Development Of Graduate Attributes Research Articles

TEACHING AND ASSESING GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES IN COOPERATIVE EDUCATION

The Faculty of Engineering and AppliedScience at Memorial University has a long and richhistory of cooperative education. Our students havebenefited from this type of experiential learning and theskills they acquire contribute to the development ofgraduate attributes. To support this process anddocument it for the purposes of accreditation, MemorialUniversity is embarking on a technology-based approachto support students as they develop and applyprofessionalism, teamwork and communication skills in aworkplace setting. This approach is based on soundteaching and learning practice, including a just-in-timeapproach to the delivery of instruction and usingformative and summative assessment techniques.

Factors influencing students’ perceptions of graduate attribute acquisition in a multidisciplinary honours track in a Dutch university

This article studies the relationship between students’ perceptions of teaching and learning in a multidisciplinary honours programme and their impact on graduate attributes acquisition. The study, conducted among 73 honours students in a Dutch research university, evaluates perceived improvement in graduate attributes through annually collected survey data pertaining to student motivation, perception of the teaching and learning environment, engagement in the programme and registered course marks. The evaluation study reveals that to the extent of the perceived development of graduate attributes, three factors play crucial roles: students’ performance motivation, the amount of teacher support in creative and critical thinking, and students’ inclination to approach the honours track as a learning community.

Benefits of curriculum renewal: The Stellenbosch University physiotherapy experience

Background. Driven by a changing healthcare environment, the Division of Physiotherapy (Stellenbosch University) reduced core content and adopted a multimodal approach to teaching and learning. The benefits of curriculum renewal, however, are seldom investigated despite ongoing internal appraisal. Evaluation of the BSc Physiotherapy programme was considered incomplete without determining the worth of the programme. Objectives. To determine whether there was a change in students’ perception of the impact of the programme on personal development; and whether the programme prepared them for community service. Methods. A descriptive comparative desktop analysis was conducted in which the data from the Faculty’s Programme Evaluation process were compared between students enrolled in the old curriculum (2006) and students enrolled in the new curriculum (2011) using pooled data and t -tests to compare responses between the two groups. A level of significance was set at p <0.05. Results. A significant increase in scores was noted for various graduate attributes developed as a result of the programme, such as critical thinking, clinical reasoning, communication and sourcing information ( p <0.01). Similarly, students scored their perceptions related to programme structure significantly higher ( p <0.01). No change was reported regarding students’ ability to maintain a balance between studies and other activities. Scores pertaining to their perception of readiness for community service or professional practice remained the same with both cohorts believing they were well prepared. Conclusion. The renewed format seemed to benefit students greatly in assisting the development of graduate attributes. Students were significantly more satisfied with the structure of the renewed curriculum and – despite extensive changes – the principles-based multimodal approach to teaching and learning was perceived as effective for preparing students for community service. Programmes undertaking curriculum renewal should not only focus on the curriculum content but also develop a variety of learning opportunities to facilitate the development of graduate attributes. The next cycle of evaluation should however reflect on clinical practice.

Realising graduate attributes in the research degree: the role of peer support groups

This paper discusses the role of peer support groups (PSGs) in realising graduate attributes in the research degree. The literature indicates that top-down embedding of graduate attributes has met with only limited success. By taking a bottom-up approach, this paper shows that PSGs offer an opportunity to improve the graduate attribute outcomes of universities. This paper presents the experiences of research students in three PSGs in New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia, and the results of an exploratory opinion survey that required past and present PSG members to share their learning experiences about the development of graduate attributes. The participants favoured five attributes: communication, critical thinking, self-motivation, research organisation and teamwork. Viewing the development of graduate attributes through the lens of the students adds to our understanding of how PSGs help them to develop graduate attributes and contribute to university efforts to instil these attributes by taking into account experiential learning.

Efficacy and efficiency in formative assessment: an informed reflection on the value of partial marking

This article presents an informed reflection on the evolution of teacher-to-learner feedback provided on written assignments in first-year university mathematics subjects. The feedback provided addresses not only mathematical accuracy and skills, but also the development of graduate attributes, such as discipline-appropriate written communication. Effective and efficient practices that have been collectively refined and enhanced, for more than a decade, are described and examined. This model for formative assessment in mathematics subjects is critiqued in the light of the scholarly literature on feedback and assessment.

Nurturing Graduate Attributes through a First Year Student Experience Which Promotes the Formation of Effective Learning Communities

Many students enter university with naive epistemological beliefs and study approaches incompatible with the goals of higher education or the display of attributes such as critical or creative thinking. This study examines whether a first year experience can promote the formation of effective learning communities, which in turn can provide a mechanism for nurturing a range of graduate attributes. The curriculum encompasses initiatives to assimilate students into the university, prompts the adaptation of appropriate university study behaviour, and contains a general education component to broaden the student experience. The impact of the first year experience was examined by collecting quantitative data which measured students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of assimilation, adaptation of study behaviour, the impact of the broadening component, and the nurturing of attributes. The data were analysed with structural equation modelling. A model in which the curriculum elements impacted on the development of graduate attributes showed a good fit to the data. Effective learning communities played a key role both in assimilation into the university community and the adoption of appropriate study behaviours.

