Developing and assessing graduate attributes

1
Developing and assessing graduate attributes
Some perspectives from teaching and learning

• Stuart Palmer
• Institute of Teaching and Learning

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The worlds most boring topicBut sometimes the
important things arent that interesting

• Stuart Palmer
• Institute of Teaching and Learning

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Graduate attributes

• What are they?

4
Graduate attributes

• Arising from the push in higher education for
• quality assurance
• accountability for outcomes and
• capability of graduates
• Specifying a list of qualities or capabilities
  that graduates will attain provides a benchmark
  against which the performance of a higher
  education institution can be measured

5
Graduate attributes

• An inventory of desired / intended graduate
  attributes may be expressed in a range of forms
• Currently, Deakin has structured its statement of
  graduate attributes using the categories of
• knowledge and understanding, and
• skills

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Graduate attributes Accounting

• Core Curriculum in Accounting and Business Areas
• Financial accounting
• Management accounting
• Finance
• Auditing and assurance
• Australian commercial and corporations law
• Australian taxation
• Information systems design and development
• Economics
• Quantitative methods
• Ethics across the curriculum Ethics is an
  important element in the development of new
  accounting and business professionals. It is
  expected that higher education providers will
  refer to ethical decision-making models,
  principles and values across the curriculum of
  accredited programs and, where possible,
  encourage debate on ethical issues based on
  practical cases.

Source http//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ImageAc
counting_cycle.gif
7
Graduate attributes - Accounting

• Generic skills in the core curriculum
• COGNITIVE SKILLS
• Routine Skills
• Particularly
• report writing
• computer literacy.
• Analytic/Design Skills
• Particularly the ability to
• identify, find, evaluate, organise and manage
  information and evidence
• initiate and conduct research
• analyse, reason logically, conceptualise
  issues
• solve problems and construct arguments
• interpret data and reports
• engage in ethical reasoning.
• Appreciative Skills
• Particularly the ability to
• receive, evaluate and react to new ideas

BEHAVIOURAL SKILLS Personal Skills Particularly
the ability to be flexible in new/different
situations act strategically think and
act independently be focused on outcomes
tolerate ambiguity think creatively.
Interpersonal Skills Particularly the ability
to listen effectively present, discuss
and defend views transfer and receive
knowledge negotiate with people from
different backgrounds and with different value
systems understand group dynamics
collaborate with colleagues.
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Graduate attributes

• Problems / limitations?

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Graduate attributes caveats

• It is important to make the distinction between a
  program of study that has been designed to
  provide opportunities for students to be exposed
  to activities intended to develop, exercise and
  assess certain graduate attributes,
• and those attributes that students have actually
  developed by the time they graduate from their
  program of study

10
Graduate attributes caveats

• Having a list of graduate attributes published on
  the web or in a handbook does not automatically
  mean that
• their existence and importance has been well
  communicated to students, staff and other
  stakeholders
• students appreciate the importance and relevance
  of the various attributes in their studies and
• exposure to the theory, practise and assessment
  of attributes has been coherently integrated
  across the program curriculum

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Graduate attributes caveats

• Graduate attributes, particularly generic
  attributes are not underpinned by a strong
  conceptual framework, and the efforts of
  universities to describe them, and university
  staff to teach them are characterised by a wide
  range of differing terminology, viewpoints and
  approaches
• (see Simon Barrie University of Sydney)

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Graduate attributes caveats

• Despite a pervasive influence on recent policy
  developments in higher education, the evidence
  from the literature indicates that graduate
  attributes have generally been implemented only
  in limited ways, and viewed by many staff as a
  primarily managerially-driven curriculum reform
  agenda

13
Graduate attributes caveats

• Another criticism of some graduate attributes is
  that they purport to imbue students with a range
  of knowledge, skills and attitudes that are not
  directly observable in the course of a program of
  study, or, cannot be determined to be in evidence
  until some future period in the students
  personal and/or professional life, leaving the
  university with a certification task that is
  logically and/or practically impossible

14
Henry David Thoreau (1817 1862)

• We falsely attribute to men a determined
  character - putting together all their yesterdays
  - and averaging them - we presume we know them.

