essay in this series <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-point-of-education-its-no-longer-just-about-getting-a-job-117897">here</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/117970/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>John Fischetti does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Technology has disrupted the way universities offer courses, the types of skills we will need, and the duration for which we will need them. Here are three things universities must do to survive.John Fischetti, Professor, Interim Pro Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Education and Arts; Dean/Head of School of Education, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/629772016-08-12T01:24:25Z2016-08-12T01:24:25ZStandardised curriculums in Indian universities are not helping to improve academic quality<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/132332/original/image-20160728-28721-1iclw7o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Low attainment levels are presenting universities with big challenges.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Standardised curriculums adopted by many universities in India are not helping to raise students’ academic outcomes.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/systems-over-regulated-under-governed/237796">Over-regulation</a> in the Indian higher education sector has led regulators like the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education and the Pharmacy Council of India to insist on a standardised curriculum being followed by all colleges and universities.</p>
<p>UGC proposed the <a href="http://www.ugc.ac.in/page/model-curriculum.aspx">model curriculum</a> for almost all programs and courses as it assumed standardising the curriculum would help to establish a minimum standard of quality. And for the courses that this didn’t apply to, such as the professional ones, other regulators like <a href="http://www.aicte-india.org/modelsyllabus.php">AICTE</a> stepped in. </p>
<p>Students are enrolled into various colleges, for the same programs and courses, but with a variety of abilities. Due to this, having a set curriculum for courses is leading to poor learning outcomes, as students’ needs aren’t being catered to. </p>
<p>The standard entry requirement for university admission in India is a minimum mark of 45-50% at the senior secondary level.</p>
<p>However, a lack of quality, due to a <a href="http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2012/12/25/elementary-education-in-india-quality-or-quantity/">focus on quantity</a> and not on quality, is clear when one sees that back in 2005, the <a href="https://data.gov.in/catalog/higher-secondary-examination-pass-percentage">overall pass rate</a> of students across different boards in 12th standard had been at 68%, in 2010 it was 72.7% and now in 2016 and for CBSE, the most popular board, <a href="http://indianexpress.com/article/education/cbse-class-12-results-2016-pass-percentage-girls-boys-pass-percentage-2811969/">it is 83%</a>. </p>
<p>On top of the above, a <a href="http://www.thenewsminute.com/article/five-charts-show-how-demand-engineering-seats-plummeting-south-india-40576">huge supply side</a> has created colleges and universities, offering various academic programs, with millions of approved seats but no takers. For private players, resources are more related to approved seats and not student strength, due to regulatory norms. Therefore most private colleges, even if they think student quality is not good at the admission stage itself, may not reject any applicant, in order not to lower any further the already low capacity utilisation rates.</p>
<p>The problem is that universities often interpret curriculum guidelines very literally. But this is only a suggested model, and not binding.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.unialliance.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/UA_Quality_Final.pdf">Experience shows</a> that government and/or government bodies cannot tell a university what to teach or how to evaluate, but in India it is too common for bodies like UGC or AICTE to state what to teach and how to evaluate.</p>
<h2>Low academic quality</h2>
<p>Slipping standards and low academic outcomes have been a big concern in the country since a huge expansion took place in the primary, secondary and tertiary education systems. </p>
<p>By 2020, India aims to have 42 million students enrolled in higher education, a 30% increase from 2014-15.</p>
<p>But the government’s attempt to provide “quality higher education for all” has seen education standards slide in general, excluding a few elite institutes. </p>
<p>In 2009, the <a href="http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2014/02/08/indias-obsession-with-university-rankings/">Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)</a> test – the last PISA test that India participated in – found that students in Grade 8 (around 15 years old) in India are at <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Indian-students-rank-2nd-last-in-global-test/articleshow/11492508.cm">the same level</a> in reading or maths as students in Grade 2 or 3 (around 9-10 years old) in other countries such as South Korea and Hong Kong. </p>
