[LINK] World Education

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Tom writes,
 
> There is an art to getting students to learn from each other, it is 
> called "teaching".

Completely agree, Tom. And Australia does it brilliantly. "Over the last 
40 years, higher education has moved from the periphery to the centre of 
Australian life. As recently as the mid 1970s, only three out of every 
hundred working-age Australians had a higher education qualification. By 
2012, the proportion had increased to 25 per cent. If current policies 
are successful, by 2025, 40 per cent of young Australian adults will hold 
a bachelor degree or above .."

Ref: <http://apo.org.au/research/mapping-australian-higher-education-2013-
version>

So things look rosey when Australians can pay to sit in front of teachers.

However, whilst not at silly US levels, local higher ed is apparently too 
expensive. And hence yet further reasons to make for quality moves online?

For example, Gratten Institute Study: Media Release, 20th January 2013 ..

"Student debt is at its highest level ever, with Commonwealth government
estimates showing that $6.2 billion, of the $26.3 billion owed under the
HELP student loan scheme, will never be repaid .. Rising domestic under-
graduate student numbers are expected to increase the Government’s bill 
for tuition subsidies to nearly $7 billion in 2015-16, up from $5.5 
billion in 2011-12."

Online higher education courses (full courses or in-part) do NOT need 
such huge financial outlays.

Future online courses, incorporating social networking such as in current
on-campus study, are imho, an un-stopable eventuality. I really hope that
Australian education isn't left behind. C'mon Aussie.

As the above report concludes, "Most other trends in the (Aus) higher 
education system are positive ... (For example) .. Student satisfaction 
with teaching is increasing. The quality of Australian research is rated 
more favourably now than in the past."

http://grattan.edu.au/static/files/assets/5444fff0/20130120_media_release_
higher-education.pdf

--

Cheers,
Stephen.

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