Source http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ImageHenry_D
avid_Thoreau.jpg
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Graduate attributes - caveats

• Attributes relating to objective knowledge and
  specific observable skills are more readily
  visible and assessable, causing concern that the
  practicalities of what can be measured have led
  to graduate attribute lists emphasising skills
  and contributing to the vocationalisation of
  higher education

Source http//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/comm
ons/9/93/Boeing_787-9_View.jpg
Source http//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ImageTr
epanation_-_feldbuch-der_wundartzney.png
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Eric Temple Bell (1883 1960)

• Any impatient student of mathematics or science
  or engineering who is irked by having algebraic
  symbolism thrust upon him should try to get along
  without it for a week.

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Even (some of) the critics concede

• It is acknowledged that the observed problems do
  not necessarily represent a fundamental
  deficiency in the concept of graduate attributes
  itself
• It is not unreasonable that a university, or
  other institution, should be able to explicitly
  define what its intended student learning
  outcomes are

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Attributes of a Deakin graduate

• All Deakin programs will encourage students to
  develop attitudes of intellectual curiosity and
  motivation for independent thinking, autonomous
  learning and reflective professional and personal
  practice, and a commitment to ethical and
  sustainable practices. Appropriate to its level
  of study and discipline composition, each program
  will be designed to ensure that students develop
  their knowledge and understanding as well as a
  range of generic skills. These are described
  below.

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Attributes of a Deakin graduate

• Knowledge and understanding
• understanding of, and the ability to work with, a
  systematic body of knowledge, appropriate to the
  focus and level of the qualification based on the
  highest standards of scholarship and research
• and where research is undertaken
• ability to initiate and formulate viable and
  relevant research questions
• contribution to new knowledge, or an original
  interpretation and application of existing
  knowledge
• understanding of the social, economic and
  cultural impact and application of their
  research, and its academic relevance and value
• understanding of the professional, social,
  economic and cultural contexts of the discipline
  and related fields
• awareness of ethical issues, social
  responsibility and cultural diversity
• understanding and appreciation of international
  perspectives in a global environment.

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Attributes of a Deakin graduate

• Skills
• critical analysis, problem solving, and creative
  thinking
• identifying, gathering, evaluating and using
  information
• communicating effectively and appropriately in a
  range of contexts
• developing, planning and managing independent
  work
• working effectively as part of a team
• effectively using information and communication
  technologies
• applying knowledge learned in the program to new
  situations.

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Employers of Deakin graduates

• Attributes that were ranked as important by
  employers and for which they rated Deakin
  graduates highly included interpersonal skills,
  capacity to work in teams and work
  collaboratively, information and communication
  technology literacy, and an appreciation of the
  need to keep up to date in their field of
  education
• Attributes which were ranked as important by
  employers and for which they rated Deakin
  graduates as not performing highly included oral
  communication skills, written communication
  skills and conflict management skills

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2005 AUQA audit of Deakin

• that Deakin University communicate to students
  more effectively the nature and aims of the
  Deakin Advantage the then current name of the
  suite of Deakins graduate attributes and assist
  them to document the discipline-specific and
  generic skills they are developing throughout
  their course.
• (Australian Universities Quality Agency, 2005, p.
  19)

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Engineering graduate attributes

• Graduates from an accredited engineering
  program should have the following attributes
• ability to apply knowledge of basic science and
  engineering fundamentals
• ability to communicate effectively, not only with
  engineers but also with the community at large
• in-depth technical competence in at least one
  engineering discipline
• ability to undertake problem identification,
  formulation and solution
• ability to utilise a systems approach to design
  and operational performance
• ability to function effectively as an individual
  and in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural
  teams, with the capacity to be a leader or
  manager as well as an effective team member
• understanding of the social, cultural, global and
  environmental responsibilities of the
  professional engineer, and the need for
  sustainable development
• understanding of the principles of sustainable
  design and development
• understanding of professional and ethical
  responsibilities and commitment to them and
• expectation of the need to undertake lifelong
  learning, and capacity to do so.