<p>It means that students have been entering colleges and universities with lower-than-average levels in maths and reading. This presents universities with a real challenge. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/07/us/indian-students-western-kentucky-university.html?_r=1">Western Kentucky University in the US</a> recently took the decision to ask more than one-third of its Indian students to leave its computer engineering course after the first semester, as the university felt these students would not be able to meet the minimum outcome standards set by the university. </p>
<p>Yet hundreds of engineering colleges in India would offer the same students admission in computer engineering programs. The oversupply of seats across institutes has led to a huge capacity underutilisation in engineering institutes in India.</p>
<h2>Assessing quality</h2>
<p>Quality means different things to different people. </p>
<p>The contrast is visible in the pursuit of the UGC and that of the Western Kentucky University. The latter realised that quality gets compromised when higher education is opened up for all. </p>
<p>Benchmarks of quality should not be static over time, meaning what quality meant in reasoning skills in a college graduate back in the 1980s may not necessarily mean the same today. </p>
<p>Students entering colleges and universities <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/02/09/133310978/in-college-a-lack-of-rigor-leaves-students-adrift">are not a homogeneous mass</a> with uniform reading, maths or thinking/reasoning skills; nor are these different colleges and universities a homogeneous mass when it comes to faculty quality across institutes.</p>
<p>It should not surprise any when study after study finds that graduates in India are barely employable. In some cases employment rates are <a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-only-7-mba-graduates-employable-most-earning-less-than-rs-10000-a-month-assocham-2206759">as low as in single digits</a>. This suggests that out of every 100 graduates coming out of the Indian tertiary education systems, sometimes not even ten are employable. </p>
<h2>Universities need to be more flexible</h2>
<p>Universities need to be more flexible to deal with these challenges. </p>
<p>They need to have a curriculum that suits the best input quality of students – but still can meet a certain section of industry demand. </p>
<p>For example, the model curriculum suggested by the UGC may fall short for a student in a top-ranking Indian university; but may be beyond academic comprehension for another student in different university that does not feature in any ranking and where admission criteria are nothing to speak about. </p>
<p>Many Indian graduates find it difficult to be part of an English-speaking class; and universities cannot address many such deficits in many graduate students within a couple of semesters.</p>
<p>Quality improvement in education is not possible without the quality improvement of faculty members. </p>
<p>In this, India scores poorly as most Indian primary and secondary teachers did not score well themselves in an evaluation <a href="http://www.mscepune.in/TET%202014/TET_Result_2014_Prasidhipatrak_190315.pdf">test on languages</a>, conducted by one of the major states of India. Reportedly, <a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/specials/india-s-94-bn-spend-on-basic-education-doesn-t-address-teaching-crisis-115050200118_1.html">95% failed</a> in a sample of nearly half-a-million teachers.</p>
<p>It would be wrong to assume Indian colleges and universities do not face similar problems.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/62977/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ranjit Goswami does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Having a set curriculum for academic courses is leading to poor learning outcomes in students, as students’ needs aren’t being catered to.Ranjit Goswami, Vice-Chancelllor, RK UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/635212016-08-05T05:10:20Z2016-08-05T05:10:20ZAre university flagship courses actually workable? And will they be a disaster for equity?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133187/original/image-20160805-488-1oybqot.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Should universities be allowed to deregulate fees for some courses?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/news/consultation-future-higher-education-reform">options paper </a> for higher education released on budget night, the government proposed the idea of “flagship courses”, which would mean that universities would be allowed to set the fees for some of their courses.</p>
<p>In the paper, the government said universities would be given:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>freedom to set fees for a small cohort of their students enrolled in identified high-quality, innovative courses [to provide] additional flexibility to innovate, differentiate themselves. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Universities are broadly opposed</h2>
<p>Many universities have reportedly come <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/aliceworkman/what-the-hecs?utm_term=.xja9qgPJQ#.hu2w5mByD">out against</a> the idea of introducing flagship courses, as have some of the peak education groups, including the Group of Eight, Australian Technology Network and Regional Universities Network. </p>
<p>One concern is that partial deregulation could create a two-tiered system – between flagship courses and other courses – that locks out disadvantaged students.</p>
