The Essay Highlights The Importance Of Graduate Attributes In Higher Education.

1. Understand and adhere to the ethical responsibilities required of students in Australian universities.

2. Source, evaluate and synthesise information from a range of academic texts.

3. Critically reflect on academic texts.

4. Produce academic texts which adhere to a required structure and use associated language features.

Broadening Attitudes and Horizons Through Higher Education

When students join the university, they do so from educational backgrounds which are different. Their experiences and cultures are also different. While studying in the universities, educators ensure that students broaden their attitudes and horizons so that they develop new skills (Sin & McGuigan, 2013). Such skills and attributes will help them in their studies as well as careers soon after studies. Apart from that, obtaining new attributes would ensure that students support whatever roles they have in the society (Campbell, 2010).

Creating the framework for graduate attributes ensures that universities, colleges, and schools are tailored to meet subject area requirements as well as work towards meeting specific extra and co- curricular activities. The curriculum provides a vivid description on the attributes that students need to have to be considered as higher education graduates (Sin & McGuigan, 2013). The skills determine the approaches and attitudes that learners gain during their development. With such skills, educators believe that they would be able to determine the world around them (Laihonen, Lönnqvist & Metsälä, 2015).

Attributes, abilities, and skills, are used in different contexts to mean different disciplines and things. They are not simply taught but developed by students from meaningful processes and experiences that require reflection and learning. The skills and attributes are also unique to each student though they are developed from common areas that educators exposes students to (Campbell, 2010).

• Professionalism and Ethics

According to the literature sources identified for this paper, higher learning institutions are currently under pressure to ensure that they produce students that have desirable, employable attributes. For such reasons, many learning institutions in Australia have embedded employability attributes in the offered curriculum. Universities have ensured that equipping students with employability attributes is their top most priority. With the job market getting more competitive, it is important to study issues that marketing educators tackle to ensure that students are equipped with the most suitable competitive advantage (Osmania, Weerakkody and Hindia, 2017, 57). The market currently requires graduates to be accountable as well as be able to demonstrate the rationale and impact behind the made decisions. Such means that universities need to stress on the writing and reading of “arith-metrics.” Identified herein are methodologies and ways (through research) that students are engaged to have their skills of development, communication, and professional speaking strengthened. Gaining of such skills would also ensure that graduates become creative, open-minded, and have the capability to explore opportunities (Cox∗ Daoud & Rudd, 2013, 46).

• Initiative

Creating Frameworks for Graduate Attributes

As mentioned before, a total of seven journals are used that elaborate on the best identified practices and principles that support the designed frameworks for the improvement of graduate attribute. The first journal is published in 2017 and examines Middle East’s Academic perceptions particularly in relation to graduate attributes. The second journal, published in 2014, graduate attributes’ mediating role against academic self-directedness for the open distance learning. The third is published in 2013 and explores the framework used in the assessment and development of complex graduate attributes against the ever changing higher learning environment (Laihonen, Lönnqvist & Metsälä, 2015). The fourth journal published in 2010, examines the development of generic attributes and skills of international students alongside the relevance and irrelevance of the experience of the Australian Universities. Yet another that is published in 2013, discusses a case study from Sheffield University regarding the employability accounts of Information Management graduates. Apart from that, this paper also reviews a journal, published in 2011, that discusses teaching of students to equip them with a suitable competitive advantage. Last but not least, we have a journal, published in 2010, that discusses particular oral skills for communication that are desirable for graduates in Accountancy (Weider, et al., 2001, 3).  

• Organizing and Planning

As mentioned before, the identified journals are supposed to provide a validation towards the assessment of graduate attributes. The review takes a multi-disciplinary research format to identify the best practices and principles that support the designed frameworks that would improve graduate attributes through targeted learning activities (Gray, 2010, 42).

The journals demonstrate the acknowledgement of the importance of graduate attributes. Also, the papers have helped a lot in contextualizing and confirming the significance of such attributes in several occurrences including Osmania, Weerakkody and Hindi (2017)’s Middle Eastern, Cox∗, Daoud and Rudd (2013)'s University of Sheffield case study, and Campbell (2010)'s Australian university experience contexts. For instance, in Osmania, Weerakkody and Hindi (2017)’s Middle Eastern case, the performed interviews showed that Qatar faced a lot of academic challenges. However, these challenges are considered unique to the region of Middle East and Qatar as a country. The identified challenges could only be rectified through the realignment of the curriculum as well as additional activities that are employability related (Coetzee, 2014, 1087).

