Standing Committee on Employment, Education
and Workplace Relations
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Submission 51
Submission to the Committee's Inquiry into the Appropriate Roles of
Institutes of Technical and Further Education
24 October 1997
The TAFE sector has traditionally been involved with vocational training
at the post-secondary level. Australian Technology Network universities
such as QUT have also traditionally had a strong emphasis on professionally
and vocationally oriented education, which is now probably developing
most strongly at the postgraduate level. Thus there is a similarity of
purposes, but at different levels, between these two sectors of the national
education system. Further, in the areas of general education, there is
a continuing blurring of the boundaries between the two sectors. These
factors provide impetus for the development of links between the sectors.
QUT supports and actively works to develop strong links
in various areas with Technical and Further Education institutions. Examples
of the kinds of existing or desired links are as follows.
1. Credit awarded on transition from TAFE sector to QUT
QUT currently draws about 6% of its intake from the TAFE sector. Anecdotal
and some limited statistical evidence suggests that this proportion may
increase. Certainly QUT is keen to expand that fraction. It will therefore
become increasingly important to provide efficient progress from formal
study in one sector to another.
To address this need, QUT has a policy based on an agreement with the
TAFE sector in Queensland. This policy deals largely with credit transfer.
This University is actively seeking to extend the range of its credit
provisions for students with qualifications in a TAFE institution. The
policy provides for a 'standard' credit provision of one year of credit
for a two-year award at TAFE, although there are some situations where
greater provision (eg, 'two for two') is made. Such credit policies are
becoming a necessary feature of relations between the TAFE and University
sectors.
2. Joint awards
QUT supports the development of joint awards between the two sectors,
and indeed has some programs where students can gain both a TAFE and a
QUT award with recognition of credit by QUT in a timeframe rather less
than the sum of the lengths of the two awards.
3. Joint use of resources
QUT supports the principle of the joint use, where appropriate, of resources
between TAFE and university institutions. The Queensland Manufacturing
Institute, a joint venture between QUT, TAFE and the Queensland Government,
is a good example of sharing resources and facilities. Both joint awards
and joint use of resources are particularly appropriate when a TAFE college
is situated near a university campus.
There is some overlap between sectors in some discipline areas. However,
this overlap varies between disciplines and possibly between states. For
example, there are some disciplines such as the Visual and Performing
Arts where there is major overlap in the activities of the two sectors.
This depends to a certain extent on the particular Organisation within
individual states which in turn reflects the historical development of
the disciplines in those states. In Queensland, for example, there are
strong components of Visual Arts, Craft and Design in the TAFE sector,
but relatively little activity in the Performing Arts.
However, there are some fundamental differences in teaching approaches
between the two sectors which will require some concerted work when links
are developed. In the TAFE sector, teaching approaches in many disciplines
are likely to be more directed and focussed on technique than would be
the case in corresponding University courses. In the visual and performing
arts, for example, in the TAFE sector, teaching would be more directed
and deal with the craft and technique of the particular discipline, whereas
in the University sector the teaching would perhaps be more focussed on
developing creative expression at an individual level. Students can therefore
encounter a difference in expectation when they make the transfer from
TAFE to University.
This issue also applies to methods of assessment. The competency-based
assessment approach of modern TAFE institutions is suited to the teaching
approaches of the TAFE sector but is problematic for most University disciplines.
Thus, in dealing with students transferring from TAFE, Quito's student
administration is working on general admissions schedules which take account
of competency-based assessment. However, many discipline areas would probably
prefer, and indeed are actively developing, collaborative arrangements
between particular TAFE institutions and QUT faculties that would at the
least provide specified credit for transfer between particular courses,
but which may also involve interactions at deeper levels such as in curriculum
design, or in sharing teaching and resources.
Potential areas of improvement in University-TAFE relations -
Most of the Australian Technology Network universities have strong arrangements
for external input into course design and quality assurance through advisory
committees. The extent to which QUT has input into TAFE sector course
developments through similar mechanisms or accreditation bodies is highly
discipline dependent. Some mechanism which provided for the consistent
cross-linking of the two sectors at this level should be considered, especially
if there is to be increased interaction between the sectors.
In Queensland, the secondary curriculum has changed recently
to provide more vocational study opportunities for students. This in turn
creates some difficulties for teacher education institutions such as QUT
to teach in those areas. This will mean that more robust links with the
TAFE sector will be required to develop teacher education programs in
these vocational areas.
One area where there could usefully be efficiencies generated is student
administrative -systems. At present the two sectors use widely different
systems and mechanisms. However, an increasing flow of students between
sectors will increase the advantage in having administrative systems with
some compatibility.
Finally, it should be said that there are a number of private providers
of post-secondary education, both present and emerging. QUT has and will
seek similar links with these providers in addition to its activities
with the TAFE sector. Thus, for example, QUT has arrangements for credit
transfer and simultaneous enrolment in each sector, which include both
TAFE and private provider institutions
I trust that the committee will find these comments useful.
Professor R D Gibson
Vice-Chancellor
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