Transcript The Graduate Attributes Project: a perspective on early stakeholder engagement Dr Caroline Walker Queen Mary, University of London.

The Graduate Attributes
Project: a perspective on
early stakeholder
engagement
Dr Caroline Walker
Queen Mary, University of London
A Brief Scenario Exercise
You are responsible for the open day for
prospective students in your department.
During the final session a student asks
you, ‘what is the key purpose of studying
at this institution? In what ways will I
develop my employability here?’
What would you say?
Curriculum Element
Subject knowledge
(for example the key concepts, theories and methods of a discipline)
Skills specific to a discipline
(for example specific analytical or technical skills)
Transferable skills
(for example communication, team working, information technology,
problem solving, numeracy)
Career management skills
(for example understanding yourself, exploring career options, setting
career objectives)
Personal and professional attributes
(for example, capacity to influence and lead, intellectual integrity and ethical
action, respect and tolerance of others opinions)
Second language skills
(i.e. opportunities to develop or improve capability in a second language)
What if anything would we say is
distinctive about the experience
offered!
Capturing Distinctiveness?
Based on those Australian Universities that appeared in Top 100 of THES-QS World Rankings
A QM Statement of Graduate
Attributes
Research
Consultation Process
• MS Leadership
Foundation
Fellowship
• Pedagogic review
Students
Drafting Group
GA
V1
WG 1
Learning
Teaching
Assessment
Committee
Writing
Development
Group
WG 2
GA
V3
Academic
Alumni
Employers
Service
Sector
Academic
Board
Student
Affairs
Committee
A
E&MS
NS
GA
V2
WG 3
Faculty
Boards
Feedback
Meeting
M&D
L&SS
Student Consultation
BUILDING THE CURRICULUM
CAPTURING THE
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
PURPOSE OF STUDYING
Building the Curriculum
Capturing the Student
Experience
Purpose of Studying
Senior Academics, Alumni and
Employers
CHALLENGING CURRICULUM
AND WORK-BASED
TASKS
CONNECTING CURRICULUM
AND WORKBASED
TASKS TO THE GRADUATE
ATTRIBUTES STATEMENT
Connections
Attribute Descriptors
Challenging Tasks
1
1
Communication
Information Expertise
Research &
Scholarship
Critical Engagement
With Knowledge
417 separate
links
Rounded Intellectual
Development
Learning for a
Changing World
International
Perspective
34
103
Faculty Board and
Committee Level Consultation
What are we aiming for?
We aim to produce
graduates with high levels of
subject and professional
expertise and a
sophisticated understanding
of their employability.
Generating & sustaining
momentum – how do we best
engage our key stakeholders in
curriculum enhancement?
The Queen Mary approach
• Developing local model of implementation
consistent with departmental priorities &
resources
• Qualitative curriculum mapping activities
• Working with staff to identify suitable curriculum
development opportunities
• Leadership Interventions programme
• Integrating Graduate Attributes into existing PDP
practice
• Development of reference writing resource
Queen Mary Model of
Engagement
•
•
•
•
•
•
Establishing a range of individually small changes, all
delivering a consistent message
Identification of all modules that include well constructed
learning outcomes aligned to the GA descriptors
Develop new high impact modules
Increasing the scaffolding for existing learning
Identifying opportunities for a series of conversations to be
held individually with students
Integrated also for co- and extra-curricular provision
Example of a Graduate Attributes
aligned module
GEG5103
Geographical
Research in
Practice
Professor
Jane Wills
Learning outcomes
understanding community organising and real experience of such activity in
London
knowledge of how to conduct questionnaire surveys, interviews and focus
groups
understanding the value of research and experience of working with local
communities in conducting research.
the research planning, methodological, analytical and writing skills
necessary to complete an IGS
the ability to work as part of a team
the ability to deal with the challenges of research in practice
excellent presentation skills
telcocitizens
‘I really enjoyed taking part in the interview, being able to see how the participant’s life has
changed just by making a few minor adjustments to the working terms and conditions has really
inspired me to be more active in terms of community based organising’
Take Home Message
• Graduate Attributes provides a logical, internally
consistent, framework for Employability &
curriculum enhancement that is representative
of QM
• Students supportive of initiative and strongly
believe key purpose of studying = individual
development
• Initiative needs to be strategically aligned to
ensure staff buy-in at all levels
• Implementation is challenging but achievable
• Will take time
The Graduate Attributes Project
A learning and teaching initiative of Queen Mary University of London
THANK YOU