Australian Tertiary Institutions Research Articles

Nutrition employability and graduate readiness: The Australian Working in Nutrition study.

Nutrition science graduates contribute to the nutrition workforce by bringing specialist knowledge and skills needed to address future food challenges. This study aims to provide a snapshot of the current employment landscape for nutrition science graduates in Australia and how well their degrees prepare them for employment. A cross-sectional survey of Australian tertiary nutrition graduates was conducted to explore tertiary training, employment pathways and their perceived preparedness for practice. This study included a final sample of 119 graduates from 17 Australian tertiary institutions. Almost two-thirds of respondents had completed further training. Most graduates (77%, n = 91) had worked in a food, nutrition science or health-related role after their degree; the most frequently cited employment settings were government or public health organisations; research, not-for-profit or nongovernment organisations; and the food industry. Work-integrated learning was identified as a key predictor of graduates working in a role that differed from their expectations as a student. The skill categories developed during nutrition training that were most valued in the workplace included nutrition and scientific knowledge, and professional and communication skills. This study offers first insights into the current employment landscape for nutrition graduates across Australia. Findings show that current nutrition science professionals are highly qualified and prepared to navigate the evolving demands of nutrition practice. Regular review of graduate employment will inform nutrition science curriculum to enable graduates to be well equipped in the face of dynamic practice settings.

“Women are capable too!” Exploring intersectionality and challenging CaLD gender stereotypes at Australian universities

AbstractWith a focus on Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) women, this article will discuss the underlying gender inequalities and stereotypes these women experience in Australian tertiary institutions through reflections of translingual discrimination. Translingual discrimination refers to the ideologies and practices that produce unequal linguistic power relationships between CaLD communities and dominant communities of the host society, focusing on the central role that language plays in the enduring relevance of discrimination disparity. Because of CaLD women's translingual identities, these groups experience such aspects of translingual discrimination as accentism, naming practices, linguistic subordination, deskilling, and stereotyping, which eventually affect their well‐being and economic security. CaLD women need a linguistically and culturally “safe space” where they will be supported and appreciated based on their capabilities and skills and not subjected to objectification, femininity evaluations, and derogatory actions. Opportunities for women should persist because, unfortunately, in men‐dominated fields, these opportunities are still necessary to support and include women.

Recognising a beacon of teaching and learning leadership in Australian chemistry

This Highlight article considers key contributions made by Professor Brian Yates to the Australian chemistry academic community in recognition of his seminal leadership that led to the establishment of the Chemistry Threshold Learning Outcomes (CTLOs) as national assessment standards. These CTLOs currently underpin the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) process of the professional accreditation of chemistry majors in Australian tertiary institutions and, hence, provide benchmarks of learning in our discipline. Examples of contemporary assessment approaches in chemistry are presented to inform academics who are seeking to assess learning outcomes beyond threshold standards and to inspire future innovative assessment approaches.

A SHIELD OR A SWORD? MIGRATION LAW AND POLICY AND MODERN SLAVERY IN AUSTRALIA

How might migration legislation and policies contribute to modern enslavement of migrants in Australia? Migration law and policy are a shield in the sense that they have been used and have the potential to be used to shield or protect trafficked individuals and those subject to modern slavery. Nevertheless, the state could be complicit in modern slavery through its migration law and policies exemplified by English language requirements for visas and for entering into certain professions. By placing the English language barrier between migrants and their economic and professional aspirations in obvious cases when a demand for proof of English language proficiency must not be made in the first place, the Australian Government and institutions create the environment conducive for excluding migrants from the professions and exposing them to economic abuse and exploitation. The stated basis of the English language requirements for Australian visas is that English language ‘is critical to getting a job’ and safely practising a profession and participating in Australian society. Yet migrants from non-exempt countries are required to sit for an English test when they apply for permanent resident visas (such as Subclass 186) and temporary visas (such as Subclass 485), even when they are present and already employed in Australia. Educational qualifications in English awarded by Australian and non-Australian tertiary educational institutions that satisfy the Australian study and qualification requirements are not the acceptable proof of competency in the English language. The effect of non-recognition of educational qualifications in English as proof of the English language ability is that visa applicants from non-exempt countries, even those present and working in Australia and/or who have completed a course of study in Australia, have to sit for an English language test. The content of this test bears no connection whatsoever with the English language used in practice. The test has an expiry date thereby tying migrants’ English language ability to the test expiry date, suggesting that once the test expires, so does their competency in English. Failing one component of the test requires resitting all the four components. Whereas an Australian educational qualification in English is required for admission to the legal, medical and nursing professions, the English language competence of migrants from non-exempt countries who hold the qualification is extracted from this qualification. Therefore, migrants cannot rely on the qualification as prove of their competency in English, even though the practice boards accept this same qualification as meeting the standards for admission to practise. The evidence disallowed or required to prove the English language capability both for Australian visas and to enter into the professions thus belies the stated purposes of the English language requirements. English is a global language that is spoken by different nationalities in different parts of the world. Therefore, taking a blanket approach that proficient speakers of English originate in the nations that are exempt from the English language requirements ignores the reality of English language usage. In these circumstances, the English language would seem a disguised legal and policy tool for gatekeeping, exclusion and nationality-based discrimination. The deliberate denial of the English language abilities of certain migrants and the stipulation of absurd and inexplicable evidentiary requirements as proof of the English language competency deprive such migrants of opportunity to enter into professions of their choice, ridicule and expose them to exploitation and modern slavery contrary to Australian values and legislation on equality and fair play.

