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Revision as of 09:08, 11 March 2009

Partners situated in Australia

None. However, a member of the International Advisory Committee is based in Australia.


Australia in a nutshell

Australia is a country occupying a whole continent in the southern hemisphere of considerable relevance to European policy in education.

Australia has a population of 20 million according to the CIA Factbook. It is a Commonwealth country with many links to the UK - many people and ideas in education flow to and fro between the countries, and this is true also in e-learning.

It could be argued that the relevance of Australia is mainly to the larger nations of the European Union, yet since it has a states structure as well the relevance is wider, in fact to all nations large and small.

Australia has six states, plus two major mainland territories and several minor territories including islands. The states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia. The two major mainland territories are the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

Australia states.JPG

The population of the four largest states is as follows:

  • New South Wales: 6,927 million
  • Victoria: 5.2 million
  • Queensland: 4.2 million
  • South Australia: 1.5 million
  • Western Australia: 2.1 million

All other states and territories have populations each well under .5 million, and so are relevant only to microstates - with Tasmania as perhaps the most relevant due to its island situation.


Australia education policy

Education in Australia is primarily the responsibility of states and territories.


Higher Education:

The objects of the Higher Education Support Act 2003 , the current legislative basis for Australian Government funding of higher education, are:

a) to support a higher education system that:

(i) is characterised by quality, diversity and equity of access; and (ii) contributes to the development of cultural and intellectual life in Australia; and (iii) is appropriate to meet Australia’s social and economic needs for a highly educated and skilled population; and


b) to support the distinctive purposes of universities, which are:

(i) the education of persons, enabling them to take a leadership role in the intellectual, cultural, economic and social development of their communities; and (ii) the creation and advancement of knowledge; and (iii) the application of knowledge and discoveries to the betterment of communities in Australia and internationally;

recognising that universities are established under laws of the Commonwealth, the States and the Territories that empower them to achieve their objectives as autonomous institutions through governing bodies that are responsible for both the university’s overall performance and its ongoing independence; and

c) to strengthen Australia’s knowledge base, and enhance the contribution of Australia’s research capabilities to national economic development, international competitiveness and the attainment of social goals; and


d) to support students undertaking higher education.

Australia education system

Generally, education in Australia follows the three-tier model which includes primary education (primary schools), followed by secondary education (secondary schools/high schools) and tertiary education (universities and/or TAFE (Technical and Further Education Colleges)).

Education is compulsory up to an age specified by legislation; this age varies from state to state but is generally 15-17, that is prior to completing secondary education. Post-compulsory education is regulated within the Australian Qualifications Framework, a unified system of national qualifications in schools, vocational education and training (TAFE) and the higher education sector (university).

The academic year in Australia varies between states and institutions, but generally runs from late January until mid-December for primary and secondary schools and TAFE colleges, and from late February until mid-November for universities.


Pre-school

Pre-school in Australia is relatively unregulated, and is not compulsory. The first exposure many Australian children have to learn with others outside of traditional parenting is day care or a parent-run playgroup. This sort of activity is not generally considered schooling. Pre-school education is separate from primary school in all states and territories except Western Australia and Queensland, where pre-school education is taught as part of the primary school system.

Pre-schools are usually run by local councils, community groups or private organizations except in the Northern Territory and Queensland where they are run by the Territory and State Governments respectively. Pre-school is offered to three- to five-year-olds, although attendance numbers vary widely (from 50% in New South Wales to 93% in Victoria). The year before a child is due to attend primary school is the main year for pre-school education. This year is far more commonly attended, and usually takes the form of a few hours of activity five days a week.


School

Schools in Australia can be classified according to sources of funding and administrative structures. There are three such categories in Australia: Public Schools (also known as 'Government' schools or 'State' schools), Independent Schools (informally known as 'private' schools) and Catholic schools.


School is compulsory in Australia between the ages of six and fifteen, depending on the state and date of birth, with, in recent years, over three quarters of students staying on until they are eighteen. Government schools educate about two thirds of Australian students, with the other third in independent schools, a proportion which is rising in many parts of Australia.

