Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 2023
This article considers issues that continue to shape doctoral education in Australia in the wake ... more This article considers issues that continue to shape doctoral education in Australia in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of relevant issue, and to identify opportunities for future research. It describes examples of responses taken at an institutional level, and their implications for the norms and practices associated with postgraduate research, supervision and candidate support. Comments from discussions with a small number of Australian Deans of Graduate Research are used to illustrate the challenges faced, and the responses taken. The article provides a concise outline of the policy and historical context for these responses, and concludes by considering some of the issues that continue to shape doctoral education in Australia today. It highlights the rise of location-independent graduate research and the prospect of generational change in the higher education workforce as significant factors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as potentially fruitful avenues for future research.
Abstract: As Australia moves to an approach to quality assurance that is framed around regulation... more Abstract: As Australia moves to an approach to quality assurance that is framed around regulation and risk, it is timely to reflect on the merits of external quality audit supported by a fitness-for-purpose approach. This chapter explores the proposition that external review has made a difference in enhancing the higher education student experience in Australia in terms of the scope, transparency and style of quality-enhancement activities adopted by higher education providers in Australia.
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) believes this election represents a pi... more The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) believes this election represents a pivotal time for postgraduates: a vital phase in the cycle of review and reform that has characterised Australian higher education since 2007.
In D. Halliday & G. Clarke (Eds.), 2nd International Conference on Developments in Doctoral Education & Training: Conference Proceedings. Staffordshire, UK: UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE)., 2016
Research degree completions are used as an indicator of performance, a measure of quality and a d... more Research degree completions are used as an indicator of performance, a measure of quality and a driver for funding. They could be said to be the benchmark for benchmarks in doctoral policy and practice internationally. But are degree completion statistics as reliable as they seem? Are they a valid indication of quality? In practice, ‘completions’ can be far from definitive and may be premised on any of a series of enrolment events in what could be regarded as a ‘completions process’. Degree completions by themselves are currently neither a valid nor a reliable indication of quality in doctoral degree programs. Problems with inter-method reliability confound degree completions as the basis for making reliable comparisons. Different approaches to measuring degree completion rates and times provide different answers to the same questions and provide an unequal basis for comparison. Even if these issues were resolved, problems with validity would still remain. The focus of this paper is primarily on questions around reliability, outlining an analysis of means for establishing reliable benchmarks for doctoral degree completion rates and times. Pathways to good practice in this area include greater transparency around the methods used and the use of a broader range of standard variables through which events in the completions process may be described and compared. The paper concludes with some perspectives on different measures for, and uses of, completion statistics for doctoral candidates, their use as indicators of quality and performance, and their ability to support comparisons both within and between educational systems.
There has been substantial growth in postgraduate coursework study in Australia since moves towar... more There has been substantial growth in postgraduate coursework study in Australia since moves towards deregulation began in the early 1990s. This growth in postgraduate coursework education has brought benefits for both institutions and individuals. However, in a deregulated fee environment these benefits now risk being outweighed by the mounting costs of education for those who wish to improve their qualifications. This paper revisits a paper by Smith and Frankland in 2000, regarding the ‘marketisation’ of postgraduate coursework degrees in Australia and addresses the likely implications of recent proposals for a cap on the combined cumulative fee debt for current and prospective postgraduate coursework students. It finds that many of the predictions made by Smith and Frankland in 2000 have been borne out and that the prospect of limits on cumulative debt from multiple degree programs has the potential to have an impact on increasing numbers of graduates with fee debts well in excess of $100,000.
There has been substantial growth in postgraduate coursework study in Australia since moves towar... more There has been substantial growth in postgraduate coursework study in Australia since moves towards deregulation began in the early 1990s. This growth in postgraduate coursework education has brought benefits for both institutions and individuals. However, in a deregulated fee environment these benefits now risk being outweighed by the mounting costs of education for those who wish to improve their qualifications. This paper revisits a paper by Smith and Frankland in 2000 [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 136.625], regarding the 'marketisation' of postgraduate coursework degrees in Australia and addresses the likely implications of recent proposals for a cap on the combined cumulative fee debt for current and prospective postgraduate coursework students. It finds that many of the predictions made by Smith and Frankland in 2000 have been borne out and that the prospect of limits on cumulative debt from multiple degree programs has the potential to have an impact on increasing...
