Offshore/onshore foundation programs: student perspective

This presentation reports on a study of the educational quality and cultural sensitivity of foundation programs operated by Australian universities. The initial phase of the project, that involved a literature review and interviews with coordinators, identified two key issues: the quality of education and cultural sensitivity. Quality of education included academic standards of offshore courses and the preparation for the onshore component. Cultural sensitivity involved recognising the presence of acculturation in the educational programs. The second phase of the project involved a student survey that was designed to investigate: the quality of teaching, educational facilities and assessment; and, the cultural accommodation of teachers, course content and administrative staff. Surveys were administered to, and structured interviews were conducted with, foundation students and graduates from a foundation course who were presently enrolled in a degree program.