<p>There is also concern about the unknowns of this proposal.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.go8.edu.au/publication-type/submissions">Go8</a> “supports and welcomes” commitment to flexibility, but, “in the absence of further detail”, is cautious about this option.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.iru.edu.au/driving-innovation-fairness-and-excellence-in-australian-higher-education/">Innovative Research Universities</a> was more welcoming of “exploration of mechanisms … [to] develop some areas of high achievement”.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.atn.edu.au/submissions/">ATN</a>, on the other hand, said it is “very difficult to see how … it would be workable and it has the potential to create perverse consequences”, echoing a general concern the policy could be bad for student equity and access and have other unintended outcomes.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/news/submissions-and-reports#.V6QKFpP5iV4">Universities Australia</a> said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>While some members have indicated a preparedness to further explore … the majority oppose the proposal on the basis of implementation complexity, the likelihood of perverse outcomes, the potential to devalue existing degrees, and the potential creation of a two-tier system. </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>How the idea of flagship courses came about</h2>
<p>The flagship proposal made its debut in 2011 through the final report of the <a href="http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/163228849?selectedversion=NBD48700025">Base Funding Review</a>. </p>
<p>While full details were never published, essentially the idea was that universities would have been allowed to offer a “flagship course”. This course could have been one where the university offered something different and innovative, such as a highly specialised bachelor of crime scene investigation. </p>
<p>Universities could have charged 50% more than usual to cover the cost of their “innovation in teaching and learning”. But there could have been no more than 5% of total enrolments in the flagship.</p>
<p>The government’s current proposal implies flagship courses could be quite different to this, but would have a similar goal of “more choice and higher-quality offerings”. </p>
<p>The government suggests there might be no cap on fees and flagship course enrolments might be up to 20% of total enrolments. </p>
<p>The paper says the government might reduce the public subsidy as fees increased, but get the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to keep a watchful eye. </p>
<h2>Are university heads right to be concerned?</h2>
<p>It raises questions over how this model could work effectively to meet the government’s goal. </p>
<p>If the rules are too lax, even with the ACCC playing a part, we might see a concentration of flagship courses in a few high-demand and high-margin courses where universities could maximise revenue, but do not deliver either choice or innovation in teaching.</p>
<p>Does Australia really benefit from 40-plus commerce or law degree flagship courses? Get the incentives and rules wrong, and this might be the policy outcome. </p>
<p>And will the policy be bad for student equity and access as some vice-chancellors claim?</p>
<p>Whether or not flagship courses foster bad outcomes for student access and equity depends on how they are designed. For example, they might deter students who have faced disadvantage and make it unviable for them to undertake a course due to excess fees not covered by HELP. </p>
<p>An increase in fees for some courses, especially if this is a capped increase and deferred through HELP, is probably not enough to mean the policy will be detrimental overall for student access or equity. </p>
<p>As previous rises in HELP have <a href="http://www.innovation.gov.au/HigherEducation/Policy/BaseFundingReview/Documents/HEstudentdemandreport.docx">shown</a>, these do not on their own markedly affect enrolment trends.</p>
<h2>Where to now?</h2>
<p>The consultation process presents a window of opportunity for the government to continue thinking through what flagships might look like.</p>
<p>Good design might deliver more flexibility for universities to innovate, but this needs to be balanced with the possibility of unintended outcomes if the desired institutional incentives are misaligned.</p>
<p>Ensuring that the parameters for flagships provide incentive for universities to innovate, rather than being a roundabout way for students to contribute more for the very same courses as at present, would seem to be central to a workable proposal. </p>
<p>This suggests that, for flagship courses to be a success, a modest initiative – perhaps focused on individual units of study – might turn out to be a better choice than a program encompassing a fifth of a university’s enrolment. </p>
<p>There are clearly potential risks the model could be bad for students, but this depends on how the policy is designed.</p>
<p>If flagships drive quality, specialisation and differentiation, something that many agree is a good thing, they might yet be an important part of future Australian higher education. </p>
<p>If the policy does not end up driving choice or quality, it is hard to see it gaining support. </p>
<p>Whether or not the policy can be designed in a way to ensure it delivers the policy outcome is the next question.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63521/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gwilym Croucher is Principal Policy Adviser in the Chancellery at the University of Melbourne and Senior Lecturer in the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education.
