Digital work practices: where are the jobs, what are they, and how ... · Industry participants increasingly advocated for high-level digital capabilities in grappling with emergence

Digital work practices: where are the jobs, what are they, and how prepared are graduates?

An Australian Technology Network of Universities: Learning and Teaching Excellence Project

Final Report: 11 June 2018

Project Leader and Final Report Author: Associate Professor Fiona Peterson, RMIT University

RMIT University (Lead Institution) Associate Professor Fiona Peterson (Project Leader) Professor Margaret Jollands Associate Professor Elspeth McKay Dr Philip Pond Dr Ian Rogers David Heath

Queensland University of Technology Professor Abby Cathcart Professor Wageeh Boles Dr Penny Williams Ellen Nielsen

University of Technology Sydney Professor Peter Fray Dr Alexandra Crosby Dr Cathy Lockhart Dr Thomas Lee Catherine Raffaele

Digital work practices: where are the jobs, what are they, and how prepared are graduates? 2

AcknowledgementsThis is an Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN) Excellence in Learning and Teaching project to investigate, discover, develop and implement innovations in learning and teaching through research and scholarship. The ATN is a collaborative partnership between five Australian universities: RMIT University; Queensland University of Technology; University of Technology Sydney; University of South Australia; and Curtin University.

The Project Leader acknowledges the support of RMIT University as the lead institution for this project, particularly the School of Media and Communication; the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Education; Careers and Employability; and Industry Engagement. Special thanks are due to the Project Evaluator, Professor Denise Meredyth, University of South Australia; and the project team, particularly David Heath, Project Officer. The team would also like to thank all the educators, students and industry practitioners who participated.

The Reference Group and Critical Friends Group are thanked for their support and encouragement, especially Margie Stewart, Melbourne Chamber of Commerce; Professor Julianne Reid, Professor Dawn Bennett, Professor Vanessa Chang, Professor Teri Balser, Curtin University; Professor Ruth Bridgstock, Dr David Birbeck, Dr Peter Schumacher, Dr Ruth Fazakerley, University of South Australia; Professor Louise McWhinnie, University of Technology Sydney; David Dennis, Queensland University of Technology; Professor Andrea Chester, RMIT University; David White, University of the Arts London; Professor Noel Frankham, University of Tasmania; Graham Forsyth, University of New South Wales; Associate Professor Jo Coldwell-Neilson, Deakin University.

The team gratefully acknowledges support for this project application from Dianne Smith, Executive Director, Melbourne Chamber of Commerce; Professor Susan Dodds, President, Australasian Council of Deans of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (DASSH); Professor Su Baker, President, Australian Council of Deans and Directors of Creative Arts (DDCA).


Table of Contents

Achievements 4

Executive Summary 5

Context 7

Approach 8

Outputs and Findings 9

Where are the jobs and what are they? 10

What digital capabilities are needed for graduates? 10

How prepared are graduates now? 10

Model 10

Industry/employment baseline position findings 13

Education baseline position findings 14

Key recommendations from the project 14

Impact, Dissemination and Evaluation 15

References 17

Appendix 1: Project Publications 19

Appendices 2-4: 20

Certification by Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Education, RMIT University Evaluation

report from Professor Denise Meredyth, University of South Australia

“The project work translates digital capabilities into something that can be used by educators on the ground to be able to teach and assess what it really means to be digitally capable.”

- Professor Ruth Bridgstock,UniSA; OLT Senior Fellow;Project Critical Friend

7 x REFEREED PAPERS (4 published, 2 in press and 1 under review) 6 x REPORTS + RESOURCES located on PROJECT WEBSITE

1 x EDUCATOR SURVEY, all 5 ATN UNIVERSITIES (N = 91)

5 x INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLES, 3 CITIES (N = 50)

2 x PILOTS with STUDENTS, 2 more PILOTS in progress (N = 100)

5 x EDUCATOR WORKSHOPS, 1 at each ATN UNIVERSITY (N = 66)

1 x SYMPOSIUM with EXPERT PANEL (N = 41)

Translating Affordances into Digital Capabilities Descriptors

Reflection-in-Actionin Real World Projects

Scaffold

Aim: Develop prototype model to strengthen digital capabilities for evolving work futures

Website: https://sites.rmit.edu.au/digitalworkpracticesProject Leader: [email protected]

Achievements 2017-2018: ATN Learning and Teaching Excellence Project

Digital work practices: where are the jobs, what are they, and how prepared are graduates?

DIGITAL AFFORDANCE DEVELOPMENTAL LEARNING MODELCreative Arts, Communications, Business & Management, Engineering and potentially other disciplines


Executive Summary Digital work practices: where are the jobs, what are they, and how prepared are graduates? is an Australian Technology Network of Universities (ATN) Excellence in Learning and Teaching project led by RMIT University, with Queensland University of Technology and the University of Technology Sydney. The project focused on preparing graduates for the forms of digital work that graduate employers require and it explored how best to embed this in the curriculum. The goal was to develop a rapid prototype learning model to strengthen digital capabilities of graduates for evolving work futures, in sample disciplines of Creative Arts, Communications, Business & Management and Engineering, with potential application in other disciplines. The objectives were to:

• engage with industry to co-develop criteria for strengthening digital work readiness

• articulate a learning model through co-design with industry, students and educators

• produce a framework and resources for the model in diverse fields of education

The 1-year project scope was always limited to sampling in the rapid prototype process. The mixed methods approach involved literature reviews and data analysis: employment/labour insights data; five sequential industry roundtables (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane); an online survey of educators at all five ATN institutions; trials of the learning model with students; teacher reflections; and educator workshops at all ATNs. A Symposium included Expert Panel responses on work futures, institutional strategy and learning futures. As at 11 June 2018, four scholarly papers have been published, two are in press and one is under review. Two papers were written with members of the project Critical Friends Group. The website (https://sites.rmit.edu.au/digitalworkpractices/) includes the project’s key findings, with six detailed reports analysing project data; Learning Model guidelines and the process for its development; Resources/Toolkit; and Symposium podcast.

Industry engagement suggested that work is increasingly contract-based (especially in Melbourne), with collaborative online practice on the rise and ‘specialists out of the building.’ Labour insights data indicated there are no significant differences in job titles advertised in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane for the project’s sample disciplines. Industry participants described new roles such as data detective, digital strategist, narrative strategist, commercial editor and cyber security expert. Making sense of data is seen as paramount for customer experience/engagement and strategic decision making across industries. Sense makers (translaters, explainers) are needed for ‘in between’ roles, in which digital possibilities can be imagined by knowing enough about other specialisations to work across disciplines. Digital capabilities in most demand are data analysis, coding and communicating using digital media. Ability to learn new technologies and apply them to new situations or problems is also very important. Above all, an ability to ‘connect the dots’ is vital.

Identifying ‘digital capabilities’ proved challenging with project stakeholders in education and industry, as there was not shared understanding about the term. Digital capabilities can be specialised to a profession, or general and applied across professions or industries e.g. collaboration (Beetham 2015). In the project, digital capabilities were defined as the knowledge, skills and attributes required for a user to interact productively with technology. According to the project participant responses, ‘digital capabilities’ are likely to be interpreted and focused upon at a functional level by educators and students. Some educators may also be teaching but not assessing digital capabilities or may assume these capabilities are being developed elsewhere in the program. Initially, the industry roundtable responses also described ‘digital capabilities’ in functional terms, adding ‘but what we really need’ is critical thinking, complex problem solving and so on. As the

https://sites.rmit.edu.au/digitalworkpractices/)


industry roundtables progressed, this distinction between digital and other capabilities diminished. Industry participants increasingly advocated for high-level digital capabilities in grappling with emergence such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning.

The project team drew upon technology affordances to imagine a model for developmental learning about digital work practices, contextualised for disciplines. Functional, Perceptual and Adaptive technology affordances are hierarchical but integrated (not linear):

Functional affordances relate to the operation of technology; this includes naming, knowing and operating the features of a technology/technologies to perform tasks.

Perceptual affordances relate to interpretation and being discerning about technology tools and practices for their suitability and in-context operation for outcomes in known contexts.

Adaptive affordances relate to imagining, adapting and extending technology use in previously unexplored and emerging contexts for innovative outcomes; this requires some functional knowledge/skills and perceptual experience.

