Western Sydney University
Learning Futures Portfolio
This book is part of a series that draws on recent research projects conducted in the Australasia adult ESL context. The aim of the series is to explore some of the findings from these projects and some of the general literature in the... more
This book is part of a series that draws on recent research projects conducted in the Australasia adult ESL context. The aim of the series is to explore some of the findings from
these projects and some of the general literature in the area in order to suggest implications and ideas for classroom practice. Thus, the series attempts to draw together research, theory
and practice in a way that is accessible to practising teachers.
these projects and some of the general literature in the area in order to suggest implications and ideas for classroom practice. Thus, the series attempts to draw together research, theory
and practice in a way that is accessible to practising teachers.
What is the relationship between university learning and workplace practice? Are our accounting programs preparing graduates for professional accounting work? The Big 4 accounting firms do not think so: they are actively recruiting... more
What is the relationship between university learning and workplace practice? Are our accounting programs preparing graduates for professional accounting work? The Big 4 accounting firms do not think so: they are actively recruiting graduates from disciplines other than accounting because many accounting graduates do not have the professional communication skills needed. In response to this, the Language for Professional Communication in Accounting (LCPA) project is addressing the development of generic graduate attributes in postgraduate accounting education at Macquarie University. This paper reports on current research within this project that includes a series of interviews with teachers and learners in the Master of Accounting (MAcc) program regarding their conceptions of the role and value of generic graduate attributes in accounting education and interviews with employers and practising accountants that have examined their expectations of accounting graduates and the nature of accounting work. Preliminary findings from this research highlight the importance of student interaction and participation in facilitating learning and preparing for professional practice.
Internationalisation is one of Macquarie University's objectives for the 21st century. One dimension of this is internationalisation of the student body through the recruitment of international students for undergraduate and postgraduate... more
Internationalisation is one of Macquarie University's objectives for the 21st century. One dimension of this is internationalisation of the student body through the recruitment of international students for undergraduate and postgraduate programs. The Master of Accounting program attracts international students who aim to become professional accountants. Within the program, increasing cultural diversity in the class room has presented opportunities and challenges, along with other changes in professional accounting work and professional accreditation requirements. This paper will describe an interdisciplinary and collaborative project that has been developed to meet these challenges, with reference to those aspects of the project that contribute to its effectiveness.
Reading is a theoretically complex process for which there is, as for learning itself, no complete model or theory. While there are many similarities between reading print and electronic texts – given that they share symbol systems – it... more
Reading is a theoretically complex process for which there is, as for learning itself, no complete model or theory. While there are many similarities between reading print and electronic texts – given that they share symbol systems – it has been suggested that the shift to the electronic medium involves changes in comprehension and decoding and, more significantly, in ‘what counts as literacy’ (Leu et al 2004: 15841). Leu et al claim that, while reading electronic texts requires all that reading print texts entails – including ‘skill sets such as phonemic awareness, word recognition, decoding knowledge,
vocabulary knowledge, comprehension, inferential reasoning … and others’ – these skills are not enough to be fully literate in electronic media. However, as discussed later in this chapter, others argue that it is not helpful to question whether reading
online texts is fundamentally the same as reading print texts, employing the same skills and strategies in a different medium (Burbules 1997: 102).
vocabulary knowledge, comprehension, inferential reasoning … and others’ – these skills are not enough to be fully literate in electronic media. However, as discussed later in this chapter, others argue that it is not helpful to question whether reading
online texts is fundamentally the same as reading print texts, employing the same skills and strategies in a different medium (Burbules 1997: 102).
According to Murray (2003), ‘much of the difference between reading print and computer-based interfaces results from the particular characteristics of the media themselves’ (p 34). In this chapter I will consider some of the features of... more
According to Murray (2003), ‘much of the difference between reading print and computer-based interfaces results from the particular characteristics of the media themselves’ (p 34). In this chapter I will consider some of the features of print and web texts, and describe some of the features of web texts that affect their readability. This information is intended as a resource for teachers. The summary of features that affect
web text readability at the end of the chapter could be used to help identify difficulties that learners may experience in reading web texts, or to guide the selection of web
texts for learners. For a fuller discussion of some of the implications of the structure and characteristics of web texts for teaching and learning, see Chapter 3 of this book.
