This article reports on an investigation into the validity of a widely used scale for measuring the extent to which higher education students employ active learning strategies. The scale is the active learning scale in the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement. This scale is based on the Active and Collaborative Learning scale of the National Survey of Student Engagement. The particular focus of the study was to investigate effects resulting from the addition of a small number of items to the active learning scale designed to capture some highly engaging, mostly online, activities. The items were developed in response to concerns that students studying in distance mode often report lower average scores on active learning scales than their on-campus counterparts. The additional items relate to activities such as working online with other students and faculty. The findings show that average scores on the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement/National Survey of Student Engagement scale increase significantly when the new items are included and that some differences between on-campus and distance education students narrow significantly. These findings have implications for the development of more robust and comprehensive instruments to measure active learning.

No abstract

Conjoint analysis was used to model the importance of study mode in students'choice of university. Study mode was proposed as a key choice attribute as universities have diversified their means of delivering education and increased the use of online delivery. Results are reported for two conjoint experiments.The first investigated how undergraduate students made trade-offs between study mode, university and tuition fees.The second examined similar trade-offs made by current and prospective postgraduates. Findings confirmed the importance of study mode to both groups and suggest two main reasons for its influence on university choice: it affects students' experiences of learning and socialising at university, and their time and place flexibility.The most preferred study modes for undergraduates and postgraduates were face-to-face study and print-based study, respectively. Given the trend towards online delivery, the findings have relevance to universities across national systems and reputational markets.Higher Education Quarterly, 0951-5224

No abstract

This paper reports on a survey of how Australian undergraduate students perceive the benefits of broad study modes: face-to-face classes, web-based study, and print-based study. Two benefit types were identified through factor analysis: engagement and functionality. Respondents rated face-to-face classes highest on engagement and print-based study highest on functionality. However, they distinguished only marginally between the engagement and functionality benefits of print-based and web-based study. Two variables associated with differences in students' perceptions of study modes were attendance mode and student tenure. The findings raise questions about the learning and marketing rationales for offering web-based delivery of educational programmes at the expense of both the traditional face-to-face experience and the traditional "distance" experience in Australia using print materials.