[LINK] Future for Au uni education .. hybrid study and Indonesia?

[Stephen Loosley]

Sensible and thought-provoking thoughts Tom .. thanks.

As it happens, today, Chris Ducket (ZDNet)  frequently quotes the president of La Trobe University John Dewar on this same topic. https://www.zdnet.com/article/how-la-trobe-is-changing-with-large-lecture-halls-consigned-to-the-past/

Dewar also asserts .. applied research.

"Those very large lecture theatres, that you might remember from your days at university, are probably going to stand empty now ... I doubt whether they will ever make a return."

Besides COVID-19, the other significant factor standing in the way of the tertiary sector is a government that is ideologically hostile to publicly funding the institutions, having passed legislation to squeeze universities and lift fees for some degrees already.

The result has been universities turning to industry to pick up the shortfall.

"We've always worked closely with industry, about two-thirds of our research income comes from industry partners, but this will intensify and become a much bigger part of what we do," Dewar said.

"It's becoming more challenging for universities to persuade governments to fund their activities, particularly activities like research, and working with industry is a fantastic way of not just amplifying the effects of university research, but also of funding some of those core activities.

"I think the future for the university sector will be very much one that's tied up with applied research, industry partnerships, and so on. We can't ignore the fundamental research, the more speculative research because often that's what provides the underpinning for the more applied work, but I think applied research will become even more important."



From: Tom Worthington<mailto:tom.worthington at tomw.net.au>
Sent: Wednesday, 7 April 2021 10:12 AM
To: link at anu.edu.au<mailto:link at anu.edu.au>
Subject: Re: [LINK] Future for Au uni education .. hybrid study and Indonesia?

On 4/4/21 12:30 pm, Stephen Loosley wrote:

> Group of Eight unis question value of more online education in
> driving recovery By Lisa Visentin  April 1, 2021 ... theage...

Our universities need to take online education seriously, before
international competitors take away *both* our international and
domestic students. It would help if the Australian cabinet stoped
insulting our international students.
https://blog.highereducationwhisperer.com/2021/04/planning-future-of-international.html

> Group of Eight chief executive Vicki Thomson said the coronavirus
> pandemic had given universities a “proof of concept” that online
> course delivery was possible ...

It is disingenuous for the Group of Eight to suggest a "proof of
concept" was needed for online course delivery. Some of their members
have been delivering whole degrees online, via Open Universities
Australia for years. Australian universities were pioneers in distance
education decades ago. This was proven as a quality way to provide
education long before COVID-19, but only if the people doing it know
what they are doing.

In 2013 I enrolled in a MEd to look at the question of how to deliver
online education from Australia research intensive universities, like
those of the Go8, to students in the indo-pacific. Based on my studies,
in 2017 I suggested our universities be ready to teach online if a
regional crisis kept students from campus. In the longer term I
suggested online was needed to compete internationally.

The crisis caused by universities failing to prepare for COVID-19 will
look small compared to a failure to prepare for the much larger
challenges coming in the next few years.
https://blog.highereducationwhisperer.com/search/label/Belt%20and%20Road%20Initiative

> ... the attraction for many students is that they can
> come to Australia and study ...

At present students can't come to Australia to study. The Australian
Government has made it clear by word and action that they do not welcome
international students. As a result students are likely to seek to study
in other countries, such as Canada. In 2013 when looking at somewhere to
study I first looked at universities where I live, then the rest of
Australia and then the world. I selected Canada, as they welcomed me,
have a specialist online university providing a quality education at a
reasonable price (slightly cheaper than Australia) and are no further
away online than their Australian equivalent.
https://blog.highereducationwhisperer.com/2013/08/masters-in-on-line-distance-education.html

> The capacity and willingness of universities to invest more heavily
> in online education will be a key focus ...

I suggest what is needed is an investment in training of academics in
how to teach online. This requires a change in approach, from one where
online learning is treated as an exception, to where it is routine. It
helps if academics experience it themselves, so called "dogfooding".
http://www.tomw.net.au/technology/it/dogfooding/

> ... Education Minister Alan Tudge said the sector should take
> advantage of the boom in online learning to tap into new markets ...

The minister has a good strategy, but unfortunately doubled down on the
PM's previous comment making international students feel unwelcome. Also
building expertise in education takes many years. It took me seven years
to be confident with this.

> Universities Australia ... believes a hybrid model, where students complete some
> learning on campus, has merit.

Having the option to study on campus is of value to students. However,
what has been lacking, and is still lacking, is Australian universities
giving students choices. My suggestion before COVID-19 and which will
still be applicable after, is to design programs and courses for *full
online delivery*, with face to face when the students wants or needs it.
Universities can offer students campus options, when the students feel
the need, at a time of the student's choosing, not when the university
tells them to.

> “These rich hybrid-models present Australian and international
> students with new opportunities. They also present a competitive edge
> for our sector,” UA chief executive Catriona Jackson said.

The hybrid mode is neither new, nor will it provide a competitive edge.
What offering hybrid forms of education will do is to allow Australian
universities to remain competitive. If they continue their current
practices, our universities will cease to have a viable product, both
for domestic and international students.

> Mr Tudge this week nominated Indonesia and India as key markets that
> had booming demand for tertiary studies but lacked the in-country
> capacity to train them. ...

It is good to see the Minister has been listening to those in the
education sector, who long ago identified Indonesia and India as
potentially expanded markets for Australian universities. However, China
should not be dismissed as an ongoing market, especially online. The
Australian government does not criticize the Australian wine, coal, or
iron ore industries for selling a lot of product to China, so why
criticize our education industry? If you have a customer willing to buy
you don't turn them away, and you don't make them feel unwelcome, even
while looking for other customers.

In my studies I identified the complexities of Indian education
regulation as an impediment, but which could be overcome. In my couple
of visits to Indonesia, to speak at conferences, Australian
contributions seemed to be very welcome. China will present increasing
challenges, but these are manageable.

Unfortunately, the Australian Government and Australian universities
have yet to seriously engage with the issues which online education in
the 21st Century raise. They may only have months to do so.

Please note my comments are my ow, and do not necessarily reflect the
views of the ANU or the ACS.


--
Tom Worthington, MEd FHEA FACS CP IP3P http://www.tomw.net.au
+61(0)419496150
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Honorary Lecturer, Computer Science, Australian National University
https://cecs.anu.edu.au/research/profile/tom-worthington
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