What is a graduate?

A Consultation Exercise With Students

James Wisdom, Head, Educational and Staff Development
London Guildhall University, UK
10 June 1996

• Introduction
• Student Groups
• The First Question
• The Second Question
• The Third Question
• Appendix 1: Surrey U student responses
• Appendix 2: Nottingham Trent U student responses
• Appendix 3: Portsmouth U student responses
• Appendix 4: London Guildhall U student responses
• Appendix 5: Notes from a discussion on the topic by the reseachers

Introduction

In April 1996 invitation were issued to 10 universities to contribute to a short research exercise to gather students' views on the questions posed in Dr. Peter Wright's paper What Are Graduates?

Representatives from the Universities of London Guildhall, Westminster, Nottingham Trent, Portsmouth and Surrey, and from the NUS, were able to accept the invitation and met on 1st May to plan the programme of research and to debate the issues inherent in the questions. From this exercise (appendix 5) we agreed on the approach to use with the students (a form of open, structured discussion, if possible) and the questions we would pose.

The students were presented with the following guide:

"When students graduate, they are expected to possess knowledge, understanding, skill and other qualities that are specific to their field of study. What further attributes would you expect graduates to possess on graduation?

Are there any further attributes which graduates should possess on graduation?

Can they, and should they, be measured and graded?"

On May 31st representatives of most of those universities met again to compare the outcomes of their work. A total of 206 students had been involved, in 11 groups.

The Student Groups

Rather than attempt a new classification of the attributes offered by the different groups, the rest of this report will be based on the pilot of the Graduate Attributes Profile which has been devised within HEQC.

The First Question

When students graduate, they are expected to possess knowledge, understanding, skill and other qualities that are specific to their field of study. What further attributes would you expect graduates to possess on graduation?

A: Subject Mastery Attributes
There were only two statements in this category, possibly because the students would have thought it had been excluded by the terms of the question. Both statements were from the Continuing Education students at Surrey:

"A graduate would have expertise in their chosen field."

"A graduate would be confident in their chosen subject, and have a deeper understanding and knowledge (than a non-graduate)."

B: Intellectual and Cognitive Attributes
There were 25 statements in this category, from all groups. 4 statements related to the analytical skills of a graduate, 2 more to the critical skills, 1 to the ability to question and 1 to the "cynical" skill of taking nothing for granted. There were 2 references to rationality, 2 to the capacity for logical thought, and in this context 1 reference to problem solving abilities. There were a few descriptions of the intellectual processes which a graduate would practise:

"A graduate has the ability to achieve a balanced view (and) has an open and flexible mind."

"Being open minded - looking at ideas from all perspectives and view points"

"(Having the) ability to formulate the concepts of ones' field and to apply them to other areas."

"(Being able to apply) theoretical ideas and principles."

"(Being able to) work from resources - the assimilation and interpretation of data."

The other cognitive attributes of a graduate were described as having the capacity for strategic thinking (with the experience derived from choosing options), the ability to hold a reasoned debate and the ability to learn to a certain level. Finally there were 2 references to possessing intellectual skills or awareness, the last of which is to be expected and can be taken for granted in graduates, although it may occur in non-graduates

C: Practical Attributes
There were 11 statements about the practical attributes of a graduate, though some of these could as easily be presented in the category of intellectual or cognitive attributes. These were generally held between most groups.

2 groups identified that a graduate would identify problems more skilfully than others, and 5 that the graduate would then be able to research, acquire, analyse and present or pass on the right information more systematically, coherently and rapidly than others. 1 group felt a graduate was able to grasp new ideas quickly, and 1 that the graduate had the ability to put new knowledge into practice. Picking up the language of computing, 1 group described the capacity of multi-tasking different topics at once. On a more mundane level, 4 groups stated that a graduate would have IT skills, and 1 that a graduate would have a command of a foreign language.

D: The Self and Individual Attributes
This was the largest category of statements (65), although a case could be made for some of them to be placed in other classifications.