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Grad. attributes other stakeholders

• the institution
• the profession / accrediting body
• academic staff
• current students
• alumni
• employers of graduates from the program
• adjunct professors and other external academic
  advisors
• program academic advisory boards
• etc.

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Interpreting graduate attributes

• Many institutions identify a hierarchy of levels,
  with general graduate attributes at the top
• At the next level, each attribute may have a
  range of elements that students must demonstrate,
  which are often program-specific
• There may be additional levels of
  discipline-specific specification between this
  level and the complete range of individual
  student learning objectives for a program

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Interpreting graduate attributes

• Does anyone remember
• The Deakin Advantage?

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Learning from history
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Interpreting graduate attributes

• Understanding of, and the ability to work with, a
  systematic body of knowledge, appropriate to the
  focus and level of the qualification based on the
  highest standards of scholarship and research
• Demonstrate up-to-date, systematic and coherent
  knowledge of a field of study.
• Understand how knowledge is dynamically produced
  in the field of study and have a working
  knowledge of its characteristic methods of
  inquiry.
• Be aware of the central debates within the field
  of study and recognise the historical contingency
  and transient nature of the knowledge base.
• Demonstrate applications of theory to practice in
  real or simulated situations.

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Interpreting graduate attributes

• Identifying, gathering, evaluating and using
  information
• Demonstrate information literacy skills including
  the ability to identify the types and sources of
  information required to address a problem find
  and retrieve information use the information
  effectively and appropriately and critically
  evaluate information resources.
• Interpret and solve problems appropriate for a
  beginning professional within the discipline.
• Demonstrate knowledge of typical problems met at
  initial levels of practice.
• Read, interpret, synthesise, evaluate and
  communicate using the vocabularies, modes,
  genres, symbols and terms used within the field
  of study.
• Use current technologies appropriate to entry
  level work in the field.

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Graduate attributes in the curriculum

• No single element of a program could hope to be
  responsible for more than a small part of the
  total graduate attribution formation
• Each attribute will, typically, involve staged
  development across the program, increasing in
  depth and sophistication as the student
  progresses through their studies

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The green fields approach
Source Jolly, L. (2001). Graduate Attributes
Fact Sheet 1.10 Implementing Graduate Attributes.
Brisbane, Australia University of Queensland,
The Value Added Career Start Program.
32
The green fields approach
Source Jolly, L. (2001). Graduate Attributes
Fact Sheet 1.10 Implementing Graduate Attributes.
Brisbane, Australia University of Queensland,
The Value Added Career Start Program.
33
The green fields approach
Source Jolly, L. (2001). Graduate Attributes
Fact Sheet 1.10 Implementing Graduate Attributes.
Brisbane, Australia University of Queensland,
The Value Added Career Start Program.
34
The brown fields approach

• In practice, many programs already exist, and the
  opportunities to vary the program design may be
  comparatively limited, due to the pre-existing
  structures of prerequisites, unit streams,
  assessment types, etc.
• An alternative approach is conduct an audit of
  how an existing program addresses the development
  and assessment of graduate attributes

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A graduate attribute audit
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Graduate attributes in the curriculum

• Normally, we would expect graduate attributes to
  be developed in more that one place in a program
  curriculum, such that the students understanding
  of, and ability to use, an attribute grows in
  sophistication as their studies progress

