Why volunteer? What stimulates involvement in a stem peer learning facilitation program?

There is an acknowledged need for strategies to enhance participation, learning and graduate capabilities for students engaged in STEM disciplines given the central importance of these skills to the future economy. The STIMulate program provides support for learning across maths, science and IT to all QUT coursework students regardless of course of study or campus. Central to the success of the program is the provision of face-to-face peer support by a team of high-achieving, experienced student volunteers; the Peer Learning Facilitators (PLFs). Understanding the motivations and expectations of the diverse team of STIMulate student volunteers is necessary to appropriately manage the program. A survey instrument was adapted from the Volunteer Functions Inventory (Clary, Snyder, Ridge, Copeland, Stukas, Haugen & Meine, 1998) to assess three drivers of participation - autonomy, mastery and purpose, and provided to all commencing PLFs at the initial 2016 training session. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified three classifications of motivators for beginning PLFs: relationships and experiences (most important criteria), intrinsic motivators and extrinsic motivators (least important criteria). The findings of this work represent an important first step towards enhancing evidence-based practice for the management, reward and recognition of student volunteers engaged in academic support programs

Human development and democracy: re-examining the relationship

We explore the role of democracy in human development. Rather than viewing democracy as a prerequisite for or consequence of human development, we suggest that, like health, education, and income, democracy is also an integral part of human development. We draw on the experiences of a number of countries to reinforce this perspective, and propose a two dimensional typology of human development based on the degree of democracy prevailing in a country and “tangible” human development, as measured by the HDI and other supplementary indices. We use this typology to distinguish between four types of human development: sustainable human development, pseudo human development, emergent human development, and failed human development. We propose that such a classification can be used as a tool for the planning and evaluation of development policies

The governance dimension of human development

Purpose – The research aims to include good governance as a facet in the measurement of human development. Design/methodology/approach – A modified Human Development Index (MHDI) was computed by including a governance dimension computed using the six governance indicators published by the World Bank. The rankings using the new index were obtained and compared to the rankings of the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP's) HDI. Findings – The rank correlation of the original and modified indices was very high, but there were many big rank changes for individual countries in each HDI group. These rank changes could be largely reconciled in the light of the rankings of these countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index and the Democracy Index. Research limitations/implications – The research considers the measurement of human development at a point in time alone and incorporates 2010 governance indicators into the 2011 HDI, which could lead to a discrepancy in time periods considered. Furthermore, the governance indicators are measures of perceptions which can be subjective. The Practical implications paper does not delve into the country-specific factors that may have caused big rank changes. Practical implications – The paper builds a case for incorporating, or at least providing the option of including a governance dimension in the HDI. Originality/value – The paper is a novel attempt to incorporate good governance as a dimension in the HDI. It reasserts the need for policy-makers and governments to realize that peoples' capabilities cannot be realized in the absence of good governance, and that whilst improving other facets of human development, much attention needs to be paid towards establishing good governance

Essays on variable elasticity of substitution, economic growth, and human capital outcomes

This thesis uses alternative approaches to the modelling of technology and preferences to examine several macroeconomic issues. The diverse explorations carried out in the thesis make a novel contribution to the macroeconomics literature by providing interesting insights into the underlying factors that determine the manner in which growth, inequality, and political economy outcomes evolve in an economy over time. The results show that the degree of substitutability between resources in an economy is a major determinant of long-run economic outcomes, and hence carry some important implications for government policies relating to economic growth and human capital accumulation

Business undergraduates’ progress and satisfaction with learning experiences: The role of group assessment

Summative group assessment is increasingly used to prepare undergraduates for employment by developing their communication, interpersonal and teamworking capabilities. This article examined the effects of group assessment on progress rates and satisfaction among undergraduates by analysing the results of two surveys deployed by the Business School of a large Australian technology university early on and towards the end of semester 1, 2018. Results revealed that subjects/units with group assessment had higher progress rates compared to those with individual assessment. In addition, the response rate to the first survey was negatively related to progress rate, and there were also differences in progress rates between disciplines. However, there were no notable differences in student satisfaction levels for units with group assessment compared to those without group assessment, and the only significant predictors of student satisfaction were the proportion of part-time students and the staff-to-student ratio. Units with group assessment also had a relatively lower response rate for the first survey and a higher response rate for the second survey. This article highlights the importance of group assessment in shaping student progression and satisfaction whilst acknowledging other factors that educators need to consider when designing curriculum and providing timely support to students

'Freeing' free education in Sri Lanka

Purpose – The research aims to describe Sri Lanka's education system, discuss reforms that have been implemented within the school, university and vocational education sectors in the recent past and suggest potentially fruitful reforms whilst identifying the various constraints which can affect their implementation. Design/methodology/approach – A descriptive approach is employed, with extensive review of related literature and the use of relevant secondary data where appropriate. Findings – The research shows the need for considerable reform of Sri Lanka's education system, especially with regard to improving the quality of state education and encouraging greater private sector participation. Research limitations/implications – The research shows the deficiencies Sri Lanka's education system suffers from and suggests means to overcome them. However, the political and social pressures may present obstacles upon the implementation of such courses of action. Social implications – The recommendations offered by the research could make a contribution towards transforming the education system in Sri Lanka into one which can produce empowered individuals who can find employment within the emerging sectors of the economy and thereby improve overall living standards in the country. Originality/value – The paper makes a novel contribution by encompassing school, tertiary and vocational education in Sri Lanka. It shows the numerous problems that could arise in a context where a universal system of free education from the primary to the tertiary level exists vis‐à‐vis a flourishing private sector, and would be of value to education policy‐planners in Sri Lanka and other countries with both state and private sector provision of education

Human development and national culture: a multivariate exploration

We examine the relationship between different aspects of human development and Hofstede’s six dimensions of national culture. Using multivariate regression and canonical correlation analysis, we show that all the dimensions of national culture except masculinity have a significant impact on human development, and that the overall strength of the association between the two groups of variables is a high positive one. In general, the direction of the influence of the national culture variables on economic growth differs from the manner they influence other variables, which reinforces the fact that economic growth does not always translate into true people-centred development. Furthermore, the national culture dimensions do not explain much of the variation in a number of health indicators

Peer learning and the undergraduate journey: a framework for student success

This article proposes a framework for strategically integrating peer learning to support the success of undergraduates and build targeted skills at each stage of their journey through university, which is regarded here as one that commences prior to enrolment, encompasses three years of undergraduate study, graduation and the alumni years. The framework incorporates three sets of factors that capture the broad tensions and challenges that need to be considered when integrating peer programs into the undergraduate journey: external or macro-level factors, such higher education policy, cultural attitudes and trends in higher education like the influx of international students and the greater demand for flexible study options; institutional or meso-level factors like an institution’s size, mission, structure, culture and characteristics of key student groups; and individual or micro-level factors including students’ socioeconomic status, enrolment status, age, motivations and attitudes, geographical and cultural orientations, learning and technological preferences. Higher education practitioners can use this framework as a planning tool to evaluate extant peer learning arrangements at their institutions and strategically position new programs to address the academic, social development and employability needs that emerge at different junctures of the undergraduate journey and improve student engagement, retention and success.</p