Andrea Dodo-Balu | University of Melbourne (original) (raw)
Papers by Andrea Dodo-Balu
International Journal for Students as Partners, 2024
Students as Partners (SaP) is an approach which aims to include students and staff in partnership... more Students as Partners (SaP) is an approach which aims to include students and staff in partnership in a number of settings across higher education. This article is a comparative exploration of SaP in relation to universities in Australia and Japan, through the lens of Matthews’ five propositions for SaP. Published in 2017, the propositions articulate the transformative potential of genuine, agentic engagement between staff and students in partnership. SaP is well recognized as a teaching and learning strategy in Australian higher education, yet there are changing and evolving perspectives. While the concept of SaP is less widely known in Japan, actively involving and engaging students in their own learning is an approach that is acknowledged and encouraged. Through a collaborative examination of our respective contexts, we found that the value of SaP is retained across the two cultures, along with its potential to transform and enrich both higher education systems.
The Australian Universities' review, 2017
Flexibility is a key word in the contemporary higher education system in Australia. Flexible and ... more Flexibility is a key word in the contemporary higher education system in Australia. Flexible and diverse entry and exit points, as well as flexible forms of recognising learning, open up the possibility of attaining a university degree for students ‘...hitherto largely excluded from university attendance’ (Birrell & Edwards, 2009, p. 8). Flexible modes of course delivery centring on online learning allow a further widening of access to university studies for students unable or unwilling to travel to and from campus (Norton, 2014), often due to location, employment and/or family commitments, or for medical reasons. An increase in university enrolments of ‘nontraditional’ students, particularly those classified as mature-age, regional or remote, low socio-economic status or with disabilities, has been one result. At the same time, government funding for higher education has been tightened and regulatory pressures have increased, requiring universities to adopt flexible workplace model...
Building social justice through access to higher education is a central concern for many universi... more Building social justice through access to higher education is a central concern for many universities across the world. In Australia, as elsewhere, online delivery of degree programs provides an important avenue to implement government policies aimed at both increasing overall participation in higher education and widening the participation of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. These twin aspects of higher education policy reflect two differing models for achieving student equity in higher education; one which emphasises fairness and the other, inclusion. Using a qualitative research lens, this paper looks at the place of online study within a discussion of these two equity models and related social justice theories, supported by insights into the student experience gleaned from a small case study of a first-year online unit. The fairness model of student equity, with its focus on equitable distribution, is well supported by the unit’s high proportion of disadvantaged students...
This case study examines the experiences of participants in a core online Humanities unit situate... more This case study examines the experiences of participants in a core online Humanities unit situated at the nexus of three trends salient to contemporary higher education in Australia and internationally. Widening student participation seeks to include a broader range of social backgrounds from which students commonly enter the university, and to build a more socially just and educated society. Flexible online learning is embraced by universities as a way to achieve enrolment growth and demonstrate innovativeness. Casualisation of academic teaching is fuelled by tightened government funding for universities leading to an emphasis on cost-cutting and flexible human resource practices. These three trends propel the growth of two peripheral groups in the academy; non-traditional students who study online, and casual academic staff. This study aims to increase understanding and awareness of the impact that these trends and pressures have on those who operate on the periphery of university...
The Journal of Further and Higher Education, 2022
This article draws on findings from a qualitative case study of a firstyear online unit (subject)... more This article draws on findings from a qualitative case study of a firstyear online unit (subject) offered by a large public university through Open Universities Australia. It includes the student voice, taken from formal evaluation surveys, and the voice of casual academic tutors, provided through first-hand interviews and questionnaires. What emerges from the findings is the high value placed on tutors by their students and the tutors' important contribution to student success, contrasted with the low value and lack of recognition given to tutors in the contemporary, marketised academy along with the destructive effect this has on tutors' professional and personal wellbeing. Suggestions for future research to begin addressing this situation are included. Comments on the relevance of the research to the conditions created in higher education by the COVID-19 pandemic conclude the article.
