Is the graduate attributes approach sufficient to develop work ready graduates?

Srivalli Vilapakkam Nagarajan; Jenny Edwards

doi:10.21153/jtlge2014vol5no1art565

Authors

Srivalli Vilapakkam Nagarajan University of Sydney, Australia
Jenny Edwards University of Technology Sydney, Australia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21153/jtlge2014vol5no1art565

Keywords:

IT or ICT education, graduate attributes, graduate employability, work ready graduates, work ready skills, graduate work experiences

Abstract

Many universities have graduate attributes, sometimes referred to as generic skills, soft skills or work ready skills. This paper reports a study of the professional work experiences of recent Australian Information Technology (IT) graduates who identified that communication, time management, teamwork, working with people, working across cultures, project management and business skills were some of the major professional skills required for their work. A discussion of the study and its findings raises questions about the adequacy of the graduate attributes approach in the development of professional skills such as the ability of to work across cultures and on multiple projects which are major requirements of graduates in many IT (and other) workplaces. The study reveals the IT graduates’ perspectives on the challenges they faced at work, the typical professional skills requirements of their practice and how they acquired or developed them, the elements of their university study which had relevance to the required workplace professional skills and how well their studies prepared them to meet the professional needs of their practice.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

Author Biographies

Srivalli Vilapakkam Nagarajan, University of Sydney, Australia

Dr. Srivalli Nagarajan is a postdoctoral research associate in the Work Integrated Learning portfolio at the Faculty of Health Sciences. Her research interests are: work readiness expectations of employers, universities and graduates and alignment of university curricula with industry needs. Her doctoral work investigated the professional work experiences of recent IT graduates in practice to understand the relevance of their university studies to work. She has presented her work in national and international conferences.
Jenny Edwards, University of Technology Sydney, Australia

Jenny Edwards is a Professor of Information Technology. She is a fellow of the Australian Computer Society and the Australian Learning and Teaching Council. She has had many years of experience with industrial training students, graduate placement and work integrated learning. She is active in many OLT grants and projects in these fields and in curriculum design, ACS accreditations and Faculty reviews.

References

ACS (2013). ACS Accreditation – Document 2 Application Guidelines 15 October 2013. Australian Computer Society. Retrieved from

http://www.acs.org.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/24499/ACS-AccreditationDocument-2-Application-Guidelines-15-Oct-2013-1.pdf

ALTC (2010a). ALTC Discipline Scholars begin. Australian Learning and Teaching Council. Retrieved from http://www.altc.edu.au/april2009-altc-discipline-scholars-begin

ALTC (2010b). Engineering and ICT Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Statement. Australian Learning and Teaching Council. Retrieved from http://www.olt.gov.au/resource-engineering-ict-ltas-statement-altc-2010

ALTC (2010c). Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Project. Sydney: Australian Learning and Teaching Council. Retrieved from http://www.olt.gov.au/system/files/altc_standards.finalreport.pdf

Barkley, E., Cross, K. & Major, C. (2005). Collaborative Learning Techniques. A handbook for college faculty. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Barrie, S.C. (2004). A research-based approach to generic graduate attributes policy. Higher Education Research & Development, 23(3), 261–275.

Barrie, S.C. & Prosser, M. (2003). An aligned, evidence-based approach to quality assurance for teaching and learning. Proceedings of the Australian Universities Quality Forum 2003. Melbourne, 271–276.

Biggs, J. (2003). Teaching for quality learning at university (2nd edition). Buckingham: SRHE and Open University Press.

Billett, S. (2000). Performance at work: Identifying smart work practice. In R. Gerber & C. Lankshear (Eds.), Training for a smart workforce. London and New York: Routledge, pp. 123–150.

Boud, D. & Solomon, N. (2006). Work based learning, graduate attributes and lifelong learning. In P. Hager & S. Holland (Eds.), Graduate attributes, learning and employability. Springer, pp. 207–220.