There were many references to the graduate's capacity for hard work. 9 of the references were to the graduate's ability to manage their time well, and 6 to the ability to organise, plan and prioritise. There were 12 statements affirming the graduate's self motivation, personal initiative, self-discipline and drive, and 2 of their adaptability. There were 6 references to pressure and stress, in 3 of which the students said that while anyone can learn to cope, the graduate would be expected to manage the stress and perform to a high standard.

The younger undergraduates (and the more mature students at London Guildhall) in many cases (13) referred to a cluster of ideas around maturity, confidence and self-confidence. They also mentioned confidence in the context of expressing one's view or in making decisions. 3 times the quality of independence (and independence of thought) was stated. For the Continuing Education students at Surrey, their vision of the individual attributes of a graduate were linked to the breadth of knowledge and vision, the curiosity about new subjects and the ability to relate to a wide range of subjects. Self growth and personal achievement was located in the "roundness" of an individual, an idea expressed by a group of younger undergraduates in suggesting a graduate would have a well-rounded knowledge (of life beyond the narrow subject field) - of current affairs and of what is happening in the world. A second group affirmed that a graduate would be someone who would realise their potential.

In 2 cases the students accepted that graduates would have higher professional goals and attitudes which, while creating expectations of more satisfying career, imposed a level of social and personal responsibility to be participative citizens. The idea was also expressed that a graduate would have a more accurate knowledge of themselves, their abilities and their limitations.

In one of the discussions at London Guildhall the students were eager to describe the status and recognition which comes with a degree and its value as a point in one's personal development.

E: Social and People-related attributes
In this section there were 23 references to the importance of communication skills, described as writing, spelling, reading, listening (with empathy), using language precisely, public speaking and giving presentations. There was no reference to any of the visual communication skills. There were two statements about how important it was for graduates to be able to communicate with many different groups, being sensitive to different codes of communication (class, regional, cultural).

6 statements referred to the importance of the graduate being able to work well in a team or group, and 2 of those also expected the graduate to work well independently. 1 group expected the graduate to have leadership skills. 3 times the groups stated a graduate would have social skills (not explained) and 2 mentioned inter-personal skills, dealing well and effectively with people. In one meeting students noted the development of a greater cultural appreciation which comes from mixing with a great diversity of people at college.

The Second Question

Are there any further attributes which graduates should possess on graduation?

A: Subject mastery attributes:
There were no attributes offered under this heading.

B: Intellectual / Cognitive attributes
A number of suggestions were made which may be classified under this heading. A high IQ and the ability to be trained were two suggestions. More challenging was the notion that, having come to terms with and understood the world of Higher Education, a graduate should be able to approach any structured system (such as a specific work environment) and understand it sufficiently to be effective within it.

Other suggestions under this classification were that a graduate should be able to prove the knowledge they have - on the spot, if necessary; that a graduate should be able to develop thoughts and research ideas, and that they should be able to apply the knowledge they have learnt.

C: Practical attributes
Under this category there were 2 proposals for further upgrading of supervisory and management skills, 1 for financial training and 3 for further experience in the workplace or outside the university world. At Portsmouth there was a vigorous debate about the need for careers education, and 1 group suggested a foreign language was a requirement.

D: Self and individual attributes
There were a cluster of values in this category which attested that graduates should be self confident, have a spirit of adventure and a sense of purpose and direction - "leadership qualities would be ideal". At the same time, students saw it as important to be open minded, to have the ability to change and adapt, to accept constructive criticism, and to challenge ideas. There were 2 references to having high standards and high ambitions, and 1 to giving something back to the society. The group of older students at Surrey thought graduates should be honest and punctual.

E: Social and people attributes
The replies of the group of Postgraduates at Portsmouth suggested that, despite the confidence of the responses we had collected to the first question, all was not so well with the current degree. They listed Teamwork, Assertiveness, Leadership, Presentation and Communication as the essentials.

