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The essential element overarching the five challenges I have laid out is care .
in scholarly pursuits that support and enhance their teaching efforts .
Once students and teachers clearly understand the importance of research , schools can develop a culture of scholarship and encourage active participation in scholarly activities as a part of their daily working lives .
Modern learning
The top five challenges we ’ re facing in 2023-24
By Greg Whateley
In the next 12 months as a sector we ’ ll still be dealing with the changes the Covid-19 pandemic wrought , but there are other important issues we need to contend with , too .
1 . RETURNING TO CAMPUS The Covid-19 pandemic completely changed the higher education landscape .
Online learning – including blended and hybrid modalities – became the norm and was well received by many students .
Student Feedback on Units ( SFUs ), excellent Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching ( QILT ) outcomes , indicate that modern learners are enthusiastic to stay online .
The most recent SFU at Group Colleges Australia ( GCA ) showed that 90 per cent of students wanted to continue with online and hybrid learning .
The federal government has mandated some form of return to campuses , which in my opinion , could be driven by real estate and retail pressures .
It is my opinion that as a society of modern learners , we must find the correct balance throughout 2023-2024 – and hybrid learning appears to be the most logical option .
2 . REASSESSING ASSESSMENTS The pandemic forced many schools , including GCA , to take a more balanced approach to assessing student learning ,
As many schools shift away from the traditional regime of examinations to non-examination curricula , we must be aware of academic integrity issues and be fair and transparent with students about their progress towards learning outcomes . The Universal Business School Sydney has promoted a grade moderation practice that supports a fairer and more accurate grading system in line with the rest of the education sector , while also maintaining standards requirements .
3 . SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES In non-research organisations , including GCA , students and teaching staff should be supported to undertake scholarly activities and be given a clear understanding of what scholarship actually is .
For teaching staff , this can be achieved by integrating concentrated support mechanisms to encourage engagement
4 . MEETING SMARTER Working from home – or from anywhere for that matter – has changed the communication landscape for modern learners and higher education providers .
Developing technologies have made managing hybrid meetings much easier with communication channels that facilitate inclusive and productive meetings .
It ’ s all well and good to be able to facilitate an online or hybrid meeting , but it ’ s equally important to understand how to maximise the benefits of time spent in collaboration with one another .
5 . COMPLIANCE Compliance is a key consideration when growing and diversifying education opportunities .
Compliance has often been perceived as a chore or a diversion from teaching and learning ; however , it ’ s more important than ever that students and teachers fully understand compliance .
The essential element overarching the five challenges I have laid out is care .
Care to support students in achieving their aspirations and learning outcomes .
Care in balancing assessment and evaluation to ensure quality , fairness and integrity .
Care to actively involve students and staff in meaningful scholarship that embraces their own passions and expertise .
Care about how we communicate , making meetings more meaningful and supportive .
Most importantly , taking care to be compliant in every aspect of our education journey ,
Straight forward ? Easy ? Probably neither , but an absolutely essential focus for the next two years in a post-Covid era . ■
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