(Source: adapted from Best 2009; Evans et al. 2017; Fray et al. 2017)

The Digital Affordance Developmental Learning Model connects digital work practices to the curriculum by mapping learning objectives/outcomes to a Digital Capabilities Descriptor. Sample Descriptors for Journalism, Design, Engineering and Music Industry interpret work practice domains (e.g. Data) through Functional, Perceptual and Adaptive technology affordance lenses. This creates a learning scaffold using disciplinary language for new or existing curriculum. The Model appears to support student capability development. Pilot surveys indicated students’ digital capability mainly at the Functional level (46 per cent). Following trial of the Model in one Design subject, an 11 per cent increase in students’ Perceptual capability provided a foundation for further research.

Adaptive digital capabilities are in high demand and short supply, according to the analysis undertaken in this project. Industry feedback confirmed that the Digital Affordance Developmental Learning Model aligns well with their needs and addresses a capabilities shortfall. They recommended strengthening interdisciplinary and virtual projects with industry focused on data; basic skills such as mathematics and communication; and entrepreneurship for increasingly contract-based digital work. Educator feedback was also mainly positive. Many workshop participants called for time and resources to support implementation of the Model, with professional development focused particularly on assessment of Adaptive digital capability.

Professional development for educators is a key recommendation of the project, using the toolkit of workshop resources created in the project as a starting point for scaled-up implementation of the Model. Longer-term evaluation of the Model should address learning outcomes and employment outcomes for different fields of education.

Students need support in positioning and discussing their work and digital capabilities in affordance terms, with reflection on further growth needed.

Professional learning in industry – for leaders and staff to keep up and keep ahead – also emerged as a significant need and opportunity for further exploration with industry partners. This issue has also been highlighted in a recent report on the university of the future (Cawood et al. 2018); and a project article on professional learning (in press) was selected for publication in the International Journal of Learning in Higher Education Annual Review Volume 2018 for highly ranked articles.


Context The intention of the project was to meet new industry needs, while positioning graduates for emerging digital work opportunities. The aim was to co-design, implement and evaluate a rapid prototype learning model, to support digital capability development in Creative Arts, Communications, Business & Management, Engineering and potentially other disciplines.

As a collaboration of RMIT University (RMIT), Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and University of Technology Sydney (UTS), expertise of the team spans the above disciplines and Education. The team’s research interests include employability, pedagogy, interdisciplinary practice and the future of work. The large team of 15 combined senior researchers and experienced leaders of learning and teaching, with early career researchers and practitioners. A model of distributed leadership (Jones 2017) was integral to the project for collaborative exploration and enhancement of pedagogy, which capitalised on the team’s different strengths and ensured cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional relevance.

Key drivers for the project were:

• Employment levels appear to be lower in Melbourne than Sydney and Brisbane for recentgraduates in Creative Arts, Communications, Business & Management and Engineering,according to the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching site (www.quilt.edu.au). Thismay be indicative of changing industry needs or work structures and future employmentlevels in other states.

• We need to maximise the ‘ATN edge.’ While Group of Eight (Go8) and technology universitygraduates earn about six per cent more than graduates from other universities, the Go8higher employment rates are likely due to the prestige of research-intensive universities(Norton & Cakikati 2016). ATN graduates should be leaders in the field, able to workcreatively and collaboratively in the digital space.

• Digital work readiness is underexplored. Although digital learning and literacies remain inthe spotlight (e.g. Coldwell-Neilson 2017), “recent studies have shown that universitystudents often are ineffective in their use of the internet and other digital research tools”(Selwyn et al. 2016, p.5). There may be some early adopters but there is little evidence tosuggest that digital learning has been linked explicitly, systematically and successfully todeveloping digital work practices in all our university programs.

Future jobs and workers “are likely to be more flexible, agile, networked and connected” (Hajkowicz 2016, p.9). Data has also emerged as a key focus in industry, with cross-disciplinary capabilities needed for ‘connecting the dots’ – evident in the project’s interactions with industry and in recent publications such as the Annual Report from the Committee for Economic Development for Australia:

“Three skills in particular will be in demand led, of course, by data scientists...The other two critical skills are the ability to translate data insights to a broader business audience and bringing data and insights to life with data visualisation. ‘Business translators’ [have] deep organisational knowledge or functional expertise to ask the data science team the right questions. They also understand enough analytics to derive the right insights from data scientists’ work and convey them back to process owners within the business to be acted upon.” (CEDA 2018, p.45)


Approach A mixed methods approach was used in this 1-year project to inform development of a learning model as a rapid prototype. It involved synthesis of literature reviews, employment data, industry roundtables, educator survey, pilots with students, reflections on trialling the model, educator workshops and discussions with the Critical Friends Group.

Literature reviews included technology affordance theory, developmental learning and the development of digital knowledge and skills. Literature on media industry trends and pedagogy was reviewed initially to inform development of a Digital Capabilities Descriptor for Journalism. This was a testbed for the learning model prototype. Descriptors were then developed iteratively and refined for Design, Engineering and Music Industry based on ongoing literature scans, employment data and interactions with project stakeholders.

Employment data was analysed in two ways. First, a report was produced in April and updated in December 2017 by the RMIT Careers and Employability area. This was based on the Graduate Outcomes Survey and Australian Bureau of Statistics results, together with using the ‘Burning Glass’ labour insights tool. Indicative trends were examined in the jobs advertised, including digital requirements in sample specialisations e.g. Journalism (Communications). Second, a desktop analysis by the Project Leader in February 2018, updating her analysis in 2016, compared full-time employment rates reported in the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching site (www.qilt.edu.au) in Creative Arts, Communications, Business & Management and Engineering at RMIT University, University of Technology Sydney and Queensland University of Technology.

Industry data was analysed in two ways. First, input on digital capabilities and work readiness was invited at a series of four roundtable discussions in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane from June to September 2017. The Melbourne and Brisbane roundtables included a range of disciplines; in Sydney, separate roundtables were held for Design and Journalism. Participants were recruited through program advisory networks, supported also by the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, Engineers Australia and RMIT Industry Engagement. A common framework was used at all roundtables with questions focused on digital work readiness. Participants’ written and verbal responses were transcribed. Second, another roundtable was held in Melbourne in February 2018, to seek final industry input and feedback on the learning model developed by the project team.

Educator data was analysed in two ways. First, educators at all five ATN universities were invited to provide input to the learning model through an online survey from September to October 2017, managed by the Queensland University of Technology team. The survey used the JISC Digital Capabilities Framework to frame questions on what is taught, practiced by students and assessed. Second, workshops were held in March 2018 at all five ATN universities, when findings from the educator survey were discussed. Participants provided feedback and further input on the learning model, in relation to those findings and key themes from the industry data.

Student data comprised surveys and learning activities trialled for existing curriculum. Pilots in Design (12 weeks) and Journalism (2 weeks) were completed at University of Technology Sydney from July to October 2017, supported by the RMIT University team. Engineering and Music Industry are in progress at RMIT. In each case, a domain of digital work practice was mapped to existing curriculum, with learning activities designed to explore Perceptual digital capabilities in particular as a first step. In Design, for example, Digital Collaboration was selected as the focus, with pre- and post-activity surveys comparing capability development of the students.


Outputs and Findings Please see Appendix 1 (p.20) for a list of project publications. Scholarly publications include three conference papers and one journal article published, two journal articles in press and one journal article under review, with another conference abstract accepted. Six reports were also produced, with detailed results from the mixed methods used:

Figure 1: Mixed methods for development of the learning model

The project website (https://sites.rmit.edu.au/digitalworkpractices/) includes sections on the Model, Findings and Resources. The Model section includes the Digital Affordance Developmental Learning Model guidelines and the process for its development. The Findings section includes the six data analysis reports; the whole project’s key findings and recommendations; and the final Symposium podcast. The Resources section includes the Digital Capabilities Descriptors; assessment examples; and a toolkit for educators to support professional development, with suggested workshop plans, activities, examples and case studies.