</span></em></p>If the flagship policy does not end up driving choice or quality, it is hard to see it gaining support.Gwilym Croucher, Senior Lecturer, Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/635052016-08-04T05:17:04Z2016-08-04T05:17:04ZExplainer: how student fees are set for different university courses<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133023/original/image-20160804-12192-7qo6mk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Students pay between $6,256 and $10,440 for a university degree, depending on which course they choose to study.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The issue of how universities are funded across their different courses has been an ongoing but unresolved debate over the past decade. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/an-arts-degree-for-the-price-of-a-law-degree-universities-call-for-radical-rethink-20160801-gqigql.html">It has again come to the fore</a> as the Commonwealth government considers responses to its <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/documents/driving-innovation-fairness-and-excellence-australian-education">consultation paper</a> for ideas about how best to reform higher education in Australia.</p>
<h2>How university courses are currently funded</h2>
<p>University courses are funded by the government at different levels through a government subsidy and a student contribution which, taken together, form the total price for each course.</p>
<p>The government subsequently recoups the student contribution through the higher education contribution scheme (HECS).</p>
<p>There are currently <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/2017_allocation_of_units_of_study_v2.pdf">eight funding clusters</a> for government across different course areas. </p>
<p>Student contributions are in three bands – A$6,349, $9,050 and $10,596 – which are matched to eight subsidy levels. </p>
<p>An additional loading is also available for enrolments in courses in regional campuses to reflect the higher cost of delivery in regional areas.</p>
<p>The total price paid for each course varies significantly. The humanities, law and commerce assessed as lowest-cost. Dentistry, medicine and veterinary science science are the highest. </p>
<p>In 2017, the funding clusters will include:</p>
<ul>
<li>$12,685 for law and commerce (subsidy $2,089 and student contribution $10,596)</li>
<li>$19,328 for maths and computer science (subsidy $10,278 and student contribution $9,050)</li>
<li>$33,405 for medicine and veterinary science (subsidy $22,809 and student contribution $10,596).<br></li>
</ul>
<h2>Why we have this system</h2>
<p>This funding system was first introduced in 1989 following an extensive analysis of relative university course costs. </p>
<p>It was an important reform as universities could be over- or under-funded relative to other universities based on their course and enrolment profile.</p>
<p>The new funding system was also introduced with HECS so that students, as well as taxpayers, could contribute to course costs (but only repay when they began to benefit from their university education). </p>
<p>HECS levels were initially set at a uniform $1,800 regardless of the course cost.</p>
<p>However, a major change was introduced in 1997 when HECS contributions were varied <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/Publications_Archive/archive/hecs">by grouping them into three levels</a> to reflect the likely private benefits to graduates from different courses (in terms of lifetime earnings) and the course cost. </p>
<p>Students in areas such as law and medicine have always paid more than students in areas such as arts, humanities and nursing as they are more expensive to provide. </p>
<p>But in some areas such as law and commerce, students now also contribute a much higher proportion of course costs than students in humanities, based on an assessed private benefits – even though the course costs are similar. </p>
<h2>Problems with the current system</h2>
<p>In 2008, The Bradley Review <a href="http://www.voced.edu.au/content/ngv%3A32134">concluded that</a> the different levels of funding across university courses in Australia “appears to bear little relationship to the actual cost of teaching or to any notional public benefits and that maximum student contributions per course similarly had no strong policy or empirical basis”.</p>
<p>The review recommended that further work be undertaken to achieve a “more rational and consistent sharing of costs between costs and discipline clusters as part of a broader review of the base funding of universities”.</p>
<p>The subsequent 2011 <a href="https://www.canberra.edu.au/research/faculty-research-centres/edinstitute/documents/HigherEd_FundingReviewReport1.pdf">Higher Education Base Funding Review</a> found that, while on average funding met the overall costs of teaching and scholarship across universities (but not the costs of research), several course areas were underfunded.</p>
<p>It recommended reducing the funding cluster from eight to five and shifting some courses to different funding clusters. </p>