In line with global trends in higher education, many Australian universities are energetically em... more In line with global trends in higher education, many Australian universities are energetically embracing the concept of flexible online learning, which has significantly increased the number of students studying university courses through online and/or open-access delivery. This mode is highly utilised by non-traditional students, and is therefore an important avenue to fulfil Australian government policies aimed at equity of access. Without online access, many successful students would remain excluded from university study. Within a Qualitative/Interpretivist approach, my research utilises in-depth interviews and an analysis of students' reflective work to develop a complex and nuanced picture of their experience with online study. The focus is on a core, first-year unit, designed to facilitate the successful transition of new-to-university students into academic life in an online environment. This acts as an instrumental case study (Stake, 2008) for examining the experience of online, non-traditional students within the learning environment formed by these broader policy-related trends in higher education. Findings point to the transformative power of participation in university level study for successful online students.
Conference Presentations by Andrea Dodo-Balu
The 14th IAFOR Asia Conference in Education Nov 28 – Dec 2, Tokyo Japan, 2022
In 2017, Australia’s peak higher education body directed universities to “ensure all students wil... more In 2017, Australia’s peak higher education body directed universities to “ensure all students will encounter and engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural content as integral parts of their course of study…” (Universities Australia, 2017). This presentation focuses on a core first year undergraduate subject which forms part of the strategy to implement this directive at a large public university in Australia. This subject is the designated one within the Humanities faculty tasked with developing students’ intercultural competency to meet the university’s related graduate attribute. A key feature of the subject is the co-tutoring arrangement consisting of one Indigenous and one non-Indigenous academic staff member. In this presentation, we reflect on our experiences and observations as sessional (contingent) academics co-tutoring this pivotal subject with a particular focus on the online learning space. We utilize Southern theory (Connell, 2017) and decolonization theories (Nakata, 2018) which centre around knowledge generated in the colonial encounter and the post-colonial experience and prioritize rethinking knowledge from the standpoints of those excluded from existing dominant structures, particularly Indigenous peoples. We offer a critical reflection on the extent to which the subject is successful in encouraging institutional change and a repositioning of students’ thinking in line with these theories. In particular, we problematize the effectiveness of transforming understandings of marginalized histories and knowledges within a university system in which commercialized and corporatized management practices work to reduce optimal conditions for student learning, and may continue to marginalize Indigenous knowledges and the teaching team through exclusionary processes.
The 2020 SoTL-China International Conference Beijing China [Online], 2020
Within post-colonial countries such as Australia, there is a recognition of the importance of ack... more Within post-colonial countries such as Australia, there is a recognition of the importance of acknowledging First Nations’ knowledges in higher education graduate outcomes. This creates the opportunity and challenge of developing students’ understandings of differing cultural backgrounds within one national culture. Teaching and learning can change and evolve when Indigenous and non-Indigenous tutors have to opportunity to co-facilitate classes together. Through discovering and integrating First Nations’ ways of knowing and passing on knowledge, a renewal of teaching and learning can occur within the university classroom but this can be hindered by commercialised university environments that prevent optimal learning.
Teaching and Learning Forum Perth, 2019
This presentation was based on my recently completed doctoral research which looked at the experi... more This presentation was based on my recently completed doctoral research which looked at the experiences of two groups who are among the least visible in academia, namely non-traditional students who study online and casual teaching academics who deliver online programs. The aim of the research was to develop a better understanding of their experiences and to bring their voices into discussions on higher education teaching and learning. This qualitative case study involved a small number of students and tutors who had participated in a particular online, first year unit in recent Open Universities Australia study periods. Qualitative research methods, including in-depth interviews, were utilised within an instrumental case study framework. Triangulation with larger, external data sources served to underpin the findings. These suggest that while non-traditional students can experience positive and transformative learning through online study, online tutors are negatively affected by their casual status. Empowerment was an outcome of participation in the unit for the majority of the students who were involved in the study. Conversely, the tutors who participated in the study reported feelings of disempowerment. Findings from the tutor participants indicated that their experience was constrained within a marketised and competitive higher education environment where, paradoxically, teaching quality is of crucial importance yet casual teachers are marginalised and rendered invisible. The implications of the mutually beneficial relationship between universities and online students, and the importance of effective online teaching and learning in this context were explored. Findings demonstrated that casual tutors are an online resource that is highly valued by students. Therefore, it is suggested that universities better acknowledge the integral place of casual academic teachers and begin to problematise the dichotomy between casual and other academic staff.