Where are the jobs and what are they? It appears that jobs are increasingly contract-based or for the self-employed, especially in Melbourne and possibly to a lesser extent in Sydney. Jobs are increasingly remote and online, with interaction and collaboration across disciplines. Professional learning roles are needed to meet the ongoing requirement for staff and leaders to ‘keep up’ and ‘keep ahead’ with digital work practices. ‘New and emerging’ jobs identified by industry participants ranged from familiar roles such as digital content authors, mobile application developers, digital designers and art directors; to digital customer experience managers, digital strategists, data platform managers, cyber-security experts and geotechnical engineers; to commercial editors, narrative strategists, data detectives and remote sensing/geographic information system/image analysis experts. Professional learning designers are needed to facilitate staff programs for data; and executive development for strategy to grapple with artificial intelligence, machine learning and deep learning.

What digital capabilities are needed for graduates? The capabilities considered most important are data analysis, coding and communicating using digital media. An ability to work across specialist fields, imagine the possibilities and ‘connect the dots’ is vital. Knowledge, skills and real-world experience are needed in:

• Business: know enough about how organisations work, what their business objectives andimperatives are; and/or know enough to interact with business specialists

• Coding and statistics: know enough to generate and analyse data; and/or know enough tointeract with data scientists

• Communication and design: know enough to visualise data, translate, explain and usestorytelling to engage users/customers or to support strategic decision making and complexproblem solving; and/or know enough to interact with communication and design specialists

How prepared are graduates now? Industry roundtable participants noted graduate digital strengths such as adapting to and learning new technologies. Some said graduates are ‘digital natives’ but others said graduates lack foundational capabilities. Data analysis, coding and basic mathematics need improvement. Over the course of the five roundtables, the 50 participants increasingly highlighted the importance of digital capabilities that go far beyond Functional knowledge and skills in using tools. Such capabilities involve discernment in known contexts (i.e. Perceptual digital capabilities) and imagination in exploring the application or use of technology in previously unknown ways, combinations or contexts (i.e. Adaptive digital capabilities). Adaptive capabilities are highly sought after but in short supply in industry, where grappling with data and rapidly evolving technologies is a shared challenge. It is vital that graduates develop and discuss Perceptual and Adaptive digital capabilities with confidence, for new and emerging contexts and job roles.

The survey and workshops with 150 educators highlighted that the teaching practice of many (not all) respondents currently focuses at the Functional level of digital capability. This Functional focus was evident in survey responses about what digital capabilities are taught, practised by students and/or assessed. In addition, many workshop participants reiterated that, in their experience, Functional digital capability is more likely to be the current focus for learning; and students may resist a change away from their own focus on Functional skills, which they perceive as the main


requirement for employment. Results from small sample surveys of students again suggested a predominantly Functional level of digital capability. The learning model developed by the project team addresses the need for an integrated approach to capability development.

Model The Digital Affordance Developmental Learning Model connects digital work practices to the curriculum, through mapping Digital Capabilities Descriptors written in consultation with industry. This Model is underpinned by technology affordance theory, which defines a technology in terms of the uses, interactions and possibilities that the technology affords to its users (see Best 2009; Evans et al. 2017; Fray et al. 2017). The developmental learning ideas integrated with affordance theory are informed by a chronology of educational theory. This includes hierarchies and stages of learning with acknowledgement of the learner, the environment, the outcomes and increasing complexity; and highlights the importance of reflection-in-action for professional learning and practice in unpredictable, unexpected and new circumstances (Piaget 1936; Bloom 1956; Biggs & Collis 1982; Schön 1983; Gagné 1984; Anderson et al. 2001; Scott 2016; Stein 2017). The Model is designed for learners to make the most of technology by learning to integrate Functional, Perceptual and Adaptive digital affordances.

Functional affordances relate to the operation of technology; this includes naming, knowing and operating the features of a technology/technologies to perform tasks.

Perceptual affordances relate to interpretation and being discerning about technology tools and practices for their suitability and in-context operation for outcomes in known contexts.

Adaptive affordances relate to imagining, adapting and extending technology use in previously unexplored and emerging contexts for innovative outcomes; this requires some functional knowledge/skills and perceptual experience.

(Source: adapted from Best 2009; Evans et al. 2017; Fray et al. 2017)

Figure 2: Affordance Concept

Whilst Adaptive capability requires some Functional knowledge/skills and Perceptual experience, this may involve knowing enough to work with specialists rather than having well developed Functional skills oneself. Being truly ‘Adaptive’ at the most advanced level would also involve pushing boundaries with the use of technology, in new ways in new contexts (i.e. not only new to the learner). Realistically, we can support students in working towards this aspiration, with


emphasis on imagination and ‘seeing’ possibilities, rather than expect that all graduates will be capable of true innovation with technology.

Although the Functional, Perceptual, Adaptive scaffold could be implemented in a linear way, affordances should be considered holistically. Educators might emphasise particular affordances in different ways at different times, depending on their students’ stage of learning, the context and the learning objectives/outcomes. It is highly recommended that Adaptive capability development is emphasised most strongly as the student approaches graduation.

At the heart of the Digital Affordance Developmental Learning Model are the Digital Capabilities Descriptors developed in consultation with industry. These Descriptors interpret technology affordances in sample domains or categories of practice, with related capabilities relevant to existing and emerging job roles. The domains might involve digital capabilities that are general and applicable across disciplines (e.g. collaboration), or specialised for specific disciplines (Beetham 2015). A general capability in one discipline might also be a specialised capability in another. It is therefore important to use Digital Capabilities Descriptors that are developed in disciplinary employment language.

The Descriptors for Journalism, Design, Engineering and Music Industry are intended to illustrate how affordance theory can be interpreted in different disciplines or specialist areas, for developmental learning about industry-relevant digital work practices. For example, in Journalism, one of the practice domains is Coding. This includes a focus on the language of code interpreted as follows, using the affordance lenses:

Functional: Name and define programming concepts; name the principles and limitations of automated processing and define them.

Perceptual: Use concepts appropriately in communications with programmers; and in communications with others about coding.

Adaptive: Use concepts to direct programmers strategically to achieve journalistic outcomes; experiment with new forms of storytelling; and conceive of new editorial products.

(Source: adapted from Fray et al. 2017)

Digital Capabilities Descriptors can be used in different ways: guiding the design of assessment and learning activities to enhance existing curriculum; guiding new program and course/unit development; or guiding teaching plans focused on particular technology.

Figure 3 (Right): Model in Action


Success criteria suggested by educators, after trialling the Model with students, include:

• Whole-of-program approaches to implementing the learning model, as opposed to isolatedinterventions

• Support for students to adopt reflective, analytical and evaluative approaches to the uses oftechnology

• Students able to position and discuss their work as demonstrating Functional, Perceptualand (ideally) Adaptive digital capabilities, with insights into further growth needed

Industry/employment baseline position findings • Industry needs digital capabilities relating to data and customer experience/ engagement –

graduates need to be able to imagine, find, create and tell the story.

• Industry roundtable dialogue initially saw ‘digital capabilities’ as Functional use of tools,separate from the high-level capabilities needed. Over the five roundtables, dialogueincreasingly focused on Perceptual and Adaptive digital capabilities.

• Roles such as data detectives, narrative strategists and the ‘in-between’ translater/explainerrequire knowing enough about coding, business and communication; working with otherspecialists across disciplines; and ‘connecting the dots’ with imagination for developingideas and solving new problems in new and emerging contexts.

• No significant difference in job titles, or digital skills required in job advertisements,between Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane for samples examined (Journalism, Engineering,Communication Design).

Moving forward:

• Digital Affordance Developmental Learning Model aligns well with industry needs:Functional + Perceptual + Adaptive digital affordance/capability development.

• The model addresses current gaps in graduate capability and is a good fit with the rapidlyevolving world of work and data (artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning).Across industries, emphasise data analysis, coding, communicating using digital media,collaboration across disciplines, problem solving and basic mathematics.

• Foster ‘connecting the dots’

o Business: know enough about how organisations work, what their businessobjectives and imperatives are; and/or know enough to interact with businessspecialists

o Coding and statistics: know enough to generate and analyse data; and/or knowenough to interact with data scientists

o Communication and design: know enough to visualise data, translate, explain anduse storytelling to engage users/customers, or to support strategic decision makingand complex problem solving; and/or know enough to interact with communicationand design specialists

• Contract work on the rise; may be more contract and online/collaborative work inMelbourne and possibly Sydney than in Brisbane – requires further research.


