If a picture is worth a thousand words, how do you value a thousand memories?

Todhunter, Barrie (2012) If a picture is worth a thousand words, how do you value a thousand memories? In: 2012 Regional Development: Connectedness, Business and Learning: Creating Sustainable Communities, 20 Jun 2012, Brisbane, Australia.

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Abstract

This article examines characteristics and circumstances of postgraduate coursework students who tend to fly under the radar of university support systems and who often experience considerable difficulty in making a successful transition to postgraduate study. The case study described illustrates many of the issues facing postgraduate students studying at a distance, as well as the benefits of a flexible and blended learning model where such issues are addressed through opportunities to experience a face-to-face learning environment as a component of their studies. Problems arise for many students because they have either not undertaken university study for some time, or as is becoming increasingly common, have never studied at university at all. Either way, such students struggle to understand the learning objectives and expected outcomes of postgraduate study and to demonstrate the skills expected of graduates of such programs. They also are frequently unable to access academic support services because, as mature-aged learners, they predominantly study part-time in off-campus mode. For universities, these problems will be exacerbated by the recent introduction of the new Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) and the expectations of agencies that administer the AQF that graduates will demonstrate achievement of designated threshold learning outcomes.

To explore these issues, this paper examines an academic program model that tries to overcome the problems identified above by combining principles of open learning, flexible learning, distance education and block teaching mode. The findings suggest that an empirical study needs to be undertaken to explore problems of off-campus study for postgraduate coursework students and to determine under what circumstances it may provide optimal learning outcomes.

Statistics for this ePrint Item

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Commonwealth Reporting Category E) (Paper)
Refereed:	Yes
Item Status:	Live Archive
Additional Information:	2012 USQ Faculty of Business and Law Research Retreat.
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre:	Historic - Faculty of Business and Law - School of Management and Marketing (1 Jan 2011 - 30 June 2013)
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre:	Historic - Faculty of Business and Law - School of Management and Marketing (1 Jan 2011 - 30 June 2013)
Date Deposited:	20 Jan 2013 05:36
Last Modified:	07 Apr 2017 05:15
Uncontrolled Keywords:	postgraduate study; open learning; flexible learning; intensive workshop; block mode; higher education research
Fields of Research (2008):	13 Education > 1303 Specialist Studies in Education > 130305 Educational Counselling 13 Education > 1301 Education Systems > 130101 Continuing and Community Education 15 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services > 1503 Business and Management > 150399 Business and Management not elsewhere classified
Socio-Economic Objectives (2008):	E Expanding Knowledge > 97 Expanding Knowledge > 970115 Expanding Knowledge in Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services
URI:	http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/22311

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