1. STUDENT VOICE ON FIELDWORK AT CSU
CATHY MAGINNIS
Teaching Fellow EFPI
Nursing Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery

2. Introduction The student experience is important as:
It relates to attrition and retention rates;
Need people with degree qualification for the workforce (Bradley et al 2008)
Need to attract younger cohort as ageing population;
Government funding dependent on student satisfaction (Bradley et al 2008)
If students have positive experience will complete their degree
Synonymous terms used

3. Terminology Student Satisfaction: Student Engagement:
-Usually measures the quality of teaching
Student Engagement:
About the student and their involvement with the university. It encompasses learning, the uni environment; learning resources and teaching methods; how the student engages with educational strategies (Coates 2005)

4. Practice Based Education
PBE refers to:
“university education that is grounded in the preparation of graduates for practice. This includes classroom, distance and fieldwork education” (EFPI 2008)

5. Practice Based Education
Refers to teaching, learning and curricula development to foster preparation of students for practice, professional and workplace roles and expectations (EFPI 2009)
Occurs through real and virtual learning and must contain compulsory fieldwork learning
Need a university wide approach to ensure a positive and relevant student experience

6. Practice Based Education
Different terms used for PBE
Literature reveals students rate this aspect of their education highly in survey tools and other forms of feedback
It is important for students to learn to do the thing they are learning; to experience it and practice it in appropriate settings, these include simulated labs, clinical practice, fieldwork trips and in appropriate environments

7. The Bradley Report
Aust Govt. commissioned a report to review Australian Higher Education, chaired by Prof. Denise Bradley, final report Dec 2008
Recommendation that all accredited higher education providers to administer GDS, CEQ and AUSSE surveys and report the findings (Bradley et al 2008)
The Bradley report (2008) proposes that performance based funding for uni for research be aligned with satisfaction levels from CEQ and AUSSE
This then relates to the student experience and tools used to measure it

8. STUDENT SATISFACTION PROJECT
This was my initial project as an EFPI Fellow
Focussed on the student experience with practice based education at CSU
37 courses with PBE included
Reviewed current tools including:

9. Current Tools CEQ- P&A, annually, 5 scales overall view
SEQ-2nd yr students, modelled on CEQ
GDS- P&A annually, graduate info re course
AUSSE-U/G students 1st yr and 3rd yr of study
CEQUERY-Graduate Careers Aust, annually, qual responses
OES- end of each session, compulsory section 11 qu and customised area

10. Focus Groups
Hedy Bryant, Manager Culture and Change, Melanie Kelly , research assistant and myself
Conducted 15 focus groups on the Dubbo, Orange, Bathurst, Wagga, Thurgoona and Albury students
Internal, DE and international students invited to participate

11. Focus Groups
Had a series of 8 questions focussed on eliciting information re:
Definition of student satisfaction;
The student experience at CSU;
Specific learning experiences related to fieldwork and evaluation of it.

12. Student Feedback on PBE/Fieldwork
Positive
Negative
Enjoy it
Want more
Learnt a lot
Good facilitators
Facilities on campus great i.e. theatre
Learning experience excellent
Want more prac time in class and off campus
Lack of notice, expensive, travel
Late notice= miss out on grants
Want more local placements
Child care issues
Preferences not noted
Lack of feedback and contact with CSU staff
Lack of evaluation forms

13. Student Feedback Negative continued
Equity, fairness & quality of prac assessments
Some students have to find own placements
Unable to do paid employment
Need adequate briefing
Facilitators/fieldwork educators need to be taught and briefed
Some PBE/fieldwork is hidden and not acknowledged but it is expected and impacts on employability

14. Where to Now Revision of OES
AUQA Audit as part of CSU’s review cycle has revealed the need for further activity in a number of areas
EFPI fieldwork education taskforce working parties:

15. Conclusion
The student experience and relating it to practice based education is vital.
“..it is students’ total experience of university- not just what happens in the traditional classroom- that shapes their judgement of quality, promotes retention and engages them in productive learning” Scott (2006, p. vii)

16. References
Bradley, D., Noonan, P., Nugent, H., & Scales, B. (2008). Review of Australian Higher Education Final Report. Australian Government. Retrieved March 12th 2009, from on%20Review_one%20document_02.pdf
Coates, H. (2005). The value of student engagement for higher education quality assurance, Quality in Higher Education, 11(1),
Higgs, J et al. (2009). Professional Education and Practice-Based learning: Theme 2 AUQA Report- The Green paper for Discussion, April 2009, The Education for Practice Institute, Charles Sturt University, North Parramatta.
Scott, G. (2006). Accessing the Student Voice Final Report, Department of Education, Science and Training, Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 5th March 2009 from A6CD- 999F6F1CF893/10606/HEIPCEQueryFinalv21stfeb06.doc
The Education For Practice Institute. (2008).Retrieved 4 May 2009 from