Government schools are free, while independent schools, both religious and secular, charge fees. Regardless of whether a school is government or independent, they are required to adhere to the same curriculum frameworks. Most school students, be they in government or independent school, usually wear uniforms, although there are varying expectations and some Australian schools do not require uniforms.


Government (or state) schools

Government or state schools are run by the local state or territory government. They do not charge compulsory fees, with the majority of their costs met by the relevant government, and the rest by voluntary levies and fundraising.

They can be divided into two categories: open and selective. The open schools accept all students from their government defined catchment areas. Selective government schools mostly cater for academically gifted students (the top 5 percent), although there are performing arts and sports schools. Almost all selective schools are in New South Wales,[citation needed] though a few exist in other areas.

Selective schools are more prestigious than open government schools, and generally achieve better results in the school-leaving exams than independent or open government schools. Entrance to selective schools is often highly competitive and they cater to a large geographical area.


Other schools

Most Catholic schools are either run by their local parish and/or by each state's Catholic Education Department.

Non-Catholic non-government schools (often called "Independent" schools) enroll about 14% of students. These include schools operated by religious groups and secular educational philosophies such as Montessori.

Some independent schools charge high fees. Government funding for independent schools often comes under criticism from the Australian Education Union and the Australian Labor Party.

Higher education

Tertiary or higher education in Australia is made up of universities and other higher education institutions (called higher education providers).

A higher education provider is a body that is established or recognised by or under the law of the Australian Government, a State, the Australian Capital Territory or the Northern Territory. The provider has to be approved by the Australian Government Minister for Education, Science and Training before it can receive grants or its students can receive assistance from the Australian Government under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA). Providers are subject to quality and accountability requirements.


In 2007, the Australian higher education system consisted of:

  • 39 universities of which 37 are public institutions and 2 are private;
  • 1 Australian branch of an overseas university;
  • 4 other self-accrediting higher education institutions; and
  • non-self-accrediting higher education providers accredited by State and Territory authorities, numbering more than 150 as listed on State and Territory registers. These include several that are registered in more than one State and Territory.

The non-self-accrediting higher education providers form a very diverse group of specialised, mainly private, providers that range in size and include theological colleges and other providers that offer courses in areas such as business, information technology, natural therapies, hospitality, health, law and accounting.

Institutions

Universities in Australia

Both private and public universities can be found in Australia. As of 2006, there are 36 public, 2 Catholic and 1 Non-profit Private universities in Australia.

Australia has 38 universities that are members of Universities Australia, the Australian analogue of Universities UK.

Most Australian universities developed substantial capability in distance learning in the 1980s and several have now migrated this to e-learning.

Perhaps the best known is the University of Southern Queensland.

There is a service provider called NextEd who operates globally and in particular supported the GUA.

Education

Vocational Education and Training

The major providers of vocational education and training (VET) in Australia are the various state-administered institutes of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) across the country. TAFE institutions generally offer short courses, Certificates I, II, III, and IV, Diplomas, and Advanced Diplomas in a wide range of vocational topics. They also sometimes offer Higher Education courses, especially in Victoria.

In addition to TAFE Institutes there are many Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) which are privately operated. In Victoria alone there are approximately 1100. They include:

commercial training providers, the training department of manufacturing or service enterprises, the training function of employer or employee organisations in a particular industry, Group Training Companies, community learning centres and neighbourhood houses, secondary colleges providing VET programs. In size these RTOs vary from single-person operations delivering training and assessment in a narrow specialisation, to large organisations offering a wide range of programs. Many of them receive government funding to deliver programs to apprentices or trainees, to disadvantaged groups, or in fields which governments see as priority areas.

All TAFE institutes and private RTOs are required to maintain compliance with a set of national standards called the Australian Quality Training Framework (AQTF), and this compliance is monitored by regular internal and external audits.

