Q320 English Literature : Society for Learning Analytics Research

Answer:

Introduction

Higher education not only prepares the student for his future, it also builds the nations identity. The universities play the most significant role to build the students through higher education, who will serve the community and humanity. In the developed countries like UK or Australia, the responsibility to elevate the quality of higher education is greatly considered.

Quality and Funding in UK Higher Education System

The higher education system in UK has been experiencing great changes for the last 25 years (Francis and Taylor 2016). The research and higher education bills are getting recognized and materialized by the UK parliament. The teachers’ qualifications are under scrutiny now, more than ever. The government has formed a Teaching Excellence Framework at the universities to let the students understand the diverse options of higher education. The key information set or KIS works for the development in the system by gather and sharing information about the students of selected UK colleges and universities. A various range of National Student Surveys or NSAs and  the Higher Education Statistics Agency or HESA also contribute significantly to collect necessary data in the evaluation process of UK’s higher education system.  The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) works independently as an external body who reviews the UK’s higher education system.  It works in relation with the Quality Code and develops Tier 4 statuses for the international students to pursue higher studies in UK years (Francis and Taylor 2016).

The funding bodies play important role in data collection, financial support and market development.  Under the Higher Education Public Information Steering Group or HEPISG, the funding bodies analyses the information related to higher education system in UK (Diamond et al. 2015). In 2012, the funding of full time under graduation student had increased to 9000 pound, which was 3000 pound six years back (Brown and Carasso 2013). Also the block grant system allows relaxation to the institutions. The higher education funding is experiencing more privatization more than ever. OCED reports showed that UK is one of the highest shares in institutions’ private expenditure, which is 69.8%. tuition fees and the block grant are the main sources for tuition funding. The students under British university abroad courses get funding of 500000 each year (Brown and Carasso 2013).

Quality and Funding in Australian Higher Education System

Since 2017, various governing bodies in Australia are adapting many effective actions like, student achievement report, standard curriculum, and development of teachers. Several study  and programs like  Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, Australian Government Quality teaching Program,  National Assessment program and Australian Curriculum and reporting authority work in the improvement process (Dinham 2013). Australian government started demand driven system for the deserving students’ more benefit. The Ministry for Education formed a review board to evaluate the system and to recommend better arrangements for the funding (Kemp 2014).  Australian Council for Educational Research works extensively to gather necessary data related to higher education.

Australian government invested more than 15 billion in funding of higher education in 2016 (Norton and Cakitaki 2013 ). It covered university grant, student scholarships, and student loan subsidies. Public funding is not so active in Australia; it depends on various aspects including specific universities’ legal stands.. However the wage has been decreasing since 2013 for higher education professionals. For the applied research, from more than 3000 applications, more than 17% were provided with fund in the year 2016.  The projects generally go on for 5 years and this funding provide them 30,000 to 500,000 each year (Norton and Cakitaki 2013). There is a program named, Sustainable Research Excellence which funds the indirect research, they invested almost 250 million in the last year.

There has been an argument regarding government’s centralizing method in the higher education. In 2017 the university budget cut of 2.8 billion has caused in 7.5% fee rise (Karp 2017).  Recently graduated students are facing difficulties to get employed for a fulltime job.  The leaders of Australian Higher Education should invest on an analytical task force for higher education. It will examine the government stakeholder, governing bodies to evaluate their need and action at certain interval (Siemens, Dawson and Lynch 2013).

Conclusion:

Both UK and Australia are implementing policies to develop a higher education environment with the purpose of fostering talented students. However, by comparing the scenarios of higher education system of both the countries, it is quite evident that the higher education system in UK is more preferable and suitable for an aspiring student.

References:

Brown, R. and Carasso, H., 2013. Everything for sale?: the marketisation of UK higher education. Routledge.

Diamond, A., Evans, J., Sheen, J. and Birkin, G., 2015. UK review of information about higher education: information mapping study: report to the UK higher education funding bodies.

Dinham, S., 2013. The quality teaching movement in Australia encounters difficult terrain: A personal perspective. Australian Journal of Education, 57(2), pp.91-106.

Francis, A. and Taylor, N., 2016. Quality Assurance of Higher Education in the UK: Regulatory Change and Market Competition-the Case of Law. Revista de Educacion y Derecho, 14.

Karp, P. (2017). University students face fee rise of 7.5% as funding to sector cut by $2.8bn. The Guardian. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/may/01/university-funding-to-be-cut-28bn-education-minister-sys [Accessed 13 Jul. 2017].

Kemp, D., 2014. Review of the demand driven funding system: report [Kemp-Norton Review]. Department of Education, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.

Norton, A. and Cakitaki, B., 2013. Mapping Australian higher education 2016. Melbourne: Grattan Institute.

Siemens, G., Dawson, S. and Lynch, G., 2013. Improving the quality and productivity of the higher education sector. Policy and Strategy for Systems-Level Deployment of Learning Analytics. Canberra, ACT: Society for Learning Analytics Research for the Australian Office for Learning and Teaching.