At Surrey, one group wanted a different sort of graduate - not "cloistered".

The Third Question

Can they, and should they, be graded and measured?

The students on the BSc at Nottingham Trent were initially very wary of the idea of grading and marking these attributes. They recognised that some could be measured, and that in both their work-placement and in their laboratory work some (such as team working and report writing) were implicit in the existing assessment. But there were dangers and difficulties: the difficulties of such work in large classes, the flawed nature of psychometric testing and the lack of expertise of HE lecturers were cited. At the very least, external experts would be needed to give such work any credibility. Finally the students thought the most effective way would be to recognise that the culture of the department, the institution and the range of courses within which they work is so powerful in the inculcation of these attributes that a process of accreditation of these bodies would be more effective than describing each individual student.

The part-time day release students at Nottingham Trent thought there was little time for such measurement on their course; they were more likely to acquire such attributes through employment. While some would be difficult to measure, others would be easy (eg deadlines). The students thought grading was unnecessary, beyond achieving a "satisfactory" level.

The final year Latin American studies students at Portsmouth said that the attributes they had listed in reply to the first question should be assessed and graded, but those in the second question should not, as they clearly had not yet acquired them.

The second and third year students in the Union at Portsmouth were as wary as the Nottingham Trent students about local measuring, which, if it was to be done, was best conducted at University or external assessor level (for consistency). They were very opposed to grading, as each individual is too different to make it valid or worthwhile.

The Portsmouth postgraduates thought that, if skills were inherent in the course, they could be graded, but not if they were additional to it. They saw social skills as the sorts of attributes which would be additional, and felt that an interview was a more appropriate device than a university grade.

At London Guildhall the Politics students were reluctant to allow the attributes to be graded, as they saw them as another potential filter to be used against them by employers. However, they stated that some of them (such as social skills) were assessed within their course (by such things as seminar presentations, or time management by keeping to deadlines). The mixed group of students in the Union and the other mixed group also thought that presentations, work placements and assignments were assessing many attributes - they also would not have welcomed a separate grading process.

The Continuing Education group at Surrey who were studying mostly for the joy of the activity thought that personal attributes could be monitored by a personal tutor working closely with the student which might result in a statement of personal development to lie alongside the degree. Other suggestions were that such work was best done by a team of tutors over a long period (to measure "value added") and that self-appraisal would play a part.

This group also identified some problems with this process. It would be difficult; there are variations in the quality of different institutions' degrees already; the quality of the tutors is variable; such a process would need to take account of the many different reasons people have for entering higher education; and undergraduates might not find such approaches acceptable.

In the more mixed group of Continuing Education students at Surrey some students thought it was important to both measure and grade, using clear goals and targets. They thought it would give students an incentive to achieve and would be helpful during the courses. The majority disagreed, saying that grading could be humiliating and demoralising and that growth of the person varies so much between individuals it would not be measurable. One definition of assessment was offered: a form of denigration rejected by adults.

Discussion

A: The reply to the questions.
The responses of the students from the four of the universities are shown in appendices 1-4. The bulk of the responses were located in the areas of self and individual attributes, and social and people-relate attributes. The fact that very few of the replies were located in the area of attributes derived from the study of the subject(s) is due to the phrasing of the questions, prepared in the light of the six questions of Dr. Wright's draft paper for discussion and emphasising general attributes.

B: The types of students consulted.
Most of the students in these universities are taking courses which have an emphasis on vocational education, particularly with placements or (in the case of the Latin American Studies students) study and work overseas. Both Portsmouth and Nottingham Trent have been awarded Enterprise in Higher Education funding and are aware of the initiative associated with the Capability Curriculum. Portsmouth was also at one time one of the centres of the Pegasus initiative, a scheme to support students in preparation for employment. The participants reported that most of the students knew what the questions meant without needing much elaboration. The Politics students at LGU were the only group who took their time about answering the first question. Many of the attributes in the report are induced or enhanced by industrial training, and some of these criteria may have been influenced by the students' industrial or work-place supervisors.

