ERIC Number: EJ1141947
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1360-3108
EISSN: N/A
Open Access Enabling Courses: Risking Academic Standards or Meeting Equity Aspirations
Shah, Mahsood; Whannell, Robert
Perspectives: Policy and Practice in Higher Education, v21 n2-3 p51-62 2017
Open access enabling courses have experienced growth in Australia. The growth is evidenced in student enrolments and the number of public and private institutions offering such courses. Traditionally these courses have provided a second chance to many students from various equity groups who have been unable to access tertiary education due to poor academic achievement in high school or lack of post-secondary education. In recent years, open access enabling courses have attracted both young and mature-age students from mid and high socio-economic backgrounds, and international students. Open access enabling courses are similar to final year of high schooling and enable students to access degree courses. These courses are not regulated and not part of Australian Qualifications Framework and nor are they subject to any external accreditation or assessment. This paper argues that in the quest to achieve equity aspirations in the absence of appropriate regulation and accreditation in a rapidly expanding market, institutions are at risk of failing to monitor the academic quality and standards and the extent to which students are prepared for success in undergraduate study.
Descriptors: Access to Information, Electronic Publishing, Academic Standards, Foreign Countries, Enrollment, Undergraduate Study, Academic Achievement, Higher Education, Access to Education, Student Participation, Equal Education, Student Diversity, Disproportionate Representation, Accreditation (Institutions), Outcomes of Education
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A