Online learning is on the rise in Australian Higher Education, facilitated by organisations such ... more Online learning is on the rise in Australian Higher Education, facilitated by organisations such as Open Universities Australia (OUA), which is dedicated to online and flexible course delivery. By expanding access and enrolment opportunities, this mode of learning provides an important avenue to implement Australian government policies aimed at increasing overall participation in higher education and widening the participation of students from disadvantaged and low socio-economic backgrounds. Links to government funding make implementing these policies an important financial concern for universities and provide a strong incentive to get online delivery right. The quest to identify effective online curriculum and pedagogies has generated a substantial body of literature, from which the central importance of the teacher has emerged as a major element. However, since a large proportion of online teachers are casually employed, there is a disjunction between the teacher centrality shown in the literature and the teacher absence from firstly, online curriculum design processes, and secondly, professional development in online pedagogy to enact the curriculum. The poster juxtaposes recommendations from the literature with the lived experiences of casual online tutors drawn from in-depth interviews conducted during a case study of one online first year unit. This core Humanities unit aims to facilitate students’ successful transition to university by introducing them to the learning, thinking and communication processes that are important in the university setting. It is offered by a large public university through OUA and has a high-representation of ‘non-traditional’ students and casual tutors. Using a process of thematic analysis, responses from the six tutors interviewed were examined for common thematic threads extending throughout the data. The identified themes were then distributed to a wider set of online tutors for broader validation. Students’ results and comments on the unit were also considered. The findings show that tutors are undervalued by the university and their casual academic status has a negative impact both professionally and personally. Despite this, teaching quality and support of students remain high, due mostly to tutors’ personal professionalism, goodwill and the donation of unpaid hours. The situation highlighted by this case study is far from ideal and can only be considered unsustainable. If universities are to take curriculum transformation for quality in online learning seriously, those most intimately involved in its delivery, namely the tutors themselves, need to be welcomed to discussions on curriculum design and need effective, paid support to ensure quality in its enactment.
Subtheme: Education and Technology: Technologies, Knowledge Creation and Access In line with glo... more Subtheme: Education and Technology: Technologies, Knowledge Creation and Access
In line with global trends in higher education, many Australian universities are energetically embracing the concept of flexible online learning, which has significantly increased the number of students studying university courses through online and/or open-access delivery. This mode is highly utilised by non-traditional students, and is therefore an important avenue to fulfil Australian government policies aimed at equity of access. The opportunities afforded by online education have created a de-facto equity pathway without which many successful students would remain excluded from university study. Non-traditional students include those in regional or remote locations, those with work, family and other responsibilities and students with physical or mental health issues. Within a Qualitative/Interpretivist approach, my research utilises in-depth interviews and an analysis of students’ reflective work to develop a complex and nuanced picture of their experience with online study. The focus is on a core, first-year unit, designed to facilitate the successful transition of new-to-university students into academic life in an online environment. This acts as an instrumental case study (Stake, 2008) for examining how online, non-traditional students are affected by and cope with a learning environment formed by these broader policies and trends in higher education. Findings point to the transformative power of participation in university level study for successful online students. Key factors which facilitate students’ completion of the unit, and what this means to their futures, will be presented through the students’ own words revealing the stories behind the screens.
