Learning communities: an untapped sustainable competitive advantage for higher education
International Journal of Educational Management
ISSN: 0951-354X
Article publication date: 1 February 2006
Abstract
Purpose
This paper demonstrates the need for the higher education sector to develop and implement scaleable, quantitative measures that evaluate community and establish organisational benchmarks in order to guide the development of future practices designed to enhance the student learning experience.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature regarding contemporary Australian higher education policy and community development is critiqued to illustrate the need for universities to adopt scaleable quantitative measures to evaluate stated strategic imperatives and establish organisational benchmarks. The integration of organisational benchmarks guides the implementation of future practices designed to enhance the student learning experience. A current active exemplar methodology is discussed to demonstrate applicability to both higher education administrators and teaching staff across the various organisation levels.
Findings
While universities are promoting and investing in the concept of community to enhance the student learning experience there are as yet, limited scaleable evaluative measures and performance indicators to guide practitioners. This paper proposes an effective measurement tool to benchmark current pedagogical performance standards and monitor the progress and achievement of future implemented practices designed to enhance the sense of community experienced by the student cohort.
Originality/value
This paper identifies and addresses the current absence of effective scaleable evaluative measures to assess the achievement of stated strategic imperatives implemented as a consequence of reducing government financial support, increasing accountability, and increasing student expectations as result of educational consumerism.
Keywords
Citation
Dawson, S., Burnett, B. and O'Donohue, M. (2006), "Learning communities: an untapped sustainable competitive advantage for higher education", International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 20 No. 2, pp. 127-139. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513540610646118
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2006, Emerald Group Publishing Limited