Higher Education and student engagement: implications for a new economic era

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of rising fees and the increasing privatisation of higher education on the expectations of its students. It compares experiences in Canada, Australia and the US with conversations carried out in a UK university in 2012 (after the UK fee rise). Design/methodology/approach -The research was informed by Burns Systemic Action research (2007), following emerging lines of enquiry and responding to resonance in these. It brings together conversations held with new undergraduates, second and third year students and staff tasked with introducing engagement into the curriculum. Findings -Findings indicate that student expectations are heavily influenced by secondary schooling and a target-driven consumer culture but that change has been gradual over a number of years. Alongside wanting "value for money" and "a good social life and a good degree" students are heavily motivated by experience and keen to be challenged. Research limitations/implications -Because of the research approach, the research results may lack generalisability. Practical implications -By comparing banking or transactional approaches to teaching and learning with critical pedagogy this paper hopes to highlight the importance of opening up rather than closing down opportunities for social engagement and experiential learning. Social implications -This paper makes a plea for social engagement that properly responds to the needs of communities resisting market-driven forces that treat students as consumers and expecting more rather than less from them in return. Originality/value -Lecturers are encouraged to rethink the pressures placed upon them by the current economic era and the tensions between competing agendas of employability and engagement.

All the world’s a stage: transforming entrepreneurship education through design thinking

“…Over the past 20 years, universities are increasingly being held accountable for the student experience, treating students as consumers, and producing work-ready and entrepreneurial graduates (Darlaston-Jones et al, 2003;Rae, 2010;Cable, 2011;Millican, 2014). The skills that have been identified by employers as most important in the United Kingdom, United States (US) and Australia are communication, teamwork, critical thinking, problem solving, initiative and enterprise, self-management, and learning through technology (Casner-Lotto and Barrington, 2006;Australian Industry Group and Deloitte, 2009;Lowden et al, 2011;Gilbert, 2012).…”

“…The skills that have been identified by employers as most important in the United Kingdom, United States (US) and Australia are communication, teamwork, critical thinking, problem solving, initiative and enterprise, self-management, and learning through technology (Casner-Lotto and Barrington, 2006;Australian Industry Group and Deloitte, 2009;Lowden et al, 2011;Gilbert, 2012). In the context of the changing role of universities, a debate has reopened around the extent to which the focus on employability conflicts with a holistic approach to learning (Giroux, 2010;Ramsden, 2011;Millican, 2014). Nonetheless, the increasing demand for entrepreneurship education globally is well recognised (see De Faoite et al, 2003;Finkle, 2007;West et al, 2009).…”

Focusing in on employability: using content analysis to explore the employability discourse in UK and USA universities

“…Similarly, having their graduates in graduate jobs boosts the HEIs' profile and potentially increases their numbers of students. We are effectively being called upon to imagine a different notion of curriculum, which perhaps includes social engagement and experiential learning (Millican 2014). According to Speight et al (2013, p.124), 'there is no need to contest the curriculum if it is understood as a learning space without a beginning or end, and if all learning within higher education is seen as preparation for varied and unknown futures'.…”

Value for money and the commodification of higher education: front-line narratives

“…Thereafter, HEIs have become increasingly commercialised, competing for resources, their customer base and for market position (Browne 2010;BIS 2011;Millican 2014;Naidoo and Williams 2015;Bunce, Baird, and Jones 2016;Tomlinson 2017). In addition, HEIs have been consistently reminded of 'the need to ensure that students, graduates and the taxpayer all receive value from their investment' (BIS 2015a;BIS 2016;DFE 2019, 1).…”

“…Again, although slightly improved on previous years, some 29% of respondents considered their course was 'poor' or 'very poor' VFMa significant increase on the 2012 figure of 18% (Ibid). Not surprisingly, VFM continues to be a major concern for HEIs (Millican 2014;Woodall, Hiller, and Resnick 2014;Bunce, Baird, and Jones 2016;Tomlinson 2018).…”