<p>However, the then Labor government <a href="https://www.canberra.edu.au/research/faculty-research-centres/edinstitute/documents/HigherEd_FundingReviewReport1.pdf">did not act on these recommendations</a>.</p>
<p>The funding reforms announced by Minister Christopher Pyne in 2014 also proposed to reduce the number of clusters and to shift some courses between clusters. </p>
<p>But this proposal failed to pass the Senate along with the other funding reforms proposed by Pyne (including the <a href="https://theconversation.com/university-fee-deregulation-blocked-but-pyne-pledges-to-fight-on-38912">full deregulation</a> of the student contribution and a uniform 20% cut in the government subsidy).</p>
<p>The government’s consultation paper has <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/documents/driving-innovation-fairness-and-excellence-australian-education">now also concluded</a> that the funding band rates do not reflect well the relative cost of delivering different courses. This results in cross subsidies between courses and, in some areas, cross subsidies to research.</p>
<h2>Outcomes of the governments higher education reform process</h2>
<p>In the consultation paper, the government has suggested undertaking a pricing review with the higher education sector overseen by an independent expert panel. </p>
<p>This proposal has been broadly supported in submissions from the sector including from <a href="https://www.universitiesaustralia.edu.au/Media-and-Events/submissions-and-reports/Submission-in-response-to-the-Government-s-Options-Paper-Driving-Innovation--Fairness-and-Excellence/Submission-in-response-to-the-Government-s-Options-Paper-Driving-Innovation--Fairness-and-Excellence#.V6LFQ5N95Bw">Universities Australia</a>.</p>
<p>The review could consider the overall funding levels, funding relativities and the differing private contributions by students.</p>
<p>However, a pricing review of this kind is not just a technical exercise. It cannot be undertaken in isolation from broader higher review objectives, issues and outcomes.</p>
<p>These include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>The extent to which the government subsidy is for teaching and learning or includes a contribution to the costs of research (and if so, the level of that contribution).</p></li>
<li><p>The effect of the likely rebalancing of student and government contributions across all courses (to offset the <a href="https://theconversation.com/higher-education-gets-short-shrift-in-the-election-campaign-and-we-are-all-the-poorer-for-it-61509">20% reduction</a> in course funding factored in the budget forward estimates).</p></li>
<li><p>Evidence about differential student contributions in terms of costs and benefits.</p></li>
<li><p>Future infrastructure requirements and how that is to be funded.</p></li>
<li><p>How innovative but expensive partnerships between universities and industry to deliver internships and work integrated learning should be funded.</p></li>
<li><p>If the option to allow universities to set their own fees in designated flagship courses proceeds, should subsidies be reduced once fee levels exceed a set level?</p></li>
<li><p>Transitional issues that will arise if the funding clusters are reduced and/or courses moved between clusters.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>These are complex issues. But after almost a decade of failed processes to reform the current funding system, the government’s current consultation process, and any subsequent pricing review, must produce a revised system for financing universities in Australia that allows then to respond to emerging demands and improve the quality of outcomes for students in all courses.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63505/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Peter Noonan is employed by Victoria University. The University receives public funding through the system analysed in this article. He was also a member of the Expert Panel for the Review of Australian Higher Education (Bradley Review) and was closely involved in the development of HECS and the initial higher education relative funding model in 1989. </span></em></p>After almost a decade of failed processes to reform the current funding system, the government must produce a revised system that improves the quality of outcomes for students in all courses.Peter Noonan, Mitchell Professorial Fellow, Victoria UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/633842016-08-04T02:56:11Z2016-08-04T02:56:11ZShould students pay different fees for university courses?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/133015/original/image-20160804-12234-1shhkc4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Is it fair that students pay different amounts for university courses?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/drewmaughan/7167211852/in/photolist-bVkQo9-9LmiXE-eiFpJj-4SSBov-2sFzwQ-2wqf9L-2sFyZd-aJv6Fv-8ez7rn-9Ja7ux-9HKKvF-4SWQuG-MqLgU-8ez7vH-nwiSwF-8eCpaJ-rvW5ok-8ez7CZ-8ez7HR-4ZXnLr-4SSBja-H4eJa-8ez7jr-5gbSM6-8ez7nH-6SwPv4-5REFia-bXFNnq-5Udbbb-5XbUce-549VU9-5XnAE7-e3JsjH-brFjgr-3ELkB-3ELky-uEBLeS-sb7jgR-nGZh1Q-uoB7P4-87RjCf-uoBz6H-uosNDw-uEBF2Y-uotaa1-uF4mRa-uF4irV-uF4BNV-uCJHYG-uEA2Eq">.SilentMode/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Vice-chancellors in Australia are <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/an-arts-degree-for-the-price-of-a-law-degree-universities-call-for-radical-rethink-20160801-gqigql.html">calling for the government to reform</a> how student fees and funding rates are set for different courses.</em></p>