Jennifer Thurstun’s article in Prospect (2004) also provides an excellent summary.
web text readability at the end of the chapter could be used to help identify difficulties that learners may experience in reading web texts, or to guide the selection of web
texts for learners. For a fuller discussion of some of the implications of the structure and characteristics of web texts for teaching and learning, see Chapter 3 of this book.
Jennifer Thurstun’s article in Prospect (2004) also provides an excellent summary.
This paper reflects on a Master of Accounting program where the majority of students are either international or domestic students from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB). The program seeks to prepare graduates for professional... more
This paper reflects on a Master of Accounting program where the majority of students are either international or domestic students from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB).
The program seeks to prepare graduates for professional accounting practice where a high level of communication skills is equally important as a high level of technical skills. The
paper reports on a project which has integrated technical and communications skills within the accounting curriculum through collaboration between accounting lecturers and staff from a university centre specialising in English language teaching and research. The result of the collaboration is an integrated program which addresses students’ expectations in relation to professional communication and lecturers’ and accounting practitioners’ perspectives in relation to the role of communication skills in accounting practice.
The program seeks to prepare graduates for professional accounting practice where a high level of communication skills is equally important as a high level of technical skills. The
paper reports on a project which has integrated technical and communications skills within the accounting curriculum through collaboration between accounting lecturers and staff from a university centre specialising in English language teaching and research. The result of the collaboration is an integrated program which addresses students’ expectations in relation to professional communication and lecturers’ and accounting practitioners’ perspectives in relation to the role of communication skills in accounting practice.
The Language for Professional Communication in Accounting (LPCA) project is transforming teaching practice in a linguistically and culturally diverse postgraduate accounting program at Macquarie University. The Master of Accounting degree... more
The Language for Professional Communication in Accounting (LPCA) project is transforming teaching practice in a linguistically and culturally diverse postgraduate accounting program at Macquarie University. The Master of Accounting degree is the largest postgraduate accounting course in Australia and allows students to combine a professional qualification from CPA Australia with a postgraduate qualification. Although the LPCA project was initiated partly in response to the needs of non-English background students and the demands of the accounting profession in Australia, the project‟s learning activities are designed to address the professional communication needs of all students in the degree. This paper provides an overview of a project where student diversity is regarded as an asset or resource to be valued rather than a liability or problem to be addressed. It reports on the way in which interdisciplinary collaboration is supporting the integration of academic and professional communication skills with discipline content within the Master of Accounting program. In the development of these skills, the paper discusses how accounting lecturers provide disciplinary expertise and language teachers from the National Centre for English Language Teaching and Research (NCELTR) focus on specific academic and professional skills linked to assessment tasks. It also outlines the ways in which students and teachers are benefiting from this ongoing transformation of teaching practice. In particular, the paper demonstrates how lecturers can move away from accounting „content download‟ and make a greater contribution to the development of students‟ professional communication skills. While designed to meet the needs of a specific group of students within a professionally oriented postgraduate program, the elements of transformation have relevance beyond the project. Among other educational goals, many professionally oriented university programs now face the challenges of preparing linguistically and culturally diverse groups of students to participate in workplaces that are equally diverse, and where new language demands are being created by organisational and technological change. The activities of the project described here may be of interest to practitioners in other institutions who are likewise considering ways to move beyond a deficit approach to maximize the opportunities presented by diversity, in order to provide a high quality educational service in return for the investment made by international students in their education.
English L2 Reading: Getting to the bottom, as suggested by its title, is a book that focuses on lower level reading strategies in L1 and L2 and their impact on reading in English as a second language. It examines research into lower level... more
English L2 Reading: Getting to the bottom, as suggested by its title, is a book that focuses on lower level reading strategies in L1 and L2 and their impact on reading in English as a second language. It examines research into lower level reading strategies, with the aim of supplementing (rather than replacing) whole language approaches that favour higher level reading strategies. Birch takes an interactive approach to reading, seeing it as an interaction between top and bottom reading processes (i.e. comprehension and decoding), between reader and text, and between reader and writer (p. 4). As the book is intended mainly for teachers of beginning to intermediate ESL/EFL students (as well as for researchers), this review provides a teacher's perspective on its practical value.
