21854 – Problem Solving, Creativity and Solution Setting
Assessment Topics
Listed below are six topics that present problems / opportunities for higher education providers,
administrators, academics, and students. Please select one of these topics for and use the Problem
Solving, Creativity and Solution Setting methods to address your selected topic.
Student engagement
Student engagement is an issue of major concern for universities.
Active learning has been a concept explored extensively due to its
connection with retention, learning and academic success.
Universities are looking for more ways to engage with students.
Blended learning
The world witnessed the COVID outbreak in 2020, the impact of which
meant universities had to change the way their delivered their courses.
Universities moved from predominantly face to face, on campus delivery
of lectures and tutorials, to fully online. As the response to the crisis
eases universities are now looking to implement a campus reactivation
plan which includes blended learning, that is a combination of
asynchronous and synchronous learning.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is condemned yet remains a frequently occurring form of
academic misconduct. Plagiarism involves the use ideas, concepts,
methods without citation or the appropriate acknowledgement.
Plagiarism is considered theft in the eyes of academics and
universities have seeking ways to detect and deter students from
choosing plagiarism in their written and artistic works.
International Students
Universities and international students have not been able to travel to
Australia because of the travel restrictions imposed by various levels of
governments. This has left students in their home countries with limited
resources and support to complete their studies.
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21854 – Problem Solving, Creativity and Solution Setting
Assessment Topics
Group / teamwork
The is evidence to suggest that the more diverse the composition within teams, the more valuable
the learning experience. However, some academics and students use the terms groups and teams
interchangeably, however, groups and teams function
differently. When students look to work in teams they
are generally configured as a homogenous group of
people. This sometimes inhibits students gaining
valuable skills or learning experiences eg the
opportunity to develop leadership skills, learn cross
cultural communication, obtain and reflect on the
experiences of working in cross cultural teams.
Self-assessment and peer feedback
Feedback is an important part of the learning process. Self-assessment
and peer feedback are alternate feedback mechanisms which are
available to students. The benefits of both types of feedback to student
learning and engagement is evident in academic literature, yet the
majority of students do not avail themselves of the benefits this type of
feedback can provide.
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