Poor-quality teaching in universities is a major brake on productivity growth, with no incentives inside universities to lift their game and no mechanism for students to understand what they are signing up to, Productivity Commissioner Catherine de Fontenay says.

While backing the major findings of a review of universities that recommends doubling the number of graduates over the next 25 years, Dr de Fontenay said the economy was not getting bang for its buck with the $10 billion a year invested in teaching and learning.