Improving What is Learned at University

'Part II is the heart of this book, covering the following topics: universities, subjects, students, what students learned, what else students learned, the diversities and commonalities in the student experience. The book was well organized.' - Dian-fu Chang, Higher Education, 2011

There is indeed a real need for this book and the market is likely to be strong. It is the first of its kind for the UK and a sorely needed contribution that will capture the recent and growing interest in the broader student experience in higher education. It will attract considerable interest in the UK and Australia as it directly addresses the issue of institutional diversity and what that means for institutional performance.

The work of the Open University team fills a significant gap in UK higher education research. As the authors note, there has been a long tradition of research and publication of this kind in the United States, but that does not always translate so well to the contexts of Commonwealth and European readers. A leading UK publication on the student experience is long overdue.

There is plenty of evidence of the potential interest in this work. For example, the student experience was the foundational focus of the Higher Education Academy, it was the theme for a recent special edition of the European Journal of Education, and now features as a track and special interest group for the European Association of Higher Education annual conferences.

I agree with the author’s assessment of the range of categories of readership, with the exception of prospective students, although their advisors would certainly be interested. I think the growing market of administrative and support staff in universities and colleges is underestimated. As strategic policy and administrative and support staff become more professionalized with specialist qualifications, they are increasingly looking to scholarly publications of this kind as a source of guidance. The growth of the European Association of Higher Education, and the OECD Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE) suggests the market for the book will expand.

This book would also have a strong appeal to the Australian market where the Carrick Institute is following a similar program to the Higher Education Academy. Likewise, the student experience has featured in government and university policy developments in New Zealand.

My recent experience in Asia, and Japan especially, suggests that the market for the book will be significant there as their higher education systems compete more vigorously for international students and universities adapt to the needs of global and highly mobile students.

2. Student market

I imagine that the student market will be small but growing quite significantly in the near future. It includes increasing numbers of postgraduate students in the field of higher education in the UK, and also in Asia. There will be considerable interest in some of the less parochial research centres in the US.

There is a new ‘student’ market emerging in the form of academic staff undertaking coursework and research diploma programs in teaching and learning in higher education. In the UK and Australia these are now either compulsory or at least expected for new academic staff and this book would be of considerable interest.

3. A reasonable price?

Around 25- 30 Pounds?

4. The principal competitive books available and particular advantages of the proposed new book.

There is no obvious competition for this book in the UK, Commonwealth or Europe. The last work of any substance on the student experience in the UK was a collection of chapters, edited by Haselgrove, published in 1994. The major US works on the impact of college on students are by Pascarella and Terenzini, and by Kuh. In my view they are not direct competitors. I would not be surprised if other books are on the way as this subject continues to attract interest from governments and universities.

5. How quickly is this book likely to become out of date?

This book should have a substantial shelf-life – at least 8-10 years.

6. Is the author a recognised authority in this field?

The lead author John Brennan is one of the most highly regarded scholars in higher education studies in the UK and Europe. I am familiar with the work of three of the other authors and they all add value to the research and publication.

7. Coverage of the subject

The subject is more than adequately covered.

8. Do you recommend that we should publish this book?

Yes. Definitely.

Craig McInnis

1. The book idea is promising because it would be the first of its kind in Europe which provides an in-depth empirical insight in the ways students experiences the various academic climates in individual departments/study programmes at universities in a select number of study fields. This is more interesting than handbooks, "how to teach" books, general reflections of the role of teaching in universities and other documents available. The background of a thorough study provides authority and rich material for such a study.

The book would be most interesting for teachers at universities, current and potential students and higher education experts in the UK, because it addresses the UK situation.

It would be interesting in the US as well because there is a large number of higher education programmes in which issues of this kind are trained.

In other countries, higher education experts and as well as some teachers interested in international comparison are potential readers. Given the spread of English as lingua franca, interest could be raised through targeted marketing.

2. The book would be text book only in a select number of study programmes in the area of higher education. It can address students successfully if it is advertised as book guiding them for choices of programmes or getting involved reforms at individual departments.

3. It would be good if there was a price making it attractive to be purchased by individual teachers and individual students (paperback for at most 20 British Pounds).

4. This book would fill a gap in the UK and Europe. As argued above, I do not see a competitive books.

5. According to prior research, we know that academic climates do not change as quickly as for example quantitative developments of entry to higher education, labour markets for graduates etc.

6. The author is highly appreciated as one of the top 10 higher education researcher in Europe. His writing a very good mix of academic respectable and easy to read texts for a broad audience. He is one of the few scholars in the field who took series a balance of publication style addressing both the academic peers and the wider audience of policy makers and practitioners.

7. Cf. 6.

8. Yes, I would recommend it strongly.

9. I believe that this project is the one or at among the few most important results of policy initiatives in the UK to ensure that the teaching and learning function of universities does not get downgraded amidst the increased craze about world-class research universities. Therefore, it should be published well.

Professor Ulrich Teichler

International Centre for

Higher Education Research

University of Kassel

34128 Kassel, Germany

[email protected]