Despite invitations being issued to an equal number of pre-1992 universities, in the end representatives from them did not attend in the same proportion. When declining the invitations, many said that it would not be possible to find the students as they had already started their exams, although the same timetable applies to post-1992 universities as well. Those who participated considered whether they did so because, in their universities, the debate about the attributes of graduateness has been a lively issue in recent years. If a School or Department values total immersion in the subject discipline above all other elements, the generalities of the questions in Dr. Wright's paper will not be perceived as so relevant.

C: The separation of social from academic attributes.
As some of the students were in the Continuing Education Department of Surrey, it threw into sharp relief the emphasis which many of the younger undergraduates place on the acquisition and development of attributes which are more akin to rites of passage than to education to degree level. Such concerns as the growth of self confidence and the development of maturity were not shared by many of the Surrey students, who were more interested in the breadth of their education and who were very much less committed to the narrow and specific subject that is taken for granted in the way Higher Education is organised into departments and faculties. It is possible that the proportion of such students in higher education will grow in the future. The participants in the project also felt it was worth noting that educational values derived from the world of work, and which are strongly represented in the outcomes of the meetings, were much less influential when they themselves were studying for their degrees.

It was also noted that the group of part-time day release students at Nottingham Trent were far less concerned with developing those attributes in their course which they felt were part and parcel of their work experience; for them, the course was at its best when it concentrated on the pure subjects of science.

D: The differences between the two questions
The replies to the first question were very full but those to the second - about what should be in a degree award - were much thinner. In the informal meetings it was much more likely that both questions would be taken together, and in two formal meetings the shortness of time reduced the effectiveness of the answers to this section.

However, it is clear from the variety and quality of the responses to the second question that the students do not appear to perceive their degree programmes as lacking major components.

E: Assessment
It is clear from the students' replies that they do not think very highly of their academic tutors' abilities to assess many of the personal and individual attributes which they (the students) so value. There is no support for any additional assessment and grading process for these attributes. Nevertheless the students are quite prepared to accept the assessment of personal attributes if they have been specified within the assessed work and the forms of assessment have been validated. This suggests that students have confidence in the way courses are designed and assessed, particularly if this process counter-balances any risks of bias or incapacity among their teachers.

Where the students found it difficult to reply to the question about methods of assessment, it was clear that few of them were familiar with assessment by evidence within a portfolio or by reflective self-evaluation. The graduateness project as a whole will have to consider supporting initiatives in the design of appropriate assessments in order for some of its outcomes to be widely accepted within the sector.

Any process of emphasising the attributes of graduateness will bring two further discussions in its wake. The first will be the difference between teaching and learning - in this report, it was the students from Portsmouth who most clearly illuminated this, with an initial rejection of the notion that the attributes they valued could be graded, followed by the realisation that group work and oral presentation work was enabling them to develop attributes in an assessed context. The second will be the contrast between teaching as a challenge (in which the highest standards and expectations are imposed on students from the beginning) and teaching as a process of weaning, from dependence to independence, from ignorance to understanding. The difficulty is that these two approaches deal differently with failure, and while academic staff are very experienced in handling failures of knowledge and understanding, there is a less effective culture in the handling of failures of personal attributes.

One response of the academic community to this discussion might be to re-affirm with greater commitment that its main purpose is no more than the total immersion of its students in its specific subjects. What happens to them as maturing young adults, or even-more-maturing students of the third age, would be beyond the responsibility of the academy. Ranged against this position will be those who believe that education and learning are holistic process, involving all aspects of human development. One of the missing responses in the students' reports - hinted at by the students from Surrey - is that a graduate will have (should have?) experienced the joy of learning, the fun of understanding and the central human purpose of making better meaning of the world around them.