<p><em>University heads say the current system is outdated, too complicated and filled with anomalies.</em></p>
<p><em>Students currently pay higher fees for courses that lead to jobs with typically higher wages. But not all students find, or want, a job that’s within the same area in which they studied. So is this fair? Should all students instead pay the same amount for their university degree? Two education experts debate.</em></p>
<hr>
<h2>Students should pay different amounts for different courses</h2>
<p><em>Andrew Norton says:</em></p>
<p>Since 1997, Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) fees or student contributions have differed between disciplines. </p>
<p>There are <a href="http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/studyassist/helppayingmyfees/csps/pages/student-contribution-amounts#2016">three different annual student contribution levels</a> – A$6,256, $8,917 and $10,440. </p>
<p>Which disciplines are allocated to each rate depends mainly on assumed future earnings, with the cost of the course playing a minor role.</p>
<p>So law and medicine, which typically lead to <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/graduate-winners-assessing-the-public-and-private-benefits-of-higher-education/">relatively well-paid careers</a>, are priced at $10,440 a year. Nursing, education and arts, with lower likely future earnings, are charged at $6,256 a year. And in the middle we have disciplines such as computing, allied health and architecture at $8,917 a year. </p>
<p>The rates were changed from the previous flat HECS charge, of about $4,000 a year in today’s money, to raise revenue for the government. </p>
<p>It reduced its public subsidies by an amount equivalent to the additional student revenue, leaving universities in the same financial position as before. </p>
<p>The government’s savings target could have been achieved by continuing with a flat fee, which would have meant that nursing, education and arts students paid more and law and medical students paid less. </p>
<p>But within a generally progressive system of government revenue-raising, it’s not clear that flat fees would be better. </p>
<p>Fees that differ according to discipline create a rough relationship with capacity to pay – a doctor can afford higher fees than a nurse, for example, because usually a <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/graduate-winners-assessing-the-public-and-private-benefits-of-higher-education/">doctor earns much more</a> over his or her career. </p>
<p>Differential fees are also more egalitarian in terms of the effort required to repay. Because <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6306.0May%202014?OpenDocument">hourly rates of pay vary between occupations</a>, a flat fee would take someone on $30 an hour twice as much time at work to repay as someone on $60 an hour. </p>
<p>The current system helps even out total HECS-HELP repayment times to a <a href="http://andrewnorton.net.au/2015/04/08/years-to-repay-student-debt-as-a-way-of-setting-student-contributions/">median of about 10 years</a>.</p>
<p>Current differences between the disciplines do need revising. </p>
<p>Engineering graduates <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/graduate-winners-assessing-the-public-and-private-benefits-of-higher-education/">on average earn more</a> than business graduates, but <a href="http://studyassist.gov.au/sites/studyassist/helppayingmyfees/csps/pages/student-contribution-amounts#2016">business students pay more for their courses</a> than engineering students. </p>
<p>A careful examination would probably reveal more anomalies like this. </p>
<p><a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/documents/driving-innovation-fairness-and-excellence-australian-education">A proposal</a> to link Australian Taxation Office and Department of Education data could give us a much better understanding of how earnings differ between degrees.</p>
<p>We have had more than three rates of student contributions in the past and perhaps we should again, if patterns of graduate earnings show this is justified. </p>
<p>Problems with the detail of current student contributions do not mean their broad conceptual basis is mistaken. </p>
<p>Charging HECS by discipline from 1997 shared the financial pain of reduced public funding more fairly than a flat fee system. </p>
<p>If we need to reduce per student funding again, getting some graduates to pay more than others will continue as the more equitable option. </p>