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Graduate attributes - UNE

• Oral communication skills
• Utilization of oral and aural skills within a two
  way process both between individuals and in
  groups, in order to inform, educate, persuade,
  and to influence behaviour. Oral communication
  skills should be demonstrated in a wide variety
  of contexts, and should display progressively
  increasing complexity and challenge, throughout
  the degree program.
• Level and Description
• 1. Students should be competent in giving a short
  oral presentation using appropriate structure and
  technologies in a range of classroom contexts.
• 2. Debate students should competently present
  arguments, evidence and counter arguments in a
  mildly adversarial environment.
• 3. Group facilitation (homogeneous group)
  Students should be able to utilize dialogue and
  active listening skills to facilitate a group
  through some form of problem solving, strategic
  planning, evaluation, learning etc. exercise.
• 3. Group facilitation (heterogeneous group) as
  for 3 but with a higher level of conflict
  resolution, discourse, divergent and convergent
  thinking skills evidenced in communication, group
  management and information flow.

Source Chapman, L. (2004). Graduate Attributes
Resource Guide. University of New England.
http//www.une.edu.au/gamanual/resource_guide.pdf
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Remember those guidelines?
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Implementing graduate attributes

• Effectively using information and communication
  technologies
• Specify information technological literacy skills
  for each year of study and incorporate their
  development into learning programs.
• Set minimum computer literacy requirements for
  commencing students, apply these in assessment
  and provide remedial opportunities for those who
  need them.
• Ensure that each unit incorporates appropriate
  information technological literacy requirements.
• Set assignments that require critical and
  creative use of electronic tools and information.
  
• Make the use of technology for information and
  communication a routine expectation in learning
  activities and assessment practices.
• Foster and support the use of different
  technologies in student presentations.
• Encourage students to routinely critique the
  appropriateness and effectiveness of technologies.

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Implementing graduate attributes

• Developing, planning and managing independent
  work
• Assign students to develop a career plan as an
  outcome of their course that incorporates the Job
  Ready Career Ready program (accessible on the
  Division of Student Life website).
• As part of group assignments, introduce students
  to the concepts of leadership and ask them to
  assess their own and others contributions to
  outcomes.
• Embed the development of time management skills,
  including meeting deadlines and punctuality, in
  assessed work and attendance expectations.
• Work with the Division of Student Life to
  incorporate their relevant programs into
  assignments.
• As part of work-related assignments and work
  placements, encourage reflection on
  organisational and personal management skills.
• Create a variety of learning environments that
  require students to work in different ways in
  different contexts.
• Assign the development of personal portfolios,
  either paper-based or electronic.

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Assessment and graduate attributes

• Designing a program curriculum to expose students
  to a range of learning activities intended to
  develop certain graduate attributes is a
  necessary step, but, in itself, does not ensure
  that students have actually developed the desired
  attributes
• One element of such an assurance is including
  assessment tasks that seek to measure the
  students attainment of the desired attribute(s)

42
Assessment and graduate attributes
Source Jolly, L. (2001). Graduate Attributes
Fact Sheet 1.10 Implementing Graduate Attributes.
Brisbane, Australia University of Queensland,
The Value Added Career Start Program.
43
Assessment of graduate attributes

• If we wish to close the loop between graduate
  attributes and assessment, we need to specify
  assessment criteria that provide an objective
  measure(s) of the level of student mastery of the
  set assessment task, as well as the level of
  mastery of the implied learning activity(s),
  learning objective(s) and graduate attributes
  that are embedded in the assessment task

44
Good assessment criteria (UQ)

• They should be sufficient to enable an assessor
  to judge the presence or absence of the ability
  in a student
• They should allow for levels of development in a
  students ability
• They should be clear enough to enable a learner
  to imagine a performance that would demonstrate
  the ability
• They should provide a picture of the ability in
  action
• They should include qualitative dimensions of
  performance
• They should not be directions, steps, tasks or
  formal requirements

Source Jolly, L. (2001). Graduate Attributes
Fact Sheet 1.10 Implementing Graduate Attributes.
Brisbane, Australia University of Queensland,
The Value Added Career Start Program.
45
Good assessment criteria (UOW)