VET programs delivered by TAFE Institutes and private RTOs are based on nationally registered qualifications, derived from either endorsed sets of competency standards known as Training Packages, or from courses accredited by state/territory government authorities. These qualifications are regularly reviewed and updated. In specialised areas where no publicly owned qualifications exist, an RTO may develop its own course and have it accredited as a privately owned program, subject to the same rules as those that are publicly owned.

All trainers and assessors delivering VET programs are required to hold a qualification known as the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAA40104) or demonstrate equivalent competency. They are also required to have relevant vocational competencies, at least to the level being delivered or assessed.

Higher education reform

The Bologna Process and Australia

The Bologna process seems likely to have a profound effect on the development of higher education globally. Australia education observers (as well as observers from other continents) are taking a close interest in the reform process and beginning to consider how their own system can be more closely aligned with ‘Bologna’ thinking.


A paper was written in 2006 by the Minister for Education, Science and Training aiming to initiate discussion on the significance of Bologna for Australia and possible Australian responses. The issues is considered in a broader context – the long-term vision for higher education in Australia. Department of Education Science and training’s initial assessment is that Australian higher education has much to gain by aligning with the key Bologna actions. The potential benefits of Bologna compatibility are of two types:

  • Facilitation of interaction and recognition
  • Benefits to Australian students and employers (with the use of "The Diploma Supplement" and the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS))

The document also state that the instition choosing to maintain positions of Bologna ‘incompatibility’ take a risk.


What would Australian compatibility with Bologna involve? At a minimum, compatibility would entail:

  • a three cycle (Bachelor, Masters, Doctorate) degree structure;
  • promotion of the Diploma Supplement;
  • a credit accumulation/transfer system compatible with the ECTS; and
  • the existence of an accreditation/quality assurance framework meeting Bologna criteria.


Australian structures and processes which fit within the Bologna framework:

  • Australia has a three cycle (Bachelor, Masters, Doctorate) qualification structure.

There are some areas in which efforts would be needed to achieve Bologna compatibility, for example any desired repositioning of Australian Honours degrees, four-year and graduate entry Bachelor degrees and one-year Masters courses, to ensure alignment with Bologna structures and emerging trends.

  • The Diploma Supplement has been trialled in Australia, but institutions will need to

make decisions about adoption;

  • The Australian quality assurance system generally fits within the broad guidelines

established by the Bologna Process, but a documented audit of compatibility may be useful as a tool for marketing and dealing with future recognition issues in Europe. There is a question of whether AUQA should seek admission to the proposed, but yet to be developed, European Register of Quality Assurance Agencies, should its eventual guidelines be framed to include external countries.

  • Australia has the EFTSU system which provides a common measure of student

workload applying across Australian universities. It may be possible to adapt this system so that it connects more effectively with the ECTS.


Conclusion

There are some challenges posed by the Bologna reforms in relation to existing qualifications that Australian higher education institutions need to consider. One issue is the position of Australian graduate entry and four-year bachelor level qualifications. It is likely that the European pathway for professional accreditation in a range of professions will become a bachelor degree followed by a two-year masters degree. The level of acceptance of graduate entry or four-year bachelor degrees is as yet unclear. The recognition of Australian one-year masters courses will also need to be monitored because whilst there is scope for a one-year masters within the Bologna structure, it is likely that the two-year masters will become the norm in most countries. The one-year masters may become a course offered only to international students in Europe and questions may arise about the professional recognition, comparability and quality of such courses within Europe. The use of Australian honours degrees as direct entry points to doctoral studies may also be problematic in Europe, since the pathway to doctoral studies within the Bologna Process will be through a masters qualification (3+2).

Australian's HE reforms

In 2002, the Commonwealth Government conducted a review of Australia’s higher education system. The Government’s response to the Review was announced on 13 May 2003 as part of the 2003/2004 Budget process. Announced by the previous Government in 2003, the "Our Universities: Backing Australia’s Future" package provided an additional $11 billion in funding over 10 years to enable higher education providers to deliver world-class higher education.

