Key Findings

Findings on policy and practice

• The focus on graduate outcomes was patchy across the polytechnic and university sector.
• In general, polytechnics were more engaged in this agenda than the universities.
• Institutions with strong engagement with graduate outcomes demonstrated strong senior leadership in the area and the necessary enabling structures.
• There was better engagement by higher education institutions with the planning, systems and delivery of graduate outcomes, but much weaker engagement with assessment, evaluation and professional development.

Findings on the benefit to staff and students

• Any engagement with graduate outcomes was beneficial for both students and staff.
• Students were more aware of what knowledge, skills and values were being fostered, how their courses were structured to achieve a graduate profile and what employment and educational pathways were available.
• For staff, engagement with a graduate outcomes agenda promoted collegiality and efficiency, and encouraged them to think deeply about their teaching.

Findings on indicators of student engagement

• Students were aware of a graduate profile for their programme.
• Students saw strong links between the graduate profile and the learning outcomes and assessment in their courses.
• Students tracked their progress towards attaining the graduate profile.
• Students knew a range of employment options resulting from their degree.
• Students were aware of further educational pathways.

Findings on indicators of lecturer engagement

• Lecturers had a sound understanding of the graduate profile for their programme.
• Holding a ‘translation’ or an ‘enabling’ conception (Barrie, 2006) of graduate attributes meant they felt some responsibility to foster attributes in their students.
• Lecturers had clear links between the graduate profile and the learning outcomes and assessment in their courses.
• Lecturers assisted students to track their progress towards attaining the graduate profile.
• They ensured students knew about the employment options resulting from their degree.
• They ensured students were aware of further educational pathways.

Findings on enablers of graduate outcomes for institutions

• External drivers were forces to which institutions were required to respond or that they perceived they were responding, or should respond.
• Structural and procedural enablers were those that facilitated or engaged staff and communities within the institution to become aware of or work towards change in practice.
• Developmental enablers were those that assisted staff/groups/departments to introduce and develop graduate outcomes and embed them in curricula, or undertake some curriculum development.
• Achievement enablers were those that were concerned with how students are assisted to achieve a graduate profile.
• Contextual enablers were those generic institutional and/or individual cultural/affective qualities that crossed the four enablers described above and made them more or less effective.

Key Recommendations

Cultural change | Promote a culture within the institution that values teaching.

Consider external drivers | Take advantage of external drivers where possible, as these are a powerful enabler.

Balance graduate outcomes | Ensure that a careful balance is struck between graduate outcomes desired by external agencies and those desired by the institution.

Renew the curriculum | Consider instigating curriculum renewal with a focus on graduate outcomes.

Renew the curriculum with care | Ensure any curriculum renewal includes strong leadership; the assistance of academic or educational developers; ownership by teaching staff; development of a graduate profile; a focus on learning outcomes and assessment; and allow at least a couple of years for curriculum renewal.

Put enablers in place | Ensure that structural and procedural enablers are in place to assist with a graduate outcomes agenda.

Put developmental enablers in place | Be clear about the institutional role and relation to graduate profiles; provide academic development support; and allow sufficient time for change.

Pay attention to achievement enablers | Assist students to track their attainment of graduate outcome through an ePortfolio framework or the advice and mentoring of students.