• specific to each task
• clear and sufficiently detailed so as to provide
  guidance to students undertaking assessment task
• transparent (i.e. stated in advance)
• justifiable (i.e. linked to learning objectives)
  and achievable
• appropriate to weightings
• where appropriate, supported by a verbal or
  written statement about what constitutes the
  various levels of performance

Source University of Wollongong. (2007). B2.
Assessment Criteria -Learning Teaching _at_ UOW.
http//www.uow.edu.au/about/teaching/goodpractice/
UOW008512.html
46
Assessment of graduate attributes
Source University of Wollongong. (2007). B2.
Assessment Criteria -Learning Teaching _at_ UOW.
http//www.uow.edu.au/about/teaching/goodpractice/
UOW008512.html
47
Assessment ofgraduate attributes
Source Jolly, L. (2001). Graduate Attributes
Fact Sheet 1.10 Implementing Graduate Attributes.
Brisbane, Australia University of Queensland,
The Value Added Career Start Program.
48
Assessment other approaches

• The use of detailed assessment criteria for
  individual assignments is an important part of
  establishing the incremental attainment of
  graduate attributes
• If graduate attributes have been embedded into
  the program curriculum, then, taken together,
  satisfactory performance by a student in all of
  the formal assessment activities should represent
  satisfactory attainment of the required program
  graduate attributes

49
Assessment student portfolios

• The benefits of portfolios are summarised as
• they can contain many different types of
  evidence
• they resolve many types of assessment problems in
  equity and moderation
• they provide a richer picture of students
  learning and competency
• students are actively involved in the building of
  the portfolio
• they are well suited to authentic learning
  environments
• they can be used in a wide range of contexts and
• they provide a means for students to manage their
  own professional development

50
Assessment student portfolios

• For the task of assessing outcomes of an entire
  program of study, a portfolio can act as an
  integrator, bringing together and assessing the
  whole program
• including allowing students to demonstrate
  attainment of particular attributes that may not
  have been explicitly summatively assessed at any
  point during their prior studies

51
Assessment other approaches

• Program graduates/alumni can be surveyed to seek
  their perceptions of the effectiveness of their
  studies in equipping them with the required
  attributes
• Employers of graduates can be surveyed to seek
  their assessment of how well the graduate
  exhibits the required attributes

52
Assessment other approaches

• Where student evaluation of teaching (SET)
  surveys include items relating to the development
  of graduate attributes, this data can provide a
  measure of the contribution of individual units
  to the development of program graduate attributes

53
Assessment other approaches

• The Generic Skills scale of the CEQ contains the
  following question items
• GS06 - The course helped me develop my ability to
  work as a team member
• GS14 - The course sharpened my analytic skills
• GS23 - The course developed my problem solving
  skills
• GS32 - The course improved my skills in written
  communication
• GS42 - As a result of my course, I feel confident
  about tackling unfamiliar problems
• GS43 - The course helped me to develop the
  ability to plan my own work

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www.deakin.edu.au/itl/pd/tl-modules/curriculum
55
Case study - An online student portfolio for
engagement with graduate attributes
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Engineering Education

• Internationally, engineering education
  accrediting bodies have moved toward
  outcomes-based assessment of graduate competency
• This is typically realised in the form of a list
  of graduate attributes that students should
  exhibit by the completion of their studies

57
Graduate attributes Deakin Uni

• Knowledge and understanding
• understanding of, and the ability to work with,
  a systematic body of knowledge, appropriate to
  the focus and level of the qualification based on
  the highest standards of scholarship and research
  
• and where research is undertaken
• ability to initiate and formulate viable and
  relevant research questions
• contribution to new knowledge, or an original
  interpretation and application of existing
  knowledge
• understanding of the social, economic and
  cultural impact and application of their
  research, and its academic relevance and value
• understanding of the professional, social,
  economic and cultural contexts of the discipline
  and related fields
• awareness of ethical issues, social
  responsibility and cultural diversity
• understanding and appreciation of international
  perspectives in a global environment.
• Skills
• critical analysis, problem solving, and
  creative thinking
• Identifying, gathering, evaluating and using
  information
• communicating effectively and appropriately in
  a range of contexts
• developing, planning and managing independent
  work
• working effectively as part of a team
• effectively using information and communication
  technologies
• applying knowledge learned in the program to
  new situations.