Many Australian universities are energetically embracing the concept of flexible delivery, which ... more Many Australian universities are energetically embracing the concept of flexible delivery, which has significantly increased the number of students studying university courses through online, open-access delivery. This mode is highly utilised by non-traditional students, and is therefore an important avenue to fulfil policies aimed at equity of access for students. At the same time, equity for staff in the form of access to secure and stable work is in the decline as university teaching becomes increasingly casualised (Coates, Dobson, Geodegebuure, & Meek, 2009). Within a Qualitative/Interpretivist approach, my research utilises in-depth interviews and an analysis of students’ reflective work to develop a complex and nuanced picture (Creswell, 2008) of the experience of the students and tutors participating in an open-access online unit. This core, first-year unit is designed to facilitate the successful transition of new-to-university students into academic life in an online environment and acts as an instrumental case study (Stake, 2008) to reveal how participants are affected by trends in higher education and the implications this may have for the pursuit of equity. The poster focuses on the major themes identified from interviews with selected students who have participated in the unit in recent study periods. These themes are linked to findings of the broader Online Student Survey conducted by NCSEHE concerning factors which promote students' ability to persevere in their studies. Key factors which facilitate completion of the unit, and what this means to the student’s future, will be presented through the students' own words.
Higher Education Policy is an often shifting element that universities must deal with. The respo... more Higher Education Policy is an often shifting element that universities must deal with. The responses that universities make may have a profound impact on those who participate in the day to day work of higher education teaching and learning. Currently, these responses include: widening student participation; increasing online, open-access delivery; and casualising academic teaching. The aim of my doctoral research is to bring the impact of these trends into focus by examining the experience of those most affected, namely the students and tutors who are on the periphery of academia. My research focuses on a core, online, open-access unit which is situated at the nexus of where these three responses to policy meet and interact. The unit is designed to facilitate the successful transition of new-to-university students into academic life in on online environment. This is a complex task considering that the unit enrols an extremely diverse cohort with a high representation of non-traditional students, and is almost exclusively taught by casual tutors. These are two groups who are highly marginalised within the academy. The poster firstly presents an examination of how current literature in the fields of online learning, first-year pedagogy, student equity and the higher education workplace, interact and raise questions as a starting point for my research. It will secondly present the major themes identified from interviews I have conducted with selected tutors and students who have participated in the unit in recent study periods. Using Grounded Theory Method to analyse the interview data, within a Qualitative/ Interpretivist approach, my research aims to develop a deeper understanding of how these participants cope with the conditions, complexities and challenges created by contemporary higher education policies.
Navigating uncertainty and complexity:
The majority of participants in the focus unit exist within a state of uncertainty and complexity. Online, open-access students express uncertainly about their identity as tertiary students and their capacity to succeed at university. They are often uncertain about their place in the world. They engage with the ideas and discussions of academic discourse, yet are physically absent from the university. Their language and thinking may be undergoing transformation, yet their daily contacts and relationships remain the same. They may experience a complex reality of navigating competing demands from families and workplaces. Casual academics deal with uncertainty due to unstable working conditions, often having no assurance of continuing employment from one semester to the next. This may render them as uncertain about their academic identity as the students they teach. Lack of access to adequate training, professional development and the collegial community may leave sessional academics ill prepared to deal with the complexity inherent in addressing the needs of a diverse, non-traditional student cohort in a fully online environment. The ways in which both students and tutors are affected by, and cope with, the high level of uncertainty and complexity they are confronted with is explored through my poster.
Higher Education Policy is an often shifting element that universities must deal with. The respo... more Higher Education Policy is an often shifting element that universities must deal with. The responses that universities make to external policies and pressures may have a profound impact on those who participate in the day to day work of teaching and learning. Currently, universities are responding to policy pressure by widening student participation, increasing online, open-access delivery, and casualising academic teaching. There is a need for research that brings the impact of these trends into focus by examining the experience of those most affected. While the literature on each of these characteristics is quite extensive, there is little that draws the three elements together to examine the conditions created for teaching and learning as they interact and intersect. My research focuses on a core, online, open-access unit which is situated at the nexus of these three elements. It aims to facilitate the successful transition of online, new-to-university students into academic life. This is a complex task considering that the unit enrols an extremely diverse cohort with a high representation of non-traditional students and is almost exclusively taught by casual tutors. This presentation explores how current literature is drawn together as a starting point for my PhD research which aims to develop a deeper understanding of how these two highly marginalised groups cope with the conditions created by higher education policies.