Exploring the Opportunities and Challenges Relating to the Variances in Students’ Response to Dissatisfaction in Business Management Educational Services

Consumers respond to their lack of satisfaction with service provision in a variety of ways. For instance, research findings indicates that consumers’ response options to service dissatisfaction is related to customer loyalty, which may impact their future repurchase intentions (Janjua, 2017). The current study investigates the impact of loyalty, and its cultural understanding, on dissatisfaction response styles of university students. In particular, it compares the variations in response options between Anglo-Saxon Australian students and international Middle Eastern students, attending Australian universities and other tertiary higher education Australian institutions, in an attempt to explore the impact of culture on dissatisfaction, and the resultant response options chosen by students, as guided by culturally defined perceptions and values (Newsome & Cooper, 2016). Findings indicate that there are significant variations in terms of the degree of ethnic loyalty and the response options that students engage in as a reaction to educational service dissatisfaction, mostly attributable to differences in cultural values. The contributions of this study are three-fold. First, the current research study further develops our understanding of cultural loyalty and its impact on students’ future repurchase intentions. Secondly, it provides an understanding of the dissatisfaction response styles of university students coming from different ethnic backgrounds. Finally, this study further contributes to our understanding of the relationship between students’ ethnic backgrounds and their respective repurchase decisions.

Aboriginal student engagement and success in Kimberley tertiary education

Abstract Over recent years, considerable effort has been put into increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) participation in higher education. While there are signs that enrolments are increasing, the sustained engagement and successful completion of higher education remains challenging, particularly in remote locations. With this in mind, a collaborative research project among researchers from three northern Australian tertiary education institutions was designed to understand student perspectives, particularly from remote contexts, about their engagement and success towards completion in higher education. Based on a qualitative research design situating Indigenist/interpretive research within a critical realism metatheory, we present findings from the study, based in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, and unpack implications for higher education provision in remote contexts. The findings point to the unique challenges faced by students who live in the Kimberley—and perhaps in other remote locations around Australia. In order to meet these needs, we suggest that tertiary education providers must tailor provision to ensure that engagement with Aboriginal students is relational and culturally safe.

Coloniality of Power and International Students Experience: What are the Ethical Responsibilities of Social Work and Human Service Educators?

ABSTRACT This article explores theoretical responses to the living structures of dominance and subordination within modern postcolonial societies, highlighting racialised international students’ experiences within Australian universities. Drawing on coloniality of power and border thinking, it seeks to address ethical responsibilities for social work and human service educators from the author’s positioning as a non-Western immigrant ‘Other’, and experience of belonging as an educator of future social work and human service practitioners in Australia. Utilising autoethnographic and qualitative study, the article offers great insight into the systemic nature of discrimination in Australian tertiary education institutions. It suggests a need for critical, self-reflexive awareness about the legacies of colonialism and hegemonic whiteness to permeate social work and human service profession and education. This article, thus, enables decolonising minds, securing informed understanding, and initiating a shift in the way non-white (and non-Western) racialised international social work students are seen, constructed, and understood in contemporary Australian (Western) societies.