The Commonwealth Grant Scheme and Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP) arose from these reforms. The reforms were structured around four key policy principles:

  • sustainability – improved governance, appropriate resourcing and greater pricing flexibility for universities;
  • quality – incentives to improve performance and greater accountability;
  • equity – increased number of student places, greater availability of income-contingent loans, increase in the repayment threshold and incentives to improve participation and outcomes for disadvantaged groups; and
  • diversity – incentive and performance-based funding for teaching and research, support for restructuring and collaboration and additional funding for regional institutions.

source : http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/higher_education/

The reforms will establish a partially deregulated system of higher education, in which individual universities are enabled to capitalise on their particular strengths and determine the value of their course offerings in a competitive environment. There will be renewed emphasis on learning and teaching outcomes, greater recognition of the role of regional campuses and institutions, and a framework for research in which all Commonwealth funding is either competitive or performance-based. New arrangements for student financing will encourage lifelong learning, and ensure equity of access to higher education - no eligible student will be required to pay their fees up front when they enrol at an eligible higher education institution. Greater access for disadvantaged groups will be supported, and the market for private higher education will be opened up, while still enhancing quality control. Diversity will be encouraged through the creation of performance-based incentives for institutions to differentiate their missions.

source : http://www.backingaustraliasfuture.gov.au/reforms.htm

Administration and finance

Government responsibility

The Australian Government has the primary responsibility for public funding of higher education.

Australian Government funding support for higher education is provided largely through:

  • the Commonwealth Grant Scheme which provides for a specified number of Commonwealth Supported places each year;
  • the Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP) arrangements providing financial assistance to students;
  • the Commonwealth Scholarships; and
  • a range of grants for specific purposes including quality, learning and teaching, research and research training programmes.

The Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) is the Australian Government Department with responsibility for administering this funding and for developing and administering higher education policy and programs.

Decision-making, regulation and governance for higher education are shared among the Australian Government, the State and Territory Governments and the institutions themselves.

The Australian National University, the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and the Australian Maritime College are established under Commonwealth legislation.

Universities' responsibility

By definition within Australia, universities are self-accrediting institutions and each university has its own establishment legislation (generally State and Territory legislation) and receive the vast majority of their public funding from the Australian Government, through the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

As self-accrediting institutions, Australia’s universities have a reasonably high level of autonomy to operate within the legislative requirements associated with their Australian Government funding.

The Australian Catholic University is established under corporations law. It has establishment Acts in NSW and Victoria.

Many private providers are also established under corporations law.

States and Territories

Some aspects of higher education are the responsibility of States and Territories. In particular, most universities are established or recognised under State and Territory legislation.

States and Territories are also responsible for accrediting non-self-accrediting higher education providers.

Quality assurance

Quality assurance in Australia’s higher education system is based on a strong partnership between the Commonwealth (federal), State and Territory Governments and the higher education sector.

Source: http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/higher_education/policy_issues_reviews/key_issues/assuring_quality_in_higher_education/partners_in_quality_assurance.htm


Quality assurance in Australia’s higher education system


Commonwealth

The Australian Government’s role includes:

  • Protection of the term ‘university’
  • Legislative protection of overseas students studying in Australia
  • Performance management tools
  • Learning and Teaching Performance Fund
  • Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC)
  • Institution Assessment Framework (IAF) [formerly Educational Profiles]


State and Territory Governments

Australia’s State and mainland Territory Governments are responsible for the legislation which protects the integrity of Australian universities and higher education awards in their jurisdiction. Their responsibilities include:

  • specifying arrangements to establish and recognise universities, as well as protecting the use of the term "university";
  • protecting higher education award titles and accrediting higher education courses to be offered by non-self-accrediting private providers;
  • approving the operation of overseas providers of higher education; and
  • endorsing courses of study as suitable for overseas students.

These responsibilities are explained further in the National Protocols for Higher Education Approval Processes.


Higher education sector

Australia’s universities are self accrediting bodies established by or under Commonwealth, State or Territory legislation. They are responsible for maintaining the quality of their own academic standards. This quality is independently verified every five years by the Australian Universities Quality Agency. There are 43 self-accrediting higher education institutions in Australia and 39 of these are universities. In addition to these institutions there are over 100 private education providers accredited by State and Territory Governments offering higher education courses.

