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ASSESSING FOR FUTURES – CAN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PROVIDE A SUSTAINABLE ASSESSMENT PLATFORM TO SUPPORT LEARNING BEYOND GRADUATION?. Prof Tracy Taylor, Dr Romy Lawson Ass Prof Theo Papadopoulos , Ass Prof Eveline Fallshaw, Ass Prof Michael Zanko, . Rationale for ALTC Project.
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ASSESSING FOR FUTURES – CAN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PROVIDE A SUSTAINABLE ASSESSMENT PLATFORM TO SUPPORT LEARNING BEYOND GRADUATION? Prof Tracy Taylor, Dr Romy Lawson Ass Prof Theo Papadopoulos, Ass Prof Eveline Fallshaw, Ass Prof Michael Zanko,
Rationale for ALTC Project • The need for graduates to be career- and work-ready has been well documented. • Employability skills feature in all undergraduate business programs in Australia • Universities are increasingly mindful that graduates' transition into professions should be supported by a range of preparatory initiatives in the curriculum.
ALTC Project: Aim • The aim of the project was to investigate how to build professional learning through industry engagement in business courses at Australian universities.
Definition Professional Learning incorporates a range of teaching and learning activities that integrates theoretical and discipline-specific knowledge with the development of skills, qualities and attributes to facilitate the development of professional capability
ALTC Project: Methodology • Surveys, focus groups and interviews were used to develop a framework that categorisedprofessional learning and provided exemplars of good practice.
Types of Professional Learning • Industry Case Study • Industry Simulations • Industry Practitioner Delivery • Industry Mentoring • Industry Study Tour • Industry Placement • Industry Competition • Industry Project
Professional Learning Characteristics • Industry-referenced • explicitly linked to industry or professional bodies • Curriculum currency • addresses up to date issues and industry practice • Integrated curriculum • develops professional capability through linking practice with theory • Self-directed learning • fosters reflective practice and lifelong learning
ALTC Project: Methodology • This framework was then used to develop resources to support academics using professional learning in their teaching. • These resources include: • good practice principles, • enablers and impediments, • as well as assessment guidelines.
Embedding PL Website • Web Resource • www.embeddingprofessionallearning.com
Assessing for Futures • Assessment should reach beyond graduation to nurture attitudes, skills and knowledge for life (Boud et al, 2010). • Therefore assessment is more than just measuring learning objectives and instead should: • be sustainable, • inform judgement, • lead to reflexive learners • develop students into practitioners.
Assessing for Futures • Sustainability • Informs Judgement • Reflexive learning • Practitioner development • Authenticity • Assessment to drive learning • Effective Feedback • Constructively aligned • Moderation of marking • Explicit criteria and standards
Assessing for Futures • Sustainability • Informs judgement • Reflexive learning • Practitioner development • Authenticity • Assessment to drive learning • Effective feedback • Constructively aligned • Moderation of marking • Explicit criteria and standards
Conclusion • We propose that many of the assessment elements of professional learning foster the sustainable assessment features that promote learning after graduation. • Professional learning can inform judgement and develop the necessary skills of a practitioner by emphasising the critical nature of professional capabilities in authentic settings. • The often self-directed nature of this style of learning environment also encourages self-assessment and reflection.
References: • Allen Consulting Group. (2006). Assessment and reporting of employability skills in training packages. Melbourne: Department of Education, Science and Training. • ALTC Report (2008). What’s happening in Assessment? Retrieved from http://www.altc.edu.au/resource-whats-happening-in-assessment-altc-2008 • Australian Business Deans Council Teaching and Learning Network. (2008). 'Business as usual: A collaborative investigation of existing resources, strengths, gaps and challenges to be addressed for sustainability in teaching and learning in Australian university business faculties - 2008 Final Report', • Australian Industry Group. (2006). World class skills for world class industries: employers' perspectives on skilling in Australia. Sydney: Australian Industry Group. • Boud, D. and Associates (2010) Assessment 2020: Seven propositions for assessment reform in higher education, Sydney: Australian Learning and Teaching Council. • Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L. & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press. • Ramsden, P. (1993). Theories of learning and teaching and the practice of excellence in higher education. Higher Education Research & Development, 12(1), 87-97.