• Professional learning is a significant opportunity emanating from the research – adaptingthe learning model in industry (and universities) to address staff capability for the unknownfuture of technology impacts and potential.

Education baseline position findings • Educators and students are more likely to think of ‘digital capabilities’ at the Functional

(tools) level and to operate at this level; need to elevate Perceptual and Adaptive.

• Assumptions may be made about Functional capability of students as ‘digital natives.’

• Educators are more likely to be teaching digital capabilities than assessing them; or mayassume digital capabilities are being covered ‘somewhere else’ in the program.

• Software/tools are more likely to be addressed than key industry needs arounddata/artificial intelligence, etc.

Moving forward:

• Adaptive capability development as a differentiator for graduates must be supported byFunctional and Perceptual knowledge, skills and experience; and is strengthenedsignificantly by real-world complex projects for students (including virtual team projects)with industry partners. Know enough to imagine possibilities and to work with otherspecialists (technology, business, coding, statistics, communication, design).

• Educators like the learning model situating capability development in teaching practice onthe ground in the disciplines, rather than being another high-level framework to bemapped.

• Some early adopters, but most educators asked for time, professional development andexamples in translating the model to existing and new curriculum, especially for assessment.

• The project website (https://sites.rmit.edu.au/digitalworkpractices/) includes the LearningModel and Student Pilots Report, together with guidelines for the Learning Model and aResources section.

The analysis undertaken suggests there is scope to improve graduates’ readiness for evolving digital work practices. We believe there is a critical need to re-imagine professional learning for students, graduates and educators alike, to keep up with – and potentially lead – digital work practices. The learning model trialled has been designed to support this. It can be adapted for different contexts, which is timely given that “[m]idcareer job training will be essential, as will enhancing labor market dynamism…changes will challenge current educational and workforce training models, as well as business approaches to skill-building” (Manyika et al. 2017, p.1).

Key recommendations from the project • Pursue industry professional learning initiatives and produce nuanced jobs data

• Confirm institutional senior leadership and cascaded support for the learning model atuniversities

• Plan professional development for educators, with scale-up of the learning model andlonger-term evaluation (learning outcomes + employment outcomes)

https://sites.rmit.edu.au/digitalworkpractices/


Impact, Dissemination and Evaluation 1. Many educators engaged positively with the model conceptA participant at Curtin University followed up the workshop with a proposal for implementing the model as a whole-of-program initiative. Many of the 66 educators who participated in the workshops were also positive about the model, commenting:

“Really great and simple method which is easy to understand, easy to map and understand current practices” (Educator, Creative Arts)

Many agreed there is a clear need to elevate Perceptual and Adaptive digital capability development for their students. The scaffolded framework of the learning model appealed to most participants, although there were some concerns expressed about it being linear or prescriptive. It is vital to make clear to educators and students that the model provides different ways of thinking about the use of technology, in hierarchical but holistic ways. There is also flexibility for emphasis to align with learning objectives/outcomes and learner needs.

Educators at the workshops suggested ideas for teaching practice in implementing the model, ranging from introducing a ‘functional bootcamp’ to collaborative and ‘messy’ problem-solving projects related to data (echoing industry suggestions mentioned previously), or work-integrated learning projects specifically related to digital work futures.

“Opportunities to practice. Connect digital capabilities to job outcomes” (Educator, Business)

Important considerations were highlighted by participants. Some advocated for ‘self-generated learning and development environments’ for students. Some highlighted that helping students to learn and use the vocabulary of affordances, including their industry relevance, would strengthen professional learning. Some said that motivation for students (and educators) would require a safe environment, where experimentation is rewarded and industry collaboration is encouraged. Risk-taking – for students and educators – would underpin implementation of the model:

“Ensure that students are rewarded when they want to experiment” (Educator, Communications)

2. Experts commended the model and its extensionAt the project’s final Symposium, the Expert Panel drawn from the Critical Friends Group responded to the research presented. They discussed work futures (Professor Louise McWhinnie, Dean, Faculty of Transdisciplinary Innovation, University of Technology Sydney); institutional strategy (David Dennis, Senior Solutions Architect, Queensland University of Technology); and learning futures (Professor Ruth Bridgstock, Dean Academic, Division of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of South Australia; national Office for Learning and Teaching Senior Fellow).

“Congratulations to the team on this project. With rapidly shifting industry work practices, changing expectations of students, and the need for agile graduates equipped with different skills and a breadth of capabilities, this work is very timely. With a design facilitating a top down and bottom up approach to the development of general as well as disciplinary digital capabilities, the project demonstrates that the time is right to develop new digital ways forward for students and their education, and challenges to the boundaries that presently exist.” (Professor Louise McWhinnie, University of Technology Sydney)


“This project ‘Connected the Dots’. The model developed has the potential to be applied to staff digital capability development in any organisation. All aspects of work are now digitally enabled and understanding the type and level of staff capability development for an organisation can be challenging. This model contributes significantly to closing this gap. Congratulations to the whole team on completing this project.” (David Dennis, Queensland University of Technology)

Symposium discussion was chaired by Project Reference Group Member, Professor Julianne Reid, Associate Provost, Curtin University, who had also participated previously in the educator workshop facilitated at Curtin. At the Symposium, she commented:

“A much-needed project – really important and a great approach. The data collected all point to the same thing – everybody wants this and it is a gap, a missing link.” (Professor Julianne Reid, Curtin University)

Professor Dawn Bennett also participated from Curtin University. Building on her national research on ‘employABILITY’ she has invited joint publication and hosting resources from the Digital Work Practices project in her website for broader dissemination.

3. Industry participants highlighted professional learning opportunitiesAt the final roundtable held in Melbourne for feedback on the Digital Affordance Developmental Learning Model, participants were very positive about its fit with industry needs. Their suggestions of the most important aspects to focus on for student learning often returned to the very real need for Perceptual and Adaptive digital capabilities, in relation to technology emergence. At the same time, echoing educator feedback, industry participants raised the importance of fostering experimentation and risk-taking as a critical building block. A need for professional development of educators was also signalled clearly by one industry participant:

“How are you going to teach these digital work practices…if you are not applying the digital skills as educators, this will be theoretical not actualised” (Industry participant, Engineering)

There was strong encouragement from industry participants for connecting disciplines and building on collaborative, real-world projects for students. There was support for work integrated learning, but an innovation model was advocated to target the Adaptive digital capabilities needed:

“Machine learning, artificial intelligence, multidisciplinary problem based projects, imperfect based learning/project innovation with no complete right answer…researching, identifying and reporting trends, emergent markets, what if, what wows!” (Industry participant, Business)

Professional learning emerged as a key issue warranting further research. It includes supporting employees and leaders within organisations as they transition their workforce to the ‘quick march’ of technology developments. Grappling with data and customer experience could be the focus for employees; while artificial intelligence and deep learning in advanced analytics could be targeted for executive development.

“Opportunity: Exec learning; postgrad data + analytics” (Industry participant, Communications)

This idea will be discussed further with industry networks at a Roundtable in the Centre for Media Transition at University of Technology Sydney later in 2018, with exploration of potential partnerships; and with the Australasian Council of Deans of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (DASSH) through the Project Leader’s briefing of the Board.


References Anderson, L., Krathwohl, D., & Bloom, B. (2001). A taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York: Longman.

Beetham, H. (2015). Deepening digital know-how: Building digital talent. Key issues in framing the digital capabilities of staff in UK HE and FE. Report, JISC, United Kingdom.

Best, K. (2009). Invalid command: Affordances, ICTs and user control. Information, Communication & Society, 12(7), 1015-1040.

Biggs, J., & Collis, K. (1982). Evaluating the quality of learning: The SOLO taxonomy. New York: Academic Press.

Bloom, B. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals, Handbook 1: Cognitive domain. New York: Longmans Green.

Cawood, R., Roche, J., Ong, A., Sharma, D., Mulder, A., Jones, L., Ta, D., & Kirkhope, J. (2018). Can the universities of today lead learning for tomorrow? The university of the future. Report. Retrieved from www.ey.com/au/futureuniversity

CEDA (2018). Economic and political overview. Annual Report. Committee for Economic Development for Australia. Retrieved from ceda.com.au.

