Melbourne Graduate School of Education Centre for the Study of Higher Education

Richard James


Professor Richard James

Professor of Higher Education and Centre Director, CSHE

Phone: +61 3 8344 7627

Fax: +61 3 8344 7576

Email: r.james@ unimelb.edu.au

Professor Richard James is Director of the Centre for the Study of Higher Education and Professor in Higher Education.  His research program involves both theoretical and practical investigations into contemporary higher education issues.  With Dr Kerri-Lee Krause he currently holds a three year Australian Research Council Discovery Grant to examine the effects of disciplinary cultures on approaches to teaching and learning.  In 2005 he led the CSHE project team that designed the Carrick Awards for Australian University Teaching, the national scheme for recognising excellence in teaching in higher education.

One of Professor James's principal research interests is equity in higher education access and participation.  In 2002 he coordinated the CSHE team that completed the most extensive national review of higher education equity policy ever undertaken.  He has published numerous reports, journal articles and papers on access for rural students and the effects of social class on higher education aspirations.  He chairs the Melbourne Access Program Sub-Committee and provides academic leadership for the Academy of Sport, Health and Education (ASHE) in Shepparton, an initiative of the University of Melbourne, in collaboration with the Rumbalara Football Netball Club, designed to improve educational participation and outcomes for the Goulburn Valley Indigenous Community.

Professor James has co-authored numerous major research reports of national significance in the field of higher education as well as over 50 refereed articles and book chapters.  He has been the project director for several important national studies and directed a major national study of student assessment in Australian higher education for the Australian Universities Teaching Committee (AUTC), which led to the creation of the Assessing Learning in Australian Universities website.

Professor James brings to the CSHE broad experience in teaching and educational administration in a variety of sectors including higher education, TAFE, adult education and secondary education. He is the co-author, with Gabrielle Baldwin, of the Nine Principles Guiding Teaching and Learning in University of Melbourne.

He is the co-author of the handbooks, Eleven Practices of Effective Postgraduate Supervisors and Tutoring and Demonstrating: A Guide for the University of Melbourne.

 

Recent papers and publications

Will the Bradley recommendations improve equity?, presentation at the opening forum of the National Centre for Student Equity, University of South Australia, 25-26 February 2009

Faculty of Education Dean's Lecture Series: Inaugural Professorial Lecture, (lecture recording)

Studying and working: A national study of student finances and student engagement, with Marcia Devlin and Gabrielle Grigg, paper presented at the EAIR Forum, Innsbruck, 26-29 August 2007

Implementing integrated strategies for enhancing staff motivation and satisfaction: The University of Melbourne approach, with Elizabeth Baré , paper presented at OECD/IMHE conference, Paris, 3-4 September 2007

Students and Student Learning in Mass Systems of Higher Education, Surrey, May 2007

Engaging with communities: Reconsidering strategies for access and equity in Australian higher education, Newcastle, August 2004

Understanding prospective student decision-making and the role of marketing in undergraduate education, 'Marketing Education 2002', Melbourne, 21-23 October 2002

Academic standards and the assessment of student learning: Some current issues in Australian higher education, Prague, 7 October 2002

The changing expectations of university students and the implications for learning, with David Beckett, Singapore, 13 July 2002

Equity of participation for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds and rural and isolated areas, Submission to the 'Review of Australian Higher Education', 26 June 2002

How student perspectives challenge conventional marketing theory: The operation of the undergraduate market in higher education and the effects of application and selection processes, Invited presentation to the'Strategic Marketing for Higher Education Conference', 15-16 April 2002

Understanding prospective student decision-making and the implications for marketing strategies, 'Marketing Higher and Post-Secondary Education’, Sydney, 15-17 October 2001  

Students’ changing expectations of higher education and the consequences of mismatches with reality, OECD Programme in Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE) ‘Management responses to changing student expectations’, Queensland, 24 September 2001

The selection of strategic system-level indicators to review the development of higher education, UNESCO Invitational Roundtable ‘System-Level Indicators for Higher/Tertiary Education’, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan, 12 June 2001

Rural and Isolated School Students and their Higher Education Choices. An equity report for the Higher Education Council, 1999

Which University?: The factors influencing the choices of prospective undergraduates. A report for the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, 1999

Non-traditional students and their university participation: An Australian perspective Paper presented at the '21st EAIR Forum', Lund University, Sweden, 25 August 1999

Helping prospective students make informed choices: Equity and quality in student decision-making Paper presented to the 'Education'99 conference', Sydney, 23-25 March 1999

Other publications and papers

Books and book-length research reports

JAMES, R., MEEK, L., HARMAN, G. HARRIS, K. Recommendations for an Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement.  Canberra: DEEWR. (2008)