Osmania, Weerakkody and Hindi (2017), adopted a qualitative methodology to carry out their research activity. The methodology is made of interviews that are semi structured and were intended for the University of Qatar. The target groups included assistant professors, professors, and associates with combined local and international experience. International experience included countries such as Australia, UK, the United States, France, and Canada, among others. With such semi structured interviews, the researchers had the chance to evaluate the relevance of the identified skills while exploring new challenges and skills. From the same, the researchers performed thematic analysis in phases.

Developing Attributes Through Meaningful Processes and Experiences

According to the outcomes of this research design, several learning institutions in Australia have embedded employability attributes in the offered curriculum. Universities have ensured that equipping students with employability attributes is their top most priority. With the job market getting more competitive, it is important to study issues that marketing educators tackle to ensure that students are equipped with the most suitable competitive advantage (Osmania, Weerakkody and Hindia, 2017, 57).

• Quantitative Method

Coetzee (2014), used a cross-sectional survey design that is quantitative in nature to obtain a sample that is proportional and randomly stratified where N = 1102 undergraduate adult students. The activity was carried out in a South African ODL institution for higher learning.

According to Coetzee (2014)’s outcomes, students lacking employable attributes is a concern within the entire education community. The challenges are considered as development inhibitors for graduates that are rounded. If such challenges are not solved, they are likely to hinder the attainment of graduate attributes which were earlier on, identified as vital both in literature and practice. The author also identifies that educators need to have their students well equipped with the right visions as well as the desired skills to enable them get jobs in the market. Educators also need to inform students on areas where graduates mostly fall short. In addition, educators have the responsibility to develop pedagogies which would best have their students prepared as well as help them attain sustainable competitive advantage

• Mixed Qualitative and Quantitative Method

Campbell (2010), based her methodology on a research framework that is interpretive in nature. Such is because research activities that are interpretive tend to be sensitive to personal meanings while exploring several outcomes. The remaining journals majorly used interviews, sampling, and questionnaires to carry out their study activities (Management, 2017).

According to this scientific framework, a theoretical link can be attained between students’ attributes and academic self-directedness of graduates. Several activities under this topic show that the attributes of graduates is a factor that is important when it comes to employability in the existing job market. It is the duty of education stakeholders to ensure that they understand student abilities against the demonstration, application, and presentation of informative and interactive skills (Campbell, 2010).

The author also makes it clear through the identified framework that group-based learning environments, cooperative learning activities, and dynamics of provide job opportunities are vital when it comes to practices of critical reflection, sustainable dialogical feedback, and formative assessment. When students gain experiences from cooperative learning, they also develop their employability skills such are what employers and professionals value (Campbell, 2010).

Embedding Employability Attributes in Curriculum

According to the discussed outcomes in the seven journals, it is clear that communication is one of the biggest concerns for graduates. There are several reasons associated with the same. However, inadequate reading is the main identified reason. Lack of reading reduces the ability of students to present properly written arguments. Oral and written skills are vital for students. Results also commonly show that teachers and parents largely influence the early development of communication skills for every child. The early development of graduate attributes depends on the parent’s socio-economic and educational levels against that of the local community.

• Local and Global Perspectives

There is a theoretical link between the attributes and academic self-directedness of graduates. Entirely, the researchers tend to agree to the notion that graduate attributes are vital factors when it comes to understanding the ability of students in relation to demonstrating, applying, and presenting interactive and informative skills (Sin & McGuigan, 2013, 532).

The researchers also make it clear that the group-based learning environments’ cooperative learning activities and dynamics provide opportunities that are vital when it comes to practices of critical reflection, sustainable dialogical feedback, and formative assessment. The experiences that result from cooperative learning have as well been reported have improved the kind of skills that employers and professionals value.

