Transcript Graduate Attributes and Employability in Curriculum and Assessment Design Presentation at the Council of Higher Education 12 September 2012 Presented by Prof Melinde Coetzee ([email protected]) Department.

Graduate Attributes and Employability in
Curriculum and Assessment Design
Presentation at the Council of Higher Education
12 September 2012
Presented by
Prof Melinde Coetzee ([email protected])
Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology
College of Economic and Management Sciences
University of South Africa
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OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION
• Introduction
• Graduateness and Employability from a
Higher Education Perspective
• Embedding graduate attributes and
employability in curriculum and assessment
design
• Challenges and Opportunities
Introduction: Journey Map of an ODL Graduate
Graduateness
Work ready
Process of Higher Education (ODL)
Quality of Personal Growth and Intellectual Development Employable
Employer
Adult student
Profile
Background factors
Professional Identity
Generic skills and attributes
contributing to the
competitiveness, flexibility ,
adaptability and economic
growth of the business
Learning and Development Professionals
Academics/Educators
Curriculum, teaching, learning
and assessment design
Occupational relevant
on-the-job training
Work-based training
Introduction
• Knowledge-driven and technology-driven business society
• Knowledge, skills, relevant experience and continuing professional
development are at the top of the 21st century human resource agenda
• Employers have growing concerns about the scarcity of suitably qualified
and competent staff (high calibre knowledge-workers) in a highly
competitive, uncertain, turbulent business environment
• Need for work ready and employable graduates: discipline-specific
intellectual capabilities and generic transferable skills that can be taken
into the workplace
• Transferable graduate employability skills and attributes are most
significant for employment
• Educational systems produce prospective or potential workforce for
companies
• University education should lay the foundations for a lifelong commitment
by graduates to learning and professional development
• Employers and learning and development professionals should build on
the university education foundations and engage employees in workbased, occupational relevant training (knowledge, skills and experience)
Key Concepts
• Graduateness
The quality of the personal growth and intellectual development of
the graduates produced by a higher education institution, and the
relevance of the skills and attributes they bring to the workplace
• Employability
Employability is regarded as a sub-element of students’ graduateness.
A sense of self-directedness or personal agency in retaining or
securing a job or form of employment and move self-sufficiently within
an uncertain and unpredictable labour market.
• Graduate skills and attributes enable/promote employability
University education has a formative function, cultivating a specific
set of transferable graduateness skills and attributes that constitute a
graduate’s graduateness and employability in three wholistic,
overarching attitudinal domains of personal and intellectual
development
Bridging the Gap: Academic vs Employer
Individual (Employee)
Sustained Employability
Business (Employer)
Higher Education
(Academic)
Sustained competitiveness,
flexibility, adaptability,
innovation
Sustained Graduateness
Degreespecific
knowledge
Professional
practice
Technical skills
Levels of
cognitive
development
(HEQF/NQF
Occupational
learning &
development
(OFO)
Application of
knowledge in
real-world
context
Occupational
work-based
knowledge, skills
and experience
On-the-job
learning and
development
Level of skill
development
Intellectual
capacity development
Continuing human and social
capacity (professional)
development
Occupational,
critical and scarce skills
capacity development
Developing a CEMS-specific graduate
skills and attributes framework
Research Literature
NQF/HEQF/HESA applied
competence level
descriptors
UNISA Curriculum Policy
Inputs from each CEMS
department on
required graduate
skills and attributes
Employer Surveys
SAQA critical
cross-field outcomes
UNISA Graduateness
statement
CEMS Graduateness
statement
CEMS unique lens/framework on
graduate skills and attributes
7
Overarching enabling
CEMS Graduate skills &
transdisciplinary
attributes
outcomes of university
education
Scholarship
Stance
toward
knowledge
Ways of •
thinking
Global and
moral
citizenship
Stance
toward world
and others
Ways
of,
and
tools for
working
and
living in
the
world
Life-long
learning
Stance
toward self
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Link with the SAQA
critical-cross-field outcomes
Problemsolving/decision
making skills
Enterprising skills
Analytical thinking
skills
Co1 : Solving problems/critical
& creative thinking
Co7: Systems thinking
Co12: Entrepreneurial
Co4: Information
Interactive skills
Presenting and
applying information
skills
Ethical & responsible
behaviour
Co2: Team work
Co5: Communication
Co6: Science & technology
Co9: Responsible citizen
Co10: Culturally & aesthetic
sensitive
Continuous learning
orientation
Goal-directed
behaviour
Co8: Learning
Co3: Self-management
Co11: Education & career
8
Introduction
Ethical
Responsive
Accountable
Responsible
CURRICULUM, TEACHING, LEARNING & ASSESSMENT DESIGN
Embedding graduate attributes and employability in
curriculum and assessment design
EIGHT PRINCIPLES
1
•
CEMS graduateness statement & skills and
attributes framework reflect the values of the
College culture and its commitment toward
student graduateness.
