ABSTRACT
In many countries the state of ‘mass higher education’ has been reached. This occurs when the majority of the population from the relevant age-group participate in higher education (HE) (Trow 1974). For example, in the US, Japan and Scotland more than 50 per cent of young people enter HE. In other countries, including Australia, England, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden, national policy is striving towards an expanded HE system (Thomas & Quinn 2003). Mass, or almost mass, higher education systems frequently exhibit a decrease in units of resources as well as worsening staff: student ratios as HE finance does not keep pace with the expansion in student numbers. This tends to result in greater reliance on large lectures, ICT and independent learning, larger seminar groups and the abandonment of traditional personal tutoring systems (Thomas & Hixenbaugh 2006). These responses have reduced the contact between staff and students, providing students with fewer opportunities for clarification, interaction and feedback about their academic studies. These and related reasons (for example, greater reliance on paid employment to finance HE study) may also make it more difficult for students to engage in their higher education experience.
