Four Corners Doco ... (1 Viewer)

[Italian Hotshot]

Anyone get a chance to catch the program tonight, 8.30 on ABC? Really interesting in regards to overseas full-fee paying students and the 'dumbing down' of courses. In 10 years time we won't have many of them because China + co. are building numerous new Unis.

 

[Generator]

http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2005/s1399343.htm

The program summary for anyone who may be interested.

We started to discuss the issue in the News, Current Affairs and Politics forum, too.

 

[hipsta_jess]

I thought it was a really interesting program. We've probably all had experiences with at least one "FOB" (God I hate that term) that has absolutely no grasp of the English language and yet continues throughout their program of study.
I understand why uni's do it, and I definitely get the financial strain uni's are under ($28m of debt and 450 job cuts, anyone?) but at the same time, it has to be impacting on the quality of our degrees, which is something I sure as hell don't want.
--
On a side note, when they were showing my campus, I was like "omg, I walk on that exact spot several times a day!!" It was kinda odd seeing people I know, though.

 

[PrincessSJ]

i missed it! and i so wanted to watch it as well.. stupid stupid work... anyone tape it?

Edit: never mind.. discovered it will be on fox.. wil have to be nice to someone so they can tape it for me

 

[McLake]

Edit: never mind.. discovered it will be on fox.. wil have to be nice to someone so they can tape it for me

Do you know when it will be on? I only got to catch bits of it ...

 

[suger_plum]

Yeah, Cause I Would Definitley Want To Watch That

 

[Generator]

Do you know when it will be on? I only got to catch bits of it ...

http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2005/s1399343.htm (bottom of the page)

' ABC2 digital channel at 7pm and 9.45pm Wednesday.'

The transcript is now up, though, so you may not have to worry about the repeat.

 

[klh]

it was interesting..dumbing down the courses...getting more money and the need for research and focusing on "excellence"...
I just thought that the old CAE system seemed better.

 

[PrincessSJ]

ergin ergin ergin stupid people dumbing down courses and cutting things back!
erg @ them!!

 

[KD]

At UNSW academics do not know the status of students in the course (HECS, full fee, overseas etc. etc.) therefore there is no bias in their marking. It is not good practice to reduce the standard of your course for overseas students as it will eventually get back to future students that the degree isn't worth the paper it's printed on and they will cease to come.

 

[Toodulu]

erm princessSJ i don't think it's the students that are dumbing the course, it's the universities. the students don't decide who passes the course, the university does. the students are the targets of this marketing campaign to lure them to our universities to get a degree. i think the point is that universities are under pressure to do this because the government sees it as a plausible way to fund this country's education system.