• Must be visible to students- communicated in tutorial
letters (Tut 301)
Embedding graduate attributes and employability in
curriculum and assessment design
EIGHT PRINCIPLES
•2 Discipline specific interpretation and learning
Teach students how these skills and attributes apply to
context of different disciplines/modules/subject (body of
knowledge) at different levels of complexity (HESA/NQF/HEQF
levels)
3
Progressive development as a person over time
(consistency, increasing level of complexity and
sophistication)
Discipline specific interpretation and learning
Moving from………
Module outcomes
Specific
outcome
Study unit
Study unit
Study unit
Study unit
Module outcomes
Specific
outcome
Module outcomes
Specific
outcome
Specific
outcome
CRITICAL CROSS FIELD OUTCOMES
DEGREE EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES
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Discipline specific interpretation and learning
To… Embedded progressive development
over time…..
DEGREE EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES
Module outcomes
Specific
outcome
Module outcomes
Specific
outcome
Student graduateness
Module outcomes
Specific
outcome
Specific
outcome
HEQF 10
HEQF 9
Study unit
Study unit
Study unit
Study unit
HEQF 8
HEQF 7
HEQF 6
HEQF 5
CEMS GRADUATE SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES
13
Embedding graduate attributes and employability in
curriculum and assessment design
EIGHT PRINCIPLES
•4 Commitment by course team to embed graduateness in
the curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment design
•5 Pedagogic principles- student centredness/active student
engagement/VLE/active learning
•6 Work-simulated learning
•7 Opportunities for student self-reflection, evaluation,
learning and assessment
Teaching, learning & assessment of learning outcomes
provides students with opportunity to provide evidence of
achievement of outcomes and graduate skills and
attributes & awareness of their employability
•8 Phased-in implementation process
Advanced
8
Phased-in
implementation
process
Compliance with the minimum and intermediate requirements and in addition:
•E-portfolios for students to collect evidence of and demonstrate achievement of
the graduateness skills and attributes- monitor self-development from
undergraduate level, graduate and post-graduate level.
•Use of e-learning technology to expose students to authentic learning and
assessment experiences to develop graduate skills and attributes.
•All modules/courses show evidence of teaching, learning and assessment designs
that embed the graduate skills and attributes.
•WIL and SWE (simulated work experiences) to reflect demonstrated evidence of
applied competence in graduate skills and capstone outcomes
Intermediate
Minimum
Compliance with the minimum requirements and in addition:
Tutorial letters 101 and revised study guides for new PQM include templates that show
alignment between module/course specific learning outcomes, assessment criteria,
learning activities and assessment tasks.
Learning activities and assessment tasks address explicitly development of the graduate
skills and attributes.
Assessment frameworks/rubrics include assessment of the development of the graduate
skills and attributes.
Feedback tutorials address the development of the graduate skills and attributes.
•Unisa and CEMS graduateness statements are reflected in Tutorial letters 301
Identify pilot modules/courses in each Department – study guide revisions/new
designs as examples of embedding graduateness.
Self-assessment and reflection on the development of the graduateskills and
attributes as part of assignment tasks
DCLD design teams to be informed and assist.
Quality management tool to include review of the extent graduatenes skills and
attributes embedded in course design.
Academic staff attend awareness seminars on CEMS graduate skills and
attributes framework
CEMS GRADUATENESS: Operationalisation *EXAMPLES ONLY
HOW
“Unpack” the
three domains
(eight sets) of
CEMS
Graduate
Skills &
Attributes and
develop
practical
guidelines for
embedding in
curriculum
teaching,
learning and
assessment
design
Learning how to
learn/develop
intellectual openness
to lifelong learning
Anchor our teaching
& learning &
assessment in
realistic, meaningful
contexts/develop
problem-solving ability
for finding solutions
for real-life
challenges/problems
Active learning in
ODL
Studentcentered: Socialconstructivistconnectivist
pedagogy
Develop
communication,
inquiry and analysis,
critical and creative
thinking abilities for
new knowledge
building
(multiple
perspectives)
Develop
reasoning &
critical selfreflection
abilities
(meta-cognition)
16
CEMS GRADUATENESS: Operationalisation *EXAMPLES ONLY
HOW
Enable students to determine what they need
to learn through questioning and goal-setting:
•Reflection activities with supportive feedback
•Journal writing and “self-authoring” (Why am I
doing this?)
