Report
Tracing Success: A sector snapshot of Direct Entry ELICOS Tracer Studies in Australian Higher Education
pp.1-70
University English Centres Australia
2025
Metrics
1 Record Views
Abstract
This report presents the findings of the 2025 UECA Tracer Study Project, which examined the post-study trajectories of English language students enrolled at Australian University English language centres. Drawing on survey responses and follow-up interviews, the study maps students’ pathways into further education and assesses the value of Direct Entry English studies. The report demonstrates the centrality of strong institutional relationships: centres with collaborative ties to their parent universities were able to access richer data, conduct more regular tracer studies, and engage in meaningful conversations with faculties about curriculum needs. The findings also highlight the importance of clear objectives, careful choice of comparator groups, and methodological rigour. Benchmarking against IELTS, CEFR levels, and the UECA cross-institutional benchmarking project provided further reference points, while alumni feedback offered an additional, though uneven, source of insight.</p><p>The discussion section identifies several sector-wide lessons: contextual differences between centres make direct comparisons difficult; tracer studies should be iterative and longitudinal, not one-off exercises. To promote sector-wide consistency, the report also introduces a draft Tracer Study Template. This framework is designed to help centres standardise their approach, ensuring that future tracer studies provide reliable, comparable evidence of DE program outcomes across the sector.
Details
- Title
- Tracing Success: A sector snapshot of Direct Entry ELICOS Tracer Studies in Australian Higher Education
- Creators
- Thomas Roche - Southern Cross UniversityKatherine Olston - University of SydneyPamela Humphreys - Macquarie UniversityHeather Thomas - University of Wollongong CollegeSimon Winetroube - Curtin UniversityJoshua Swift - University of Sydney
- Publication Details
- pp.1-70
- Publisher
- University English Centres Australia
- Number of pages
- 70
- Identifiers
- 991013319928702368
- Academic Unit
- Office of the PVC (Academic Quality)
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Report