International Journal for Students as Partners, 2024
Students as Partners (SaP) is an approach which aims to include students and staff in partnership... more Students as Partners (SaP) is an approach which aims to include students and staff in partnership in a number of settings across higher education. This article is a comparative exploration of SaP in relation to universities in Australia and Japan, through the lens of Matthews’ five propositions for SaP. Published in 2017, the propositions articulate the transformative potential of genuine, agentic engagement between staff and students in partnership. SaP is well recognized as a teaching and learning strategy in Australian higher education, yet there are changing and evolving perspectives. While the concept of SaP is less widely known in Japan, actively involving and engaging students in their own learning is an approach that is acknowledged and encouraged. Through a collaborative examination of our respective contexts, we found that the value of SaP is retained across the two cultures, along with its potential to transform and enrich both higher education systems.
The Australian Universities' review, 2017
Flexibility is a key word in the contemporary higher education system in Australia. Flexible and ... more Flexibility is a key word in the contemporary higher education system in Australia. Flexible and diverse entry and exit points, as well as flexible forms of recognising learning, open up the possibility of attaining a university degree for students ‘...hitherto largely excluded from university attendance’ (Birrell & Edwards, 2009, p. 8). Flexible modes of course delivery centring on online learning allow a further widening of access to university studies for students unable or unwilling to travel to and from campus (Norton, 2014), often due to location, employment and/or family commitments, or for medical reasons. An increase in university enrolments of ‘nontraditional’ students, particularly those classified as mature-age, regional or remote, low socio-economic status or with disabilities, has been one result. At the same time, government funding for higher education has been tightened and regulatory pressures have increased, requiring universities to adopt flexible workplace model...
Building social justice through access to higher education is a central concern for many universi... more Building social justice through access to higher education is a central concern for many universities across the world. In Australia, as elsewhere, online delivery of degree programs provides an important avenue to implement government policies aimed at both increasing overall participation in higher education and widening the participation of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. These twin aspects of higher education policy reflect two differing models for achieving student equity in higher education; one which emphasises fairness and the other, inclusion. Using a qualitative research lens, this paper looks at the place of online study within a discussion of these two equity models and related social justice theories, supported by insights into the student experience gleaned from a small case study of a first-year online unit. The fairness model of student equity, with its focus on equitable distribution, is well supported by the unit’s high proportion of disadvantaged students...
This case study examines the experiences of participants in a core online Humanities unit situate... more This case study examines the experiences of participants in a core online Humanities unit situated at the nexus of three trends salient to contemporary higher education in Australia and internationally. Widening student participation seeks to include a broader range of social backgrounds from which students commonly enter the university, and to build a more socially just and educated society. Flexible online learning is embraced by universities as a way to achieve enrolment growth and demonstrate innovativeness. Casualisation of academic teaching is fuelled by tightened government funding for universities leading to an emphasis on cost-cutting and flexible human resource practices. These three trends propel the growth of two peripheral groups in the academy; non-traditional students who study online, and casual academic staff. This study aims to increase understanding and awareness of the impact that these trends and pressures have on those who operate on the periphery of university...
The Journal of Further and Higher Education, 2022
This article draws on findings from a qualitative case study of a firstyear online unit (subject)... more This article draws on findings from a qualitative case study of a firstyear online unit (subject) offered by a large public university through Open Universities Australia. It includes the student voice, taken from formal evaluation surveys, and the voice of casual academic tutors, provided through first-hand interviews and questionnaires. What emerges from the findings is the high value placed on tutors by their students and the tutors' important contribution to student success, contrasted with the low value and lack of recognition given to tutors in the contemporary, marketised academy along with the destructive effect this has on tutors' professional and personal wellbeing. Suggestions for future research to begin addressing this situation are included. Comments on the relevance of the research to the conditions created in higher education by the COVID-19 pandemic conclude the article.