Coldwell-Neilson, J. (2017). Digital literacy - A driver for curriculum transformation. Research and Development in Higher Education: Curriculum Transformation, 40.

Evans, S. K., Pearce, K. E., Vitak, J., & Treem, J. W. (2017). Explicating affordances: A conceptual framework for understanding affordances in communication research. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 22, 35-52.

Fray, P., Pond, P., & Peterson, J. F. (2017). Digital work practices: Matching learning strategies to future employment. In Proceedings of the Australian & New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA) Conference, University of Sydney, Australia, 4-7 July.

Gagné, R. (1984). Learning outcomes and their effects: Useful categories of human performance. American Psychologist, 39(4), 377-385.

Hajkowicz, S. A., Reeson, A., Rudd, L., Bratanova, A., Hodgers, L., Mason, C., & Boughen, N. (2016). Tomorrow’s digitally enabled workforce: megatrends and scenarios for jobs and employment in Australia over the coming twenty years. Report. Brisbane: CSIRO.

Jones, S. (2017). Academic leadership. In Kinchin, I. M., & Winstone, N. E. (eds.). Pedagogic frailty and resilience in the university. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

Manyika, J., Lund, S., Chui, M., Bughin, J., Woetzel, J., Batra, P., Ko, R., & Sanghvi, S. (2017). Jobs lost, jobs gained: Workforce transitions in a time of automation. Executive Summary, December. Retrieved from www.mckinsey.com

Norton, A., & Cakitaki, B. (2016). Mapping Australian higher education. Grattan Institute Report 2016-11.

Piaget, J. (1936). Origins of intelligence in the child. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Schön, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. London: Temple Smith.


Scott, G. (2016). Transforming graduate capabilities & achievement standards for a sustainable future. Final Report. National Senior Teaching Fellowship, Sydney: Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching, May.

Selwyn, N., Henderson, M., Finger, G., Larkin, K., Chao, S., Smart, V., Aston, R. (2016). What works and why? Understanding successful technology enabled learning within institutional contexts. Report. Sydney: Australian Government Office for Learning and Teaching.

Stein, V. (2017). Stanford professors will use a $1 million grant to change the way undergraduate scientists learn. Stanford News, 13 December. Retrieved from news.stanford.edu.


Appendix 1: Project Publications

Refereed journal articles and conference papers 1. *Peterson, J. F., McWhinnie, L., Forsyth, G., & Frankham, N. (2018). Adapting creative

practice pedagogy for global employability capabilities. International Journal of Arts Education, 13(1), 19-32.

2. Pond, P., Peterson, J. F., & Fray, P. (in press). Digital work practices and capabilities: Developing an affordance scaffold for teaching journalism students. Media Education Research Journal (MERJ).

3. Peterson, J. F., Lockhart, C., Raffaele, C., Elsum, K., & Clark, B. (in press). Professional learning: A continuum re-imagined. International Journal of Learning in Higher Education. (selected for the Annual Review Volume, for top-ranked articles)

4. Fray, P., Pond, P., & Peterson, J. F. (2017). Digital work practices: Matching learning strategies to future employment. In Proceedings of the Australian & New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA) Conference, University of Sydney, Australia, 4-7 July.

5. Jollands, M., Boles, W., & Peterson, J. F. (2017). Developing students’ employability in work placements. In Proceedings of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE) Conference, Sydney, Australia, 10-13 December (www.aaee.net.au/index.php/program).

6. *McWhinnie, L., & Peterson, J. F. (2017). Evolving pedagogy: Is studio a state of mind? In Proceedings of the Design Management Academy International Research Conference: Research Perspectives on Creative Intersections, Hong Kong, 7-9 June 2017, 5: 1653-1666.

7. Jollands, M., Tannous, N., & Peterson, J. F. (under review). Re-imagining engineering internships: Embedding digital affordance and reflection frameworks. European Journal of Engineering Education (Special Issue).

(two papers were written with members of the Project Critical Friends Group*) Project Reports: in website (https://sites.rmit.edu.au/digitalworkpractices/)

1. Employment trend data: where are the jobs? (Labour Insights Report)

2. Digital futures: what employers want from graduates (Industry Roundtables 1-4 Report)

3. Digital educators teaching digital natives? The challenges of developing digital capabilities in a Higher Education context (Educator Survey Report)

4. Positioning graduates for digital work futures (Learning Model and Student Pilots Report)

5. Translating digital capabilities: using affordance theory for a developmental learning model across disciplines (Educator Workshops Report)

6. ‘Connecting the dots’ between industry and higher education: the evolving landscape of digital work (Industry Roundtables 1-5 and Employment Data: Digital Work Report)

International Presentation Dr Alexandra Crosby, UTS presented the project at the ‘Surabaya Design Summit’ on 10 May 2018.



Appendices 2-4

Certification by Professor Belinda Tynan, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Education and Vice-President, RMIT University

Evaluation report from Professor Denise Meredyth, University of South Australia

Digitalworkpractices:wherearethejobs,whatarethey,andhowpreparedaregraduates?

ThefinalreportforthisprojecthasbeenreviewedandapprovedforpublicreleasebyProfessorBelindaTynan,DeputyVice-ChancellorEducation,RMITUniversity,Melbourne,Australia.

Date:11June2018

1ProfessorDeniseMeredyth,UNISA,May2018

Projectevaluation

Digitalworkpractices:wherearethejobs,whatarethey,andhowpreparedaregraduates?

OutcomesThisATNprojecthadtheambitiousaimto“co-design,implementandevaluateamodelforscaffoldingdigitalskillsandprocesses,drawingontechnologytheoryandsocialconstructivism”.Itwasintendedto“meetnewindustryneeds,whilepositioninggraduatesfornewandemergingdigitalworkopportunitiesintheglobalisedworldofwork”.Theinitialchallengeasidentifiedintheprojectwastheneedtoanticipateemploymenttrendsthatwouldrequiregraduatestohave‘digitalworkreadiness’.Thekeyobjectivesoftheprojectwereto:

1. Engagewithindustrytoco-developcriteriaforstrengtheningdigitalworkreadiness.

2. Articulateadigitallearningmodelthroughco-designwithindustry,studentsandacademics.

3. Produceaframeworkandresourcesforusingthemodelindiversefieldsofeducation.

TheproposalidentifiedbothaloomingprobleminunevengraduateemploymentpatternsandanopportunityfortheATNtocreatedistinctivenewpedagogicapproaches,preparingfuturegraduatesforworkplacesthatwillrequireconstantlyupdateddigitalskills.MeetingthischallengeasanATNinitiative,itwasstated,wouldrequireco-creativeandcollaborativeapproachesforsharinginformationoncurrentpractice,bothwithinandacrossATNuniversitiesandinalliancewithindustry(15industrypractitionersandextensiveindustrynetworks).Suchacollaboration,itwasproposed,wouldmakeitpossibletodevelopaco-created‘digitalaffordancemodel’modelsofscaffoldedlearninginemployment-readydigitalskills,adaptedtodifferentdisciplinaryframeworksinCreativeArts,Communications,BusinessandManagementandEngineering.Theanticipatedoutcomesincludedmodelsofchangestrategies,transdisciplinarythinking,curriculumco-designwithindustryandadigitalmodeloflearningcapableofmaximizingemploymentoutcomesforstudentsofATNuniversities.GraduatesofATNuniversitieswouldgainfromthisdigitalaffordancemodelexperiencesofscaffoldedlearningthatwouldenablethemtobedistinctivelyagile,creativeandconnected,capableofcommunicating,leadingandworkingcollaborativelyonline.Iamconfidentthattheseoutcomeshavebeenmet,havingevaluatedtheprojectactivities,outputsandmaterialsandhavingdiscusseditsprogresswiththeprojectleadersandwithstakeholdersinmyownuniversityandinotherATNinstitutionsinvolved.


Allplannedactivitieshavebeencompletedasproposed,includingthefollowing:

• Industryroundtables5inMelbourne,SydneyandBrisbane(n=50)• Surveyofeducators(n=91)circulatedtoallATNinstitutions.• Studentpilotinterventions2completed,2inprogress.• EducatorworkshopsatallATNuniversities(n=66).• Learningmodeldevelopment+rapidprototype.• SymposiumincludingATNexpertpanel,podcastonwebsite.• BriefingofDeansofArts,SocialSciencesandHumanities.• Developmentoftoolkit/resources,keyfindings,reports,videos,

symposiumpodcastonWebsite.

