Pushing the boundaries or overstepping the mark?: exploring the potential of university courses for final year high school students' career pathways

Australia is currently witnessing a melding of its various education sectors and a gradual erosion of distinctions between school, vocational education and higher education. Such developments are leading toward a ‘seamless web’ of post-compulsory education, a goal strongly articulated by governments, bureaucrats, business and educators in recent years. University Developed Board Endorsed Courses (UDBECs), which are developed by universities and undertaken by Higher School Certificate (HSC) students as part of their final year of study, are one such initiative. This paper discusses the role and function of UDBECs in the learning patterns and career decisions of final year high school students. A case study of one such course, Springboard into Teaching, is used to highlight the strengths and challenges of such initiatives. The evaluation of this particular UDBEC emphasises the benefits of partnerships between schools and universities, but highlights the need for further monitoring of the effects and longer-term outcomes of such initiatives.