58
Graduate attributes - Eng Aust
59
Eng Aust - Competency standard
60
Graduate attributes a caveat

• It is important to make the distinction between
  processes which ensure that a program will
  contain opportunities for student to learn and
  practice desired attributes (certification of the
  program), and, processes which seek to certify
  actual student attainment of graduate attributes

61
Engineering online portfolio trial aims

1. Translate both Deakins and Engineers Australias
   graduate attributes into discipline-contextualised
   attributes for engineering
2. Develop an on-line student portfolio system based
   on WebCT Vista
3. Using a sub-set of these graduate attributes,
   embed the use of the on-line student portfolio
   into the assessment of that unit
4. Conduct a trial and evaluation of the portfolio

62
2005 AUQA audit of Deakin

• that Deakin University communicate to students
  more effectively the nature and aims of the
  Deakin Advantage the then current name of the
  suite of Deakins graduate attributes and assist
  them to document the discipline-specific and
  generic skills they are developing throughout
  their course.
• (Australian Universities Quality Agency, 2005, p.
  19)

63
Graduate attributes selected

1. Proficiency in engineering design
2. Ability to communicate effectively, with the
   engineering team and with the community at large
3. Manage own time and processes effectively,
   prioritising competing demands to achieve
   personal and team goals and objectives
4. Fluency in current computer-based word-processing
   and graphics packages
5. Capacity for creativity and innovation

64
The assessable task

1. Evidence Tangible evidence, in an electronic
   form that demonstrates attainment of the
   specified attribute
2. Reflection (at least) 200 words that
   demonstrates understanding of the importance and
   relevance of the attribute

