David Andrich interview, 31 July 2012

David Andrich interview, 31 July 2012

Education

This is an interview with Professor David Andrich. Born in Midland he became a student at the University, bonded to the Department of Education to study teaching. After completing his degree he taught in public schools before returning to the university as a lecturer. He talks of the fond memories that he has of the university from his student days and recalls the sense of community that he enjoyed as a member of staff. He looks back at the way in which teaching and research has been altered by changing work and administration loads while outlining the privilege of his career at the university.

Professor Andrich has expertise in measurement and standards and is a world renowned education expert. He talks at length of his extensive research and work in the area of Statistics and testing models and discusses a number of his publications in these areas. He focuses particularly on his study and work with the Rasch Model outlining its use in a number of areas of statistical research. He has conducted research at state and national level in certification and selection into tertiary education. He has been Chapple Professor of Education at The University of Western Australia since 2007.

Andrich, David

University of Western Australia Historical Society

31 July 2012

Copyright holder: University of Western Australia

MP3 files

Oral history

Bannister, John

Andrich, David

Interview 1: 52 minutes, 1 second
Interview 2: 54 minutes, 58 seconds
interview 3: 53 minutes, 54 seconds
Total: 2 hours, 40 minutes, 53 seconds

128 kbs

Interview 1

00:00:00 Memories of childhood education and university studies. Atmosphere of UWA and friendships.
00:09:27 Thoughts of becoming a teacher. Bonded to the Education Department. Studying 3 years and a Dip Ed.
00:11:50 Sense of community at UWA. University as full time work - a social scene and a study experience. Memories of Prosh. Methods of teaching, study and collaborative learning.
00:17:05 Changes to the system of university life. Employment and the university term.
00:25:10 Inspirational people. Comparisons to Oxford and Cambridge.
00:34:10 Sabbatical system. Memories of leisurely atmosphere on joining staff in 1968.
00:43:04 Emphasis on research at UWA. Political machinations of university administration.


Interview 2

00:00:00 The running of the University overall. Expansion of the 50s-70s. Research culture.
00:09:00 The centre of academic excellence in the state. Promoting the university.
00:16:00 The community and lifestyle at UWA. Creative and academic freedom.
00:20:09 Bureaucracy and the staff student relation. Industrialisation of University.
00:30:00 Variable and the Rasch Model. Findings and views of the enterprise.
00:38:53 PhD. Internationalsing. Research funds.
00:49:00 Competition and inventiveness. Globalisation of universities and competition on a local and international scale.


Interview 3

00:00:00 Travel insights.
00:05:36 Health and educational assessment of writing in Australia.
00:10:00 Second example of travel insight. Waiting for a train. Department of marketing.
00:15:02 Understanding the Rasch Model. Outlining work experiences.
00:22:36 Defensiveness in the academic world and the ordered categories. Sociology of knowledge.
00:32:40 Philosophy and sociology of science and measurement. Changes in dynamics between teachers and students.
00:37:10 Student client relationship. Objectifying the experience of study. Online lectures and learning. University has become more industrialised. Fees and opportunity costs.
00:40:09 Elevated consciousness of teaching and of research output. University rankings and research.
00:45:27 Personal role at UWA today, reflecting on UWA experience.
00:53:53

Andrich, Interview 1, Track 1
Andrich, Interview 1, Track 2
Andrich, Interview 1, Track 3