Bowden, J., Hart, G., King, B., Trigwell, K. & Watts, O. (2000). Generic Capabilities of ATN university graduates. Retrieved from http://www.clt.uts.edu.au/ATN.grad.cap.project.index.html

Bradley, D., Noonan, P., Nugent, H. & Scales, B. (2008). Review of Australian Higher Education: Final Report. Australian Government. Retrieved from http://www.innovation.gov.au/HigherEducation/Documents/Review/PDF/Higher%20E ducation%20Review_Title%20page%20to%20chapter%202.pdf

Bridges, D. (1993). Transferable skills: A philosophical perspective. Studies in Higher Education, 18(1), 43–51.

Bridgstock, R. (2009). The graduate attributes we've overlooked: Enhancing graduate employability through career management skills. Higher Education Research and Development, 28(1), 31–44.

Brown, P. & Lauder, H. (1995). Post-Fordist possibilities: Education, training and national development. In L. Bash & A. Green (Eds.), Youth, Education and Work. London: Kogan Page.

Business Council of Australia (BCA) & Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI). (2002). Employability Skills for the Future. DEST. Retrieved from http://www.dest.gov.au/ty/publications/employability_skills/final_report.pdf

Crebert, G., Bates, M., Bell, B., Patrick, C. & Cragnolini, V. (2004a). Developing generic skills at university, during work placement and in employment: Graduates' perceptions. Higher Education Research and Development, 23(2), 147–165.

Crebert, G., Bates, M., Bell, M., Patrick, C.J. & Cragnolini, V. (2004b). Ivory tower to concrete jungle revisited. Journal of Education and Work, 17(1), 47–70.

Deakin University (2013). Developing graduate attributes: Embedding graduate attributes in the curriculum. Deakin University. Retrieved from http://www.deakin.edu.au/itl/pd/tlmodules/curriculum/grad-attrib/grad-attr-06.php

Engestrom, Y. (1996). Innovative learning in work teams: Analysing cycles of knowledge creation in practice. Paper presented at the international conference Work and Learning in Transition: Toward a Research Agenda. San Diego: Sage Foundation..

Etzkowitz, H. & Leydesdorff, L. (2000). The dynamics of innovation: From national systems and “Mode 2” to a triple helix of university-industry-government relations. Research Policy, 29,109–123.

Frawley, J. & Litchfield, A. (2009). Engaging students and academics in work-ready learning contextualised for each profession in the curriculum. Proceedings of the 32nd HERDSA Annual Conference, 6-9 July, Darwin, Australia. Retrieved from http://www.herdsa.org.au/wpcontent/uploads/conference/2009/papers/HERDSA2009_Frawley_J.pdf

Fuller, T. & Scott, G. (2009). Employable global graduates: The 'edge' that makes the difference', Proceedings of the 18th Annual Teaching Learning Forum, 29-30 January 2009, Perth: Curtin University of Technology. Retrieved from https://otl.curtin.edu.au/events/conferences/tlf/tlf2009/refereed/fuller.html

Guile, D. & Hayton, A. (1999). Information and learning technology: The implications for teaching and learning in further education. In A. Green & N. Lucas (Eds.), FE and lifelong learning: Realigning the sector for the twenty-first century. London: Institute of Education.

Hager, P. & Holland, S. (Eds.) (2006). Graduate attributes, learning and employability. The Netherlands: Springer.

Harvey, L. (2001). Defining and measuring employability. Quality in Higher Education, 7(2), 97–109.

James, B., Lefoe, G. & Hadi, M. (2004). Working ‘through’ graduate attributes: A bottom-up approach. Proceedings of the HERDSA 2004 International Conference. Milperra, NSW HERDSA.

Jenkins, A. (1995). Linking skills, academics and disciplinary concerns. In A. Jenkins & A. Ward (Eds.), Developing skill-based curricula through the disciplines: Case studies of good practice in geography, SEDA Paper 89, pp. 121–131.