•Self-assessment opportunities in text and on-line
self-assessment
•Ways of dealing with errors & correction
(formative feedback on assignments-rubrics)
•Shared learning via blogs of drafts, commented
on by students, lecturers
•Examples of draft and marked assignments &
interpretations
•Portfolio activities & projects with built-in
reflection on own learning
•Students reflect on time management, pacing
throughout course (e.g. schedule announcement
on myUnisa, reminders by sms)
•Self-evaluation questions (as part of each
assignment) as reflection on graduate skills
and attributes developed (valuable in
assessing module effectiveness in terms
mastering of graduateness learning
outcomes)
•Students to report on their own experiences
•Post examples of other students’ comments
and critiques
Learning how to
learn/develop
intellectual openness
to lifelong learning
Active learning
in ODL
Studentcentered: Socialconstructivistconnectivist
pedagogy
17
EXAMPLES OF SELF-EVALUATION QUESTIONS
NOTE: These questions must be completed at the end of each assignment and the
practical/portfolio and be submitted with the assignment and practical/portfolio.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
How relevant are the sources provided for this assignment to the realities of, for example,
personnel and career psychology in the South African work context?
What were the key learning points from the previous feedback or block weeks that you have
applied to this assignment (if relevant)?
What have you done differently as a result of these key learning points?
Which competencies, areas of knowledge, skills and attributes did you need to complete this
assignment? (Refer also to the graduate skills and attributes you developed by completing this
assignment. Use the graduate skills and attributes framework.
Did completing this assignment and consulting the relevant sources improve your competence
as a human resources professional and aspiring industrial psychologist? Name a few
competencies that you think should be developed further to enhance your graduateness and
employability.
Did the assignment tasks add value to the application of your knowledge and skills in the
workplace?
Do the assessment criteria and assessment rubrics for the assignment provide you with an
adequate framework in which to evaluate your performance in your assignment? If not, what
other criteria and guidance should be added
How do you feel you have personally developed as a result of this reflection (completing these
self-evaluation questions)?
EXAMPLE OF ENCOURAGING INTELLECTUAL OPENNESS
TO LIFE LONG LEARNING
•
•
We strongly recommend that you develop a Personal Development Journal to
keep record of your self-evaluation answers in each of the assignments you
complete in each module that you are enrolled for. You can use the Blogger e-tool
for this purpose. In answering the self-evaluation questions for each module’s
assignments you need to consider how you have used the feedback, independent
learning/study, interactive learning opportunities and discussion forums to help you
develop your graduateness, and knowledge, skill and confidence (or general
competence) as an aspiring Industrial Psychologist.
As you progress through the learning opportunities provided by the assignments, online activities, block weeks and self-assessment activities of each module, we
encourage you to reflect on your personal development and your continued
professional development and personal growth as a post-graduate student in the
field of industrial and organisational psychology. This is a useful skill to develop
because as a human resource practitioner, or an aspiring Industrial Psychologist you
will need to reflect on your practice and continued professional development and
employability. Use the personal development file provided in the IOPALLM tutorial
letter to guide you on identifying your priority development areas and the actions you
can take to further develop the identified graduateness skills and attributes or
relevant competencies.