Findingswereclearlyidentified,andseparatelyaddressedintermsoftheimplicationsforindustryandemployersandforlearningandteachinginuniversities:

• Educationalimplications:Inuniversities,educatorsandstudentstendtothinkof‘digitalcapabilities’attheFunctional(tools)levelandtooperateatthislevel.ThereisaneedtofocusonthePerceptualandAdaptive.Digitalcapabilitiesmaybetaughtbyeducatorsbutarelesslikelytobeassessed.Somekeyindustryconcerns(bigdata,AI)arenotyetaddressedinthecurriculuminmanycases.

• Industryimplications:thereisaclearneedfordigitalcapabilitiesingraduates,bothfordataspecialistsandfor‘translators’whoconnectupbusinessstrategy,customerexperienceandtechnicalfunctionssuchasinteractivecommunication,datacollection,analysisandcodingandthedevelopmentofnewadaptivestrategiesasthecontextchanges.

• Graduatesneednarrativeskillsaswellasdigitalskills:theyneed‘tobeabletoimagine,find,createandtellthestory’.

• Theemploymentcontextischanging:themaindifferencesbetweentheEasternstatescapitalcitiesarelessinjobcharacterortitlesandmoreinthestructureofwork,withmorecontractandonline/collaborativeworklikelyinMelbourne(furtherresearchtovalidate).

Outcomesincluded:

• Effectivedialoguewithindustrypartnersonemploymentoutcomesanddigitaltransformation,andfromthisamodelforgoodpracticeinengagingindustryinteachingandlearninginitiativeswithco-designbuiltin.

• TransdisciplinarycommunicationandcollaborationinandacrossATNuniversities.

• Developmentofalearningmodelandprototype.• DigitalCapabilitiesDescriptorsbuiltintoascaffoldedlearningmodel.• Developmentofteachingstrategiesfortheimplementationofthemodel.• AssessmentoftheextenttowhichtheFunctional/Perceptual/Adaptive

digitalaffordance/capabilitylearningmodelalignswithindustryneedsandaddressesgapsingraduatecapability.


• Acontinuingprogramforcommunicatinganddisseminatingmodelsandstrategieswithinthebroaderhighereducationandindustrycommunities,includingthroughpresentationstoDASSHandothernationalbodies.

• Situatingdigitalcapabilitydevelopmentinparticulardisciplines,ratherthaninhighlevelskillsframeworks,provedtobeeffectivebothforinvestigatingcurrentpracticeandfordevelopingnewtransferrablemodels.

Havetherebeenanyunintendedoutcomes?Theprojectidentifiedsomeunanticipatedfindings:

• Theresearchidentifiedsignificantopportunitiesforprofessionallearninginindustryandinuniversities,adaptingandextendingthelearningmodeltoaddressstaffcapability.

• Someearlyadopters,butmostEducatorsaskedforprofessionaldevelopment/examplesintranslatingthemodeltoexistingandnewcurriculum,especiallyforassessment(resourcesinreportandwebsite;addmore).

Whatfactorshelpedand/orhinderedintheachievementoftheseoutcomes?Factorsthatappearedtohavehelpedinclude:

• Strongprojectmanagementanddistributedleadership.• SustainedpursuitofpartnershipwithinandacrosstheATNinstitutions.• UseofstrongnetworksbetweenATNteachingandlearningexperts.

ProductsandoutputsOutputsincluded:

• Fiveindustryroundtables,with2inMelbourneinpartnershipwiththeMelbourneChamberofCommerceandEngineersAustralia,twoinSydneyandoneinBrisbanewithsupportofadvisorynetworks.

• Sixreportsdevelopedwithprojectstakeholdersincludingindustry,educatorsandstudents.

• Sevenrefereedpaperssubmittedforpublication,with3conferencepapersand1journalarticlepublished,1articleinpressand2articlesinreview.Severalotherpapersareindevelopment.

• Onlineresourcesfortheprojectwebsite.• AnadditionalindustryroundtableisbeingheldattheUTSCentrefor

MediaTransitiontoexplorepartnerships.Intermsofimpactonabroaderaudience,itcanbesaidwithconfidencethattheprojecthasalreadyinvolvedaconsiderablebodyofstakeholdersandparticipantsbothintheATNuniversitiesandinstakeholderindustrygroups.Asthewebsitegrowsinsubstanceandreportsandpodcastsareaccessed–-possiblyinpartnershipwithAnalysisandPolicyOnline,orwithlaterpublicationsoffollow-onpublicationsonsitessuchasTheConversation,theimpactoftheworkwillgrow.


ProjectManagementThiswasalargeanddiverseteamof15.Theprojecthasbeenimplementedasplanned.Processesasproposeddidnotvarysignificantly,thoughtimelinesalteredwithsomeunavoidabledelaysduetoprocessandrecruitmentissues.DisseminationTheprojectmaterialsandfindingshavebeendisseminatedtowideaudiencesintheATNuniversitiesandinindustrypartnernetworks,andarealsoavailableontheprojectwebsiteinformsincludingpodcasts.Conferencepresentationshavebeenregularandwellreceivedandacademicpublicationsarebothinpressandinpreparation.SustainabilityTheprojectleadershavedevelopedstrongnetworksofdiscussionanddisseminationwithintheATNuniversitiesandwithindustry.Themomentumoftheprojectisreflectedinitsfinalrecommendations,basedonworkshopsandsymposiaandonlineexchanges.Theworktobedone,collaborativelyandatscale,includesdevelopingnewindustryprofessionallearninginitiativesadaptedtodigitaltransformation,whilecontinuingnuancedinvestigationofgraduateemploymentoutcomesanddataonthechangingnatureofwork.Otherrecommendationsforworktocontinueincludebuilding‘cascadedsupport’forthelearningmodelwithinuniversities,withseniorbacking,andscalingupthelearningmodelinprofessionaldevelopmentforuniversityeducators,accompaniedbylonger-termevaluationofthelinkbetweenimplementationofthemodel,changedlearningoutcomesandchangingdynamicsofemployment,learningandadaptationinworkplacesandacrossindustries.GeneralLessonsincludetheimportanceofworkingwitheducatorstounderstanddifferencesbetweendisciplines,andtoframecapacitydevelopmentandlearningscaffoldsinthecontextofparticulardisciplinesandtheirinternalimperatives,aswellaswithinbroadtransdisciplinaryframeworks.

Digitalworkpractices:wherearethejobs,whatarethey,andhowpreparedaregraduates?ATNprojectpartners:RMIT,QUT,UTS

EVALUATION PLAN / END REPORT: 8 May 2018 A/ProfFionaPeterson,ProjectLeaderEngagement and dissemination scorecard

• INDUSTRY ROUNDTABLES x 5 (n=50) (June 2017–Feb 2018) o Two in Melbourne (June 2017 and Feb 2018) supported by the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce and Engineers Australia o Two in Sydney (Aug 2017) and one in Brisbane (Oct 2017) supported by program/school industry networks

• REFEREED FULL PAPERS x 7 either published, in press, or under review (please see pp.2-3 for titles and abstracts)

3 x FULL CONF PAPERS PUBLISHED. 1 x JOURNAL ARTICLE PUBLISHED + 2 IN PRESS + 1 UNDER REVIEW. 1 x REFEREED CONFERENCE ABSTRACT ACCEPTED. 6 x ADDITIONAL FULL PAPERS IN PROGRESS.