Australia as a destination for Latin American doctoral candidates: Four personal reflections

Universities are important drivers for transnational migration to Australia, especially for students who are economically mobile, or who might be seeking to convert a transitory study experience into a more permanent migratory one. The economic growth experienced in a number of Latin American countries in the twenty-first century introduced new cohorts of Latin American students into Australian tertiary education institutions, including some from countries that may have had minimal prior presence in Australia. This includes students working towards research degrees. This article presents the autoethnographic accounts of four doctoral candidates from Latin America studying in Australia. It considers their motivations for undertaking graduate research, and the factors that brought them to choose Australia as a study destination, and the benefits and challenges they have experienced in coming here. While the candidates are all from different research fields, their experiences reveal commonalities around three key themes: opportunity, safe exploration and the role of family in enabling decisions about transnational doctoral education.

Australian preservice teachers and early reading instruction

ABSTRACTUniversity websites and internet search engines were used to locate information about literacy units addressing early reading instruction offered in Australian primary and early childhood teacher preparation programs. Data concerning course organizational details, the content of literacy units, and the qualifications and research interests of unit coordinators were collected for 40 Australian tertiary institutions. Results indicate that references to early reading content in unit descriptions were generally included with other literacy subject matter, the total tuition time available for early reading instruction was limited, and many unit coordinators did not have expertise in early reading. In addition, it would appear that essential research-based content such as phonics, phonemic awareness, and the alphabetic principle may not be adequately addressed in many units. An amendment to Standard 2.5 of the guidelines set out in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers may assist in resolving some of these issues.

Lecturers’ perceptions and experiences of Blackboard Collaborate as a distance learning and teaching tool via Open Universities Australia (OUA)

ABSTRACT Australian tertiary institutions offer online units to provide flexibility for students unable to attend classes on campus due to the constraints of distance and scheduling. While lecture materials and discussions can be accessed asynchronously, a synchronous element allows lecturers and students to interact in real time. Blackboard Collaborate, featuring videoconferencing, text, voice chat and interactive whiteboard, is a synchronous tool which can encourage a collaborative learning environment. This study explored seven lecturers’ perceptions of, and experiences with Blackboard Collaborate in an Australian university setting. Quantitative data was collected and statistically analysed from responses to closed-ended items in an online survey. Qualitative data was gathered and thematically analysed from open-ended item responses and semi-structured interviews. Lecturers found that the use of Blackboard Collaborate motivated students, helped them to share knowledge, facilitated timely responses to student queries, enhanced interaction via multimodality and built virtual learning and teaching communities. Negative aspects were also noted, however, and included lecturers having to cope with technical glitches, a lack of face-to-face co-presence, delayed turn-taking in live sessions and difficulties with engagement due to suitable session scheduling.

An important, but neglected aspect of learning assistance in higher education: Exploring the digital learning capacity of academic language and learning practitioners

Digital literacy has become increasingly significant in tertiary environments, as institutions move towards preparing students for 21st century workplaces and careers that emphasise digital literacy. As such, Academic Language and Learning (ALL) practitioners within these institutions are under pressure to possess familiarity and skills in the digital education space. Despite this need, there is a shortage of evidence that identifies the competencies or gaps in the current knowledge that ALL advisors have in Australian tertiary institutions; there is also a lack of awareness about how to address the gaps in knowledge for technology-enhanced learning and academic support. In light of this lacuna, in late 2018, the Association for Academic Learning and Language (AALL), the professional body for Academic Language and Learning practitioners, established a working group to investigate the knowledge and gaps in digital literacy in the ALL profession. The authors of this paper are all members of this working group and aim to explore the state of digital learning in their field. The long-term aim of the working party is to develop research-led resources and strategies to assist in the professionalisation and upskilling of ALL staff in technology-enhanced academic language development and support. This paper reports on the preliminary findings of a mixed-method participatory action research study of ALL practitioners’ preferences, competencies and confidence in the digital learning space. It is hoped that this study will provide members within the AALL professional body, as well as tertiary educators generally, with strategies required to identify, develop and maintain effective digital literacies across the higher education sector.