JAMES, R. BEXLEY, E., MAXWELL, L. Participation and Equity. Canberra: Universities Australia (2008)

JAMES, R. BEXLEY, E., DEVLIN, M. & MARGINSON, S. Australian University Student Finances 2006: Final report a national survey of students in public universities.  Canberra: Universities Australia (2007)

JAMES, R. BEXLEY, E., DEVLIN, M. & MARGINSON, S. Australian University Student Finances 2006: A summary of findings from a national survey of students in public universities.  Canberra: Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee (2007)

ALFORD, K. & JAMES, R. Pathways and barriers: Indigenous schooling and VET participation in the Goulburn Valley. 70 pp. Adelaide: National Council for Vocation Education Research ISBN 978 1 921170737(2007)

MOK, K. & JAMES, R. (eds.) Globalisation and higher education in East Asia.  Lancaster, UK: Marshall Cavendish Academic. 360 pp. ISBN-10 981210402X (2005)

HARRIS, K. & JAMES, R. Carrick Fellowship Scheme: Proposal for Selection Criteria and Nomination Guidelines (Confidential report to the Board of the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education) (2005)

HARRIS, K., KRAUSE, K., JAMES, R., HOWARD, L. & GARNETT, R. Carrick Awards for Australian University Teaching: Proposal for Selection Criteria and Nomination Guidelines (Confidential report to the Board of the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education) (2005)

KRAUSE, K., HARTLEY, R., JAMES, R. & McINNIS, C. The First Year Experience in Australian Universities: The findings from a decade of research. Canberra: Department of Education, Science and Training. ix + 105pp. (2005)

JAMES, R., HARRIS, K., KRAUSE, K., HOWARD, L. & GARNETT, R., Recommendations for an expanded program of Australian Awards for University Teaching (Confidential report to the Board of the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education) xiv + 71pp. (2005)

JAMES, R., BALDWIN, G., COATES, H., KRAUSE, K., & McINNIS, C. (2004) Analysis of Equity Groups in Higher Education 1991-2002. Canberra: Department of Education, Science and Training. (2004)

JAMES, R. & BRENNAN, L. Indigenous students who withdraw before completing higher education: Expectations, experiences and outcomes.  (unpublished report)

JAMES, R., McINNIS, C. & DEVLIN,.M. Assessing Learning in Australian Universities, Australian Universities Teaching Committee 64 pp. (2002)

JAMES, R. Socioeconomic Background and Higher Education Participation: An analysis of school students’ aspirations and expectations. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service xi+67 pp. (2002)

McINNIS, C., GRIFFIN, P., JAMES, R. & COATES, H. Development of the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service: x + 80pp. (2001)

JAMES, R. TAFE, University or Work?: The early preferences and choices of students in Years 10, 11, & 12.  Adelaide: National Council for Voc. Education Research: 60 pp.(2000) ISBN 0 87397 525 1.

JAMES, R., MILTON, J., & GABB, R. (eds) Cornerstones of Higher Education: Research and Development in Higher Education. Canberra: Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia: iv + 122 pp. (2000) ISBN 0 908557-46-9.

McINNIS, C., JAMES, R. & HARTLEY, R. Trends in the First Year Experience in Australian Universities. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service: vii + 64 pp. (2000) ISBN 0 642 44864 7.

JAMES, R., BALDWIN, G. & McINNIS, C. Which University? The factors influencing the choices of prospective undergraduates. Canberra: Australian Government Pub. Service: xi + 90 pp. (1999) ISBN 0 642 23914 2.

JAMES, R., Wyn, J., baldwin, g., hepworth, g., mcinnis, c., & stephanou, A. Rural and Isolated Students and their Higher Education Choices: A re-examination of student location, socioeconomic background, and educational advantage and disadvantage. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service: xix +121 pp. (1999) ISBN 0 642 23871 5.

JAMES, R. & BalDwin, G. Eleven Practices of Effective Postgraduate Supervisors. Melb.: Centre for the Study of Higher Education & School of Graduate Studies: 46 pp. (1999) ISBN 0 7340 1622 0.

James, R. & Baldwin, G. Tutoring and Demonstrating: A Guide for the University of Melbourne. Melbourne: Centre for the Study of Higher Education: v + 80 pp. (1997). ISBN 0 7325 1067 8.

James, R. & Beattie, K. Expanding Options: Delivery Technologies and Postgraduate Coursework. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service: x + 109 pp. (1996). ISBN 0 644 45885 2.

James, R. & McInnis, C. (eds.) Transition to Active Learning: Proceedings of the 2nd Pacific Rim Conference on the First Year in Higher Education. Melbourne: Centre for the Study of Higher Education: v + 557 pp. (1996).