How can we best align learning analytics practices with disciplinary knowledge practices in order to support student learning? Although learning analytics itself is an interdisciplinary field, it tends to take a 'one-size-fits-all'... more
How can we best align learning analytics practices with disciplinary knowledge practices in order to support student learning? Although learning analytics itself is an interdisciplinary field, it tends to take a 'one-size-fits-all' approach to the collection, measurement, and reporting of data, overlooking disciplinary knowledge practices. In line with a recent trend in higher education research, this paper considers the contribution of a realist sociology of education to the field of learning analytics, drawing on findings from recent student focus groups at an Australian university. It examines what learners say about their data needs with reference to organizing principles underlying knowledge practices within their disciplines. The key contribution of this paper is a framework that could be used as the basis for aligning the provision and/or use of data in relation to curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment with disciplinary knowledge practices. The framework extends recent research in Legitimation Code Theory, which understands disciplinary differences in terms of the principles that underpin knowledge-building. The preliminary analysis presented here both provides a tool for ensuring a fit between learning analytics practices and disciplinary practices and standards for achievement, and signals disciplinarity as an important consideration in learning analytics practices.
Pressure to develop work-ready graduates is increasing, and universities are working more closely with industry partners to improve graduate employability, drive innovation and strengthen national economic competitiveness (ACEN, 2015).... more
Pressure to develop work-ready graduates is increasing, and universities are working more closely with industry partners to improve graduate employability, drive innovation and strengthen national economic competitiveness (ACEN, 2015). Internships provide one mechanism for enhancing students' employability and active citizenship (Cooper, Orrell, & Bowden, 2010). Although long-term paid internships tend to be held up as a model of best practice in work-integrated learning, and recent research suggests that both employers and students prefer this approach/model over short-term unpaid internships (Smith et al., 2015), unpaid internships continue to outnumber paid internships at Macquarie University. What influences an organisation's decision to offer paid rather than unpaid internships? Focus groups held with industry partners at Macquarie University during April 2016 explore the perceived contributions of paid interns relative to unpaid interns, the impact on organisational capacity of hosting paid or unpaid interns, and Macquarie University industry partners' awareness of paid intern models. At the same time, focus groups seek to provide an evidence base for improving work integrated learning and enhancing university-industry partnerships.
How are professional accounting practices represented in university classroom discourse and what are the implications of this for theory and practice in professional learning? Professional accounting practices order the world, and are... more
How are professional accounting practices represented in university classroom discourse and what are the implications of this for theory and practice in professional learning? Professional accounting practices order the world, and are also ordered. In reducing the complexities of social activity to abstract meanings that render it measurable, diverse and complex structures can be compared ‘apples with apples’. This study investigates the relocalization of professional accounting practices in university classroom discourse, working with tools from Legitimation Code Theory, systemic functional linguistics and critical discourse analysis.
Findings draw on digital recordings of seminars presented by three lecturers in different subjects of a Master of Accounting program in an Australian metropolitan university. The analysis examines movements between context-independent and more context-dependent meanings in classroom discourse that mark shifts in emphasis from accounting as a system of representation, to accounting as interpersonal exchange. It considers two sets of social relations at play in the professional classroom: those between lecturers and students, and those within professional practice that are relocalized in classroom discourse.
The framework developed in this study complements current research within the sociology of education. Discussion connects the analysis with recent explorations of knowledge practices in education within Legitimation Code Theory. It draws on foundational principles of a systemic functional model of language, considering the basis of professional practice and professional learning in interpersonal exchange. Conclusions are oriented towards theory and practice in professional learning, recognizing professional educators as agents of change and mediators of ways of thinking and acting in their field that are potentially transformative.