CEMS GRADUATENESS: Operationalisation *EXAMPLES ONLY
HOW
Engaging students in exploratory learning and
experimentation
•Provide many examples from real life to
explore (in text, audio, video, VLE, etc)students provide own examples
•Real-life (work-based and academic) case
studies and scenarios in materials (textbooks,
news, media, etc)- real data and facts
•Own narratives in reflective activities (blog,
wiki, discussion forums etc)
•Problem-based curriculum (not designed
around topics- provide threshold projects:
•Well-structured problems- key areas of
interest as trigger for exploration
•Complex, ill-structured problems built inintegrate theory and practice (balance
factual-practical and abstract-theoretical
info)
•Work-integrated learning (as part of
assignment task)
•Service learning (work within communities)
•Real-life research problems
•Relate study/assessment tasks to
profession/career- meaningfulness of tasks
Anchor our teaching &
learning & assessment
in realistic, meaningful
contexts/develop
problem-solving ability
for finding solutions for
real-life
challenges/problems
Active learning in
ODL
Studentcentered: Socialconstructivistconnectivist
pedagogy
20
CEMS GRADUATENESS: Operationalisation *EXAMPLES ONLY
Assist students in developing reasoning abilities
through “argumentation”, structured controversy
so that students are willing to take on complex
problems (assessing development of reasoning
ability, group work skills through self-assessment
evidence rubrics)
•Assigned group tasks- peer feedback on
“pieces” of student work- analysing strengths
and limitations of reasoning
•On-line discussion forums/study guide
activities/assignment activities with structured
and unstructured tasks
•Interviews with
employers/professionals/people in workplace,
community, family
•Essay and research-based assignments
•Students to reflect on the development of the
graduate skills and attributes (self-evaluation at
end of each of assignment/task; peer
evaluation/assessment- using assessment
rubrics)
•Argue advantages of various methods
•Post examples of other students’
comments and critiques
HOW
Active learning in
ODL
Student-centered:
Socialconstructivistconnectivist
pedagogy
Develop
reasoning &
critical selfreflection abilities
(meta-cognition)
21
CEMS GRADUATENESS: Operationalisation *EXAMPLES ONLY
HOW
Encourage students to revisit content
and problems from different
perspectives, given a variety of different
constraints, while promoting student
articulation and presentation of ideas,
perspectives, strategies
•Purposefully adding reading and writing
syllabus in module
•Reader (collection of recent articles) rather
than only a prescribed book
•Finding articles online through Additional
Resources
•Critiquing articles and presentation of
peers on selected topics; do book reviews
•Assessment around argumentative
discussion rather than regurgitated content
•Course specific glossaries, dictionaries –
created by students (online with wiki, etc)
•Write mini-reviews, create posters, write
literature summaries (strengths and
limitations)
Active learning in
ODL
Student-centered:
Socialconstructivistconnectivist
pedagogy
Develop
communication,
inquiry and analysis,
critical and creative
thinking abilities for
new knowledge
building
22
Summary
• Focus is on transferable “employability” skills and attributes that
are required for a wide variety of roles regardless of the
organisation and industry in which graduates are being
employed. These skills need to be continually developed to
sustain employability.
• Creating awareness of and cultivating graduates’ employability
skills and attributes is a joint effort between employers,
academics, employees (students), and other stakeholders such
as professional bodies.
• Skill-building is a lifelong effort in which professionals are
required to demonstrate that they keep on top of their
knowledge and skills through a wide range of CPD measures
(professional bodies), and that they apply any newly acquired
knowledge and skills into their daily routines in the workplace
(performance management and training and development
measures)
Summary
• Education must prepare students for the world of work and cultivate the
intellectual mindsets (scholarship, global and moral citizenship and lifelong learning) and the underpinning skills and attributes needed for
sustained employability. These graduate skills and attributes are a prerequisite for a graduate’s employability.
• The national twelve critical cross-field outcomes form a valuable generic
framework for the transferable skills and attributes required by employersthese can be translated into unique profession/discipline-specific
frameworks.
• Embedding transferable “employability” skills and attributes in curricula,
learning and assessment design is a phased process at different levels of
student development (e.g. HEQF/HESA levels) in a specific disciplinary
and pedagogical context and require the awareness, willingness and
competence of all stakeholders involved
• Assessment should incorporate the development of the graduate skills and
attributes- drives student learning in these transferable (generic) skills and
attributes (e.g. Student-centered e-portfolios)- students should reflect on
and report on the development and application of the graduate skills and
attributes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Challenges and Opportunities
Inclusion and developing of graduate skills and attributes have received little
attention in SA context and implementation world- wide has been inconsistent
Guidelines for embedding these skills and attributes are often unclear and lack
specifications – there is a need for frameworks for embedding the skills and
attributes in curricula, learning and assessment design at the different
HEQF/HESA levels.
Quality assurance evaluation criteria should include the development and
assessment of the graduate skills and attributes at various levels of student
development.
Critical forms of pedagogy needed: recognise student as adult learners, studentcenteredness, active participants, co-constructors of knowledge to enhance
meaningfulness of learning, reasoning and argumentation and multiple viewpoints
= enable development of the transferable graduate skills and attributes
Providing experiential learning opportunities for students- real life problems and
challenges (meaningfulness)
New technologies of digital era provide opportunities for creating rich learning
environments
Skills development initiatives and focus on work-based training and development
to support the development of the transferable “employability” skills and attributes
Thank you!
?
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