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Michelle Blake, Nigel Dandy and Bruna Zappia

International approaches to the development of graduate skills and attributes: opportunities for the next Learning and Teaching Strategy?. Michelle Blake, Nigel Dandy and Bruna Zappia. For discussion (5 minutes).

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Michelle Blake, Nigel Dandy and Bruna Zappia

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  1. International approaches to the development of graduate skills and attributes: opportunities for the next Learning and Teaching Strategy? Michelle Blake, Nigel Dandy and BrunaZappia

  2. For discussion (5 minutes) Do you have a clear concept of the development of skills/attributes through the course of a programme in your department? How does this influence the design of individual modules?

  3. Motivation for the Project An exploration of approaches to skill development would help us to consider: ways of structuring the progression of skills development; programme level thinking; understanding the ‘York Graduate’; communications to students.

  4. Key Findings from the Literature Review A lot of the relevant research has been done in Australian universities. Two broad approaches to skill development emerge: built-in and bolt-on. The built-in approach appears to be more effective. … but it’s more complex than this!

  5. The Continuum

  6. Bolt-on Approach: Example • The University of Nottingham Extracurricular course to develop students’ employability skills and career awareness. Investigation of a particular career area. Student-centred and problem-based approach. Successful in developing a number of skills.

  7. Bolt-on Approach

  8. The Continuum

  9. Partial Built-in Approach: Example • The University of Sunshine Coast • The London School of Economics • Innovative module: LSE100. • Challenges students to think like a social scientist. • Attempts to develop: • Methodological skills; • Information skills; • Communication skills. Holistic approach to teaching information and academic literacy. Source: Einfaltand Turley (2009)

  10. Partial Built-in Approach

  11. The Continuum

  12. Total Built-in Approach • Graduate Attributes “the skills, knowledge and abilities of university graduates, beyond disciplinary content knowledge, which are applicable in a range of contexts and are acquired as a result of completing any undergraduate degree. They should represent the core achievements of a university education” (Barrie, 2006: 217).

  13. Total Built-in Approach: Example • The University of Sydney Source: Barrie (2004)

  14. Total Built-in Approach: Example • The University of Sydney FACULTY OF SCIENCE: CONTEXTUALISED GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES Research and Inquiry.Graduates of the Faculty of Science will be able to create new knowledge and understanding through the process of research and inquiry. A1. Apply scientific knowledge and critical thinking to identify, define and analyse problems, create solutions, evaluate opinions, innovate and improve current practices. A2. Gather, evaluate and deploy information relevant to a scientific problem. A3. Design and conduct investigations, or the equivalent, and analyse and interpret the resulting data. A4. Critically examine the truth and validity in scientific argument and discourse, and evaluate the relative importance of ideas. A5. Disseminate new knowledge and engage in debate around scientific issues. A6. Value the importance of continual growth in knowledge and skills, and recognise the rapid and sometimes major changes in scientific knowledge and technology. Information Literacy.Graduates of the Faculty of Science will be able to use information effectively in a range of contexts. Personal and Intellectual Autonomy.Graduates of the Faculty of Science will be able to work independently and sustainably, in a way that is informed by openness, curiosity and a desire to meet new challenges. Ethical, Social and Professional Understanding.Graduates of the Faculty of Science will hold personal values and beliefs consistent with their role as responsible members of local, national, international and professional communities Communication.Graduates of the Faculty of Science will recognise and value communication as a tool for negotiating and creating new understanding, interacting with others, and furthering their own learning. Source: The University of Sydney (2013a)

  15. Total Built-in Approach: Example • The University of Sydney Source: The University of Sydney (2013c)

  16. Total Built-in Approach

  17. For discussion (5 minutes) Where does your department’s approach fit on the continuum?

  18. The Empirical Study • Focus: Total Built-In approach • Purpose: Investigate implementation of graduate attributes • Participant institutions: • University of Hull • University of Sydney • Oxford Brookes University

  19. The Empirical Study • Findings Key issues/challenges: Convincing academics of the value of skills; Assessment methods for skills; Engaging students; Curriculum mapping – risk of seeing it as a revised documentation process; Co-ordinating integrated systematic approach; Understanding underlying conception; Interruptions and discontinuity of implementation; Engaging HE institutions in a meaningful way; Measuring impact.

  20. Conclusions • No neat distinction/classification into two approaches as the literature suggests. • Variation in universities’ approaches to skill development. • University of Sydney: most integrated and comprehensive experience. • Despite the challenges: growing belief in the value of graduate attributes.

  21. References Baker, G. and Henson, D. (2010). "Promoting employability skills development in a research-intensive university." Education + Training52(1): 62-75. Barrie, S. C. (2004). "A research-based approach to generic graduate attributes policy " Higher Education Research & Development23(3): 261-275. Barrie, S. C. (2006). "Understanding what we mean by the generic attributes of graduates." Higher Education51(2): 215-241. Einfalt, J. and Turley, J. (2009). "Engaging first year students in skill development: A three-way collaborative model in action." Journal of Academic Language & Learning3(2): A105-A116. LSE (2013), ‘LSE 100. The LSE Course’, available from: http://www.lse.ac.uk/intranet/students/LSE100/LSE100Brochure.pdf Accessed on 10/10/2013 The University of Sydney (2013a), ‘Faculty of Science: Contextualised Graduate Attributes’, available from: http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/graduateAttributes/facultyGA.cfm?faculty=Science Accessed on 10/10/2013 The University of Sydney (2013b), ‘Implementation’, available from: http://www.itl.usyd.edu.au/graduateAttributes/implementation.htm Accessed on 10/10/2013 The University of Sydney (2013c), ‘Graduate Attributes Development in the Faculty of Science’, available from: http://assign3.chem.usyd.edu.au/uos_outlines/program_selection.cfm?faculty=science Accessed on 10/10/2013

  22. For discussion (20 minutes) How far should we pursue this theme in the next Learning and Teaching Strategy? Could/should we try to articulate a set of attributes/skills? How could it help to realise the vision for a University pedagogy?

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