In line with global trends in higher education, many Australian universities are energetically em... more In line with global trends in higher education, many Australian universities are energetically embracing the concept of flexible online learning, which has significantly increased the number of students studying university courses through online and/or open-access delivery. This mode is highly utilised by non-traditional students, and is therefore an important avenue to fulfil Australian government policies aimed at equity of access. Without online access, many successful students would remain excluded from university study. Within a Qualitative/Interpretivist approach, my research utilises in-depth interviews and an analysis of students' reflective work to develop a complex and nuanced picture of their experience with online study. The focus is on a core, first-year unit, designed to facilitate the successful transition of new-to-university students into academic life in an online environment. This acts as an instrumental case study (Stake, 2008) for examining the experience of online, non-traditional students within the learning environment formed by these broader policy-related trends in higher education. Findings point to the transformative power of participation in university level study for successful online students.
The 14th IAFOR Asia Conference in Education Nov 28 – Dec 2, Tokyo Japan, 2022
In 2017, Australia’s peak higher education body directed universities to “ensure all students wil... more In 2017, Australia’s peak higher education body directed universities to “ensure all students will encounter and engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural content as integral parts of their course of study…” (Universities Australia, 2017). This presentation focuses on a core first year undergraduate subject which forms part of the strategy to implement this directive at a large public university in Australia. This subject is the designated one within the Humanities faculty tasked with developing students’ intercultural competency to meet the university’s related graduate attribute. A key feature of the subject is the co-tutoring arrangement consisting of one Indigenous and one non-Indigenous academic staff member. In this presentation, we reflect on our experiences and observations as sessional (contingent) academics co-tutoring this pivotal subject with a particular focus on the online learning space. We utilize Southern theory (Connell, 2017) and decolonization theories (Nakata, 2018) which centre around knowledge generated in the colonial encounter and the post-colonial experience and prioritize rethinking knowledge from the standpoints of those excluded from existing dominant structures, particularly Indigenous peoples. We offer a critical reflection on the extent to which the subject is successful in encouraging institutional change and a repositioning of students’ thinking in line with these theories. In particular, we problematize the effectiveness of transforming understandings of marginalized histories and knowledges within a university system in which commercialized and corporatized management practices work to reduce optimal conditions for student learning, and may continue to marginalize Indigenous knowledges and the teaching team through exclusionary processes.
The 2020 SoTL-China International Conference Beijing China [Online], 2020
Within post-colonial countries such as Australia, there is a recognition of the importance of ack... more Within post-colonial countries such as Australia, there is a recognition of the importance of acknowledging First Nations’ knowledges in higher education graduate outcomes. This creates the opportunity and challenge of developing students’ understandings of differing cultural backgrounds within one national culture. Teaching and learning can change and evolve when Indigenous and non-Indigenous tutors have to opportunity to co-facilitate classes together. Through discovering and integrating First Nations’ ways of knowing and passing on knowledge, a renewal of teaching and learning can occur within the university classroom but this can be hindered by commercialised university environments that prevent optimal learning.
Teaching and Learning Forum Perth, 2019
This presentation was based on my recently completed doctoral research which looked at the experi... more This presentation was based on my recently completed doctoral research which looked at the experiences of two groups who are among the least visible in academia, namely non-traditional students who study online and casual teaching academics who deliver online programs. The aim of the research was to develop a better understanding of their experiences and to bring their voices into discussions on higher education teaching and learning. This qualitative case study involved a small number of students and tutors who had participated in a particular online, first year unit in recent Open Universities Australia study periods. Qualitative research methods, including in-depth interviews, were utilised within an instrumental case study framework. Triangulation with larger, external data sources served to underpin the findings. These suggest that while non-traditional students can experience positive and transformative learning through online study, online tutors are negatively affected by their casual status. Empowerment was an outcome of participation in the unit for the majority of the students who were involved in the study. Conversely, the tutors who participated in the study reported feelings of disempowerment. Findings from the tutor participants indicated that their experience was constrained within a marketised and competitive higher education environment where, paradoxically, teaching quality is of crucial importance yet casual teachers are marginalised and rendered invisible. The implications of the mutually beneficial relationship between universities and online students, and the importance of effective online teaching and learning in this context were explored. Findings demonstrated that casual tutors are an online resource that is highly valued by students. Therefore, it is suggested that universities better acknowledge the integral place of casual academic teachers and begin to problematise the dichotomy between casual and other academic staff.