<h2>Students should pay the same fees for university courses</h2>
<p><em>Conor King says:</em></p>
<p>Student payments should primarily reflect the value of acquiring a degree, with the government payment ensuring university revenue reflects significant differences in the costs of delivery by discipline. </p>
<p>The case is put on the basis of student charges continuing to be limited to set amount(s) by government.</p>
<p>A single charge need not be set at the highest current point. It just has to be sufficiently high that, when combined with the government’s subsidy, universities can provide the education students require.</p>
<p>As it happens, the English system has a single common maximum (£9,000), which most universities apply to all students. The US public systems generally do not vary the charge by discipline. For example, <a href="http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/paying-for-uc/tuition-and-cost/">California has a system-wide tuition</a> and fee charge of US$12,240.</p>
<p>What Australia, or any modern society needs, is people with a wide mix of capabilities and knowledge. We want people to fulfil their potential, in a world where future employment is expected to change constantly, with the detail of the degree rapidly losing relevance. </p>
<p>The funding and charging structure should encourage people to do so, through supporting each discipline neutrally, letting individual choice drive course selection.</p>
<p>Various arguments are made for why some subjects should cost more than others. Mostly, these build on rationales put forward in 1997 to justify the fee increase. </p>
<p>One argument is that if a course costs more, then students should pay more for it. Why is that? We are not talking about the difference between a Mercedes and a Toyota, where the Mercedes performs much better than the Toyota on most measures of a car, and presumably costs a bit more to produce.</p>
<p>An agricultural science degree is not better than an engineering degree, and an engineering degree is not better than a business degree. They simply represent different areas of learning, each intended to give their graduates a solid foundation to apply in employment and in their future lives. </p>
<p>We should not reward or punish a particular preference by charging more or less for pursuing it.</p>
<p>The reality of the current fee schedule bands is that there is little connection between the cost of the course and the charge. </p>
<p>Business and law are moderately low cost to provide, but students pay the same as the high-cost health disciplines of medicine, dentistry and veterinary science. Nursing and arts lie together in the lowest band.</p>
<p>The second argument is that cost should reflect future earnings. </p>
<p>The initial disciplines in the highest band – lawyers and doctors, dentists and vets – were there because the government knew few would care if those students complained. </p>
<p>In reverse, nurses and school teachers were in the lowest band to avoid opposition to setting different rates, even though both provide good starting salaries but with limited options for progression. Future earnings were a diversionary tactic.</p>
<p>What rationale there was reduced considerably when business and accounting were moved to the top band in 2008, charging many more students the highest amount.</p>
<p>We know that within any professions, some people will work in legal aid or public health while others will be the high flyers in the corporate world. More prosaically, the majority will be suburban solicitors, accountants or GPs.</p>
<p>Assumptions about what jobs there will be or who will be the big earners may or may not hold true in the future. </p>
<p>What is more certain is that income tax will continue to be weighted to higher earnings. The tax system and the protection of HECS-HELP repayments being tied to income are the response to differences in future earnings, charging people based on what they achieve rather than their initial choice.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/63384/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The Grattan Institute private rates of return analysis referred to in this article was written when the Grattan Institute higher education program was funded by the Myer Foundation. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Conor King is Executive Director for the Innovative Research Universities. IRU argued to the 2011 Base Funding Review that there be a single student charge and has restated the argument in response to the Coalition Government's Higher Education discussion paper.</span></em></p>Students currently pay higher fees for courses that lead to jobs with typically higher wages. But not all students find, or want, a job in their area of study. Should all students then pay the same amount for their university degree?Andrew Norton, Program Director, Higher Education, Grattan InstituteConor King, Executive Director, IRU, La Trobe UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.