Book chapter abstract

Facilitating the attainment of graduate attributes through a cross-cultural collaborative project


Research Areas

Currently no objects available


Publication Details

Author list: Moalosi, R. Dichabeng, P. & Letsholo, P.

Edition name or number: 1st edition

Publication year: 2018

Title of series: Beyond Graduate Attributes: Embedding Work Integrated Learning. Transformative Pedagogies in the Visual Domain



Nowadays, it is no longer sufficient for graduates to acquire specific discipline knowledge to guarantee one’s employment at the completion of any study programme. The employers are demanding graduates who can bring value to the workplace. Such graduates should possess graduate attributes that go beyond the usual technical knowledge and skills of a specific discipline, including values and attitudes, as well as skills for lifelong learning that potential employers might find desirable. In order to equip students with graduate attributes, many universities have redefined their curricula to incorporate these in the teaching and learning pedagogies for undergraduate programmes to better prepare graduates for the world of work and self-employment. A case study was conducted with students from the University of Botswana and the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern, Switzerland. Students collaborated on a weeklong cross-cultural project under the theme 'water,’ and the students’ task was to co-create possible solutions in harvesting, recycling, reuse, and conservation of water, which is a precious resource in Botswana. At the end of the project, a survey was conducted for students to score the level of the perceived attainment of a set of graduate attributes presented to them. The results show that the top six graduate attributes perceived to have been attained by students of both universities include: impact on professional development, opportunities for collaborative work, social skills, design with empathy, opportunities for intellectual curiosity, and critical thinking skills. Giving students’ real-life, meaningful projects enabled them to simulate the required graduate attributes when they work with different stakeholders. The chapter concludes that universities should review their teaching and learning pedagogies to make them more relevant, appropriate and effective to address the integration and the attainment of graduate attributes so as to produce a competent future workforce.


Projects

Currently no objects available


Keywords

Currently no objects available


Documents

Currently no objects available


Last updated on 2024-21-11 at 15:43