Universities assure the quality of their offerings in a number of ways including external academic and industry in-put into courses and peer review of new and ongoing courses. Usually universities formally review their courses on a five-yearly basis. In addition, universities regularly evaluate student feedback.

Universities also voluntarily comply with various codes of practice and guidelines set by Universities Australia to ensure the quality of their offerings.

Australian universities which are recognised by the Ministerial Council on Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) are listed on the registers of the Australian Qualifications Framework.


The Australian Qualification Framework

(AQF) lists universities and other self-accrediting higher education institutions.

The AQF was established by the Ministerial Council of Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) in 1995 to provide for nationally recognised pathways between awards offered in Australia’s vocational education and training and higher education sectors. It brings together the qualifications issued by different sectors into a single comprehensive system of titles and standards.

The AQF also maintains a public register of MCEETYA endorsed post compulsory education providers and accreditation authorities. The register is a key element of the Australian higher education quality assurance framework.


Australian Universities Quality Agency

The Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA) is an independent, not-for-profit national agency that promote, audit, and report on quality assurance in Australian higher education. AUQA was formally established by the Ministerial Council on Education, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) in March 2000. It operates independently of governments and the higher education sector under the direction of a Board of Directors. AUQA is owned by and receives core, operational funding from the Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers for higher education who are members of MCEETYA. The AUQA Constitution is available for download.

AUQA website

Australia's HEIs in the information society

Towards the information society

A real ICT policy and organisational framework exists for the use of Information and Communication Technologies in Australian Education Training. A Joint Ministerial Statement on Information and Communications Technologies in Australian Education and Training: 2008-2011 was endorsed by MCEETYA and MCVTE in June 2008.


Australian Flexible Learning Framework

The Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework) provides the vocational education and training (VET) system with the essential e-learning infrastructure and expertise needed to respond to the challenges of a modern economy and the training needs of Australian businesses and workers.

  • The Framework was launched as a strategy in 2000, responding to information and communication technology (ICT) developments in workplaces and society. The Australian Government and all states and territories agreed to work together nationally to advance the use of e-learning in VET.
  • The first 2000-2004 Framework Strategy focused on raising awareness of the potential of e-learning, and starting to build capability. The second 2005-2007 Framework Strategy continued this work, and focused on engaging with key target groups.
  • The 2008-2011 Framework Strategy maximises and builds on the national investment to date in essential e-learning infrastructure. It will focus on embedding e-learning in registered training organisations (RTOs), business and industry. The 2008 Framework Business Plan provides the blueprint for the Framework in the first year of the new Strategy, detailing the Leadership and Innovation programs, and their related business activities.

Together these strategies have created a considerable infrastructure and a sound foundation on which to establish e-learning as an integral part of the national training system.


The national training system's e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework), has received the go-ahead for its 2009 activities, opening up more than $7 million in funding opportunities for registered training organisations (RTOs), business and industry to embed e-learning in the vocational education and training (VET) system.

The announcement coincides with recent research showing that 36% of all VET activity in RTOs now formally involves e-learning, compared to just 3-4% in 2003-2004. Research also confirms that 91% of students and 88% of teachers and trainers now use e-learning as part of their VET experience.


More information about the Australian Flexible Learning Framework is available here :

http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/flx/go/home/about

For information about the initiatives and projects classified by states and territoires, visit this page:

http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/flx/go/home/States_and_Territories

Information society strategy

In Australia 14% of students (95 000) are doing distance education.

The Le@rning Federation The Le@rning Federation is an initiative of the state, territory and federal governments of Australia and New Zealand. It is developing high-quality online curriculum content for years P-10 (preschool to year 10) in two formats: interactive, multimedia learning objects and digital resources. The materials are designed to engage students and support teachers and will be freely available to all schools in Australia and New Zealand. Scope: 4,581 items of online content Copyright/licensing; copyright and other intellectual property rights are owned by the joint venture companies Curriculum Corporation and education.au limited on behalf of the governments of Australia and of the Australian states and territories Restrictions: restricted to schools in Australian states/territories and New Zealand


Benchmarking e-learning

Australia is one of the few countries where benchmarking e-learning has been taken seriously. Others include UK and New Zealand.

