Partners in a Learning Organization: A Student-Focused Model of Professional Development

Educational Forum, The, 2009 by Scott, Shelleyann, Dixon, Kathryn

Abstract

This research report presents a student-focused model aimed at involving students, academics, and administrators in improving and enhancing learning and teaching at a university business school. The "partners in learning" model involves using student feedback to develop curriculum, teaching, and assessment; systematic, in-context professional development; and curriculum review. This longitudinal study reports that without strong educational leadership and organizational commitment, positive change is slow in showing results. The lessons learned are included for university professional developers.

Universities around the world are focused traditionally on producing workready, knowledgeable graduates and engaging in the creation of new knowledge through research. Australia has experienced a steady decline in government funding to universities over the past decade (Currie, Thiele, and Harris 2002), and this reality is mirrored in most countries around the world. This has resulted in universities now strategically positioning themselves to enhance their market share within the educational industry (Webber and Scott 2008). This means universities that have a reputation for providing a "quality educational experience" will be in a better position to attract more full-fee paying students, thereby increasing their share of the educational market (Scott and Dixon 2008). With Australian university education reported to be the third-highest service export industry, worth in excess of "$9 billion in export earnings in the financial year 2004-05," it is timely that educators examine the educational outcomes of programs and engage the challenges of improving the quality of the learning experience for their "clients" - that is, the students (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2007, 1).

Purpose of the Research

This article presents the components of a student-focused model for improving learning and teaching within a large business school. This school operates within Australia and at partnered international institutions. The authors acknowledge the complexity involved in providing a "quality educational experience," which is reflected in the multidimensional nature of the model presented. The model outlines an analysis of five years of student feedback on learning experiences. This article is the first in a series that explores various programs established to respond to student feedback and reports on the challenges the academy is facing within this dynamic global environment. While acknowledging the limitations of a case study, the lessons learned from this research may provide insights to other university professional developers, administrators, and academics who are struggling with their own challenges with "quality agenda" resonating throughout higher education.

This article examines three aspects:

1. Context - a brief overview of the context of higher education specific to Australia but which resonates with Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom;

2. The model - the presentation of a multidimensional model designed to facilitate better teaching and increasing the quality of students' learning experiences as part of the learning organization approach that has been adopted; and

3. The importance of students' feedback - the presentation of the longitudinal data and the response the organization has made to the issues students raised.

The Context - Exploring Good Teaching in Universities

Higher education around the world has become a significant service export that has a key role in the economy of the nation. Some advantages in establishing offshore programs and encouraging international student enrollment have included increased links with overseas partners, opportunities for international research, a more internationalized curriculum, wider cultural interactions for both students and academics, as well as the obvious financial advantages of full-fee paying students (Webber and Scott 2008). International students are a valuable source of income for universities in the climate of declining government funding (de Wit 1997; Bartell 2003). On the other hand, the success of higher education as an export market has resulted in increased scrutiny and calls for accountability to ensure "quality" teaching (Scott and Dixon 2008). Government ministers for education have been proactive in espousing the "quality" agenda. For example, Australia's previous Minister for Education highlighted the need to address professional skill development, better academic teaching skills, and more effective assessment practices (Nelson 2003). Even though the pressure to improve teaching or research is not new for academics, the increasing administrative loads that accompany offshore teaching and large classes create additional stress. Unfortunately, academics and administrators do not always recognize the links between the quality of educational programs and teaching, and the institution's reputation. This has serious implications for program sustainability in overseas contexts (Scott and Dixon 2008).