Higher Education Reforms for the 21st Century World #GEI 66
A combination of social, economic, demographic and technology factors are facilitating the need for reforms in current higher education systems. Unsurprisingly similar themes run across Australia, the UK and the US, with consistent discussions on the need for more quality assurance to enhance the student experience, as well as more transparency over outcomes to ensure students make informed study choices and maximise the return on their education investment.
Perhaps just as important to point out is the need for the reform agenda to incorporate non-traditional models of education. Innovation in the higher education landscape is rife — as evident from the emergence of bootcamps and microcredentials — with US-based Miller Center for Public Affairs and the American Enterprise Institute both stressing the need for regulators to move away from focusing heavily on traditional 18-year-old students and bundled degrees, to thinking of ways to extend reforms to cater to non-traditional students and modes of learning.
Finally, to round up this week’s reform-centric edition, the OECD provides a useful comparison of education reforms in various countries to assist policymakers seeking best practice in education policies.
Reform needed in UK higher education to sustain global standing
While higher education in the UK continues to be a sound investment, more needs to be done to fulfil its potential as an engine of social mobility and a driver of economic growth. Various factors contribute to the case for change: Courses are inflexible and based on the traditional three-year model, students are dissatisfied with the provision they receive, and employers are suffering skills shortages. This white paper suggests that at the heart of this lies insufficient competition and a lack of informed choice. A range of proposed measures to reform the system are set out in this report, including a new ‘teaching excellence framework’ designed to measure the value of degrees to students, tougher requirements on universities to publish data on admissions, as well as a new Office for Students overseeing course quality and administration. By introducing more competition and informed choice into higher education, the government aims to deliver better outcomes and value for students, employers and taxpayers.
Reforms to drive innovation, fairness and excellence in Australian higher education
The Australian Government has published a paper which sets out potential reforms that support the Government’s vision of a stronger, more sustainable system of higher education. According to the Government, Australia needs a system that provides genuine choice of higher education opportunities, where prospective students’ decisions are supported by objective, reliable information about the requirements, costs, quality and potential employment outcomes of different study options. Other key messages include the need to: 1) Guarantee quality via effective regulation, non-distortionary funding models and transparency measures that deliver institutional accountability, 2) Offer genuine pathways — where standards for admission are maintained while ensuring that disadvantaged learners are supported to achieve their goals, and 3) Be affordable and provide a return on investment from both an individual and a national perspective.
Rethinking higher education regulation for an unbundled world
New ‘unbundled’ higher education providers with modular, low-cost offerings powered by technology have begun to emerge, but they are constrained by the higher education regulatory system’s reliance on the traditional bundled model. Is there a role for federal aid to play in facilitating access to these new opportunities? This policy brief outlines potential regulatory approaches that policymakers could use to facilitate access to this unbundled market while protecting consumers and taxpayers. For example, policymakers could set up a path for these providers to receive federal aid in exchange for enhanced transparency on outcomes and cost. Alternatively, policymakers could also simply wait for this emerging market to mature on its own and let consumer demand and competition drive innovation. The report does not recommend one approach over another, instead suggesting that policymakers experiment with different approaches in order to lay the groundwork for more comprehensive reform.
Reforms to take into account new learning pathways
Discoveries in the science of learning are prompting institutions to experiment with how they provide education and measure learning among a new generation of students. What is likely to emerge from these innovations over the next decade is a variety of pathways that students will follow to personalise their learning over their lifetimes — such as competency-based education, online education and bootcamps. This report puts forth that to succeed in the long run, innovations sweeping higher education need the support of state policymakers on several fronts: 1) A move away from a view of higher education that is institution specific and largely focused on traditional 18-year-old students and bundled degrees, 2) Government aid structures that effectively reinforce existing systems and protect incumbent players, and 3) The promotion of alliances and other collaborative efforts among institutions and new providers to improve quality and ensure a steady flow of students for decades to come.
OECD compares education reforms in different countries to assess best-practice
While individual countries’ reform challenges cannot be simply transposed into a different country or system, countries face similar challenges. This report provides a comparative review of policy trends over the past seven years to help countries learn from one another and choose the reforms best adapted to their needs and context. According to OECD’s analysis, the most effective policies are designed around students and learning, building teachers’ capacity and engaging all stakeholders. At the same time, it also highlights the need for more follow-up once new policies are adopted. As it currently stands, only 10% of policies have been evaluated for their impact. According to the report, measuring policy impact more rigorously and consistently will not only be cost-effective in the long run, it is also essential for developing the most useful, practicable and successful education policy options.
This Week’s Infographic
The changing profile of higher education students