Participants:

Appendix 1: Surrey University student responses

Appendix 1a

• The ability to research, analyse and present information coherently
• Breadth of vision - the ability to continue learning, the ability to relate to a wide range of subjects, a command of a foreign language, a curiosity about other subjects, a breadth of knowledge,
• Expertise in their chosen field, the ability to achieve a balanced view, an open and flexible mind
• A good knowledge of the English language - the ability to read write and spell
• Impetus to reach a goal, disciplined.

Question 2

• Should be honest and punctual, tolerant and open-minded with a spirit of adventure
• Some experience outside university would be ideal, as would leadership qualities
• The ability to change and accept constructive criticism, and challenge ideas
• A high IQ, and high standards generally, and the desire to give something back.

• Adaptation of knowledge to work and life experiences
• Computer literacy should be taught

• On-going assessment and appraisal by a team of tutors
• Character resume
• Long term relationship with tutors to measure value-added
• Self assessment

• Quality of different institutions; degrees
• Difficult to assess students
• How to choose amongst graduates
• Quality of tutors
• Different reasons for entering HE
• Measures may not be acceptable to undergraduates

Appendix 1b

• Ability to communicate clearly, listening with empathy and on paper - spelling important, though shouldn't hold people back. Cultural and regional differences in communication recognised.
• Self growth, personal achievement, 'roundness' of individual
• Confidence in chosen subject, and a deeper understanding and knowledge.
• Older students felt to value the opportunity to study and grow, and have the ability to stick at something - hard working, motivated.

• Benefit from maturity, but have other problems - time and resources
• A different sort of graduate, not 'cloistered'
• Value their experience more, particularly as there is a financial investment
• A greater ability to recognise the overall picture
• An awareness of their own inadequacies.

• Reflection of general qualities in course work
• Grading helpful on the way through courses
• Role of tutor central

• Grading - an incentive to achieve - valued by some students - though majority disagreed
• Clearer goals and targets needed

• Students in a changing, evolving system
• Self growth not measurable - varies with individuals
• Grading can be humiliating and demoralising
• Competition between institutions - desirable?

Nottingham Trent student responses

• Biomedical Science
• Plant and Environmental Science
• Microbial and Molecular Biology

Second shorter session run with about thirty five part-time day release BSc Hons Biological Sciences students. These are first and second year students almost all holding HNC or equivalent qualifications and working full-time in pharmaceutical, contract testing etc, companies, research laboratories and hospitals.

Dr Neil Macfarlane
Dr Rob Beattie
Dept of Life Sciences
May 1996

Appendix 2a: Graduate Attributes (Sandwich Students)

• Diplomacy - ability to work with other people (team player)
• Sense of responsibility to oneself and others
• Self-confidence and maturity
• Communication skills
• Self-motivation

• Self-knowledge of abilities and limitations
• Higher professional goals and attitudes (than non-graduates)
• Well-rounded knowledge (of life beyond the narrow subject field)
• Personal organisation abilities (problem solving, stress management, working to deadlines, time management)
• Information handling (ability to acquire and pass on new information)

• Many attributes identified felt strongly to be induced and/or enhanced by industrial training.
• All above are desirable but not common to all graduates.

Further Attributes (Sandwich Students)

• Financial/business management skills
• Self-confidence
• Industrial/employment experience (sound knowledge of workplace e.g. GLP, COSSH, IT and financial systems)
• Adaptability
• Management skill
• Sense of purpose and direction

• No - very difficult to measure, some more appropriate, other not. Caveat - part-measured in industrial placements by supervisors and as part of Diploma/Certificate in Professional Skills
• Laboratory/Workshop-based course facilitates some assessment
• Ability to measure frustrated by large group teaching
• Psychometric testing has flaws
• Danger of subjective assessment by inexpert HE lectures - expert external assessors might be needed for any credibility
• Wary of measurement on individual basis - might be possible to accredit institution/department/courses
• Strong support for graduates acquiring much broader skills than more subject knowledge.

