Practitioner Roles

Our higher education subjects are developed and maintained with the input and expertise of active practitioners who bring their experience, current knowledge and practical focus to the development and maintenance of student learning materials.

Each subject has a Task Force of practitioners who provide recommendations about the focus, direction and content of each subject, as well as the validity and relevance of subject assessments. Each Task Force is guided by the Task Force Chair and supported by staff members at Kaplan Professional who take ultimate responsibility for the content, ensuring that it is current, relevant and technically accurate.

Each Task Force meets once or twice a year to review student feedback and results, to decide upon subject content and assessment strategies and to allocate responsibility for specific tasks. When developing a new subject, a Task Force would meet more often to discuss and review the work in progress.

From time to time Kaplan Professional contracts individuals or groups to write specific subject content. Writers may be contracted to develop and write new subject material, revise and update existing material, or a combination of both. They may be contracted for a whole subject or for individual topics within a subject. This process is undertaken in consultation with a Kaplan Professional subject editor who works closely with the writer to ensure the material meets the required standard and design specifications.

The role of the topic lecturer is to bring industry experience to the teaching/learning process by using market-based practical examples and experiences that illustrate critical aspects covered in the subject notes. Lectures cover key concepts and ideas presented in the notes and provide students with an opportunity to see theory or concepts in action.

Students benefit from lectures by:

• having their comprehension of topic learning objectives clarified and reinforced
• being exposed to the practical insights and experiences of industry practitioners who 'walk the talk'
• hearing key concepts explained in laymen's terms
• being exposed to and interacting with practitioners from different parts of the industry

The role of the workshop facilitator is to bring industry experience to the teaching/learning process by using market-based practical examples and experiences that illustrate critical aspects covered in the subject notes. Workshops cover key concepts and ideas presented in the notes and provide students with an opportunity to see theory or concepts in action.

Students benefit from attending workshops by:

• having their comprehension of topic learning objectives clarified and reinforced
• being exposed to the practical insights and experiences of industry practitioners who 'walk the talk'
• hearing key concepts explained in laymen's terms
• being exposed to and interacting with practitioners from different parts of the industry

Assessment markers are industry practitioners with marketplace expertise in a particular subject area. Assessment markers are contracted to mark assignments and/or examinations within a certain timeframe. Subjects generally have a team of markers and Kaplan Professional provides this team with training, support, and a Marking Guide that contains suggested answers prepared by a team of practitioners to use as a standard for marking assignment and examination papers.

In evaluating students' responses in assessments, an assessment marker looks for:

• a concise, relevant, well organised and well planned answer to the question
• evidence of wide reading and research
• appropriate use of practical examples to illustrate a point or support an argument
• the ability to analyse, interpret and apply an understanding of the subject to practical problems and situations
• systematic analysis of primary source material, such as data from the financial press or a company's annual report

The Discussion Forum is an online space in the Subject Rooms for enrolled award course students to engage in discussion about relevant subject content with fellow students and an appointed facilitator. Discussions range from predetermined topics from the notes, queries about assessments, or general subject matter content.

A discussion forum facilitator is a subject expert who assists students in an online capacity. The role of the facilitator is to engage the student in the process of learning by posting discussion points, responding to students' technical queries and clarifying and correcting postings if required. It entails:

• becoming familiar with the subject material, learning outcomes and assignment/s
• logging into the Discussion Forum in the Subject Room regularly to initiate and/or facilitate discussion related to the subject
• responding to student queries within two business days of them being logged by the student, unless another student has already responded
• ensuring that assistance provided does not constitute direct answers to assignment questions or research beyond the subject materials

A set of subject notes and the assignment marking guide is sent to facilitators at the start of the trimester. Facilitators also receive training and a comprehensive facilitator's guide.

From time to time Kaplan appoints specialist advisory committees to monitor the performance of its higher education courses and to make recommendations on matters relevant to the courses. These sub-committees of Kaplan's Academic Committee are appointed to advise on areas such as curriculum quality and relevance, teaching and learning strategies, academic standards and benchmarks against similar courses delivered by other higher education institutions.