This session took place as part of the 2021 Conference. The presenters were A. Sotiriadou, Z. Tatsioka, N. Tsorakidis, S. Savvidou and P. Kefalas;.

Abstract:

Recommendations of our Industrial Advisory Boards and Professional Societies guided us in CITY College, University of York Europe on forming a belief that discipline specific skills and knowledge alone are not sufficient for students to become competitive and successful professionals in the demanding worldwide job market. In this presentation we focus on a set of generic and transferable skills, competencies and attributes, the Graduate Attributes (GA), which form the employability profile of all of our graduates.

The most challenging part was to verify that GAs are actually delivered and developed. Towards this direction, we developed a set of badges, which map each one of the GAs into a distinct and unique image. We demonstrate how these badges are incorporated in our programmes of study in a very visible way, by decorating each module specification, as well as every extracurricular activity.

The GAs influence decisions in the design of learning activities within or outside the curriculum and the badges assist us in determining how and when the GAs are developed and through which activities. Both staff and students are aware of how each module and each learning, teaching and assessment activity contributes to the acquisition of each one of the attributes.

Finally we discuss all those activities we have in place such as self reflection workshops, so that our students become self aware of the developed GAs in order to confidently present themselves to potential employers.

You can access the recording of this session at this link here:

Graduate Attributes Badges: Verifying the Delivery of Employability Skills (UoY Panopto log-in required)