Start with the end in mind: Experiences of accelerated course completion by pre-service teachers and educators

In response to changes government funding and policies over the past five years, the Australian tertiary sector has entered an increasingly competitive climate. This has forced many universities to become more strategic in attracting increased numbers of PSTs. Providing accelerated learning opportunities for PSTs is viewed as one way to gain greater market share. Accelerated learning programs are one of the fastest growing transformations in Australian higher education over the past five years. There is limited research that investigates the effectiveness of accelerated programs and the ways in which PSTs experience them. This preliminary study investigates the experiences of pre-service teachers and educators, via a purpose built instrument, of an accelerated learning program in Australia. The study found that PSTs were strongly motivated by such factors as early course competition and greater study plan flexibility. This study contributes to the emerging field of accelerated learning design in the tertiary sector.