Outcomes of central hepatectomy versus extended hepatectomy

BackgroundCentral hepatectomy (CH) is more difficult than extended hepatectomy (EH) and is associated with greater morbidity. In this modern era of liver management with aims to prevent post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF), there is a need to assess outcomes of CH as a parenchyma-sparing procedure for centrally located liver tumors. MethodsA total of 178 major liver resections performed by specialist surgeons from two Australian tertiary institutions between June 2009 and March 2017 were reviewed. Eleven patients had CH and 24 had EH over this study period. Indications and perioperative outcomes were compared between the groups. ResultsThe main indication for performing CH was colorectal liver metastases. There was no perioperative mortality in the CH group and four (16.7%) in the EH group (P = 0.285). No group differences were found in median operative time [CH vs. EH: 450 min (290–840) vs. 523 min (310–860), P = 0.328], intraoperative blood loss [850 mL (400–1500) vs. 650 mL (100–2000), P = 0.746] or patients requiring intraoperative blood transfusion [1 (9.1%) vs. 7 (30.4%), P = 0.227]. There was a trend towards fewer hepatectomy-specific complications in the CH group [3 (27.3%) vs. 13 (54.2%), P = 0.167], including PHLF (CH vs. EH: 0 vs. 29.2%, P = 0.072). Median length of stay was similar between groups [CH vs. EH: 9 days (5–23) vs. 12 days (4–85), P = 0.244]. ConclusionsCH has equivalent postoperative outcomes to EH. There is a trend towards fewer hepatectomy-specific complications, including PHLF. In appropriate patients, CH may be considered as a safe parenchyma-sparing alternative to EH.

Excellence in Research in Australia 2010, 2012, and 2015: The Rising of the Curate's Soufflé?

ObjectiveThe Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) data collections completed in 2010, 2012, and 2015 were developed by the Australian Research Council to identify the quality of research produced by the broad range of Australian tertiary education institutions. In each evaluation, the quality of research produced by the institutions was rated on a 5‐point scale ranging from “well above world standard” to “well below world standard” within each field of research (FoR). The FoRs relevant to psychology include codes 1701 (Psychology), 1702 (Cognitive Sciences), and 17 (Psychology and Other Cognitive Sciences), a combination of the aforementioned codes.MethodThis analysis examined and compared the ratings of the 41 Australian universities across the years 2010, 2012, and 2015 for the psychology codes (i.e., 17, 1701, and 1702), as well as examining the combined means for all three data collections. The universities were also compared according to institution type (i.e., Group of 8, the Australian Innovative Research Universities, the Australian University Technology Network, and the Regional Universities Network across years. The final analysis compared other codes relevant to psychology across the years 2010, 2012, and 2015.ResultsResults of the analyses revealed an overall improvement in research ratings by the universities, with most improving or at least holding their ground.ConclusionIt is still concerning that almost 40% of the institutions did not meet the benchmark of at or above world standard. Some of the issues associated with the ERA data collections are discussed, and suggestions are made for improving this process.

Exploring Relationships between Recurrent Binge Eating and Illicit Substance Use in a Non-Clinical Sample of Women over Two Years.

(1) Background: With the new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), numerous parallels have been drawn between recurrent binge eating (RBE) and substance use disorders, with many authors examining RBE or binge eating disorder (BED) as a “food addiction”. The present study aims to clarify the relationship between recurrent binge eating (RBE) and illicit substance use (ISU) through investigating the temporal association between the two problems. (2) Methods: This study was embedded within a larger longitudinal study of non-clinical adult women recruited from Australian tertiary institutions. Participants responded at year 2 and year 4 of follow-up to the Eating Disorder Examination—Questionnaire. ISU was measured using a modified questionnaire taken from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. (3) Results: RBE and ISU co-morbidity was 5.88% in this non-clinical sample, and having one condition increased the likelihood of the other. The two conditions had a different trajectory over two years whereby ISU participants had significant risk of developing RBE in addition to or in place of their ISU but the reverse was not found for RBE participants. (4) Conclusion: This unidirectional relationship suggests that in spite of the similarities of RBE and ISU they may be distinct with respect to their co-morbidity over time.

