Graduate Attributes – Are they driving learning? And who knows about them?

Rachel Spronken-Smith, Carol Bond & Martine Darrou (UO)

Martin Jenkins and Margaret Leonard (CPIT)Stanley Frielick (AUT)

Stephen Marshall (VUW)Simon Barrie (Sydney) – Advisor

Generic graduate attributes are the qualities, skills and understandings a university community agrees its students should develop during their time with the

institution (Bowden et al. 2000)

“The extent to which the rhetoric of such [graduate attributes] statements actually represents a shared

understanding of the outcomes of a university education is a matter of conjecture”

(Barrie 2006: 216)

“The extent to which present day university teaching and learning processes actually develop such

outcomes in graduates is even more contestable” (Barrie 2006: 216)

Brief background• Early 1990s – beginning of momentum around

GA agenda• 1999 Bologna Declaration Bologna process

“Dublin descriptors” – key qualities/ competencies

The Tuning Project in Europe and later in the USA (Lumina Foundation)

• Australia – Series of reports and research Australian Qualifications Framework specifying

minimum outcomes for qualifications to be adopted in 2011 (pending approval)

Overall aims

To explore the current policies and practices regarding graduate attributes (GAs) in higher education institutions in NZ

To instigate change by encouraging higher education institutions to engage more deeply with the GA agenda

Specific objectives

1. Provide a synthesis of current research2. Identify current policy and practice regarding GAs in

New Zealand universities and polytechnics3. Document and analyse examples of good practice4. Identify indicators of the impact (benefit) on

students and staff of good practices relating to GAs5. Determine the necessary conditions and possible

strategies for the effective development of policies and practices regarding GAs

6. Contribute to the international literature

Research Approach Situated practice Action-oriented – we hope to bring about change

Phase 1 Synthesis of the literaturePhase 2 Stock-take of GA policy and practices in

NZ universities and polytechnics

Phase 3 Generating case studies of good practicePhase 4 Meta-analysis and synthesis of results

Underpinned by collaboration, consultation and dissemination

General outcomes of this research• Engagement by higher education institutions

with the GA agenda curriculum renewal

benefits students (and staff)

• Database of NZ policies and practices regarding GAs

• Web-based case studies of good practice

• Institutional packages (research summary, case studies, guidelines, teaching resource materials etc)

• Publications – reports, journal articles, conference proceedings etc

Progress to date (since March 1)• Confirmation of project team and first team

meeting• Creation of collaborative research spaces

online (wiki and Zotero)• Collation and evaluation of literature

underway• Survey tool for stock-take being developed• Ethics applications underway• Possible case studies are being identified

Possible case studies

AUT CPIT Otago Victoria

Bachelor of Commerce

Bachelor of Applied Science

Bachelor of Oral Health

Bachelor of Architecture

BA - Social Sciences

Bachelor of Sustainability and Outdoor Education

BA – Music Bachelor of Design

Bachelor of Broadcasting

BSc - Chemistry

Current Challenges• Identifying the historical roots that have

influenced current thinking• Establishing clear definitions and boundaries

for the project• Defining what constitutes ‘good’ practice

relating to GAs• Identifying case studies of good practice in

arts and sciences

Discussion