Kathryn Robson and Associate Professor Barbara de la Harpe

1. Moving towards an understanding of the factors that contribute to student satisfaction in Higher Education Kathryn Robson and Associate Professor Barbara de la Harpe

2. OUTLINE AND BACKGROUND • Student satisfaction in higher education is a goal that all institutions seek. • Satisfied students usually infers committed, engaged and enthusiastic participants in their programs (courses). • This is an era of mass education with large cohorts of students and often large classes. • If we perceive student satisfaction as a necessary, but elusive characteristic, then we first need to determine what students expect from their education experience. • If graduate satisfaction is low and on the whole it is for property, valuation and construction graduates in Australia, then what are their expectations for their higher education experience? • We need to understand and manage these expectations. • Hence we come to the gap in research. The documents on student satisfaction come mainly from academics. What do the students think? School of Property, Construction & Project Management

3. RESEARCH QUESTIONS • What are the key issues for a higher education (HE) experience? (Who says?) • What does it take for PCPM students to graduate being satisfied with their educational experience? • What do students in PCPM expect from the educational experience? • What are their lived experiences of the educational process? • What factors help, or hinder students educational experiences? • What strategies can PCPM put in place to ensure student satisfaction? • How could this process be applied nation wide? • How can a balance between student satisfaction and industry requirements be achieved? School of Property, Construction & Project Management

4. Stakeholders in the higher education experience LITERATURE REVIEW School of Property, Construction & Project Management

5. LITERATURE REVIEW Cont. • Customer Satisfaction in higher education? Each class a student is enrolled in is a service encounter. Perceived service quality is an attitude and attitudes are emotive and subject to change (Athiyaman, 1997). What factors contribute to a higher education experience? • Model (see handouts) • Student engagement (Chickering and Gamson 1987;Scott, 2006; Kift, 2004; Krause, 2005; NSSE, 2008; Kuh, 2003; etc) • Curricula (Candy, 2000) • Teaching methods and styles (Entwistle, McCune and Hounsell, 2003; Trigwell and Prosser, 2004) • Assessment and feedback (Hattie, 2009; Ramsden et al, 2007) • Administration experience • Student motivation, first year experience etc (Pintrich et al 1993) School of Property, Construction & Project Management

6. LITERATURE REVIEW Cont. • Changing nature of student (millennium or net generation): it is realistic to expect to have up to 30% of your students who are working to support themselves and be not very interested in their program. For many it is simply a means to a job. This of course leads to problems in the classroom with poor attendance, inability to complete tasks, problems meeting group expectations and rarely completing set work (Kington, 2008). • More students often mean larger classes and stretched facilities and support. The level of support that students receive may vary and they may be left to fend for themselves in what may be a very foreign environment (Kift, 2004; Krause, 2005a). • Research indicates that students are working longer hours in paid employment and generally feel less committed to their tertiary studies. The students find the transition from Secondary School difficult and lonely. The increasing class sizes and flexible course delivery, exacerbates this sense of alienation (Kift, 2004). • The old recipe for engagement is no longer relevant. The challenge is how to engage with such a diverse university population? We need to do more to address adequately the full meaning and implications of student engagement (Krause, 2005). School of Property, Construction & Project Management

7. METHODOLOGY • The main thrust of the research is the student body. This is the core group to engage with. We need to research them across all year levels and during their first year in industry (five year levels). This study will then be benchmarked by sampling similar programs to PCPM, Australia wide. • A case study mixed methods research will be used in this research study (Krause, 2005). • Action research (emphasis will be on the development of a model for excellence in the School of PCPM around curricula, teaching etc, based on identified factors critical to student satisfaction). • This paper discusses the development of a model of factors that make up the HE experience for students in Property/Construction in Australia. Using focus groups and questionnaires, the importance of these factors will be weighted to determine their relevant importance to HE students in their educational experience. This can then be adapted for use with future student satisfaction surveys. School of Property, Construction & Project Management

