presented by prof melinde coetzee ([email protected])

Graduate Attributes and Employability in Curriculum and

Assessment DesignPresentation at the Council of Higher Education

12 September 2012

Presented byProf Melinde Coetzee ([email protected])

Department of Industrial and Organisational PsychologyCollege of Economic and Management Sciences

University of South Africa

Learn without limits

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

ProfileBackground factorsProfessional Identity

Process of Higher Education (ODL)Quality of Personal Growth and Intellectual Development

Academics/Educators

Employer

Learning and Development Professionals

Generic skills and attributes contributing to the competitiveness, flexibility , adaptability and economic growth of the business

Occupational relevant on-the-job trainingWork-based training

Curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment design

Adult student

GraduatenessWork readyEmployable


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 work-based, 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

• EmployabilityEmployability 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

Higher Education (Academic)

Individual (Employee)Business (Employer)

Sustained Graduateness

Sustained Employability

Sustained competitiveness,flexibility, adaptability,

innovation

Continuing human and social capacity (professional)

development

Intellectual capacity development

Occupational,critical and scarce skills

capacity development

Degree-specific knowledge

Levels of cognitive development (HEQF/NQF

Application of knowledge in real-world context

Professional practice

Technical skills

Occupational learning & development (OFO)

Occupational work-based knowledge, skills and experience

On-the-job learning and development

Level of skill development

Developing a CEMS-specific graduate skills and attributes

framework

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Research Literature Employer Surveys

SAQA critical cross-field outcomes

NQF/HEQF/HESA applied competence level descriptors

UNISA Graduateness statementUNISA Curriculum Policy

Inputs from each CEMS department on required graduate skills and attributes

CEMS Graduateness statement

CEMS unique lens/framework on graduate skills and attributes

Overarching enabling transdisciplinary outcomes of university education

CEMS Graduate skills & attributes

Link with the SAQA critical-cross-field outcomes

ScholarshipStance toward knowledge

Ways of thinking

• Problem-solving/decision making skills

• Enterprising skills• Analytical thinking

skills

Co1 : Solving problems/critical & creative thinkingCo7: Systems thinkingCo12: EntrepreneurialCo4: Information

Global and moral citizenshipStance toward world and others

Ways of, and tools for working and living in the world

• Interactive skills• Presenting and

applying information skills

• Ethical & responsible behaviour

Co2: Team workCo5: CommunicationCo6: Science & technologyCo9: Responsible citizenCo10: Culturally & aesthetic sensitive

Life-long learningStance toward self

• Continuous learning orientation

• Goal-directed behaviour

Co8: LearningCo3: Self-managementCo11: Education & career

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Introduction

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Embedding graduate attributes and employability in curriculum and assessment design

EIGHT PRINCIPLES

• 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)

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EIGHT PRINCIPLES

• 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)

Progressive development as a person over time (consistency, increasing level of complexity and sophistication)

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3

Discipline specific interpretation and learning

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DEGREE EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMESDEGREE EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Module outcomes Module outcomes Module outcomes

CR

ITIC

AL C

RO

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LD O

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CO

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SC

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IELD

OU

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Specific outcome

Specific outcome

Specific outcome

Specific outcome

Study unit

Study unit

Study unit

Study unit

Moving from………

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DEGREE EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMESDEGREE EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

Module outcomes Module outcomes Module outcomes

CEMS GRADUATE SKILLS & ATTRIBUTESCEMS GRADUATE SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES

Specific outcome

Specific outcome

Specific outcome

Specific outcome

Study unit

Study unit

Study unit

Study unit

To… Embedded progressive development over time…..

Student graduatenessStudent graduateness

HEQF 5

HEQF 6

HEQF 7

HEQF 8

HEQF 9

HEQF 10

Discipline specific interpretation and learning

HESA APPLIED COMPETENCY

LEVEL DESCRIPTORS


EIGHT PRINCIPLES • Commitment by course team to embed

graduateness in the curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment design

• Pedagogic principles- student centredness/active student engagement/VLE/active learning

• Work-simulated learning• 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

• Phased-in implementation process

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5

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7

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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

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

MinimumMinimum

IntermediateIntermediate

AdvancedAdvanced

Phased-in implementation process

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CEMS GRADUATENESS: Operationalisation *EXAMPLES ONLY

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HOW

“Unpack” the three domains (eight sets) of CEMSGraduate Skills & Attributes and develop practical guidelines for embedding in curriculum teaching,learning and assessment design

“Unpack” the three domains (eight sets) of CEMSGraduate Skills & Attributes and develop practical guidelines for embedding in curriculum teaching,learning and assessment design


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HOWEnable 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

EXAMPLES OF SELF-EVALUATION QUESTIONSNOTE: 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, on-line 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.


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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 in- integrate 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

HOW


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HOWAssist 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


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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)

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 life-long learning) and the underpinning skills and attributes needed for sustained employability. These graduate skills and attributes are a pre-requisite 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 employers- these 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, student-centeredness, 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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presented by prof melinde coetzee ([email protected])

Documents

graduate skills

companiesuniversity

higher education institution

generic transferable

scarce skills capacity

graduates graduateness

intellectual developmentlearn

economic growth