Personal transferable skills in higher education: the problems of implementing good practice

Drummond, Ian M.; Nixon, Iain; Wiltshire, John

doi:10.1108/09684889810200359

Cited by 122 publications

(85 citation statements)

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“…However, it is counter to the broader view that graduate attributes are largely generic and transcend disciplinary contexts (Assiter, 1995;Barrie, 2006;Drummond, Nixon, & Wiltshire, 1998). Employer prioritisation of graduates' contextual application and development of knowledge and skills may relate to their capacity for higher order thinking, such as the analysis, synthesis, and integration of workplace-related information (Krathwohl, 2002).…”

Section: Vocational Attributesmentioning

confidence: 69%

Employer perspectives of the current and future value of STEM graduate skills and attributes: An Australian study

Rayner

Papakonstantinou

2015

JTLGE

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Graduate employability has become increasingly contentious as employers call for greater development, evaluation and benchmarking of student skills and capabilities in university courses. However, the increasing range of graduate attributes and competencies demanded by industry is further pressuring an Australian higher education sector already stretched by greater student numbers and declines in government funding. Given these circumstances, there is a need to better understand employer perspectives of the current and future value of vocational, interpersonal and generic attributes of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates. A survey of STEM graduate employers showed that vocational skills, such as graduates' abilities to contextually apply and develop knowledge, together with generic skills such as critical thinking and problem solving, were valued most highly. Conversely, self-confidence and independence, along with numeracy and related skills, were valued least by the employers. However, attributes such as flexibility/adaptability, self-confidence, personal planning and organisation and developing knowledge relevant to the position were all predicted to become significantly more valuable in a decade's time. The results of this study suggest that Australian undergraduate STEM curricula, which commonly focus on knowledge acquisition, be redesigned to provide students with opportunities to apply such knowledge more often, and in real life, industry-based contexts, such as workintegrated learning (WIL) and industry-based learning (IBL) programs. Through such initiatives, together with greater dialogue and collaboration between academics and employers, employability skills and attributes can be better inculcated in undergraduates, to the benefit of graduates and society as a whole.

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Section: Vocational Attributesmentioning

confidence: 69%

Employer perspectives of the current and future value of STEM graduate skills and attributes: An Australian study

Rayner

Papakonstantinou

2015

JTLGE

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“…Notwithstanding the diversity of viewpoints that characterises the nature and understanding of graduate attributes (Barrie, 2006;Jones, 2013) and that efforts to foster the development of generic attributes around the world have met with varied success (Drummond et al, 1998;Bowden et al, 2000;Barrie & Prosser, 2004), this paper examines one extra-curricular learning context that appears to facilitate the development of graduate attributes and self-authorship as defined above.…”

Section: Graduate Education In Geography (Edge) Project Led By the Asmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing graduate attributes through participation in undergraduate research conferences

Hill

Walkington

2016

Journal of Geography in Higher Education

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“…The decision to utilise a thematic approach, rather than a series of stand-alone generic skills workshops also reflected a compromise between institutional demands for "bolt-on" pre-semester upskilling initiatives, and the desire to embed learning development in "built in" integrated and authentic ways (Bennett, Dunne & Carré, 2000;Richardson, 2016;Wingate, 2006). Embedded approaches are preferred by learning advisors, as experience and research highlight that students tend not to see generic "study skills" courses as relevant to their particular programmes of study, especially when learning development strategies are divorced from subject-based content and knowledge (Drummond, Nixon, & Wiltshire, 1998;Durkin & Main, 2002;Wingate, 2006).…”

Section: The Development Of Sciboostmentioning

confidence: 99%

SciBoost: A Collaborative Approach to Enhancing Māori and Pacific Achievement in Science and Engineering

Marsh

Eastwood

2017

ATLAANZ Journal

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The SciBoost programme was developed with the intention of improving the retention and achievement of Māori and Pacific students in the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSEN). It was offered at the University of Waikato from 2013-2016 and consisted of a series of themed academic skills development workshops taught over a two-day period. SciBoost provides an example of successful collaboration between the Māori mentor co-ordinator for FSEN, learning advisors, and science and Māori liaison subject librarians. Its iterative development illustrates the benefits of embedding effective study strategies within a disciplinary context, while embracing a relational approach to teaching and learning that highlights the value of student feedback and reflective practice for improving the experiences of current and future students. However, the demise of the SciBoost programme exemplifies the vulnerability of initiatives that are dependent on relationships between key members of staff, and which are not adequately promoted or endorsed by lecturers and tutors within programmes of study, or structurally embedded into broader faculty and institutional objectives.

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Personal transferable skills in higher education: the problems of implementing good practice

Cited by 122 publications

References 1 publication

Employer perspectives of the current and future value of STEM graduate skills and attributes: An Australian study

Employer perspectives of the current and future value of STEM graduate skills and attributes: An Australian study

Developing graduate attributes through participation in undergraduate research conferences

SciBoost: A Collaborative Approach to Enhancing Māori and Pacific Achievement in Science and Engineering

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