8. DISCUSSION OF THE MODEL • The model is a work in progress and will be tested on focus groups of Property/construction students at RMIT University, academics and Industry. (Your input from this conference is highly valued.) • The model has been developed from the literature and personal experience of over thirty years teaching in HE. • The model consists of a number of sub-models and examines the HE experience from the aspect of the student experience. • The model takes into account the influences of the various stakeholders in the HE process. • The model suggests ten behavioural elements that all stakeholders in the HE experience should be aware of and adhere to. School of Property, Construction & Project Management

9. Curricula Contact Hours & Workloads Deep Learning Challenges Interesting Aims & Learning Outcomes Delivery Mode Structure Content Choice & Organisation Design Subsets A (the University)(C & G, 1987; ECS, 1995; Kuh, 2003; Synder, 2003) School of Property, Construction & Project Management

10. Administration IT Support Processes Student Support System Timetabling Facilities & Teaching Aids Learning Environments & Technologies Marketing Subsets A (the University) (Candy, 2000; Scott, 2006) School of Property, Construction & Project Management

11. Teaching Methods & Styles Variable Interactive Teaches Beliefs, Concepts & Reflective Practice Respect for Diverse, Knowledge, Talents & Background Foster Creativity, Imagination & Innovation Flexibility & Willing to Change Subsets A (the University)(Entwistle, McCune and Hounsell, 2003; Trigwell and Prosser, 2004, McLaughin and Robson, 2007) School of Property, Construction & Project Management

12. Non-Curricula Activities Sporting Political Social Subsets A (the University) (Candy, 2000; Scott, 2006) School of Property, Construction & Project Management

13. Relationships Industry & Community Involvement Fairness & Moral Order Supervision Mentoring Career Transition Staff / Student Interaction Collaboration Lecturer Expectation Subsets A (the University) (Candy, 2000; Scott, 2006) School of Property, Construction & Project Management

14. Assessment & Feedback Appropriateness Time on Task Type & Approaches Timely & Appropriate Feedback Subsets A (the University)(Entwistle, McCune and Hounsell, 2003; Trigwell and Prosser, 2004, McLaughin and Robson, 2007) School of Property, Construction & Project Management

15. Orientation Beliefs, Values & Expectations Ability, Knowledge & Learning Skills Peer Groups Morale Identity Choices & Experiences HE Students Motivation & Satisfaction with program Time Allocated to Work, Study 1st Year Experience Funding Source Learning Methods & Styles Subset B (the student) (Kift, 2004; Krause, 2005, 2005a) School of Property, Construction & Project Management

16. Teaching Methods & Styles Orientation Beliefs, Values & Expectations Ability, Knowledge & Learning Skills Administration Teaching Methods & Styles Relationships Non-Curricula Activities Assessment & Feedback Administration Curricula Relationships Variable Interactive Appropriateness Industry & Community Involvement Time on Task Teaches Beliefs, Concepts & Reflective Practice Fairness & Moral Order IT Support Contact Hours & Workloads Deep Learning Challenges Interesting Processes Peer Groups Morale Identity Choices & Experiences Curricula HE Students Assessment & Feedback Student Support System Aims & Learning Outcomes Timetabling Delivery Mode Supervision Mentoring Career Transition Respect for Diverse, Knowledge, Talents & Background Type & Approaches Staff / Student Interaction Collaboration Foster Creativity, Imagination & Innovation Timely & Appropriate Feedback Motivation & Satisfaction with program Sporting Political Social Time Allocated to Work, Study Lecturer Expectation Flexibility & Willing to Change HE Students Facilities & Teaching Aids Structure Learning Environments & Technologies Content Choice & Organisation Design Marketing 1st Year Experience Funding Source Learning Methods & Styles University - Teachers Activity Responsibility Non-Curricula Activities Expectations Respect Negotiation Diversity Cooperation Passion Industry Requirements WIL Working for Money Relaxing & Socialising Communication Interaction Industry & Community School of Property, Construction & Project Management