Crossing the Rubicon in higher education

Abstract

An invitational teaching ecosystem comprises an environment of 5 Ps: people, places, policies, programmes and processes. Invitational education is promoted amongst students and educators. This article reports on an empirical study conducted at a higher education institution that is offering programmes at multiple sites of delivery to determine the impact of mergers on an invitational ecosystem. Results indicate that access to learning resources that support teaching, as well as other social and personal factors in the learning environment, also influence the quality of a student's learning. Enthusiasm, motivation and sensitivity of educators are noted by students as necessary to create an invitational ecosystem. Key priority areas on which higher education institutions should focus are highlighted in the findings. A qualitative approach was followed to understand and represent the opinions of the students at the different sites of delivery. This article attempts to represent the views of students on the balance between people, places, policies, programmes and processes within the educational transaction movements. ‘Good ideas with no ideas on how to implement them are wasted ideas' (Fullan 2003).J South African Journal of Higher Education Vol. 21 (7) 2008: pp. 842-857