Abstract

This paper describes a research project that investigated the learning and teaching issues that can arise in postsecondary educational settings when conducting mixed level classes in the area of conflict and mediation studies. The post secondary sector is being increasingly challenged to efficiently develop new ways of developing communities of learning and teaching that embrace diversity as well as designing stimulating and relevant learning environments to engage and motivate students for good learning. This challenge is particular to a dual sector university where higher education and VET sectors have distinct but complementary roles. At a university level, policy development in this area is at the nascent stage, however, there are emerging possibilities to collaborate and develop communities of learning to equip students with a range of skills that prepares them for the workplace. The findings of the research provide some insights into these issues, by revealing some benefits and drawbacks taken from the approach of teaching mixed level classes. The research drew on the experiences of respondents who taught classes that combined students from the Vocational and Educational Training (VET) and the Higher Education (HEd) sectors, or classes that combined students from undergraduate and postgraduate levels.