Online learning is on the rise in Australian Higher Education, facilitated by organisations such ... more Online learning is on the rise in Australian Higher Education, facilitated by organisations such as Open Universities Australia (OUA), which is dedicated to online and flexible course delivery. By expanding access and enrolment opportunities, this mode of learning provides an important avenue to implement Australian government policies aimed at increasing overall participation in higher education and widening the participation of students from disadvantaged and low socio-economic backgrounds. Links to government funding make implementing these policies an important financial concern for universities and provide a strong incentive to get online delivery right. The quest to identify effective online curriculum and pedagogies has generated a substantial body of literature, from which the central importance of the teacher has emerged as a major element. However, since a large proportion of online teachers are casually employed, there is a disjunction between the teacher centrality shown in the literature and the teacher absence from firstly, online curriculum design processes, and secondly, professional development in online pedagogy to enact the curriculum. The poster juxtaposes recommendations from the literature with the lived experiences of casual online tutors drawn from in-depth interviews conducted during a case study of one online first year unit. This core Humanities unit aims to facilitate students’ successful transition to university by introducing them to the learning, thinking and communication processes that are important in the university setting. It is offered by a large public university through OUA and has a high-representation of ‘non-traditional’ students and casual tutors. Using a process of thematic analysis, responses from the six tutors interviewed were examined for common thematic threads extending throughout the data. The identified themes were then distributed to a wider set of online tutors for broader validation. Students’ results and comments on the unit were also considered. The findings show that tutors are undervalued by the university and their casual academic status has a negative impact both professionally and personally. Despite this, teaching quality and support of students remain high, due mostly to tutors’ personal professionalism, goodwill and the donation of unpaid hours. The situation highlighted by this case study is far from ideal and can only be considered unsustainable. If universities are to take curriculum transformation for quality in online learning seriously, those most intimately involved in its delivery, namely the tutors themselves, need to be welcomed to discussions on curriculum design and need effective, paid support to ensure quality in its enactment.
Subtheme: Education and Technology: Technologies, Knowledge Creation and Access In line with glo... more Subtheme: Education and Technology: Technologies, Knowledge Creation and Access
In line with global trends in higher education, many Australian universities are energetically embracing the concept of flexible online learning, which has significantly increased the number of students studying university courses through online and/or open-access delivery. This mode is highly utilised by non-traditional students, and is therefore an important avenue to fulfil Australian government policies aimed at equity of access. The opportunities afforded by online education have created a de-facto equity pathway without which many successful students would remain excluded from university study. Non-traditional students include those in regional or remote locations, those with work, family and other responsibilities and students with physical or mental health issues. Within a Qualitative/Interpretivist approach, my research utilises in-depth interviews and an analysis of students’ reflective work to develop a complex and nuanced picture of their experience with online study. The focus is on a core, first-year unit, designed to facilitate the successful transition of new-to-university students into academic life in an online environment. This acts as an instrumental case study (Stake, 2008) for examining how online, non-traditional students are affected by and cope with a learning environment formed by these broader policies and trends in higher education. Findings point to the transformative power of participation in university level study for successful online students. Key factors which facilitate students’ completion of the unit, and what this means to their futures, will be presented through the students’ own words revealing the stories behind the screens.