Nurses are underutilised in antimicrobial stewardship – Results of a multisite survey in paediatric and adult hospitals

Abstract Objectives Explore perceptions and attitudes of nurses in regard to antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), their roles as nurses, and identify differences in perceptions and attitudes across paediatric and adult settings. Methods Electronic survey administered to nursing staff across three public Australian tertiary institutions with AMS facilitated by a shared electronic approval and decision support system. Results Overall 65% (93/142) of nurses who completed the survey were familiar with the term AMS, and 75% recognised that they were expected to have a role alongside other disciplines, including ward pharmacists (paediatric 88%, adult 73%; p = 0.03). Hand hygiene and infection control (86%), patient advocacy (85%) and knowledge of antimicrobials (84%) were identified most often as AMS roles for nurses. However, 57% of nurses reported that their knowledge of antimicrobials was minimal or limited. Nurses generally agreed that requirement to obtain approval is an effective way to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use (median scores: paediatric 2.0 [agree], adult 1.0 [strongly agree]; p = 0.001). Only 35% of paediatric and 58% of adult nurses perceived that their role includes ensuring approval for restricted antimicrobials (p Conclusion Nurses consider AMS activities within their roles, but are underutilised in AMS programs. Further engagement, education, support and acknowledgement are required to improve nursing participation.

We Need to Talk About Zines: The Case for Collecting Alternative Publications in the Australian Academic University Library

The paper examines the research potential of zines and the current issues around acquiring these disparate publications for Australian academic libraries. The paper reports a review of the literature and a brief environmental scan in the form of a survey, which suggest that Australian tertiary institutions are undecided or unsure about how and why zines could be a useful research tool in the future. It is argued here that zines are an important component of the cultural fabric of a freethinking, responsive and reflective society. The subversive and at times transgressive nature of zines makes the conscious collecting of these underground texts complex. A review of the current practices of international academic libraries and the survey results undertaken for the purpose of this paper, suggest that Australian academic libraries are behind their overseas colleagues in their consideration of these issues. Zines are important cultural documents that reveal the creativity, values and complexity of unrepresented marginalised youth, among others. The author suggests that, it is imperative that Australian academic libraries actively collect zines to preserve and make available for research, records of hyper-personal, contemporary texts that proffer to the reader an insight into the individual psyche of any given period in time.IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE• Creating partnerships and engaging in conversation with zinesters and library staff can assist in the development and creation of a working collection.• Collecting zines for its research potential can be speculative; identifying the strengths of your current collection can provide a clear collection development policy for acquiring zines.• Educating and demystifying zine culture can assist Australian librarians in determining whether a zine collection is suitable for their institution.

Exploring the 12-key approach: Perceptions and experiences of improvising jazz vocalists

The 12-key approach is considered a foundational practice strategy for jazz instrumentalists. Its relevance to vocalists, however, seems less clear. This article investigates improvising jazz vocalists’ perceptions and experiences of using the 12-key approach as distinguished from instrumentalists’. It uses data from a two-phase, mixed methods study. Phase one of the study utilised an anonymous, online survey to investigate vocalists’ and instrumentalists’ perceptions and experiences of jazz education and performance. The second phase utilised interviews with skilled Australian jazz vocal improvisers and with senior jazz educators in Australian tertiary institutions. The combined results reveal that vocalists predominantly regard the 12-key approach as less helpful to their work as jazz musicians than do instrumentalists. The difference was commonly attributed to a difference in the motor programming needs of the two groups. Physical limitations of performing in 12 keys were also repeatedly cited as interfering with the method for vocalists. Two interviewees connected the repetition of 12-key practice as beneficial in developing procedural knowledge useful for improvising. Such possible cognitive benefits suggest that the method should be further investigated before decisions are made on its value to vocal jazz improvisation education.

Re-examining students’ perception of e-learning: an Australian perspective

Purpose – Australian tertiary institutions are increasingly incorporating technologies, such as social media and Web 2.0 tools into teaching in response to changing student needs. The purpose of this paper is to revisit a fundamental question, frequently asked in marketing, “what do our ‘customers’ [students] think now?” This will help determine the effectiveness of application of these technologies in courses and teaching programs in a changing competitive educational environment. Design/methodology/approach – Using a mixed method approach, data were collected through 31 qualitative interviews and a survey of 231 university marketing students. Quantitative techniques included summary statistics, factor analysis and t-test. Findings – Results indicate while students’ perceived flexibility and better learning outcomes as positive aspects of e-learning, they have concerns about flexibility for self-paced learning, self-motivational issues, lack of human interaction and fostering teamwork. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to one Australian university operating in domestic and international markets. However, the study needs to be replicated for better generalizability across the sector. Practical implications – The findings question the effectiveness of e-learning as an alternative approach to face-to-face learning pedagogy. However, regular review of current e-learning tools is needed to help match student and tertiary institution expectations. Originality/value – This study re-investigates students’ perception in relation to the benefits that e-learning is expected to yield. It is one of the few studies questioning whether these promised benefits are valued by the tertiary student fraternity.