We agree with Faunce's proposal that academic legitimacy is important in ensuring that whistle-bl... more We agree with Faunce's proposal that academic legitimacy is important in ensuring that whistle-blowing is included in medical curricula. We disagree, however, with the assertion that this is best achieved by means of an over-arching theoretical foundation for health care whistle-blowing of the kind suggested by Faunce. We propose that systematic theoretical justification is neither the sole nor the main determinant of academic legitimacy when it comes to matters for inclusion in medical school curricula, and outline an alternative view, together with a practical example of a healthcare whistle-blowing topic.
Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 2023
This article considers issues that continue to shape doctoral education in Australia in the wake ... more This article considers issues that continue to shape doctoral education in Australia in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of relevant issue, and to identify opportunities for future research. It describes examples of responses taken at an institutional level, and their implications for the norms and practices associated with postgraduate research, supervision and candidate support. Comments from discussions with a small number of Australian Deans of Graduate Research are used to illustrate the challenges faced, and the responses taken. The article provides a concise outline of the policy and historical context for these responses, and concludes by considering some of the issues that continue to shape doctoral education in Australia today. It highlights the rise of location-independent graduate research and the prospect of generational change in the higher education workforce as significant factors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as potentially fruitful avenues for future research.
Abstract: As Australia moves to an approach to quality assurance that is framed around regulation... more Abstract: As Australia moves to an approach to quality assurance that is framed around regulation and risk, it is timely to reflect on the merits of external quality audit supported by a fitness-for-purpose approach. This chapter explores the proposition that external review has made a difference in enhancing the higher education student experience in Australia in terms of the scope, transparency and style of quality-enhancement activities adopted by higher education providers in Australia.
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) believes this election represents a pi... more The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) believes this election represents a pivotal time for postgraduates: a vital phase in the cycle of review and reform that has characterised Australian higher education since 2007.
In D. Halliday & G. Clarke (Eds.), 2nd International Conference on Developments in Doctoral Education & Training: Conference Proceedings. Staffordshire, UK: UK Council for Graduate Education (UKCGE)., 2016
Research degree completions are used as an indicator of performance, a measure of quality and a d... more Research degree completions are used as an indicator of performance, a measure of quality and a driver for funding. They could be said to be the benchmark for benchmarks in doctoral policy and practice internationally. But are degree completion statistics as reliable as they seem? Are they a valid indication of quality? In practice, ‘completions’ can be far from definitive and may be premised on any of a series of enrolment events in what could be regarded as a ‘completions process’. Degree completions by themselves are currently neither a valid nor a reliable indication of quality in doctoral degree programs. Problems with inter-method reliability confound degree completions as the basis for making reliable comparisons. Different approaches to measuring degree completion rates and times provide different answers to the same questions and provide an unequal basis for comparison. Even if these issues were resolved, problems with validity would still remain. The focus of this paper is primarily on questions around reliability, outlining an analysis of means for establishing reliable benchmarks for doctoral degree completion rates and times. Pathways to good practice in this area include greater transparency around the methods used and the use of a broader range of standard variables through which events in the completions process may be described and compared. The paper concludes with some perspectives on different measures for, and uses of, completion statistics for doctoral candidates, their use as indicators of quality and performance, and their ability to support comparisons both within and between educational systems.
