Graduate Attributes from a Chinese Perspective

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Graduate Attributes from a Chinese Perspective

• Fiona Henderson
• Victoria University, Melbourne
• November 2007

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Research issues How do we communicate?

• Transnational transcultural communication
• Communicative dysfunctionality
• outsider research

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Australian graduates

• Generic skills
• Graduate skills
• Employability skills
• Personal skills
• Technical skills

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Australian Graduate Attributes

• Victoria Uni
• Problem solving
• Using information
• Oral written communication
• Working as a professional
• Autonomously
• Collaboratively
• Social cultural diversity
• (Career Mngment Competencies)

• Charles Darwin Uni
• Personal practical knowledge
• Application
• Creativity
• knowledgebase
• Citizenship
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Social responsibility
• Worldview
• Flexibility
• leadership

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Developed through

• Curriculum
• Part-time employment
• Sport
• Community work
• Clubs societies

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University Workplace

• Practice vs theory
• Procedural knowledge
• Action research leads to practice change
• Reward for a job well done advancement
• Work defines admin structures

• Theory vs practice
• Propositional knowledge
• Knowledge creation via validated research
• Reward as assessment
• Academic admin structures

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Research method

• Adaptive theory
• the word adaptive is meant to convey that the
  theory either adapts to, or is shaped by,
  incoming evidence while the data itself is
  filtered through, and is thus adapted by, the
  prior theoretical materials (frameworks,
  concepts, ideas) that are relevant to their
  analysis (Layder 1998).
• Self Situated Activity Setting Context
• Surveys interviews with
• Lecturers
• Students
• Employers

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(No Transcript)
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Situation in China

• Central government initiatives
• Business environments and structures
• Small to medium private enterprises
• State owned enterprises
• Joint ventures
• Multinational companies
• Chinese Ministry of Education initiatives

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Curriculum

• Curriculum writing department
• Little formalised input from employers
• Exam based assessment
• Theory is knowledge
• Work observation in last 6 months
• No Centre for Work Integrated Learning

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Chinese CGAs

• Dont formally exist
• Respect
• Harmony
• Obedience
• Relationships
• Humbleness
• Problems with confidence, assertiveness

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Employment

• University groups
• Professional experience
• How does one find work?
• Connections
• Job fairs
• Alumni
• What else do employers value?
• Focus
• English language skills

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Chinese Ministry of Education

• Most recent accreditations require approx 25 of
  practice-type elements in the curriculum
• Assessed
• By 2008 all unis need to have been reviewed for
  accreditation
• Negative consequences
• Poor enrolments, poor employment outcomes
• Yellow cards and red cards, now A, B, C, D

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Lanzhou Uni of Technology

• 4 year fostering plan
• gt26 of credit points to be practice component
  but some can be thesis
• Compulsory
• All disciplines
• Can include non-career focused activities
• Previously only in last semester of last year but
  now more distributed

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Examples

• Site visits
• Small projects eg marketing students given
  scenarios to develop marketing plans
• One month observation blocks (eg translating
  work at oil company, interpreting service)
• One semester assistance to foreign teachers

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Liaoning University

• Passed Accreditation with A in 2005
• AABCs fostering plan for its 3 majors aims of
  education and direction for employment
• Website "Students will have good command of
  systematic knowledge of theories in the
  professional field with high proficiency of
  foreign language and basic skills for theoretical
  research and daily practice. They will be well
  adapted to globalization of economy".

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Victoria University

• Learning in the Workplace
• An activity that uses the workplace as a site for
  teaching and learning and provides students with
  the experience of the employment context
• and Community
• A teaching and learning activity that combines
  student learning with the provision of service
  that is conducted in and meets the needs of the
  community.

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VUs LiWC intent

• To provide a context for student learning which
• enhances the learning experience,
• improves employment outcomes experiences
• prepares students to develop their future career.

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Good Practice Principles

• The LiWC activity is
• beneficial for all parties
• integral part of the curriculum
• Learning outcomes are clearly defined
• Includes critical reflection on LiWC experience
• Assessment reflects learning outcomes
• Assessment criteria includes levels standards
• All parties are adequately prepared
• Learners are supported in the workplace
• Quality of activity is subject to continuous
  improvement
• Activity is resourced appropriately

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Conclusion

• How do we communicate?
• Graduate attributes from a Chinese perspective is
  a term that is difficult to translate
• Many Chinese students in China have limited
  understanding of their future workplace
• fiona.henderson_at_vu.edu.au