• Accountability and Managerial Skills

When it comes to accounting education, Gray (2010), gives adequate pieces of evidence of the perceptions of undergraduates being enhanced in terms of improved communication and interpersonal skills.  The enhancement is a prelude of the interfacing with development as a result of cooperative learning experiences and professional training. Besides, Gray (2010) also provide pieces of evidence of the opinions of Accounting graduates regarding cooperative learning’s effectiveness for the improvement of generic skills like leadership, listening, persuasion, and skills for critically debating issues (Hopkins, Raymond & Carlson, 2011, 341).

• Experience

It is also important to note that with a job market that is getting more and more competitive, it is up to the marketing educators to have their students educated on what the employers and the marketplace demand. Such educators should ensure that students are equipped with proper visions of the desired skills as well as inform them on areas where graduates mostly fall short. Educators have the responsibility to develop pedagogies which would best have their students prepared as well as help them attain sustainable competitive advantage (Management, 2017).

Conclusion

This literature review activity demonstrates the fact that there are several sources which acknowledge the importance of graduate attributes. The research sources have helped a lot in contextualizing and confirming the significance of such attributes in several occurrences including Osmania, Weerakkody and Hindi (2017)’s Middle Eastern, Cox∗, Daoud and Rudd (2013)'s University of Sheffield case study, and Campbell (2010)'s Australian university experience contexts. For instance, in Osmania, Weerakkody and Hindi (2017)’s Middle Eastern case, the performed interviews showed that Qatar faced a lot of academic challenges. However, these challenges are considered unique to the region of Middle East and Qatar as a country. The identified challenges could only be rectified through the realignment of the curriculum as well as additional activities that are employability related (Coetzee, 2014, 1087).

Apart from challenges specified for the Middle Eastern region, other challenges exist for the entire education community. Such challenges are considered as development inhibitors for graduates that are rounded. They also hinder the attainment of graduate attributes which were earlier on, identified as vital both in literature and practice. All in all, as mentioned herein, educators should ensure that students are equipped with proper visions of the desired skills as well as inform them on areas where graduates mostly fall short. They also have the responsibility to develop pedagogies which would best have their students prepared as well as help them attain sustainable competitive advantage (Campbell, 2010, 490).

References

Campbell, A. (2010) Developing generic skills and attributes of international students: the (ir)relevance of the Australian university experience. Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management, 32(5), 487-497

Coetzee, M. (2014) Exploring the mediating role of graduate attributes in relation to academic selfdirectedness in open distance learning. Higher Education Research & Development, 6(33), 1085–1098. 

Cox∗, A., M., Daoud, M., & Rudd, S. (2013) Information Management graduates’ accounts of their employability: A case study from the University of Sheffield. Education for Information, (30) 41–61

Gray, E. (2010) SPECIFIC ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS DESIRED IN NEW ACCOUNTANCY GRADUATES. Massey University, New Zealand, 73(1), 40-67

Hopkins, C., D., Raymond, M., A., & Carlson, L. (2011) Educating Students to Give Them a Sustainable Competitive Advantage. Journal of Marketing Education, 33(3) 337–347

Laihonen, H., Lönnqvist, A., &Metsälä, J. (2015).Two knowledge perspectives to growth management. Vine, 45(4), 473-494. Retrieved 22 March 2018, from https://queens.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/login?url=https://search.proquest.com.queens.ezproxy.cuny.edu:2048/docview/1732776855?accountid=13379

Management, S. (2017).SMS | Strategic Management Society. Strategicmanagement.net. Retrieved 22 March 2018, from https://www.strategicmanagement.net/

Osmania, M., Weerakkody, M., and Hindia, N. (2017). Graduate attributes in higher education:Examining academics' perception in the Middle East, Qatar, 2(92), 53-64.

Sin, S., & McGuigan, N. (2013) Fit for Purpose: A Framework for Developing and Assessing Complex Graduate Attributes in a Changing Higher Education Environment. Accounting Education: an international journal, 6(22), 522–543

Weider, B., Booth, P., Zoltan, P,.Matolcsy and Ossimitz, M., (2001).‘The impact of ERP systems on firm and business process performance.University of Technology, Sydney, Faculty of Business, School of Accounting, Broadway, Australia. (63) pp. 1-17.