There has been substantial growth in postgraduate coursework study in Australia since moves towar... more There has been substantial growth in postgraduate coursework study in Australia since moves towards deregulation began in the early 1990s. This growth in postgraduate coursework education has brought benefits for both institutions and individuals. However, in a deregulated fee environment these benefits now risk being outweighed by the mounting costs of education for those who wish to improve their qualifications. This paper revisits a paper by Smith and Frankland in 2000, regarding the ‘marketisation’ of postgraduate coursework degrees in Australia and addresses the likely implications of recent proposals for a cap on the combined cumulative fee debt for current and prospective postgraduate coursework students. It finds that many of the predictions made by Smith and Frankland in 2000 have been borne out and that the prospect of limits on cumulative debt from multiple degree programs has the potential to have an impact on increasing numbers of graduates with fee debts well in excess of $100,000.
There has been substantial growth in postgraduate coursework study in Australia since moves towar... more There has been substantial growth in postgraduate coursework study in Australia since moves towards deregulation began in the early 1990s. This growth in postgraduate coursework education has brought benefits for both institutions and individuals. However, in a deregulated fee environment these benefits now risk being outweighed by the mounting costs of education for those who wish to improve their qualifications. This paper revisits a paper by Smith and Frankland in 2000 [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 136.625], regarding the 'marketisation' of postgraduate coursework degrees in Australia and addresses the likely implications of recent proposals for a cap on the combined cumulative fee debt for current and prospective postgraduate coursework students. It finds that many of the predictions made by Smith and Frankland in 2000 have been borne out and that the prospect of limits on cumulative debt from multiple degree programs has the potential to have an impact on increasing...
We agree with Faunce's proposal that academic legitimacy is important in ensuring that whistle-bl... more We agree with Faunce's proposal that academic legitimacy is important in ensuring that whistle-blowing is included in medical curricula. We disagree, however, with the assertion that this is best achieved by means of an over-arching theoretical foundation for health care whistle-blowing of the kind suggested by Faunce. We propose that systematic theoretical justification is neither the sole nor the main determinant of academic legitimacy when it comes to matters for inclusion in medical school curricula, and outline an alternative view, together with a practical example of a healthcare whistle-blowing topic.
This chapter is about the marketisation of the modern university and its transaction with student... more This chapter is about the marketisation of the modern university and its transaction with students. It identifies opportunities for responding to the challenges associated with marketisation. While appealing to the idea of knowledge for its own sake as a public good is an important part of preserving the idea of a university, more needs to be done if there is to be an adequate response. Responding to the challenges of marketisation requires active and constructive engagement in means as well as ends while resisting their excesses. While the idea of the university is typically constructed as an end worth advocating for, there is growing separation between this and the reality of the contemporary means of engaging with students – in market terms, via the university–student transaction.
Scope, Transparency and Style: System-Level Quality Strategies and the Student Experience in Australia. In M. Shah & S. Nair (Eds.), External Quality Audit: Has it Improved Quality Assurance in Universities?, 2013
As Australia moves to an approach to quality assurance framed around regulation and risk, it is t... more As Australia moves to an approach to quality assurance framed around regulation and risk, it is timely to reflect on the merits of external quality audit supported by a fitness for purpose approach. This chapter explores the proposition that external review has made a difference in enhancing the higher education student experience in Australia in terms of the scope, transparency and style of quality enhancement activities adopted by higher education providers in Australia.
Abstract: As Australia moves to an approach to quality assurance that is framed around regulation... more Abstract: As Australia moves to an approach to quality assurance that is framed around regulation and risk, it is timely to reflect on the merits of external quality audit supported by a fitness-for-purpose approach. This chapter explores the proposition that external review has made a difference in enhancing the higher education student experience in Australia in terms of the scope, transparency and style of quality-enhancement activities adopted by higher education providers in Australia.
Research Training in Australia. In S. Marginson (Ed.), Tertiary Education Policy in Australia., Jul 2013
Research training in Australia is central to building and sustaining the national capacity for in... more Research training in Australia is central to building and sustaining the national capacity for innovation. The key policy challenge for research education is to achieve the right balance of resourcing and incentives, where quality outcomes are supported in a sustainable way. The current policy environment around research training in Australia is characterised by a convergence of two high-level policy initiatives: the development of a national strategy for building Australia’s research workforce capacity, and a system-level shift in the way the Federal Government regulates higher education and assures quality. This chapter focuses on the intersection of these two initiatives, and how this informs research
training policy and practice in Australia.
