ACSC100: Research Report on Australian University Biology Degrees

This research report, submitted for ACSC100 at Macquarie University, investigates the Bachelor of Science (Biology) degree in comparison to similar programs offered by other Australian universities. The report analyzes the courses, work-integrated learning activities, and professional accreditation of Macquarie's biology program, assessing its strengths and weaknesses relative to its competitors. It explores the university's position, course overviews, and student interest, while also incorporating a comparison with other institutions like the University of New South Wales and the University of Melbourne. The report includes a discussion of the methodology used to gather data, the preference rates for different universities, and factors influencing student choices. The report concludes with an assessment of whether Macquarie University's biology degree offers a superior option, supported by evidence and analysis, aiming to provide insights for prospective students. The report also references the model Research Report provided in the assignment brief.

Running head: EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES
Education in Australian Universities
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES
Abstract
In this report, the discussion will focus on the courses offered by the Macquarie
University have attained a favorable aspect in the educational prospect amongst all other
universities in the country of Australia. The efficiency of the courses and the relevance of the
courses that are taught in the university. The rate of students who want to enroll themselves
in the university and the accreditation of the courses that are offered by the other universities
and what makes this university the best amongst all the other universities operating in the
country of Australia and how the other universities are working in the sphere of education for
the wellbeing of the students.

2EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
The position of the University................................................................................................3
Overview of the courses.........................................................................................................3
Comparison with other Universities.......................................................................................3
Work-Integrated Learning......................................................................................................4
Professional Accreditation.....................................................................................................4
Interest of the Students...........................................................................................................5
My Degree- Bachelor of Science...............................................................................................5
Methods..................................................................................................................................6
The preference rate.............................................................................................................7
Lack of preference..............................................................................................................7
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................9

3EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES
Introduction
The university specializes in public research and is located in Sydney, Australia. It
was founded by the New South Wales Government in the year 1965. In this section the
discussion will focus on the education system that is prevalent in the Australian Universities.
The focus will be on the Macquarie University and the courses that it offers. The department
of science offers courses in biology, microbiology and physiology to name a few. The
purpose of the courses is to integrate the tendency of research in the practical studies. The
university promotes the practical based technologies that include on field works. (Hellstén
and Prescott 2004).
Science courses in other Universities
The position of the particular university in comparison to the offers that are offered by
the other universities. The comparison will be drawn between the other universities and the
fact will be analysed if the Macquarie University is actually better than the other universities
who offer similar courses. The university is ranked among the top 1000 universities in the
world. This shows that it has favorable position in the preference rate among the students but
the other universities namely University of South Wales and the University of Melbourne
offer the courses in biology that are gaining prominence amongst the students in Australia
(Lee). All the other universities are adopting the model of practice based learning that are
helpful for the future prospect of the students (Boud and Feletti 2013).
Overview of the courses offered by the universities
A brief overview will be provided about the courses that are offered by the university.
The advantages and relevance of the courses in the present times would be taken into
consideration. It incorporates all the contemporary courses that are the need of the current

4EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES
situations (Clark et al. 2016). The courses are facilitated by the specialized skill learning
which provides the courses a proper base for their operations. The Melbourne University and
the University of South Wales are offering a number of courses to gain popularity in the
sphere of education. The Melbourne University holds the 1st rank amongst all other
universities of Australia and this makes it the first choice of the students. The University of
South Wales is another university that is gaining prominence in the educational spectrum by
offering specialization in biology, chemistry and geology. They are establishing professional
based learnings to enhance the number of learners and are giving a tough competition to the
other universities. The courses that the Macquarie University offers should be analysed on the
basis of accreditation that are provided after the completion of the courses. Professional
accreditation of the courses is necessary to avail work and is beneficial for the progress of the
students. Therefore, the discussion in this section will analyse that the courses offered in the
universities and their credibility in the area of securing a job (Paisley 2013). The university
provides self-development courses that are helpful for the students. The courses have a
professional base as they guarantee the assurance to get a job after the completion of the
process of studies within the university.
Comparison with other Universities
In this section comparison will be drawn between the Macquarie University and other
universities and facts will be analysed. If the said university is considered to be a better
option than the contemporaries what makes it better and how do the courses help in the
betterment of the students. As the university is ranked amongst the top 1000 universities, this
gives it a better position in comparison with the contemporaries. The favorable courses that
are offered by the university make it better amongst the contemporaries. The university is
better with the other universities is drawn to show what makes the university better than the
contemporaries (Denby and Rickards 2016). In this section the discussion will focus on the

5EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES
courses that will help in the areas related to work. The practical application of the courses
will be discussed and how they help the students to secure job after the completion of the
academic courses. The purpose of the courses should be to develop the abilities among the
students to make their studies applicable in the activities related to work (van Acker and
Bailey 2011). The utility of the courses and the help they will provide to the students after the
process of completion of their studies in applying them to the working sector. The position of
the Macquarie University in proving learning integrated courses. The university being located
in Sydney provides the students with exposure to the professional institutions as there are
many offices located within the area.
My Degree- Bachelor of Science
The science courses that are offered by the university include astronomy,
astrophysics, biotechnology, marine biology, palaeobiology, physics and many more. I have
enrolled myself in the bachelor’s degree in biology as it is the most effective course in the
sphere of today’s technologically advanced world. There are a number of alumni of the
university who have achieved a name for themselves in the field of science and technology.
The university serves as a home to researchers who are working efficiently in the
technological fields. The university also leads us to the future by all the courses that are
provided in the learning areas. The impacts of the scientific and technological learning and
how recognition of these concepts helps in the present world. I enrolled myself with this
university because they provide flexibility in the sphere of learning. They provide integrated
courses with application based learning that helped me in developing my skills. The courses
that are offered by the university are meant to bridge the gap between the theory-based
learning and practical based learning. The programs are designed in such a manner that they
are up to date with the present technological changes. The experience we get in this

6EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES
university is not found anywhere else within the sphere of any other university. The
Macquarie University provides courses that are proficient in the courses as they are provided
by a panel of experts who provide real life guidance of the subjects. The hands on experience
leads to the growth of the career of the individual and help in preparing for the future. The
equipment that are facilitated in the science laboratories are of world class quality and the
technological instruments are the beneficent for the students to learn. There sphere of
learning is not confined to books which will help in the growth of the skills of the individual.
Methods
The methods that are included in the assessment of the position of the university are
based on the questionnaires that are provided to the individuals who opted for studying
abroad. The questionnaire based surveys conducted by the university and other organizations
is an effective way to gain knowledge about the status the university has in comparison to the
others. The questionnaire based survey has cleared the inclination of the students towards the
Macquarie University as they have found that the degree of courses that are offered by the
university are better when compared with other universities. The questionnaires are filled by
the students anonymously that lead to undisclosed identity that leads to the fair formation of
the opinion. The academic learning standard of the university provides that the students who
are enrolled in the learning process of the university have developed better skills in learning
sphere which they can apply in the working sphere. The inclination shows that the students
want to study under this sphere. The questionnaires based surveys employ the technique to
ask the students not to reveal the procedure and it is based for a certain period of time. The
time based evaluation process helps in the proper collection of data. The students are the
focal point of the process of evaluation as they need to develop learning skills and show their
growth in the educational area. Therefore, the collection of data helps from the primary
sources helps in providing accurate data which makes the method reliable. The process of

7EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES
assessing the questionnaire results is given to the non-teaching staff which will result in fair
publication of data after proper analysis.
Results
Fig: 1
Green bar: Macquarie University
Yellow bar: University of South Wales
Blue bar: Melbourne University
Red bar: Other Universities
The green colored bar indicates the number of students who preferred Macquarie University
amongst all other universities in Australia. Though there are other popular universities in
Australia but the graph shows that it is the most favorable one and popular one amongst the
students.

8EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITIES
The preference rate
The preference rate that was assessed through the questionnaire based survey
indicated that there is a large number of students who want to enroll themselves into the
process of learning with the Macquarie University due to the name it has made for itself in
the academic structure as it is ranked amongst the top 1000 universities in the world. The
students are attracted due to the lucrative infrastructure offered by the university and the
academic achievements that are indicated by the university. The important position the
alumni that they hold in the working sphere and the success rate they have achieved in their
respective fields indicate that then students will be attracted to the learning process (Fraser-
Seeto, Howard and Woodcock 2015). The guarantee to get future placements in the working
sector also increase the rate of preference.
Lack of preference
There are a number of students who are not interested in enrolling them within the
academic prospects of the Macquarie University as they consider that low value is placed on
academic value and the focus is on skill based learning to obtain job in the market. However
the rate of those who do not want to enroll in the university is low which makes it clear that
the favor is much higher than those who do not want to enroll. This shows that the university
is the most favored one in the country of Australia and all around the world (Fraser-Seeto,
Howard and Woodcock 2015).

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References
Boud, D. and Feletti, G., 2013. The challenge of problem-based learning. Routledge.
Clark, L., Rowe, A., Cantori, A., Bilgin, A. and Mukuria, V., 2016. The power dynamics and
politics of survey design: measuring workload associated with teaching, administering and
supporting work-integrated learning courses. Studies in Higher Education, 41(6), pp.1055-
1073.
Denby, L. and Rickards, S., 2016. An approach to embedding sustainability into
undergraduate curriculum: macquarie university, Australia case study. In Teaching education
for sustainable development at university level (pp. 9-33). Springer, Cham.
Fraser-Seeto, K., Howard, S.J. and Woodcock, S., 2015. An investigation of teachers'
awareness and willingness to engage with a self-directed professional development package
on gifted and talented education.
Hellstén, M. and Prescott, A., 2004. Learning at University: The international student
experience. International Education Journal, 5(3), pp.344-351.
Lee, P.V.S., University of Melbourne.
Paisley, V., 2013. Gamification of tertiary courses: An exploratory study of learning and
engagement. In ASCILITE-Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary
Education Annual Conference (pp. 671-675). Australasian Society for Computers in Learning
in Tertiary Education.
van Acker, L. and Bailey, J., 2011. Embedding graduate skills in capstone courses. Asian
Social Science, 7(4), p.69.

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