Hamish Coates suggests a $1bn bill for marking student work means it must be done better and at a lower cost. But this will be easier announced than arranged (CMM yesterday). He’s right, demonstrated by a disagreement between management and the National Tertiary Education Union at the University of the Sunshine Coast over time allotted to casual staff for marking assignments.

“Research produced at USC shows that feedback on assessment is a student’s most important marking tool. … The time it takes to produce quality feedback is necessary, perhaps more so in the social sciences, as this allows us to ensure that students can be assessed on their knowledge effectively,” the union’s Kelly Chambers tells head of social sciences Ken Greenwood.

“The changes will compromise the student experience and USC’s much-marketed ‘five-star teaching’ rate, Mr Chambers adds.