Imagine, Interrupt, Innovate: Internationalising Teaching and Learning Practice

Internationalisation of the curriculum is a key research area at the intersection of teaching and learning. Increasing numbers of international students in Australian schools and tertiary institutions necessitate the reconceptualisation of curriculum to incorporate global perspectives and develop intercultural competencies of both students and teachers. Accordingly, this research project identified key discipline areas at Avondale College of Higher Education in which to perform pedagogical intervention with an internationalisation focus. Three lecturers undertook action research in the areas of Primary Education, Business and Theology, resulting in the production of culturallyinformed perspectives, increased cross-cultural awareness and the identification of areas for future research and innovation.

Measuring Student Experience: Relationships between Teaching Quality Instruments (TQI and Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ)

The results of the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) in Australian tertiary institutions have been available for a number of years and have provided the administration of these institutions with valuable information as to students’ perceptions of their courses. In addition to the CEQ, all of these institutions survey their students at the subject level. The purpose of this study has been to determine the degree to which the responses recorded on these subject level Teaching Quality Indicators (TQI) are related to the CEQ. In the analysis, we have used two approaches to cast some light on the degree to which the responses on the TQI can be used to anticipate and establish responses on the subsequent CEQ.Prior to performing these studies, we first sampled the extensive literature that describes influences on responses to TQIs. From this survey, we found that there are many factors which influence students’ responses, other than a specific lecturer’s performance in class. We have used the literature on the TQIs because there is almost no literature concerning students’ responses to course level surveys such as the CEQ. Nonetheless we have used the results of this survey to determine how we can control for these factors when modeling responses to the CEQ.There were two major hurdles which needed to be addressed in the performance of this analysis across institutions. First, there is no consistent TQI for all institutions. Most of these surveys have been assembled using questions with different origins that have varied over time and that are individual to each institution. Secondly, even if the TQIs were constant and consistent across all institutions, it would be necessary to account for any other factors, such as the year level and the field of study, that may influence the specific subject TQIs and the overall course evaluation. Our first analysis addresses, in a systematic manner, the first difficulty by investigating the nature of the TQIs in use in Australian tertiary institutions. Through the use of a website designed as a clearing house for information on these surveys, we have collected examples of the TQIs from 39 higher education institutions in Australia. We then categorised these different instruments to develop a composite new TQI survey that captures the characteristics of those in use.Using the new TQI, we then compared the responses of students at the four participating institutions (Flinders, Melbourne, Tasmania, and Wollongong). The students were asked to respond to a survey that included questions relating to teaching, generic skills and overall course satisfaction (from the CEQ), questions from the local TQI, and questions from the new TQI based on the composite question types found in our analysis of all Australian TQIs. We found that few of the institution-specific TQI’s elicited responses that matched the CEQ and that even the new TQI did not provide many solid matches. Thus we concluded that, in most cases, the items on the TQI and the CEQ are measuring different factors.For the CEQ responses from The University of Melbourne, we matched the students’ experiences in order to determine the degree to which their responses could have been anticipated. From this analysis we found that those students who completed the CEQ were most responsive to situations where their expectations are not met. We also found that characteristics of subjects that influence TQI responses are also factors that influence CEQ responses. We found that older students, those that receive higher marks than their peers, and those who study full-time in their last year, are more likely to rate a course more highly. Whilst students who take more than one course, who are in subjects with higher than average enrollments, and that received lower than average TQI ratings, are less likely to rate their course highly.The conclusion from this study is that TQIs at different institutions are not designed in a consistent manner and that only a small portion of the CEQ responses could be predicted by these TQI. However, just as with the studies of the TQIs, we can establish that course characteristics such as: the level of the degree, the Faculty and Department in which the course was taken, the course description, the industry and duties of those who have found employment after completing their course, all strongly influence the CEQ.