ABSTRACT
This chapter provides some basic information about the Australian higher-education system. Among other things, it may help readers from outside Australia better understand the context. Around the world, some 200 million students are involved in tertiary education. This number has more than doubled since the start of the century and is likely to double again by 2030. Over 6 million people teach in tertiary education – a number which is also rising. Australia’s size conceals some important facts that are relevant to understanding its higher education system. The land mass is 7.7 million square kilometres or 3 million square miles. Its most northerly and southerly state capitals – Darwin and Hobart – are 3,700 kilometres apart, as are its most easterly and westerly. The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching Student Experience Survey has been designed in a way that makes comparison with US and UK data easier, though some caution needs to be exercised.