Appendix 2b: Graduate Attributes (Part-Time Students)

• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
• Common-sense, maturity, initiative and safety awareness
• Time management skills and ability to prioritise tasks
• Confidence in decision making
• Communication skills
• Management skills - particularly ability to delegate tasks (with expectation that experience after graduation is major factor)

• Problem solving abilities
• Capacity for logical thought
• Self-motivation and drive
• Ability to put new knowledge into practice
• Recognition of importance of experience and life-long learning

• No time for measure on Part-Time course
• Part-Time students more likely to possess such attributes acquired through employment
• Some difficult to measure, others easy e.g. deadlines
• Don't grade them, but expect a 'satisfactory' level.

Portsmouth University student responses

Attributes of 'Graduateness'

• Ability to apply oneself/commitment to the matter at hand
• Communication skills - self-presentation:
  • verbal
  • written
• Social skills:
  • self-confidence
  • independence
• Character:
  • maturity
  • motivation
• Coping under pressure (not measurable but implicit)
• Time management (not measurable but implicit)
• Planning/organisation
• Logical/analytical mind/rationality
• Assertiveness
• Experience of life/special culture of University (special perspective)
• Desirable:
  • Work experience/application of knowledge
  • Foreign language
  • Teamwork
  • Trainablility

Appendix 3b: Attributes of a graduate

• Public Speaking
• General communication (verbal and written) (different levels)
• Social skills
• Confidence in expressing own view
• Working as a team
• Leadership skills
• Self discipline, time management, organisation
• Analytical skills
• Work processing skills
• Research skills

• How to write CVs (controversial)
• Careers education

• Attributes in Question 1 should be assessed and graded
• Those in Question 2 should not

Appendix 3c: What is a Graduate?

• Research Skills (is this proof of the ability to learn?)
• The ability to identify potential 'problem areas' in any context
• Approaching and solving problems systematically
• Ability to cope and perform under pressure
• Ability to adapt to new situations/surrounding
• Social skills
• Experience of stress/stress management
• Ability to grasp new ideas quickly
• Be open minded; look at ideas form all perspectives and viewpoints
• Application of theoretical ideas and principles
• Increased confidence
• Ability to work independently as well as in groups
• Multi-tasking different topics at once

• Understanding/knowledge of whole Graduate systems in relation to work environment systems
• Ability to prove that they have knowledge
• Ability to develop thoughts and research ideas
• Ability to tailor future careers to reflect the Graduate's 'student experience' (assuming it was good!)
• Desire to achieve above average results in a career.

• Attributes can be measured, but should not be graded
• Should be measured at University level to ensure consistency, rather than at local level
• Did not say how they can be measured, simply that they could
• Dead against grading; who determines what is good? Every individual is different; you cannot set a 'grade' on confidence building/social skills

Appendix 3d: Attributes of 'Graduateness'

• Ability to learn to a certain level
• Communication skills
• Social skills
• Independence
• Hold a reasoned debate
• Self motivation
• Intellectual skills
• Confidence
• Analytical, group working, presentation skills
• Critical skills
• Time keeping
• Look after self

• Assertiveness
• Leadership
• Presentation
• Communication
• These are important and should be addressed

• No to social skills
• Skills should be graded as part of the course
• Is a grade appropriate? Can judge from interview

London Guildhall University student responses

The students agreed that graduates should have the following attributes:

• Analytical skills
• Independence of thought
• The ability to question
• Intellectual awareness - is to be expected in graduates, although it may occur in non-graduates, but for them, this attribute cannot be taken for granted
• Ability to work form resources - the assimilation and interpretation of data
• Ability to appreciate that college work is just a basic training, not a standard expected in the workplace {NB: this point was DISPUTED by some, who believed that not all students study for jobs, but for the study itself.]
• Sense of achievement that comes form getting a degree
• Graduates should have a chance of getting a better job
• Communication skills (thought not unique to graduates), verbal and non-verbal
• Highly developed social skills
• Greater cultural appreciation (through mixing with great diversity of people at college)
• Ability to use language precisely
• Rationality
• Personal development and growth, self-confidence
• A sense of social and personal responsibility, ability to be participative citizens
• Ability to be a team player
• IT skills - hopefully, graduates will have these
• Time management skills

Anne Morris
David Slater
Educational Development and Support Service
London Guildhall University
23rd May 1996

Appendix 4b

The outcomes were clustered around various ideas, expressed below.