This article explores the place of ethical analysis of technologies in public health. We begin wi... more This article explores the place of ethical analysis of technologies in public health. We begin with a brief account of the term ‘technology,’ followed by a summary of the variety of meanings ascribed to ‘ethics’ as it relates to new technologies. To illustrate the place of ethics and technology in public health, we then focus on how this variety of meanings is displayed in the range of views about the relationship between ethics and health technology assessment.
This article explores the place of ethical analysis of technologies in public health. We begin wi... more This article explores the place of ethical analysis of technologies in public health. We begin with a brief account of the term ‘technology,’ followed by a summary of the variety of meanings ascribed to ‘ethics’ as it relates to new technologies. To illustrate the place of ethics and technology in public health, we then focus on how this variety of meanings is displayed in the range of views about the relationship between ethics and health technology assessment.
This article explores the domain of ethical analysis of technologies. It begins with a brief acco... more This article explores the domain of ethical analysis of technologies. It begins with a brief account of the term ‘technology,’ followed by a summary of the ways in which ‘ethics’ is interpreted as it relates to new technologies. It then discusses two key themes in the ethics technology – risk and responsibility – before concluding with a discussion of one particularly challenging set of technological developments that raises ethical issues that cut across many areas of human endeavor.
A range of imperatives underpin university selection practices. These include demonstrating merit... more A range of imperatives underpin university selection practices. These include demonstrating merit based on prior academic achievement and supporting successful graduate outcomes in the professions and in broader fields of endeavour. They also include improving diversity of participation and equality of educational opportunity. Selection for admission therefore involves selecting for student characteristics associated with success at university and also for those associated with the desired mix of students. Finally, fair and transparent selection practices are of particular importance in the context of expanded enrolments and also for courses where the number of applications exceeds the number of places available. While a move toward a “demand driven” funding model for undergraduate enrolments in Australia might imply a shift in emphasis from selection to recruitment in university admissions, selection to courses for which there is high demand will remain necessary and the need for measures to help ensure equity of participation will remain.
Student selection therefore involves three primary challenges:
- ensuring fairness and transparency in student selection;
- identifying the potential for student success in higher education; and
- improving equity of participation and equality of educational opportunity.
Clearly no single criterion for selection will be able to address all of these challenges. Institutions will require selection criteria and selection information according to their missions and contexts and in relation to the curricula and outcomes to which they aspire.
This paper reviews criteria and strategies in student selection and the implications of their use... more This paper reviews criteria and strategies in student selection and the implications of their use for equity of participation in higher education and the prospects for student success. The paper offers an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of criteria for prior academic achievement, tests of aptitude and preparedness and broader criteria used in university selection. The aim of this paper is to support informed discussion regarding the development and improvement of university selection criteria and practices, recognising the common challenges universities face in fostering diversity of participation and student success in an expanding tertiary education environment.
This report summarises findings from a scoping study conducted for the Cooperative Research Centr... more This report summarises findings from a scoping study conducted for the Cooperative Research Centres Association (CRCA) by the Centre for the Study of Higher Education. The purpose of the scoping study is to inform the research training activities of Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs). While previous studies have focussed on the outcomes supported by the CRC research training activities, the focus of this report is on the inputs and processes invested by Cooperative Research Centres in supporting quality research education outcomes, and the measures of performance in which they are reflected. Findings from the scoping study reflect a diverse range of research training activities supported by CRCs.
www.capa.edu.au The aims and benefits of research education......................................... more www.capa.edu.au The aims and benefits of research education...............................................2
The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) believes this election represents a pi... more The Council of Australian Postgraduate Associations (CAPA) believes this election represents a pivotal time for postgraduates: a vital phase in the cycle of review and reform that has characterised Australian higher education since 2007.