Findings draw on digital recordings of seminars presented by three lecturers in different subjects of a Master of Accounting program in an Australian metropolitan university. The analysis examines movements between context-independent and more context-dependent meanings in classroom discourse that mark shifts in emphasis from accounting as a system of representation, to accounting as interpersonal exchange. It considers two sets of social relations at play in the professional classroom: those between lecturers and students, and those within professional practice that are relocalized in classroom discourse.
The framework developed in this study complements current research within the sociology of education. Discussion connects the analysis with recent explorations of knowledge practices in education within Legitimation Code Theory. It draws on foundational principles of a systemic functional model of language, considering the basis of professional practice and professional learning in interpersonal exchange. Conclusions are oriented towards theory and practice in professional learning, recognizing professional educators as agents of change and mediators of ways of thinking and acting in their field that are potentially transformative.
Universities Australia has urged the Australian Government to implement a resourced, coordinated approach towards providing work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for international students to ensure that Australia remains a... more
Universities Australia has urged the Australian Government to implement a resourced, coordinated approach towards providing work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for international students to ensure that Australia remains a competitive study destination (Universities Australia, 2015). Although universities have a responsibility to provide WIL opportunities to international students (Gamble, Patrick & Peach, 2010) international students face challenges in accessing internship placements (Commonwealth of Australia, 2016; Gribble, Blackmore, & Rahimi, 2015; Jackson & Greenwood, 2015). This showcase presentation reports on a recent study of international students’ access to and preparedness for internships at an Australian university. We will present issues participants face in accessing internships, and outline recommendations for transforming practice that have emerged from project findings. Project data was collected through focus groups with 40 students and a content analysis of 30 international student internship applications.
Many international students in our focus groups perceived difficulties in accessing desirable internships, feeling that employers prefer to invest in local student interns whose work hours and employment prospects are not restricted by visas. Participants expressed their desire for more extensive and meaningful engagement with local students, and additional support in application writing and interview preparation.
Based on project findings we make two key recommendations as the basis for transforming practice that we will expand in our showcase session: further integration of employability into learning, teaching and curriculum, and further provision of opportunities to interact with local students and improve English language proficiency. We suggest that action in these key areas may assist international students in overcoming inherent disadvantages they face in accessing WIL and support International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) recommendations for targeted employability strategies, rather than one-size-fits-all approaches (Gribble, 2015).
Many international students in our focus groups perceived difficulties in accessing desirable internships, feeling that employers prefer to invest in local student interns whose work hours and employment prospects are not restricted by visas. Participants expressed their desire for more extensive and meaningful engagement with local students, and additional support in application writing and interview preparation.
Based on project findings we make two key recommendations as the basis for transforming practice that we will expand in our showcase session: further integration of employability into learning, teaching and curriculum, and further provision of opportunities to interact with local students and improve English language proficiency. We suggest that action in these key areas may assist international students in overcoming inherent disadvantages they face in accessing WIL and support International Education Association of Australia (IEAA) recommendations for targeted employability strategies, rather than one-size-fits-all approaches (Gribble, 2015).
The nature of work is changing as technology, economic, education, health, environmental, and geopolitical trends impact the skills required of the workforce. Generative AI, for example, is significantly impacting the labour-market as new... more
The nature of work is changing as technology, economic, education, health, environmental, and geopolitical trends impact the skills required of the workforce. Generative AI, for example, is significantly impacting the labour-market as new jobs are created and existing jobs are reshaped or no longer available (Li, 2022). In response to these trends, businesses are re-imagining their workforce strategies and investing in learning and developing their talent (Future of Jobs Report, 2023). Responding to the needs of industry and the skills gap, Western Sydney University (WSU) is pioneering a digital pedagogical model called The Learning Wave. Inspired by Karl Maton's Semantic Wave, The Learning Wave is a practical tool for designing digital educational experiences where learners are guided through real-world problems to construct knowledge, build industry relevant skills and reflect on their learning (Maton, 2019). Through the explicitly designed educational experience, learners use their knowledge and skills to solve real-world problems facing industry. Note: All published papers are refereed, having undergone a double-blind peer-review process. The author(s) assign a Creative Commons by attribution licence enabling others to distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon their work, even commercially, as long as credit is given to the author(s) for the original creation.