Mapping the Key Players

Welcome back to another challenging year of teaching and learning in UWA. While preparing for the first semester, questions such as 'What impact will the West Review have on my work?' 'How will government policy and resource allocation affect teaching in my department?' and 'Which academic association/ body could aid my teaching?' may be on some of our minds. This edition of ITL maps some of the influences on teaching and learning in higher education in Australia.

The influences mentioned in the following pages are not comprehensive, though they are some of the most visible. Some of the bodies are highly structured and have well defined roles to play, while others are less structured and mainly reactive or their roles are evolving with time. Their possible influences range from an immediate and/or widespread impact on teaching and learning to a gradual and/or limited one.

Although the material in this edition is limited to the bodies within Australia, there is no doubt the winds of change can sweep from lands both near and far. The technical wizardry from North America, the traditional ties to the United Kingdom, and the economies of South East Asia are just some of the wider influences on Australian universities.

While recognizing the above, it is the people present in a lecture theatre, classroom, laboratory, etc., both staff and students who have the greatest influence on how teaching and learning occur. They bring to the teaching and learning environment their own experiences, beliefs and needs from various communities and cultures, all of which have the potential to enrich higher education. The university community itself, of course, is often a catalyst for change in the larger community and its governance. It is the mingling of all these forces that ultimately determines the way higher education develops in Australia.