Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T01:33:41.798Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Distance Education and the Issue of Equity Online: Exploring the Perspectives of Rural Aboriginal Students

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 July 2015

Heather Gibb
Heather Gibb*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Health Studies, Charles Sturt University, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst, New South Wales, 2795, Australia
Get access

Abstract

This paper explores Aboriginal perspectives of tertiary education “online” from rural and remote community locations in New South Wales. It does so within a frame of enquiry as to how neo-liberal educational policy reforms are impacting on equity issues in distance education “online”. Accounts from Aboriginal university students in health point to a range of tensions between changes brought about by the reform in relation to student subjectivity and university governance, and culturally preferred ways of learning for many Aboriginal people. The paper offers suggestions for how these forms of educational governance can be reconciled with educational support needs of remote Aboriginal learners.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education , Volume 35 , 2006 , pp. 21 - 29
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Blackmore, J. & Sachs, J. (2003). Managing equity work in the performative university. Australian Feminist Studies, 18, (41), 141–162.Google Scholar
Bonk, C. & Cummings, J. (1998). A dozen recommendations for placing the student at the centre of web-based learning. Educational Media International, 35, (2), 82–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonk, C. & Dennen, V. (1999). Teaching on the web: With a little help from my pedagogical friends. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 11, (1), 3–28.Google Scholar
Department of Science, Education and Training (2004). Higher education equity support program, Retrieved 1 August, 2006, from http://www.dest.gov.au/highered/programmes/heep.htm.Google Scholar
Edwards, R. (2002). Mobilising life long learning: Governmentality in educational practices. Journal of Education Policy, 77, (3), 353–365.Google Scholar
Fairclough, N. (1992). Discourse and social change, London: Sage.Google Scholar
Gibb, H. (2003,July). Problematizing remote and Aboriginal distance education, Paper presented at the Association of Qualitative Research Conference, Sydney: New South Wales.Google Scholar
Gibb, H., Anderson, J. & Forsyth, K. (2004). Developing support for remote nursing education through workplace culture that values learning. Australian Journal of Rural Health, 12, 200–204.Google Scholar
Gibb, H., Forsyth, K. & Anderson, J. (In press). Culture of rural nursing practice: A critical theoretical analysis of determinants of power in nursing. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing.Google Scholar
Gibb, H., Hamilton, M. & Haley, C. (2004). Access to resources for online learning at CSU: The particular case of rural and remote distance education nursing students School of Nursing and Health Science. Unpublished report to Charles Sturt University, Bathurst.Google Scholar
Giddens, A. (1990). The consequences of modernity, Stanford: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Hooley, N. (2000,December). Reconciling Indigenous and Western knowing. Paper presented at the Australian Association for Research into Education (AARE) National Conference Sydney: New South Wales Retrieved 8 December, 2004, from http://www.aare.edu.au/00pap/hoo00103.htm.Google Scholar
House, E. (2003) Economic change, educational policy formation and the role of the state. In Altrichter, H. & Elliot, J. (Eds.), Images of educational change, (pp.13– Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Hughes, P. & More, A. (1997, December) “Aboriginal ways of learning”: Learning styles and needs of Aboriginal students Paper presented at the Australian Association for Research into Education (AARE) National Conference, Brisbane, Queensland: Retrieved 8 December, 2004, from http://www.aare.edu.au/97/pap/hughp518.htm. Google Scholar
Kilpatrick, S. & Bound, H. (2003) Learning online: Benefits and barriers in regional Australia – Volume 1, [Electronic version].Kensington Park, SA: Australian National Training Network.Google Scholar
Kivinen, 0. & Rinne, R. (1998) State, govemmentality and education: The Nordic experience. British Journal of Education, 19 (1) 39–52.Google Scholar
Lake, D. (1999) Reducing isolation for distance students: An online initiative. In Martin, K., Stanley, N. & Davison, N. (Eds.), Teaching in the disciplines/ learning in context: Proceedings of the 8th Annual Teaching Learning Forum, (pp. 210–214. Perth: University of Western Australia Google Scholar
Malcolm, I. & Rochecouste, J. (2002, July) Barriers to Indigenous student success in higher education Paper presented at Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia, Perth , Western Australia. Retrieved 8 December,2004, from http://www.ecu.edu.au/conferences/herdsa/main/index.htm. Google Scholar
Marginson, S. (1999, December) The enterprise university comes to Australia. Paper presented at the Australian Association for Research into Education (AARE) and the New Zealand Association for Research into Education (NZARE) Joint Conference, Melbourne, Victoria. Retrieved 8 December, 2004, from http://www.aare.edu.au/99pap/mar99470.htm. Google Scholar
McGivney, V. (2002, December) Spreading the word: Reaching out to new learners. [Lifelines in Adult Learning publication series, Number 2], Paper presented at the Australian Association for Research into Education (AARE) and the New Zealand Association for Research into Education (NZARE) Joint Conference, Leicester, UK:: National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, Department for Education and Employment. Retrieved 29 October, 2003, from http://www.niace.org.uk/Publications/S/Spreading.htm. Google Scholar
Pringle, J. & Mallan, M. (2003) Challenges for the new boundaryless career odyssey. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 14 (5) 839–853.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rose, N. (1999) Powers of freedom: Reframing political thought. Cambridge, MA. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Russell, D. (1999, October) Aboriginal students' potential to frame the future. Paper presented at the Australian Curriculum Studies Association Conference, Perth, Western Australia: Retrieved 1 August, 2006, from http://acsaine.com.au/content/99_russell_aboriginal.pdf. Google Scholar
Shore, C. & Wright, S. (1999) Audit culture and anthropology: Neoliberalism in British higher education. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 5 (4) 557–575.Google Scholar
Spencer, B. (2001) The seduction of the subject/citizen: Govemmentality and school governance policy. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association, Seattle, Washington. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Thite, M. (2001) Help us but help yourself: The paradox of contemporary career management. Career Development International, 6 (6) 312–317.Google Scholar
Tikly, L. (2003) Govemmentality and the study of education policy in South Africa. Journal of Education Policy, 18 (2) 161–174.Google Scholar
Whap, G. (2001) A Torres Strait Islander perspective on the concept of indigenous knowledge. The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education, 29 (2) 22–29.Google Scholar
Willis, E. (2000) Deadlines and the purgatorial complex. Journal of Occupational Science, 7 (3) 128–132.Google Scholar
Yalmambirra, (2000) Back time ... White time: My time ... your time. Journal of Occupational Science, 7 (3) 133–13.Google Scholar
Yalmambirra, (2003, November) Consultation as a teaching resource: A Wiradjuri perception. Paper presented at the Aboriginal Studies Association and New South Wales Aboriginal Education Consultative Group Inc. Conference, Sydney: Retrieved 8 December, 2004, from http://www.asa.nsw.edu.au. Google Scholar