Monday 12-04-2021 - 13:29

Last month we posted an update on what your Students’ Union were going to do to address concerns and feedback brought to us by students about Graduate Attributes Modules. 

We said that after giving the university time to work on your concerns, we would invite them to respond directly to students here via the SU blog. We've worked to get you a response from senior management which we are now happy to share. 

On top of that we’ve won an opportunity for you to hear from the university’s senior management at a roundtable. A Microsoft Teams Q & A event has been scheduled for the 29th April at 3 pm. We’re asking you to submit your questions before Monday 26th April which will be passed on for a response.

Submit your questions 
 

UWTSD Blog post: Graduate Attributes Modules  

 

Why did we develop the Graduate Attributes Modules?

Coronavirus has transformed the workplace and accelerated the digital revolution. The principles of employability have always underpinned the University’s mission and all of its programmes. The University is committed to preparing its graduates for this new world with its emphasis on digital working. Furthermore, the University, in keeping with all other Universities across the UK had to take stock of how it delivers its programmes of study. The University planned its teaching around a blend of online and on campus delivery with the expectation that there might have been some government-imposed restrictions.

In addition to consider the possibilities for delivery, the University has also reviewed the content of its programmes. We have reflected on the views of employers, the results of extensive, regional and national skills surveys and listened to the experiences of former graduates. We have taken on board the impact that new and emerging technologies will have on future employment and careers. International evidence exists which shows that graduates in future will have in excess of a dozen careers during their working lives.

We have worked with a range of employers to identify the core competencies demanded of new employees, we have analysed what skills are required of entrepreneurs and we have listened to students as to what they want to achieve during their time with us. As a result, we introduced the modules, as part of a Graduate Attributes Frameworks, into the majority of our taught programmes a suite of progressive modules to develop the attributes we believe, based on evidence, that our graduates need for their future careers. The purpose of these modules is to help our students develop into flexible lifelong learners possessing the right skills to prosper in a digitally enabled workplace.

 

Feedback, Changes and Communication

The University is committed to engaging students throughout their studies and listening and responding to feedback, even if not all of the requested changes can be made.

Student Representatives were asked to join the module development teams to feedback on the graduate attributes and how they might be embedded in these modules. Following the start of the modules, the University worked the Students’ Union to run a series of consultations on all campuses. As a result, a number of issues were raised, and changes were made for the second semester modules and further consultation will continue throughout the rest of the academic year. The University will look to incorporate further changes to the delivery of the modules in future.

The University welcomes this opportunity from the Students’ Union to communicate some of the changes that have been as a result of the consultation and feedback.

The table below highlights some the important issues raised by students and how the University has changed or will change for future delivery of the modules.

Issue	Resolution
The guidance on timing for activities were not accurate	A minimum time is indicated rather than approximate time for activities. This will help students understand the expectations of the activity.
Too many forum and blog posts	These have been reduced in second semester modules and this will be applied as well in the review of first semester modules.
Why blogs, forums and Padlet?	The different options address different elements of learning, for example: blogs provide a useful avenue to reflect on learning, discussions are often more appropriately held through forums and Padlet allows for a greater range of different types of contributions. The use of these approaches embeds elements of digital literacy as one of the important graduate attributes is flexible learning and the ability to adapt to different platforms.
Assessment is too complex with too many different assessment modes	The assessments have been simplified. Additionally, students and staff can now select the most appropriate assessment for their area of study. This will allow for greater contextualisation of core subject areas into the assessments.
Diversity and Inclusion	Every effort has been made to make the material as representative as possible based on feedback from a full review conducted.
Accessibility Issues	The University is committed to ensuring that the modules are as accessible as possible and will continue to enhance their accessibility.
Technical glitches	The University recognises that there were some technical glitches in the initial rollout of the modules. It has worked to ensure that all glitches have been corrected and will we continue to address technical issues as they arise.
Academic rigour	Programme Teams have been given greater scope to contextualise the modules within that discipline’s academic framework. Additionally, an updated reference list has been provided for every lesson allowing for further reading. Additional (optional) more in-depth activities have also been provided.
Materials already covered in FE/foundation courses	From next year, as part of Learning in the Digital Era, students will be given the opportunity to self-assess their existing skillset and to engage in that module only with material that closes the gaps identified and/or enhances their existing knowledge.
Relevance of the material to discipline	Contributions to the material have been made from across the University and every effort has been made to make the modules as relatable as possible. Within disciplines, staff are required to contextualise the material to their subject area.

 

What are the next steps?

The University is working together with the Students’ Union as we review the modules before the next academic year. As part of this review a Microsoft Teams Q & A event for students with the Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Dylan Jones and the Pro Vice Chancellor Barry Liles is to be held via ‘Microsoft Teams’ on the 29th April at 3PM. Further details will be provided shortly through the SU, but we encourage individuals to attend so that we can work together to make the modules suit the needs of all our students as closely as possible.