Engineering Graduate Attribute Development (EGAD) Project

This paper describes the objectives and progress of the Engineering Graduate Attribute Development (EGAD) project. This is a Canadian collaborative project sponsored by the National Council of Deans of Engineering and Applied Science (NCDEAS), in collaboration with Engineers Canada. EGAD's mandate is to develop resources and training for assessing graduating student attributes in undergraduate engineering programs for the purpose of improving the quality of engineering education in Canada, specifically in response to CEAB's graduate attribute requirements.

Student‐community engagement and the development of graduate attributes

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the role of student‐community engagement in ensuring relevance of higher education to civil, social, economic and moral issues. It reviews the literature around three inter‐related themes: calls for higher education institutions to engage with their communities; the kinds of attributes university graduates should possess for employability and citizenship; and the pedagogies of experiential learning and reflection informing student and community engagement.Design/methodology/approachThis paper evaluates and draws together international literature related to three areas: calls for universities to engage with their communities, attributes which students engaged in co‐generative community relations might develop, and pedagogies which inform and develop such engagement.FindingsThe paper draws a number of conclusions related to pedagogy, citizenship and the need to develop quality indicators of engagement and impact. The overarching conclusion is that student‐community engagement founded on principles of mutual reciprocity enhances student attributes and is an important aspect of the modern university. Higher education needs to both retrieve the traditional civic role of the university, and also look forward to creating new approaches, so that universities are “of” the community and developing graduates as citizens.Practical implicationsThe paper includes policy implications for curriculum development in relation to fostering graduate attributes and citizenship.Originality/valueThrough an exploration and integration of literature related to themes of university community engagement, graduate attributes and pedagogies of experiential reflective learning the paper signposts an agenda of change for universities in the twenty‐first century.

Integrating the Development of Graduate Attributes Through Constructive Alignment

The importance of graduate attributes is increasingly recognized internationally in higher education and by industry, government, and accrediting bodies. However, integrating the development of graduate attributes, such as critical thinking and critical reflection, has proved challenging in business education. This article demonstrates the value of constructive alignment for integrating graduate attributes into an intensive marketing course. This illustrative Australian study traces the integration of two graduate attributes from course design, through active student engagement in a range of learning activities, to various assessments of student learning outcomes using standards-based assessment criteria. The study recommends that graduate attributes are expressed as learning outcomes and aligned with assessment criteria, that students' awareness of graduate attributes and their value is developed, that relevance for students' future marketing careers is embedded into learning activities, that substantial opportunities for practice in developing generic skills is offered, that formal and informal feedback from lecturers and peers is provided, and that a programwide approach to developing and integrating graduate attributes is adopted. Finally, the implications for enhancing employability skills of new business professionals and for institutions meeting the assurance of learning standards required for business school accreditation by bodies such as Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, European Quality Improvement System, and Community of European Management Schools and International Companies are considered.

Embedding Information Literacy into the Prehospital Care Curriculum

This paper presents a teaching and learning model applied within a first year core subject taught within the Prehospital Care course at Charles Sturt University. The aim of the model is to improve the quality of the first year student learning experience, and facilitate the development of graduate attributes that improve learning outcomes and address paramedic occupational needs. This model was the outcome of a process of critical reflection by the author and collaboration between academics, educational designers, learning skills and librarian staff at Charles Sturt University.

Approaches to the Implementation of Generic Graduate Attributes in Australian ICT Undergraduate Education

Over the past few years Australian universities have sought to establish generic graduate attributes statements to meet the demands of external stakeholders. Within the area of information and communication technology (ICT), for example, professional organizations and employers want new ICT graduates to be able to talk with clients, create persuasive arguments and present work confidently. To meet such requirements, Australian ICT educators have explored a variety of methods to implement graduate attributes. The selection and content of delivery models, however, vary according to university policies and departmental cultures. In this paper we critically examine the dedicated, infused, and embedded approaches to the delivery of generic graduate attributes. To do this, we first trace the development of graduate attributes. Secondly, we present three diverse approaches by two ICT departments within the same university and discuss factors that lead to sustainable generic graduate attribute programmes. We conclude our paper with issues to consider when adopting implementation models and map out suggestions for further research.

Beyond mapping and embedding graduate attributes: bringing together quality assurance and action learning to create a validated and living curriculum

With increasing importance being placed on the development of generic skills in higher education, institutions are espousing, as part of their mission and objectives, which generic skills their graduates achieve, and teachers are being required to document how their courses and programs support the development of those skills and attributes. The mapping of opportunities for development of graduate attributes in the planned curriculum thus plays an important role in relation to quality assurance and reporting processes, and embedding these opportunities in curricula may ensure alignment between the espoused curriculum and the taught curriculum. But are these processes enough to ensure that what is espoused and enacted through the curriculum is aligned with what students experience and learn? This issue is addressed here through a case study of a team of university teachers at one Australian institution who went beyond the mapping and embedding of graduate attributes in their courses of study, and engaged in a process of action learning to create a valid and living curriculum for the development of graduate attributes.