Project Reports and Publications

Relevant Reports and Publications are listed below to provide you with a view of the sector and information to support and enhance your understanding of the project.

Towards a Learning Standards Framework (2012) (opens in new window)Opens in a new window
Professors Liz Deane and Kerri-Lee Krause (University of Western Sydney) in collaboration with the project team

This discussion paper

  • arises from issues raised during the course of this national, cross-institutional project on approaches to monitoring and assuring learning standards;
  • results from collaboration among project team members, the project steering group, project participants and associates of the project;
  • contributes to the national discussion of approaches to monitoring and verifying learning standards;
  • proposes a four-tier framework for assuring learning standards, starting with department and unit-level monitoring of standards to inter-university verification of standards and blind peer review among academic discipline experts
  • outlines three key lessons learned during our inter-university peer review of standards project.
    These are:
  1. the need to shift from unit to course level thinking
  2. the importance of articulating reference points for the purposes of setting, monitoring and assuring learning standards
  3. the value of academic 'calibration' exercises that involve academic staff 'tuning' their 'judgement-making ability' to ensure that grading is valid, reliable and self-regulated (see Sadler, 2012)

Mapping Learning and Teaching Standards in Australian Higher Education: An Issues and Options Paper (2011) (opens in new window)Opens in a new window
Kerri-Lee Krause, Simon Barrie, Geoff Scott with contributions from Judyth Sachs and Belinda Probert

This paper maps key elements in the national quality and standards landscape in order to:

  • underscore the complex inter-relationships between relevant policy initiatives and activities in the sector; and
  • identify areas requiring further clarification and emerging dilemmas as the new TEQSA and Compacts systems unfold.

Options for ways in which the sector might move forward in thinking about learning standards and approaches to evidencing these in transparent, robust, feasible, scaleable and sustainable ways are proposed.