Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the link between female undergraduate student participation in a university-sponsored employment skills development program and employment post-graduation. Design/methodology/approach – From historical institutional data a random sample was analyzed using the logistic regression model. The main variable investigated was participation in the World of Work (WOW) program during undergraduate study. It was hypothesized that participation would contribute positively to the probability of employment after graduation. Findings – Grade point average at the time of graduation was also expected to have a positive relationship with employability. The study found that those who participated in the WOW program while undergraduates were more 6.7 times more likely to find post-graduate employment than non-participants. Research limitations/implications – Data were collected at a single institution as such findings may not be generalizable. Practical implications – This study provides support for the inclusion of employability training at the tertiary level and provides evidence to support resourcing such initiatives. Social implications – The study supports the development of work-ready, nationals and to supplying the UAE economy with needed human capital, in particular the goal of Emiratization. Originality/value – This study is of one of very few in the Arabian Gulf region to examine employability factors of university graduates.

The entry introduces the outcomes‐based education (OBE) model for ELL teacher education. It discusses the theoretical foundations that OBE shares with other educational approaches such as constructivism, active learning, and assisted discovery‐based learning, such as learner‐centered education, active and meaningful learning, and self‐motivation. The third section of the article shares some applications of OBE to ELL teaching, learning, and assessment. Accreditation per recognized professional standards, teacher licensure, and teaching following clear learning outcomes are the foundation of the OBE. ELL teachers are professional facilitators who provide differentiated and assisted discovery instruction and make use of online resources for effective learning. Students are active and unique participants. They are assessed on what they know and can actually do. Less advanced students who do not meet the course learning outcomes receive encouragement, motivation, and remedial work.

This session is highlights ways in which programs can adhere to aspects of quality assessment systems with multi-section courses and multiple teachers implementing common learning outcomes. Effective educational assessment systems are coherent, comprehensive, and continuous (The National Research Council, 2001). Educational assessment communicates to learners and other stakeholders how well students achieve the stated learning outcomes of a particular course/program. Results can be used for a multitude of purposes; therefore, it is essential that educational assessment systems are purposeful and robust. They should provide an appropriate balance of assessment practices that yields the most valid and reliable information about students' learning while having positive washback into the classroom. The presenters draw on research and practical experience from two different cases within a university setting to frame recommended measures to develop a purposeful and robust assessment system. The session discusses different ways to structure assessment systems, the role of assessment in ensuring common learning outcomes are met, and the impact of structured assessment systems on learning, instruction, and formal evaluation.

The purpose of this session is to describe and share sample items of a contextually relevant resource developed specifically for English as an Additional Language (EAL) student-teachers and EAL teachers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Fifteen EAL and teacher/education academics created, reviewed and piloted the 300 multiple-choice-item resource. The resource supports teachers’ lifelong learning and measures their progress in applying strategies, methods, and theories in EAL teaching/learning in the five TESOL International domains: language foundations, culture, instruction, assessment and professionalism (2010). The resource supports EAL outcomes-based curricula and reinforces independent learning and self-assessment to improve EAL professional content knowledge, professional pedagogical skills and professional disposition. If used effectively, the self-assessment resource can be a powerful learning tool. This resource allows EAL student teachers and EAL teachers to engage in self assessing in a non-threatening environment. As a practice tool, it assists in identifying areas of strengths and challenges, and becomes a road map for their autonomous learning endeavors. The audience for this session includes K-12 pre-service and in-service ESL teachers seeking professional development and/or teacher certification, EAL K-16 ESL instructors, EAL curriculum and assessment specialists, accreditation managers and EAL programs administrators.

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