Kim Watty, Kaye Hilliar, Sophia Ji, Sonia Magdziarz and Melissa Simpson
Increasingly, academics new to higher education find themselves in a “publish or perish” environment, with little if any formal or informal support structures. This is a situation…
Abstract
Purpose
Increasingly, academics new to higher education find themselves in a “publish or perish” environment, with little if any formal or informal support structures. This is a situation that many academics have faced and lamented. The discussion in this paper emanates from the objective of seeking to change this environment. The mentoring provided an opportunity to work collaboratively with accounting academics who are new to the higher education sector, and focuses on developing and/or enhancing a scholarly approach to teaching and learning.
Design/methodology/approach
The reflective practitioner model provides the theoretical framework that underpins this mentoring process. The discussion in this research paper provides an opportunity to explore this mentoring process, primarily aimed at developing and encouraging a scholarly approach to teaching and learning by academics new to the environment. Data on the process were collected using a survey questionnaire and as a result of informal discussions during the mentoring process.
Findings
The findings indicate an overall positive response to the process for both the mentor and the mentee and the achievement of the planned research outcomes.
Originality/value
The discussion in this paper outlines a framework and process that others may follow when mentoring academics entering a “new” educational experience.
Details
Keywords
Sonia Magdziarz, Kim Watty, Kaye Hilliar, Sophia Ji and Melissa Simpson
The purpose of this paper is to examine and reflect on current assessment practice in a large undergraduate accounting programme delivered both in Australia and offshore, from the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine and reflect on current assessment practice in a large undergraduate accounting programme delivered both in Australia and offshore, from the perspective of academics in their first semester at a “new‐to‐them” university.
Design/methodology/approach
The changing higher education environment and the reality of assessment in the current context are considered, as they raise a number of important issues around assessment practice. Some of the often cited literature linking teaching, learning and assessment, including student‐centred learning and Confucian heritage culture, is also discussed. A reflective approach is used where Säljö's five categories of student learning are used as the basis for informed reflection of the assessment used in the “new” academics' first semester at the university. The use of empirical evidence to test these reflections would be the next step in this scholarly approach to teaching and learning.
Findings
The reflections reveal a disparity between reality and the ideal in relation to assessment practice. Issues regarding timely feedback to students and timing of assessments can result in summative assessment when it has the potential to be formative. This paper has provided an opportunity for “new” academics to engage with the higher education literature early in their careers.
Originality/value
This paper is a resource for academics beginning to engage with the higher education literature around assessment, teaching and learning and can also be used to inform and improve the teaching and learning practices of many academics in higher education.