Many Australian universities are energetically embracing the concept of flexible delivery, which ... more Many Australian universities are energetically embracing the concept of flexible delivery, which has significantly increased the number of students studying university courses through online, open-access delivery. This mode is highly utilised by non-traditional students, and is therefore an important avenue to fulfil policies aimed at equity of access for students. At the same time, equity for staff in the form of access to secure and stable work is in the decline as university teaching becomes increasingly casualised (Coates, Dobson, Geodegebuure, & Meek, 2009). Within a Qualitative/Interpretivist approach, my research utilises in-depth interviews and an analysis of students’ reflective work to develop a complex and nuanced picture (Creswell, 2008) of the experience of the students and tutors participating in an open-access online unit. This core, first-year unit is designed to facilitate the successful transition of new-to-university students into academic life in an online environment and acts as an instrumental case study (Stake, 2008) to reveal how participants are affected by trends in higher education and the implications this may have for the pursuit of equity. The poster focuses on the major themes identified from interviews with selected students who have participated in the unit in recent study periods. These themes are linked to findings of the broader Online Student Survey conducted by NCSEHE concerning factors which promote students' ability to persevere in their studies. Key factors which facilitate completion of the unit, and what this means to the student’s future, will be presented through the students' own words.
Higher Education Policy is an often shifting element that universities must deal with. The respo... more Higher Education Policy is an often shifting element that universities must deal with. The responses that universities make may have a profound impact on those who participate in the day to day work of higher education teaching and learning. Currently, these responses include: widening student participation; increasing online, open-access delivery; and casualising academic teaching. The aim of my doctoral research is to bring the impact of these trends into focus by examining the experience of those most affected, namely the students and tutors who are on the periphery of academia. My research focuses on a core, online, open-access unit which is situated at the nexus of where these three responses to policy meet and interact. The unit is designed to facilitate the successful transition of new-to-university students into academic life in on online environment. This is a complex task considering that the unit enrols an extremely diverse cohort with a high representation of non-traditional students, and is almost exclusively taught by casual tutors. These are two groups who are highly marginalised within the academy. The poster firstly presents an examination of how current literature in the fields of online learning, first-year pedagogy, student equity and the higher education workplace, interact and raise questions as a starting point for my research. It will secondly present the major themes identified from interviews I have conducted with selected tutors and students who have participated in the unit in recent study periods. Using Grounded Theory Method to analyse the interview data, within a Qualitative/ Interpretivist approach, my research aims to develop a deeper understanding of how these participants cope with the conditions, complexities and challenges created by contemporary higher education policies.
Navigating uncertainty and complexity:
The majority of participants in the focus unit exist within a state of uncertainty and complexity. Online, open-access students express uncertainly about their identity as tertiary students and their capacity to succeed at university. They are often uncertain about their place in the world. They engage with the ideas and discussions of academic discourse, yet are physically absent from the university. Their language and thinking may be undergoing transformation, yet their daily contacts and relationships remain the same. They may experience a complex reality of navigating competing demands from families and workplaces. Casual academics deal with uncertainty due to unstable working conditions, often having no assurance of continuing employment from one semester to the next. This may render them as uncertain about their academic identity as the students they teach. Lack of access to adequate training, professional development and the collegial community may leave sessional academics ill prepared to deal with the complexity inherent in addressing the needs of a diverse, non-traditional student cohort in a fully online environment. The ways in which both students and tutors are affected by, and cope with, the high level of uncertainty and complexity they are confronted with is explored through my poster.
Higher Education Policy is an often shifting element that universities must deal with. The respo... more Higher Education Policy is an often shifting element that universities must deal with. The responses that universities make to external policies and pressures may have a profound impact on those who participate in the day to day work of teaching and learning. Currently, universities are responding to policy pressure by widening student participation, increasing online, open-access delivery, and casualising academic teaching. There is a need for research that brings the impact of these trends into focus by examining the experience of those most affected. While the literature on each of these characteristics is quite extensive, there is little that draws the three elements together to examine the conditions created for teaching and learning as they interact and intersect. My research focuses on a core, online, open-access unit which is situated at the nexus of these three elements. It aims to facilitate the successful transition of online, new-to-university students into academic life. This is a complex task considering that the unit enrols an extremely diverse cohort with a high representation of non-traditional students and is almost exclusively taught by casual tutors. This presentation explores how current literature is drawn together as a starting point for my PhD research which aims to develop a deeper understanding of how these two highly marginalised groups cope with the conditions created by higher education policies.