Kamvounias, P. & Thompson, D. (2008). Assessing graduate attributes in the business law curriculum. Journal of the Australasian Law Teachers Association, 1(1), 181–195.

Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (2002). Legitimate peripheral participation in communities of practice. In F. Reeve, M. Cartwright & R. Edwards, R. (Eds.), Supporting lifelong learning: Volume 2: Organizing learning. London: Routledge Falmer/Open University.

Litchfield, A. & Nettleton, S. (2008). Work-ready wiki: Supporting the learning and teaching of professional graduate attributes. Proceedings of 25th annual ASCILITE conference, Melbourne. Retrieved from http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/procs/litchfield.pdf

Lowden, K., Hall, S., Elliot, D. & Lewin, J. (2011). Employers’ perceptions of the employability skills of new graduates. London: University of Glasgow SCRE Centre and Edge Foundation.

Nankervis, A., Compton, R. & Baird, M. (2005). Human resource management (5th ed.), Southbank, Melbourne: Thomson.

Oliver, B., Jones, S., Ferns, S. & Tucker, B. (2007a). Mapping curricula: Ensuring workready graduates by mapping course learning outcomes and higher order thinking skills, Evaluations and Assessment Conference, Brisbane, Australia. Retrieved from http://www.eac2007.qut.edu.au/proceedings/proceedings_ebook.pdf

Oliver, B., Jones, S., Tucker, B. & Ferns, S. (2007b). Are our students work-ready? Graduate and employer feedback for comprehensive course review. Evaluations and Assessment Conference. Brisbane, Australia. Retrieved from http://www.eac2007.qut.edu.au/proceedings/proceedings_ebook.pdf

Ranson, S. (Ed.) (1998). Inside the learning society. London: Cassell Publishers. Rossin, D. & Hyland, T. (2003). Group work-based learning within higher education: An integral ingredient for the personal and social development of students. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 11(2), 153–162.

Schaffer, S., Chen, X., Zhu, X. & Oates, W. (2012). Self-efficacy for cross disciplinary learning in project-based teams. Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 101, No.1, 82–94.

Scott, G. & Yates, K.W. (2002). Using successful graduates to improve the quality of the undergraduate engineering programs. European Journal of Engineering Education, 27(4), 363–378.

Seitel, S. (2011). A skills shortage or unrealistic expectations? Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-seitel/us-skills-shortage-_b_1124279.html

Shruptrine, F.K. & Willenborg, J. F (1998). Job experiences of marketing graduates Implications for marketing education. Marketing Education Review Spring, 8(1),1–11.

Sleap, M. & Reed, H. (2006). Views of sport science graduates regarding work skills developed at university.Teaching in Higher Education, 11(1), 47–61.

Thompson, D., Treleaven, L., Kamvounias, P., Beem, B. & Hill, E. (2008). Integrating graduate attributes with assessment criteria in business education: Using an online assessment system. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 5(1), 34– 48.

Trigwell, K. (2005). Teaching-research relations, cross disciplinary collegiality and student learning. Higher education, 49 (3), 235–254.

Webb, R., Dawes, L.A. & Egodawatta, P. (2011). Creating better learning environments by cross disciplinary collaboration; a civil engineering and surveying linkage. In Proceedings of the 2011 Conference Australasian Association of Engineering Education. AAEE, Perth.

Wenger, E., McDermott, R. & Snyder, W. (2002). Cultivating communities of practice: A guide to managing knowledge. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Press.

Wright, S., Hadgraft, R. & Cameron, I. (2010). Engineering and ICT learning and teaching: Academic standards statement. Retrieved from

http://www.olt.gov.au/resources/3899,4060?text=accreditation&solrsort=score%20de sc

Yorke, M. (2006). Employability in higher education: What it is - what it is not. Heslington, York: The Higher Education Academy. Retrieved from http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/ourwork/tla/employability/id116 _employability_in_higher_education_336.pdf