There has been interest in benchmarking in Australia on two fronts:

  • a long strand of development and piloting of the ACODE scheme
  • an impending pilot of eMM by around six institutions

Although the ACODE scheme is a distinct scheme, it has several similarities with the Pick&Mix style of benchmarking which has been used for some analytic purposes in Re.ViCa - and in fact Paul Bacsich was the external advisor to the ACODE scheme. There are interesting differences, including a stronger focus in ACODE on IT.


Government programs

  • EdNA (Education Network Australia): one of the world's largest education and training websites with more than 16,000 evaluated online resources and free online forums, chatrooms and discussion lists to support collaboration and communication in the education and training communities.


  • Education.au is Australia's leading Information and Communications Technology (ICT) agency for educators and delivers a range of web services to clients in the higher education, schools education and vocational education and training sectors.


  • AICTEC - The Australian Information and Communications Technology in Education Committee (AICTEC) is a national, cross-sectoral committee responsible for providing advice to all Australian Ministers of Education and Training on the economic and effective utilisation of information and communications technologies in Australian education and training.


  • ASHER program to assist eligible HEPs to establish and maintain digital repositories.

Major e-learning initiatives

Repositories of OER

http://www.innovation.gov.au/Section/AboutDIISR/FactSheets/Pages/AustralianSchemeforHigherEducationRepositories(AHSER)FactSheet.aspx

  • LORN currently has seven member repositories contributing more than 2500 learning objects for download. A wide range of industries and subject areas, including business, community services, electrotechnology, horticulture, tourism and hospitality, are represented. The number of Learning objects increases as repository owners build their collections.
    • Flexible Learning Toolboxes
    • TAFE Tasmania
    • Centre for Learning Innovation (CLI)
    • TAFE SA
    • TAFE VC
    • TVET
    • WestOne


http://www.repository.ac.nz/


Projects



TAFE Open Learning or Open Learning Institute of TAFE Queensland (OLI)

Open Learning Institute of TAFE, Australia is an accredited public provider of training courses using distance and internet delivery. The Institute's four stream courses areas are: Business Services, Engineering & Environment Technologies, Education & Training, Community, Health & Personal Services.

TAFE Open Learning helps deliver quality vocational and lifestyle programs to some 25,000 people each year.

TAFE Open Learning is nationally recognised for providing opportunity to enrol into innovative TAFE programs that are tailored for transition into employment and for updating current industry required skills.

TAFE virtual campus Online Learning and Information Portal for the Victorian TAFE System.

The TAFE VC is an established state funded virtual learning platform offering a range of e-learning products and services to a diverse group of students and organisations including TAFE, ACE, registered training organisations, industry and enterprise, schools and Government agencies.

References

Government E-learning Activities


Education Ministers Aust - the official page for the State and Federal Ministers responsible for coordination of training and education in Australia, including online training and online education. (This opens a new page - please close it to return to this point).

TAFE Frontiers - an explanation of online developments in the TAFE (Technical and Further Education) sector in Australia. (This opens a new page - please close it to return to this point).

EdNA Online - one of the world's largest education and training websites with more than 16,000 evaluated online resources and free online forums, chatrooms and discussion lists to support collaboration and communication in the education and training communities.


Other Australian E-learning Activities


Australian Subject Gateways Forum (ASGF) - a gateway site. (This opens a new page - please close it to return to this point).

Commonwealth of Learning - Knowledge Series - a series of articles on e-learning. (This opens a new page - please close it to return to this point).

National Organisation for E-Learning (NOEL) - an Australian e-learning resource site. (This opens a new page - please close it to return to this point).

elearn Australia - an Australian e-learning site. (This opens a new page - please close it to return to this point).




Web sites :

Internal evaluation australia

> Countries

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