1. The personal importance and status of holding a degree

All four groups raised this idea in their conversations, expressed as:

being a graduate shows (at least to other people/friends/relatives/employers) that the holder is on a high intellectual plane

having a degree is important in itself, as well as being useful for employment, as it has a recognised status

The goal of obtaining a degree is personally important, and is the first major stage in achieving further goals in life

It's a benchmark, a stepping stone

A personal sense of achievement

Graduates receive extended recognition from family and friends, who are proud of them

A sense of achievement in proving oneself and of striving for this sense of personal fulfilment

2. The development of communication ("person") skills

Three of the three groups (1,3,4) raised this subject, as follow:

People or communication skills are intensively developed through degree study .. but students should not be graded as some are shy even thought they contribute in other, less obvious, ways

Students are encouraged to undertake public speaking, and this helps to structure one's speech, and heighten awareness of what one is saying

Communication skills are greatly developed as an integral part of degree study

Oral, and other communication skills, are thoroughly developed, as language skills are the most important aspect of law .. they can be measured and examined through presentations, for example

Speaking in public, in debate, in class, which is new to most entrants, is an acquired skill by graduation, and very important

Graduates have developed the ability to deal effectively and well with people and to be adaptable

Three groups (1,2,4) raised this:

Time management, especially juggling priorities, is central to study, and it should be recognised especially for mature students with responsibilities such as childcare and having part-time jobs

Studying for a degree involves prioritising skills ... this is assessed by the students' ability to undertake their work on time and to specified standards

Handling pressure and meeting deadlines are essential .. they are assessed by whether students hand work in on time to qualify for marking, by being able to cope with workloads and priorities which conflict, and the pressures to produce good quality work

All groups mentioned their personal growth, and changed, wider, perspectives, as a consequence of studying in a university environment, as follows:

Degree study is an intense process of maturity - mental, emotional, rationality - it is a period of personal development

We come out with a developed sense of judgement - which is also practically demonstrated through our ability to determine what is needed, e.g. planning and production of work, and it can be easily measured

Graduates will have developed, through their studies, their own sense of direction for the future - they are essentially self-motivated .. this is indirectly assessed through course work and exams in what the student chooses to do and how

Graduates have proved that they have taken a major step further in life, which is life-changing and progressive, personally and academically

Graduates have met and worked with a wide range of different people, which gives them a better understanding of the world

Self-esteem is a by-product of being a student, and through the learning experience, which is demonstrated by graduates having more confidence in social and academic life, such as in essays, class debates, job applications, dealings with people

Graduateness represents the intense experience of university study and life

Being at college, and of study, within a university environment and meeting and working with the widest range of other students gives graduates a broader outlook and a richer experience of life

For us (as overseas students) we are lucky to be able to learn to speak another language as a native, and to experience the cultural benefits of living abroad whilst studying

Graduates have had the opportunity to learn other, broader areas outside the degree subject areas, such as photography, which develops the student personally or professionally

Graduates have had a large space of time out at college to either mature or choose not to, away from the 'reality' of work pressures

Degree study represents a separate part of one's life, which is outside and different from the norm, it is a unique experience and opportunity

All groups were very aware of this and raised the subject thus:

Graduates have good employability and prospects

graduates have developed their professional standing, thereby furthering their careers

Graduates have better employment opportunities, as they are considered to be more employable

A degree represents long-term commitment on the part of the graduate, as represented by the long period of study

There is a better chance of obtaining a job we really want rather than any old one, or none at all

Two groups (1,4) raised this:

Graduates should have confidence, ideally, which should be demonstrable, and is useful for employment and social reasons such as personal self-confidence

Self-esteem

All groups specified learning or developing additional skills as an integral part of their study

We have undertaken a great deal of team working ... which is assessed through practical, group assignments

Graduates need to develop additional skills, like using the word-processor, to successfully complete their courses, which are implicitly assessed

Self-motivation, both for study and in life

The ability to manage stress

The desire and the professional desirability to keep on learning after graduation, to keep on top of the subject and to develop one's own skills and knowledge

Speaking in public and other communication skills

One group (4) raised this:

Graduates have developed a sense of values, both in the broader and specific senses - know what is right and wrong, socially, morally and legally

Graduates are best placed to not only help themselves, but just as importantly, to help the community, through advising others and offering expertise, and so on

Anne Morris
London Guildhall University

Appendix 4c

Due to a shortness of time and impending exams and deadlines for students the approach we used was slightly unorthodox. In all we interviewed nine groups of three to five students and also gained individual responses from five others. Most of the respondents were Level 2 Psychology, Communications and Language students and were over 25.

Questions and outcomes:

When students graduate, they are expected to possess knowledge, understanding, skill and other qualities specific to their field of study. What further attributes would you expect graduates to possess on graduation?

Answers included: Communication skills, organisational skill, realisation of potential, inter personal skills, adaptability, confidence, computer skills, time management, formulate concepts of field and apply them to other areas, cynical skills. Can they, and should they, be measured and graded? On the whole many felt that these attributes should be measured and increasingly were through regular assessment, presentations and through work placement.

Conclusion:

Although some of the responses were fairly common there did tend to be some difference between younger and older students. For example for 18 year olds University meant building confidence, adapting to new surroundings and developing new social skills. For those who had been working for a few years they felt that the skills outlined above were not unique to graduates.

Neil Taylor
London Guildhall University Students' Union

Appendix 5: Notes from the discussion by the researchers

1. Should graduates be expected to possess attributes that go beyond the knowledge, understanding, skill and other qualities that are specific to their field of study?
2. What might those attributes be?
3. Can they, and should they, be measured at different levels?

First discussion, in reply to question 1:

This flexibility is not unique to the graduate - it can come form maturity and experience. Therefore what is unique to the graduate is the blending of knowldedge and skills in a short period of time - the intensity of the learning experience.

Second discussion:

There are also groups of ethical values within subject which graduates will have specifically developed. One such example would be the ability of medical students to debate the ethics of vanity surgery against life-saving work.

Third discussion:

Is the ideal graduate the ideal person? Are we not just describing the ideal citizen? Should not most people have approached this state by the age of, say, 40? Is therefore the 'special-ness' of being a graduate the spped and intensity of getting to this state?

Fouth discussion, in reply to question 2 (What might the attributes be?):

• Assertiveness
• Notions of empathy and sympathy
• Confidence, self-confidence, maturity
• Pro-activeness, self-motivation
• Ability to work with others
• Employability
• Personal 'value-added'
• All forms of communication skill
• The ability to both act and reflect
• The taking of responsibility
• Self-evaluation and self-improvement
• Being well-organised, able to keep to time
• The capacity to assess and interpret knowledge
• Being open-minded and felxible
• Able to consturct a coherent world view
• Involved in life-long learning
• Keen for knowledge and experinece
• Valuing intellectual personal freedoms
• Getting on with people, a 'team player'

Fifth discussion, in reply to question 3 (measurement and levels):

Debate about means of measurement:

• Against an absolute standard?
• By 'value added'?
• By an individual's progress - using protfolio?
• Who would assess? Do the academic staff have the ability?

Do the attributes 'emerge' or are they actively cultuivated?

Is there a guarantee that all students will acquire these attributes while studying in an institution? Some may develop later, or in life outside the instiution. Industrial training, for example, can give student a number of these attributes.

Does this make the institution the place for assessment, no matter how the attributes have nbeen acquired or developed?