Benchmarking three enabling programs: A collaborative approach

Benchmarking three enabling programs: A collaborative approach

Collaborative approaches to benchmarking are well recognised, both internationally and in Australia, as providing the opportunity to share best practices, validate current practices and ensure quality and comparability of achievement standards (Scott, 2011; Sefcik 2018).
In this study, three Australian enabling programs agreed to a collegial, cross-institutional approach to benchmark key data from each of their programs including institutional data, learning outcomes, curriculum design and approach, assessments and assessment moderation in order to evaluate the comparability and effectiveness of their programs (Morgan & Taylor, 2012). A further aim was to contribute to national discussions on the effectiveness of enabling programs. Currently the Australian Quality Framework is under review and the place for enabling programs within it under discussion. In a political climate of uncertainty there is an imperative for demonstrating the successes of enabling programs (Australian Government, 2018), and the importance of a partnership approach among organisations to establishing national guidelines for enabling programs is paramount. While recent studies have highlighted the commonalities amongst the diversity of offerings of enabling education in Australia, (see Baker & Irwin, 2015; Hodges et al., 2013; Relf, 2017; Roche & Syme, 2017), to date, there has been no national benchmarking of learning outcomes, assessments and achievement standards.
The notable key findings from this study are that the achievement standards of each program are equivalent, performance measures against the outcomes are comparable, and that best practice can be shared and adapted to the benefit of students, staff and institutions alike.

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