University revolution, block by block

The contemporary student is facing challenges like never before. From cost of living and housing insecurity to general global uncertainty, accessing tertiary education that works for them can be a barrier.

Which is why, in a sector wedded to conservatism, the Victoria University Block Model stands out. In 2018 VU disrupted Australian higher education by introducing a new approach to university learning and teaching, now known as the VU Block Model®.

Students complete their courses one subject at a time with the support of specially trained academics dedicated to their success.

The model is inclusive and collaborative, and its introduction signalled the end of lacklustre lectures, crowded classes, and lengthy assessment periods.

The success of the VU Block Model depends on a commitment to keep student needs front and centre. Many tertiary institutions may argue that there is nothing unique about this approach, yet few acknowledge just how much the university experience has changed.

Rose-coloured glasses aside, numerous students find the transition to university an overwhelming and alienating experience. Something had to change.

It compelled us, as a 100-year-old plus institution, to radically transform.

Today the VU Block Model is embedded in our national and international campuses, across all course levels, offering a genuinely distinctive and revolutionary approach to university. Its efficacy is particularly noticeable in our ­equity cohort, with sustained improvements in student retention, success and satisfaction – achieved by hardworking students who often are juggling competing priorities while navigating complex lives.

So committed are we to this pedagogy, in 2022 we built an entire CBD city campus modelled on the VU Block Model. With no lecture theatre in sight, this 32-storey, fit-for-purpose building has compact spaces to foster collaboration, workshop designs to ensure students get to know each other and numerous breakout areas to make connections.

What have we learned across the past six years? Like all significant endeavours, challenges abounded. Across time, we’ve come to recognise that in the early years we moved too fast. In an ­effort to achieve what sometimes felt like an impossible task, the university should have provided more professional development and resources to ensure our staff felt better prepared for such a seismic shift.

Positive student feedback and awards for teaching excellence and learner engagement have confirmed that the huge financial and reputational risk was worth it.

Very few universities across the world have upturned their operations so significantly. In fact, for some time we were the only university outside North America where the block model formed the entire curriculum. International interest in our success, and the challenges we faced, has led us to establish a world first – the VU Block Model Academy, providing expertise, consultancy and training for institutions who want to learn more.

The launch of the VU Block Model Academy will take place during the 2024 International Block and Intensive Learning and Teaching Association Conference, where block model experts from around the world will come together to share practices and experiences.

Tradition, legacy and prestige will always have currency, but there are inherent risks for tertiary institutions that remain anchored to the past.

The VU Block Model is based on a questioning pedagogy, one that refuses to remain static. It has proven ideal for those for whom being student-centric is more than just a tagline on their website.

By: Professor John Germov, Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer at Victoria University. First published in The Australian.