McInnis,, C. & James, R. First Year on Campus: Diversity in the Initial Experiences of Australian Undergraduates. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service: xii +159 pp. (1995).

McInnis, C., James, R. & Morris, A.  The Coursework Masters Degree: Growth, Diversity and Quality Assurance. Canberra: AGPS: x + 100 pp. (1995). ISBN 0 644 35684 7.

Chapters and Journal Articles

JAMES, R. The theories of teaching and learning underpinning space and design decisions, in Places and Spaces for Learning Seminars, report of the 2007 national seminar series.  Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC). Sydney.

DEVLIN, M., JAMES. R. & GRIGG, G.  Studying and working: A national study of student finances and student engagement, Tertiary Education and Management 14 (2) pp.111-122 (2008)

HARRIS, K., FARRELL, K. & JAMES, R.  Measuring the quality of teaching: The Australian experience of indicators for teaching, in Higher Education Forum, Research Institute for Higher Education (RIHE), Hiroshima University. Volume 4, February 2007

HARRIS, K. & JAMES, R. Facilitating reflection on assessment policies and practices: A planning framework for educative review of assessment, Studies in Learning, Evaluation, Innovation and Development 3 (2) pp.23-36 (2006)

HARRIS, K. & JAMES, R.  The Course Experience Questionnaire, Graduate Destinations Survey and the Learning and Teaching Performance Fund in Australian higher education.  Commissioned paper for the program in Public Policy for Academic Quality (PPAQ)/.  At http://www.unc.edu/ppaq/analyses.html (2006)

JAMES, R. Some observations on the Australian experience of the national Course Experience Questionnaire survey and the national Learning and Teaching Performance Fund.  In Jennings J & Angelo T(eds), Proceedings of the ASQ 10 Symposium Student Engagement: Measuring and Enhancing Engagement with Learning..  (AAU Series on Quality Number 10)13-20. Wellington, New Zealand: New Zealand Universities Academic Audit Unit.

KRAUSE, K., COATES, H. & JAMES, R. Monitoring the internationalisation of higher education: Are there useful quantitative performance indicators?, in Tight, M. (ed.) International relations, International Perspectives on Higher Education Research Volume 3. pp.233-253 (2005).

COATES, H., JAMES, R. & BALDWIN, G. A critical examination of the effects of Learning Management Systems on university teaching and learning, Tertiary Education and Management 11: 19-36 (2005).

JAMES, R. & McINNIS, C. Equity policy in Australian higher education: A case of policy stasis, in Gornitzka, A., Kogan. M. & Amaral, A. & (eds.) Reform and Change in Higher Education: Analysing policy implementation Springer: Dordrecht, The Netherlands (2005).

McINNIS, C. & JAMES, R. Access and retention in Australian higher education, in Yorke, M. and Longden, B.(eds.) Retention and Student Success in Higher Education. Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press: Berkshire, UK (2004).

GRIFFIN, P., COATES, H., McINNIS, C. & JAMES, R. The Development of an Extended Course Experience Questionnaire, Quality in Higher Education 9, 3: pp. 259-266 (2003).

JAMES, R. International cooperation and exchange in universities in Australia, in Mergers and Cooperation among Higher Education Institutions: Australia, Japan and Europe, Research Institute for Higher Education: Hiroshima, Japan (2003)

JAMES, R. Suggestions relative to the selection of strategic system-level indicators to review the development of higher education, in Yonezawa, A. & Kaiser, F. (eds) System-Level and Strategic Indicators for Monitoring Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century UNESCO-CEPES: Bucharest. (2003).

JAMES, R.  Academic standards and the assessment of student learning: Some current issues in Australian higher education, Tertiary Education and Management 9,3: pp 187-198 (2003).

DEVLIN, M. & JAMES, R.  The potential for university-wide multimedia and educational technology evaluation, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 28, 1:pp 47-58.

JAMES, R. & BECKETT, D. The changing expectations of university students and the implications for learning, in Wang, C., Mohanan, K. and Pan, D. Proceedings of the Second Symposium on Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, Centre for Development of Teaching and Learning, National University of Singapore. (2002).

JAMES, R. Students’ changing expectations of higher education and the consequences of mismatches with reality, in Coaldrake, P. (ed.) Responding to Student Expectations OECD: Paris (2002).

JAMES, R. Participation disadvantage in Australian higher education: An analysis of some effects of geographical location and socioeconomic status, Higher Education 42 (2001).

JAMES, R. & BECKETT, D. Higher education and lifelong learning: An Australian perspective, in Schuetze, H. & Slowey, M. (eds) Higher education and lifelong learning: International perspectives on change. Routledge/Falmer: London. pp. 173-194 (2000).

JAMES, R. Quality assurance and the growing puzzle of managing organisational knowledge in universities, Higher Education Management 12,3: pp.41-59 (2000).