65
A typical portfolio submission
For an engineer, the fluency in current computer
based word processing is vital for documentation
and also good in graphic design helps them to
present the idea to the audience both technical
and non technical in a clearer view. For me, I
have a fluency in word based processing such as
Microsoft Words (Shown in Figure 2) for
documentation, Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet (shown
in Figure 1) and also Microsoft Power Point
Presentation (Shown in Figure 3). All of the
stated above enhance me to make my oral
presentation to my supervisor and fellow students
(MS PowerPoint), present a graph figure to prove
a theory found (MS Excel) and documentation of my
thesis during undergraduate studies (MS
Words). As we all know pictures and graphics
speaks a thousand words. Therefore for an
engineer to present an idea, all they need to do
is present them in graphic form. There are a few
graphic software that Ive learned and able to
deliver some model by using them. They are namely
3D Drawing using Google Sketch Up (Figure 4), PCB
Layout and schematic design using Protel 99
(Figure 5), Circuit Simulation using MultiSIM
7(Figure 6), and simulation of source code using
8051IDE Simulator (Figure 7). The 3D-Drawing
using Google Sketch Up enhances me to present my
idea in a 3D view where I present my idea of my
final year project in dept to my audiences. The
layout of my project is drawn by this software as
referred to Figure 4. Ive used the Protel 99
software to model my PCB Layout and schematic.
Figure 5 shows the PCB Layout of my circuit name
Control Panel. In this software all I need is to
draw the schematic and the entire program can
route the PCB layout for me. This will then ease
my workload and result obtained is up to the
requirement. MultiSIM 7 is used to simulate my
result of the stepper motor as shown in Figure 6.
From this simulation I can verify my results
obtained from the experiment with the result
obtain from the simulation. Circuit needs to be
drawn in order to simulate the result using
MultiSIM 7. 8051 IDE Simulator is used to
simulate the Pentium Assembly Language and if the
error in the source code that Ive written the
appropriate error will be flagged in that
particular register. Ive used this simulator to
track the error during designing the software for
the 8051 microcontroller as shown in Figure 7.
66
Start of semester details
Number of valid responses Number of valid responses Number of valid responses Total class enrolment Total class enrolment Total class enrolment Response rate Response rate Response rate
48 48 48 79 79 79 60.8 percent 60.8 percent 60.8 percent
Mean age Mean age Standard deviation Standard deviation Standard deviation Age range Age range Age range Median Age
26.3 years 26.3 years 7.94 years 7.94 years 7.94 years 20 to 50 years 20 to 50 years 20 to 50 years 23 years
Characteristic Respondent sample Respondent sample Respondent sample Class population Class population Class population Significance test Significance test
Female 6.4 percent 6.4 percent 6.4 percent 5.1 percent 5.1 percent 5.1 percent Small sample Binomial Small sample Binomial
Male 93.6 percent 93.6 percent 93.6 percent 94.9 percent 94.9 percent 94.9 percent p gt 0.43 p gt 0.43
On-campus 68.8 percent 68.8 percent 68.8 percent 65.8 percent 65.8 percent 65.8 percent Chi square test Chi square test
Off-campus 31.2 percent 31.2 percent 31.2 percent 34.2 percent 34.2 percent 34.2 percent ?21 0.12, p gt 0.73 ?21 0.12, p gt 0.73
67
Previously used hardcopy portfolio?
1. Previously used hardcopy portfolio? 2.
Previously used electronic portfolio? 3. Aware of
the concept of graduate attributes? 4. Aware that
Engineers Australia has a list of graduate
attributes?
5. Aware that Deakin University has a list of
graduate attributes? 6. Link between study
assessment, and development of GAs? 7. Understand
the purpose of a student professional portfolio?
68
Previously used electronic portfolio?
1. Previously used hardcopy portfolio? 2.
Previously used electronic portfolio? 3. Aware of
the concept of graduate attributes? 4. Aware that
Engineers Australia has a list of graduate
attributes?
5. Aware that Deakin University has a list of
graduate attributes? 6. Link between study
assessment, and development of GAs? 7. Understand
the purpose of a student professional portfolio?
69
Aware of graduate attributes?
1. Previously used hardcopy portfolio? 2.
Previously used electronic portfolio? 3. Aware of
the concept of graduate attributes? 4. Aware that
Engineers Australia has a list of graduate
attributes?
5. Aware that Deakin University has a list of
graduate attributes? 6. Link between study
assessment, and development of GAs? 7. Understand
the purpose of a student professional portfolio?
70
Engineers Aust. has graduate attributes?
1. Previously used hardcopy portfolio? 2.
Previously used electronic portfolio? 3. Aware of
the concept of graduate attributes? 4. Aware that
Engineers Australia has a list of graduate
attributes?
5. Aware that Deakin University has a list of
graduate attributes? 6. Link between study
assessment, and development of GAs? 7. Understand
the purpose of a student professional portfolio?
71