Ideas about the ‘typical’ or ‘normal’ candidate underpin the development of many research higher ... more Ideas about the ‘typical’ or ‘normal’ candidate underpin the development of many research higher degree strategies, policies and programs. These ideas, acknowledged or not, often inform assumptions regarding degree outcomes, levels of engagement and judgements about risk. But are these assumptions true? While metrics for patterns of participation in research degrees can provide a useful means for testing our ideas about the typical candidate, they can also have a masking effect, particularly where based on unreliable data or reporting methods. This paper combines quantitative with narrative analysis as a way of understanding and engaging with the new normal subjectivities of research higher degrees. Combining quantitative with narrative analysis can help better inform the development of research higher degree policies, programs and support strategies, and provide a more developed understanding of the relationship between performance measures, identity and diversity.
Research degree completion has come to be definitive of a successful research higher degree outco... more Research degree completion has come to be definitive of a successful research higher degree outcome. In practice however ‘completions’ can be far from definitive, and in fact may be premised on a range of enrolment events as part of a completions process. A substantial amount of time can elapse between the initial submission of a thesis for examination and a degree conferral being recorded by the institution. Initial submission of a thesis may coincide with the final recorded date of enrolment, but this may be far from the final recorded enrolment event. Receipt of final examination reports may be taken to indicate completion through satisfying academic requirements of the degree, but there may still be program requirements in addition to this. While representing the final stage in the process for students, degree conferral is unlikely to be used as a completion indicator for performance measurement purposes, despite being the final event in what could be regarded as a ‘completions process’. Drawing on a benchmarking initiative supported by the Good Practice Framework (Luca & Wolski, 2013), this paper identifies enrolment events associated with the research degree completions process among five universities in Australia. Findings are intended to assist in defining and reporting evidence of completion and how the phases identified in that process may influence reported degree completion times.
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Papers by Nigel Palmer
1990s. This growth in postgraduate coursework education has brought benefits for both institutions and individuals. However, in a
deregulated fee environment these benefits now risk being outweighed by the mounting costs of education for those who wish to improve
their qualifications. This paper revisits a paper by Smith and Frankland in 2000, regarding the ‘marketisation’ of postgraduate coursework
degrees in Australia and addresses the likely implications of recent proposals for a cap on the combined cumulative fee debt for current and
prospective postgraduate coursework students. It finds that many of the predictions made by Smith and Frankland in 2000 have been borne
out and that the prospect of limits on cumulative debt from multiple degree programs has the potential to have an impact on increasing
numbers of graduates with fee debts well in excess of $100,000.
1990s. This growth in postgraduate coursework education has brought benefits for both institutions and individuals. However, in a
deregulated fee environment these benefits now risk being outweighed by the mounting costs of education for those who wish to improve
their qualifications. This paper revisits a paper by Smith and Frankland in 2000, regarding the ‘marketisation’ of postgraduate coursework
degrees in Australia and addresses the likely implications of recent proposals for a cap on the combined cumulative fee debt for current and
prospective postgraduate coursework students. It finds that many of the predictions made by Smith and Frankland in 2000 have been borne
out and that the prospect of limits on cumulative debt from multiple degree programs has the potential to have an impact on increasing
numbers of graduates with fee debts well in excess of $100,000.
While the idea of the university is typically constructed as an end worth advocating for, there is growing separation between this and the reality of the contemporary means of engaging with students – in market terms, via the
university–student transaction.
training policy and practice in Australia.
Student selection therefore involves three primary challenges:
- ensuring fairness and transparency in student selection;
- identifying the potential for student success in higher education; and
- improving equity of participation and equality of educational opportunity.
Clearly no single criterion for selection will be able to address all of these challenges. Institutions will require selection criteria and selection information according to their missions and contexts and in relation to the curricula and outcomes to which they aspire.