• WEBSITE https://sites.rmit.edu.au/digitalworkpractices/ in progress – including toolkit/resources, key findings, reports, videos, symposium podcast

• REPORTS x 6 – spanning work with project stakeholders (Educators, Industry, Students) and specific employment/labour insights data

Digital educators teaching digital natives? Educator Survey (Williams, Nielsen, Cathcart & Peterson) Translating digital capabilities: using affordance theory for a developmental learning model across disciplines Educator Workshops (Peterson) Digital futures: what employers want from graduates Industry Roundtables 1-4 (Williams, Nielsen, Cathcart & Peterson) Employment trends: where are the jobs? Employment/Labour Insights Data (RMIT Careers & Employability with project leader) (Yazar) ‘Connecting the dots’ between industry and higher education: the evolving landscape of digital work Industry Roundtables 1-5, graduate employment data (Peterson, Fray & Williams) Positioning graduates for digital work futures Learning Model and Student Pilots (Peterson, Pond, Fray, Crosby, Lockhart, Lee & Raffaele)

• EDUCATOR SURVEY x 1 (n=91) – circulated to all five ATN institutions (Sept-Oct 2017)

• STUDENT PILOT INTERVENTIONS x 2 completed, 2 in progress (n=21 completed, n=75 in progress) (July 2017 - June 2018)

• EDUCATOR WORKSHOPS x 5 (n=66) – held at all five ATN institutions (March 2018)

• SYMPOSIUM x 1 (n=41) – held at RMIT (12 April 2018)

Expert Panel: Prof Louise McWhinnie, UTS; Prof Ruth Bridgstock, UniSA; David Dennis, QUT; discussion chaired by Ref Group Member Prof Julianne Reid, Curtin; Critical Friends Member Rep Prof Dawn Bennett, Curtin. Podcast is in project website.

• DASSH BRIEFING (Council of Deans of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities) – meeting with Prof Mary Spongberg, Board Member

May2018Report,A/ProfFionaPeterson,RMITUniversity:Digitalworkpractices:wherearethejobs,whatarethey,andhowpreparedaregraduates? 2

PUBLICATION TITLES AND ABSTRACTS (including two co-authored by project leader with project critical friends group*) 1. Fray, P., Pond, P., & Peterson, J. F. (2017). Digital work practices: Matching learning strategies to future employment. In Proceedings Australian & New Zealand Communication Association (ANZCA) Conference, University of Sydney, Australia, 4-7 July. The impact of technology needs to drive thinking in education forward and lead to new ways of understanding student work readiness and the teaching practices that best enable it. This article focuses on the first-stage planning of a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research project on digital work practices and graduate work readiness, using journalism as a case in point. The project seeks to implement a scaffolding method for domain-specific learning experiences. The method utilises the concept of affordances to develop taskbased learning activities that model industry-relevant digital labour, establishing functional and perceptual capabilities and then structuring opportunities for cross contextual application and innovation. The concept of affordances has been discussed widely in communication and education studies, and is not without critics. However, as this article argues, affordances can be useful. They remind educators of the interactive relationship between technologies and their users, and the need for scaffolded learning opportunities for students as they develop employability capabilities. 2. Jollands, M., Boles, W., & Peterson, J. F. (2017). Developing students’ employability in work placements. In Proceedings Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE) Conference, Sydney, Australia, 10-13 December (http://www.aaee.net.au/index.php/program) Integration of theory and practice in the learning and teaching process. CONTEXT Employer feedback consistently reports gaps in graduate professional capabilities. Developing graduates’ work readiness is a goal of growing importance in the tertiary sector. Institutions are embedding curriculum and co- and extra-curricular activities to better develop student employability capabilities. While work placements are widely viewed as the best way to develop employability, employability learning activities in the curriculum can augment experiential learning. PURPOSE The aim of this study was to explore the question What preparation can develop student communication, networking and reflection skills before undertaking an engineering work placement? APPROACH A number of frameworks were used to guide development of new curriculum for employability. Eyler’s reflective practice framework was used to enhance learning from experience, and an affordance model framework was used to scaffold learning, to prioritize learning during workshops to higher order skill development. A cultural values framework was used to guide learning about workplace culture. RESULTS A workshop was developed for students looking for a placement that focuses on the application, networking and interviewing. A second workshop was developed for students who had already sourced a placement that focuses on key workplace learning opportunities: meetings, networking and reflection on experience. CONCLUSIONS Well designed workshops can be an effective way to enhance student learning. Evaluation of outcomes and impact of the teaching innovation in employability lag interventions by several years, so longitudinal studies need to be carried out for a full evaluation. 3. McWhinnie, L., & Peterson, J. F. (2017). Evolving pedagogy: Is studio a state of mind? In Proceedings Design Management Academy International Research Conference: Research Perspectives on Creative Intersections, Hong Kong, 7-9 June 2017, 5: 1653-1666. * ‘Studio’ has traditionally been a place and space of creative exploration at the heart of the Design education experience. However, transitions in conceptions of studio are challenging educators and industry practitioners. Studio may now be seen as a facilitation space, not only physical or virtual, but even metaphorical. This paper explores the influence of place and space on learning and working in studio. As context, we discuss characteristics of the studio model and informal learning, including blended learning and use of flexible spaces. We then discuss industry perspectives and three studio samples in education. Through synthesising contemporary learning approaches and industry thinking, we suggest that new conceptions of studio place and space can be effective in supporting students, in Design and other disciplines, as they prepare for evolving industry practice. More can be done to reflect industry trends such as cross-studio collaboration; and integrating research and practice remains critically important. 4. Peterson, J. F., McWhinnie, L., Forsyth, G., & Frankham, N. (2018). Adapting creative practice pedagogy for global employability capabilities. International Journal of Arts Education, 13(1), 19-32. * The intention of this article is to foreground visionary re-positioning of creative arts higher education; it is not intended as a comprehensive account of e-learning, or application of specific platforms. A pedagogical strategy is proposed to bridge the gap between unmet industry needs for new employability capabilities encompassing ‘agility, creativity and connectedness,’ and less than optimal employability outcomes for some creative arts graduates. Using appreciative inquiry as a methodology, the article explains why and how the Creative Innovation Studio Network Model has been co-designed to support development of graduate capabilities for emerging creative practice jobs. Suggested success indicators include: scaffolding stakeholder engagement from the outset; articulating clear expectations; scaffolding learning; and being open to change.


5. Pond, P., Peterson, J. F., & Fray, P. (in press). Digital work practices and capabilities: Developing an affordance scaffold for teaching journalism students. Media Education Research Journal (MERJ). This article describes the development and implementation of a learning and teaching scaffold designed to better prepare graduates for the digital workplace. Application of the scaffold is intended to improve employment outcomes for students in several discipline areas in which automation, data analysis and networked communication tools are reshaping professional work. In an attempt to address this challenge, a scaffold has been planned and trialled within an action research project. This article focuses on a case study of journalism. It highlights the importance of addressing technology affordances and associated capabilities in a systematic and holistic way, including functional (the “what and how-to” of using technology), perceptual (the “when and why”) and adaptive (“extending, emergent”). Key recommendations for educators are to foster developmental learning about digital work practices by interpreting the scaffold concept for existing curriculum or for new programme development; and to foster a mind-set about the interconnections of functional, perceptual and adaptive affordances. If students learn to articulate ways in which the potential of technologies can be harnessed – usefully and realistically, in different and emerging contexts – we believe that as graduates they are likely to be in high demand. 6. Peterson, J. F., Lockhart, C., Raffaele, C., Elsum, K., & Clark, B. (in press). Professional learning: A continuum re-imagined. International Journal of Learning in Higher Education. Professional learning is integral to being in the workforce. In this article, ‘professional learning’ ranges from student preparation for work, to the ongoing development of graduates in their careers. Given the rise of corporate learning academies and other capability-building programs within organizations, and the changing nature of work, this article highlights a need for universities to re-imagine professional learning approaches. We argue that professional learning needs to be considered as a continuum by universities, employers of graduates, and graduates themselves, beyond current ideas about work-integrated learning. Otherwise, the risk is that universities will be left behind or left out of the evolving world of professional learning. We believe the transition between university studies and workplace careers will be smoother and more meaningful if professional learning approaches are aligned, with the student/employee learning journey centre stage. This article uses a comparative personal narrative methodology in exploring what can be learned from the experience of university educators to inform future models of professional learning. Based on the literature and practice examples discussed, future models are likely to include a clear focus on motivation for interdisciplinary social learning in networks. This involves a combination of mobile technology and face-to-face experiences, with a sense of belonging fostered for collaborative ‘meaning making’ and enhanced personal and organizational productivity. It is vital to understand the learner context and culture; enable iterative practice using best-fit technology; and encourage critical reflection for transfer of learning to new situations. 7. Jollands, M., Tannous, N., & Peterson, J. F. (under review). Re-imagining engineering internships: embedding digital affordance and reflection frameworks. European Journal of Engineering Education (Special Issue). Engineering internships or work placements are widely viewed as the best way to develop employability, but students report variable quality of learning during placement. This paper reports on an initiative to enhance learning of engineering interns by embedding engineering education in the internship, in particular, digital education. The design of the education modules was influenced by Eyler’s reflective map framework as well as Best’s digital affordance model. Quality of the intern’s experience is enhanced through contact with an academic supervisor during the internship as well as by assessments completed during the internship that build digital capabilities in the professional practice domains of communication, networking and reflection. These domains were identified as capability gaps in current engineering graduates. Measurement of impact of the initiative is part of an on-going longitudinal study that will evaluate graduate employment outcomes and career success.