Deakin has graduate attributes?
1. Previously used hardcopy portfolio? 2.
Previously used electronic portfolio? 3. Aware of
the concept of graduate attributes? 4. Aware that
Engineers Australia has a list of graduate
attributes?
5. Aware that Deakin University has a list of
graduate attributes? 6. Link between study
assessment, and development of GAs? 7. Understand
the purpose of a student professional portfolio?
72
Study, assessment graduate attributes?
1. Previously used hardcopy portfolio? 2.
Previously used electronic portfolio? 3. Aware of
the concept of graduate attributes? 4. Aware that
Engineers Australia has a list of graduate
attributes?
5. Aware that Deakin University has a list of
graduate attributes? 6. Link between study
assessment, and development of GAs? 7. Understand
the purpose of a student professional portfolio?
73
Understand purpose of student portfolio?
1. Previously used hardcopy portfolio? 2.
Previously used electronic portfolio? 3. Aware of
the concept of graduate attributes? 4. Aware that
Engineers Australia has a list of graduate
attributes?
5. Aware that Deakin University has a list of
graduate attributes? 6. Link between study
assessment, and development of GAs? 7. Understand
the purpose of a student professional portfolio?
74
End of semester details
Number of valid responses Number of valid responses Number of valid responses Total class enrolment Total class enrolment Total class enrolment Response rate Response rate Response rate
50 50 50 70 70 70 71.4 percent 71.4 percent 71.4 percent
Mean age Mean age Standard deviation Standard deviation Standard deviation Age range Age range Age range Median Age
25.3 years 25.3 years 7.24 years 7.24 years 7.24 years 20 to 50 years 20 to 50 years 20 to 50 years 22 years
Characteristic Respondent sample Respondent sample Respondent sample Class population Class population Class population Significance test Significance test
Female 6.0 percent 6.0 percent 6.0 percent 5.7 percent 5.7 percent 5.7 percent Small sample Binomial Small sample Binomial
Male 94.0 percent 94.0 percent 94.0 percent 94.3 percent 94.3 percent 94.3 percent p gt 0.54 p gt 0.54
On-campus 78.0 percent 78.0 percent 78.0 percent 72.9 percent 72.9 percent 72.9 percent Chi square test Chi square test
Off-campus 22.0 percent 22.0 percent 22.0 percent 27.1 percent 27.1 percent 27.1 percent ?21 0.41, p gt 0.52 ?21 0.41, p gt 0.52
75
End of semester
1. Previously used hardcopy portfolio? 2.
Previously used electronic portfolio? 3. Aware of
the concept of graduate attributes? 4. Aware that
Engineers Australia has a list of graduate
attributes?
5. Aware that Deakin University has a list of
graduate attributes? 6. Link between study
assessment, and development of GAs? 7. Understand
the purpose of a student professional portfolio?
76
Aware of graduate attributes?
1. Previously used hardcopy portfolio? 2.
Previously used electronic portfolio? 3. Aware of
the concept of graduate attributes? 4. Aware that
Engineers Australia has a list of graduate
attributes?
5. Aware that Deakin University has a list of
graduate attributes? 6. Link between study
assessment, and development of GAs? 7. Understand
the purpose of a student professional portfolio?
77
Engineers Aust. has graduate attributes?
1. Previously used hardcopy portfolio? 2.
Previously used electronic portfolio? 3. Aware of
the concept of graduate attributes? 4. Aware that
Engineers Australia has a list of graduate
attributes?
5. Aware that Deakin University has a list of
graduate attributes? 6. Link between study
assessment, and development of GAs? 7. Understand
the purpose of a student professional portfolio?
78
Deakin has graduate attributes?
1. Previously used hardcopy portfolio? 2.
Previously used electronic portfolio? 3. Aware of
the concept of graduate attributes? 4. Aware that
Engineers Australia has a list of graduate
attributes?
5. Aware that Deakin University has a list of
graduate attributes? 6. Link between study
assessment, and development of GAs? 7. Understand
the purpose of a student professional portfolio?
79
Study, assessment graduate attributes?
1. Previously used hardcopy portfolio? 2.
Previously used electronic portfolio? 3. Aware of
the concept of graduate attributes? 4. Aware that
Engineers Australia has a list of graduate
attributes?
5. Aware that Deakin University has a list of
graduate attributes? 6. Link between study
assessment, and development of GAs? 7. Understand
the purpose of a student professional portfolio?
80
Understand purpose of student portfolio?
1. Previously used hardcopy portfolio? 2.
Previously used electronic portfolio? 3. Aware of
the concept of graduate attributes? 4. Aware that
Engineers Australia has a list of graduate
attributes?
5. Aware that Deakin University has a list of
graduate attributes? 6. Link between study
assessment, and development of GAs? 7. Understand
the purpose of a student professional portfolio?
81
A couple of student comments

• Ithought the portfolio was an excellent idea,
  as I hadnt realised how much I have achieved
  until I did it. It will help me immensely in
  putting together a resume.
• Made me feel like I am working towards
  something, and havent been wasting time.

82

• Thank you for your time