Embedding graduate survey indicators into internal quality assurance systems. What can institutions learn from graduate surveys?

Transcription

1 Embedding graduate survey indicators into internal quality assurance systems. What can institutions learn from graduate surveys? Anna Prades, AQU Catalunya Munich, 24th November

2 Contents 1. Graduate surveys: some warnings 2. Graduate surveys utility 3. Characteristics of Catalan graduate survey 4. Some examples

3 1. Warnings Social image of the degree Subject field Curriculum: orientation, practical dimension, academic staff Institution Educational attainment Previous work experience A graduate finds a job/ is recruited Recruitment practices Family status: parents educational attainment Social network Personality Intelligence Gender Economic system / Employment Policies...

4 Utility: to whom? The academic institution For Quality assurance: The training profile of the degree The practical dimension of the curriculum For accountability purposes Employment services: Employment office, guidance, etc. Government and Society

5 Characteristics of Catalan Graduate Survey Designed to gather useful information for decision-making processes Designed by experts from each university Provides benchmarks to compare own results Database was sent to university, as well as overall results Database was made available to academic community Technical Features Population Sample Response Rate Sample Error 2001 Graduate survey Graduate Survey

6 Space and time coordinates of graduate employment When? 70s 80s 90s 2000 Where?

7 Example: Utility for planning Do we need so many graduates? Are they necessary to our society? Do we need this degree? Are its graduates necessary to our society? Table 4. Items provided by graduate surveys regarding graduate demand Items Employment rate University degree and job suitability Job functions Satisfaction regarding one's degree Example from the 2005 survey (on the 2001 graduate cohort) 90.2% of the graduates were in employment at the time of being interviewed for the survey. Health Sciences is the subject area with the highest employment rate (94%), with the Experimental Sciences having the lowest (84%). Degree type is a key factor in placement: 64% needed a specific degree, while the figure for those who found it immaterial what type of degree was required was only 16% 75% of all those interviewed declared that a university degree was required for their current job, with 58% requiring a particular specialisation (88% in the Health Sciences compared to 41% in the Humanities). 90% of those interviewed stated that they carried out qualified job functions, whereas only 10% said their functions were non-qualified. 71.3% of the graduates interviewed stated that they would repeat the same degree if they had to choose a university degree again. The differences between subject areas varied from 76% in the Health Sciences to 68% in the Humanities.

8 Example: Utility for planning (II) What will our future graduates need? What must our students learn regarding the professional dimension of our studies? Table 5. Useful survey indicators for analysing the programme specification Professional benchmark -Description of the work -Training requirements (specific degree, university degree, or a degree is not required) -Sector (public or private) -Job functions -Subject-specific competences required, transversal competences required -What it involves, what demands are made in terms of subjectspecific and transversal competences Specialist or generalist? Branch of economic activities

9 Utility in curriculum design (teaching methods) Are we embedding employability skills? Do the teaching methods have impact on the competencies acquired? Table 7. Employment data graduates in Industrial Engineering (Technical), specialising in industrial chemistry. Assess the level of training acquired in the following competences Oral expression (1-7) Written communicatio n (1-7) Team work (1-7) Leadership (1-7) Management (1-7) University A (2005) University B with PBL approach (2005)

10 Utility: achievement assessment Comparing what graduates learned with what they effectively need Table 9. Perceived competence deficit (Le vel of training Usefulness of the competence in the work place) Theoretical training Practical training Written communication Oral expression Team work Leadership Problem solving Decision making Critical thinking Creativity Management Documentation Languages Computer Humanities Social Science Experiment al Sc Health Science Technical Total

11 Utility: Careers services The graduate placement survey results can be used in a two-fold way by career services: To know the work environment possibilities for a programme or group of similar programmes: how to gain access to the labour market, what sectors, and what are the usual types of contract. To guide students in defining their professional careers, in designing their curricula vitae, and in overcoming any possible competence deficits detected in the surveys.

12 Conclusions (1) The complexity of the process of transition to the labour market means that the results of employment surveys should be taken as a source of different types of evidence by the various stakeholders, although they should in no way be used out of context nor be used as determining factors for the university s actions. The content of the surveys should include variables that prove useful for analytical processes concerning the programme specification, the scope of practical work in the curriculum and career services.

13 Conclusions (2) Employment / unemployment rate Design of the programme specification The practical dimension of the curriculum Career services Quality of employment Job functions Satisfaction with the training received (level of training) Competencies required (level of training extent to which they are required) Branch of economic activity Job functions Competencies required Employment background (work during studies) Ways to gain access Contracting factors Type of contracts Competences required