Specificprojectoutcomes

Activity/methods Outcome/resource/indicator Timeline Status Evaluator’scomments

RESEARCHOVERVIEW

Ethicsapplication–researchdesignDatacollection,analysis–industryroundtables,educatorsurvey,studentinterventionsandsurveys,teacherreflections,educatorworkshopsLearningmodeldevelopment+rapidprototype-DigitalCapabilitiesDescriptorsattheheartofthescaffoldedlearningmodel+TeachingStrategiesforitsimplementation

Ethicsapplicationapprovedbyallthreepartnerinstitutions;RMITextensionapprovedto31Dec2018toenablefurtherindustryandstudentinteraction;annualreportsubmittedatRMITPleaseseeScorecardonp.1Descriptorsfor4sampledisciplinesdevelopedfirstfromliterature,thentrialledforsamplecurriculumwithstudents,thenrevisedfromindustry,educatorandstudentinputandtriangulatedwithupdateddataforGOSandusinglabourinsightstool(BurningGlass)Teachingstrategyandresources,withteacherreflectionsrecommendations

ApprovedfirstatRMITinApril2017,thenatUTSandQUT.ExtensionapprovedRMITApril2018.April2017-May2018May2017–March2018

CompletedCompleted,withtwoadditionalpilotsinprogress;andsixthindustryroundtableplannedforJune2018atUTSCentreforMediaTransitiontoexploreindustrypartnershipsCompletedCompleted

Allisinorderhere:noconcernsCompletedasplanned.Succeededininvolvingall5ATNsinsurveyandworkshops.StrongATNinvolvement&industrypartnership:cleardirect&indirectoutcomes.Asophisticatedlearningmodelhasbeendeveloped,trialledandrevised,makingitpossibletoidentify,trackandbuildtheskillsandattributesrequiredforcontinuingdigitaltransformationintheworkplace.Strategiesandresourcesforteachingandlearningadaptationhavebeendevelopedoverseveraldisciplineareas


DETAIL Employmentdatatrends

AnalysisofUPDATEDRMITGDS/GOSdata+BurningGlasslabourinsightstooldataforMelbourne,Sydney,BrisbanebyRMITCareers

Updatedwithmostrecentdatareleased(RMITCareers)Seereportonprojectwebsite(Employmenttrenddata)

Dec2017 Completed Completedasplanned

Learningmodel Planningforteachingintervention/implementinglearningmodel+scholarlyoutputTeachingstrategymappedtoDescriptors,subjects,studentsurveys

Seepublicationslistedonpp.2-3andseewebsite(LearningModel)Mappingdoneasplanningforinterventions;thenplanninganddevelopmentofguidelinesonthisprocessforwebsitedeliverableSeereportonLearningModelandStudentPilots

June2017-present

SinceJuly2017April-May2018

Completed,morepublicationsinprogressWebsitebeingfinalisedCompletedCompleted

CompletedandprovidedfordisseminationonwebsiteArichresourcehasbeendevelopedThereporthasbeencompletedandprovidesusefulmodelandpilots

Studentengagement

Studentpilots,surveys[2-3pilotswerepromisedingrantapplication**]AnalyticsAssessmentresource

Studentsurveys:Pre-andpost-interventionsurveysdevelopedandimplementedforjournalism,design;inprogressmusicindustry,engineeringSurveyanalyticsundertaken,smallsamples(n=21)Substantialbankofquestionsandanswersdevelopedforjournalism(shortlistwasincludedinthesurveys

SinceJuly2017Nov2017–Feb2018FromJuly2017

2pilotscompleted**,2inprogress80%.MoretodowhenEngineeringpilotiscompletedCompleted,websitebeingfinalised

CompletedSubstantiallycompleted,withagrowingresourceontheprojectwebsite.


Interventionswithstudents–implementingaspectsofDigitalCapabilitiesDescriptorsmappedtocurriculum

implemented).ThequestionbankbecamepartofprojectAssessmentresources.LearningactivitieswithstudentsatUTS(PGjournalism,designcompleted)andRMIT(UGengineering,musicindustrytocome)

SinceJuly2017

2pilotscompleted,2inprogress

Substantiallycompleted

Industryengagement

IndustryroundtablessupportedbyRMITPartnerships,EngineersAustralia,MelbourneChamberofCommerce,programnetworksatUTSandQUT+PlanningforadditionalroundtableatUTSCentreforMediaTransitiontoexplorepartnerships

5roundtablesheldacrossMelbourne,Sydney,Brisbane(n=50)See2reportsonprojectwebsite(IndustryRoundtables1-4;andConnectingtheDots)

June2017–Feb2018March-May2018June-July2018

CompletedCompletedAdditional

Animpressiveprogramofindustryroundtableshasbeenorganisedandheld,asdetailedinthetworeportsontheprojectwebsite

Educatorengagement

EducatorSurveyEducatorWorkshops

DevelopmentinQualtrics,liaisonwithCurtin,UniSA;Surveydisseminatedall5ATNsandanalysed

Development,liaisonwithCurtin,UniSA;Workshopsheldall5ATNsandanalysedSee2reportsonprojectwebsite(EducatorSurvey;andEducatorWorkshops)

Sept-Oct2017March2018

Completed

CompletedCompleted

CompletedCompleted,withimpressiveimpactforstakeholders.Reportonprojectwebsitemakestheseinsightsmorebroadlyavailable.


SymposiumatRMIT

Dissemination+educatorinput(n=41)Projectpresentation+ExpertPanelResponses:ProjectCriticalFriendsGroup–ProfLouiseMcWhinnieUTS(workfutures);DavidDennisQUT(institutionalstrategy);ProfRuthBridgstockUniSA(learningfutures).DiscussionChairProfJulianneReid,Curtin;withProfDawnBennett,CurtinasanotherCriticalFriendsmember.Podcastinwebsite.

12April2018 Completed

Completed.ThepodcastisavailableasausefulresourceandprovidesaccesstoastimulatingandinstructivesetofexchangesfromsenioreducatorsandleadingexpertsfromacrosstheATN.Thissymposiumsignificantlyadvancedthecollaborativeagendawhilehighlightingquestionsforfurtherinvestigation.

Publications

Paperspublished,inpress,underreviewspandifferentdisciplinesinproject.Sixreportscompletedondifferentaspectsofdataanalysisintheproject(+2extralitreviewsdone)nowbecomespringboardforadditionalpapers.Explorationunderwayforcollating6reportsintoapublication.Website/resources

SeeScorecarddetailsonpp.1-3;additionalpresentations,papersinprogress.Onepaperunderreviewfocusesonre-imaginingprofessionallearning.Thisunderpinsplannedexplorationofindustrypartnerships.Akeyprojectrecommendationistoexploreopportunitiesforcollaborationwithindustryforprofessionallearning.Projectinformation,processes,casestudies,guidelines,reports,videos

2017-2018

Completed,moreinprogressBeingfinalised

Anexcellentarrayofpapersacrossaninterdisciplinaryrange,tacklingfromdifferentpointsofviewthechallengesofacademic-industrypartnershipsorientedtofutureemploymentneedsinthecontextofdigitaltransformation.Asolidresourcethatwillbewidelyused,especiallywhenlinkeduptonationalinformationresourcessuchasAnalysisandPolicyObservatory.

Documents

Digital work practices: where are the jobs, what are they, and how ... · Industry participants increasingly advocated for high-level digital capabilities in grappling with emergence