JAMES, R. Non-traditional students in Australian higher education: Persistent inequities and the new ideology of ‘student choice’, Tertiary Education and Management 6, 2: pp.105-118 (2000).

JAMES, R.  University participation of rural and remote students, in King, R., Hill, D. & Hemmings, B. (eds) University and Diversity: Changing perspectives, policies and practices in Australia, Keon Publications: NSW. pp. 153-166 (2000).

JAMES, R. How school-leavers choose a preferred university course and possible effects on the quality of the school-university transition, Journal of Institutional Research Australasia 9, 1 (2000).

BALDWIN, G. & JAMES, R. The market in Australian higher education and the concept of student as informed consumer, Journal of Higher Education Policy & Management 22, 2: pp.139-148 (2000).

JOHNSTON, C., JAMES, R., LYE, J. & McDONALD, I. An evaluation of the introduction of collaborative problem-solving for learning economics, Journal of Economic Education 31, 1 pp. 13-29 (2000).

McINNIS,C. & JAMES, R. Transition from secondary to tertiary: A performance study, Higher Education Series Occasional paper no. 13, Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs: 12 pp. (1999).

JAMES, R. National and institutional approaches to quality assurance in Australian Higher Education, in Quality Assurance for Higher Education in Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, SEAMEO RIHED, pp. 19-30 (1999).

Johnston, C., Olekalns, N., James, R., & Wilkins, N. 1999, Collaborative problem-solving in tutorials for improving student learning in a statistics subject : an evaluation, in Educational Innovation in Economics and Business IV: Learning in a changing environment. eds J. Troy, M.Pettigrew, J. Hommes and P. Keizer. Kluwer Academic Publishers: pp143-160. (1999).

James, R. Benchmarking in Australian higher education: The claims and prospects, Curriculum Perspectives 18, 3: pp.62-70 (1998).

James, R. An organisational learning perspective on academic development: A strategy for an uncertain future, International Journal for Academic Development  2, 2: pp. 35-41 (1997).

James, R. & McINNIS, C. Coursework masters degrees and quality assurance: Implicit and explicit factors at program level, Quality in Higher Education 3, 2: pp. 101-112 (1997).

James, R. & McInnis, C. The residential arrangements of first year students in Australia: Student accommodation and adjustment to university, Journal of the Freshman Year Experience 9,2: pp. 33-51 (1997).

Beattie, K. & James, R. Flexible coursework delivery to Australian postgraduates: How effective is the teaching and learning?, Higher Education 33, 2: pp. 177-194 (1997).

James, R. & Beattie, K.  Postgraduate coursework beyond the classroom: Issues in implementing flexible delivery, Distance Education 17, 2: pp. 355-368 (1996).

James, R. & Johnston, C.  Enhancing first year tutorials: A collaborative, problem-oriented approach to learning Economics, in James, R. & McInnis, C. (eds) Transition to Active Learning: Proceedings of the 2nd Pacific Rim Conference on the First Year in Higher Education. Melbourne: Centre for the Study of Higher Education: pp. 253-265 (1996).

James, R. & Johnston, C.  A collaborative, problem-oriented approach to learning economics in the first year, 4th Annual Teaching Economics Conference Proceedings.  Darwin: Northern Territory University: pp. 27-43 (1996).

James, R. & Beattie, K. Delivery alternatives for postgraduate coursework, Higher Education Series Occasional paper no. 13, Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs: 6 pp. (1996).

James, R. The introduction of appraisal in Australian universities: Time to take stock, in Theobald, M. (ed.) Graduate Studies in Education, The University of Melbourne (Faculty of Education): pp. 31-46 (1996).

Johnston, C., James, R. & McDonald, I. An evaluation of the effectiveness of collaborative problem-solving for learning economics, Research Working Paper No. 534, Melbourne: Department of Economics, University of Melbourne: pp. 29 (1996).

James, R. International Developments in Assuring Quality in Higher Education, The Australian Educational Researcher, 22, 1: pp. 136-138: (1995).

James, R. In search of staff development: A study of academic staff appraisal, Higher Education Research and Development, 14, 2: pp. 185-199 (1995).

Johnston, C. & James, R. New directions in teaching and learning in an Economics Department, in Little, P, Ostwald, M. & Ryan, G. (eds) Research and Development in Problem Based Learning, Vol. 3 1995 Sydney: Australian Problem Based Learning Network: pp. 235-256 (1995).

James, R. Performance appraisal and the reshaping of academic staff development, in Cotter, R. & Marshall, S. Research and Practice in Educational Administration.  Hawthorn: Australian Council for Educational Administration: pp. 195-210 (1995).

 

 

  

 

  
 
   

 

 

top of page