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Embedding transferable skills: a
case study of strategic curriculum
change.
WFCP World Congress, October 2018.
1
What this presentation is about.
This is a case study of the approach being taken at Otago
Polytechnic to develop the capabilities ie the transferable
skills of our learners and to assess and report on those
capabilities.
The case study looks at:
• Our capability framework
• Our approach
• Issues for consideration
2
What do WE mean by Learner
Capability?
Learner Capability = transferable skills
Capable graduates have technical/specialist skills and the
transferable skills and personal qualities/attributes to be
effective in the work place
i.e. they are work ready relative to the level and scope of
their qualification
3
Why focus on transferable skills
ie on learner capability?
• For NZ employers transferable skills are seen as critical skills,
and the NZ government has mandated for their development in
its Tertiary Education Strategy (TES):
"Obtaining and developing transferable skills is one of the most
crucial outcomes of tertiary study, including within generalist
areas of study as well as vocation-specific qualifications" (TES,p10)
• For Otago Polytechnic the development of transferable skills is
seen as critical to our mission, and is encapsulated within our
concept of learner capability
• We say that graduates who are capable are ‘work ready’
4
Our approach: four phases
1. Capability Framework
• Capability characteristics and behavioural indicators
• Capabilities validated by employers – structured research
2. Learning Design
Designing all programmes to ensure Capabilities are developed:
• experiential learning pedagogy
• learning outcomes for capabilities
• learning and teaching strategies to develop capabilities
• assessment of capabilities
6
Our approach: four phases (cont’d)
3. Assessment
• On line assessment tool - automatically populates with
employer validated capabilities relevant to the qualification
• Learner self assessment at commencement of course
• Customisable by the learner
• Verification of evidence by teaching staff
• Uses course based assessment as much as possible
4. Reporting
Appreciative approach i.e. what has been achieved
7
Increased
focus of
Transferable
skills
Key Skills &
Knowledge
24
Capabilities
Transferable
skillsets
1 Communicates Effectively 13 Demonstrates Resilience
2 Displays Effective Interpersonal Behaviour 14 Thinks Creatively
3 Effectively Engages Audiences 15 Displays Leadership
4 Displays Cultural Competence 16 Inspires Others
5 Displays Bicultural Proficiency 17 Demonstrates Enterprise
6 Works Independently 18 Practises Sustainably
7 Works in Teams 19 Practises Ethically
8 Reflects on Performance 20 Thinks Critically
9 Acts Responsibly 21 Solves Problems
10 Practises Health & Safety 22 Communicates Bilingually
11 Organises Effectively 23 Displays Work Life Balance
12 Demonstrates Digital Competence 24 Performs Community Service
CAPABILITY Bachelor Degree level -Behavioural Indicators
Thinks Creatively
PC
In work experiences I am able to:
IPBe open to new ideas to expand, shape and support
progress within my industry.
PC &Cog
Use my curiosity and initiative to anticipate future needs
and find resourceful solutions to issues, problems and
new opportunities.
KSK
Build, transform, test and re-construct ideas to find novel
solutions to work problems or new ways of delivering
service.
IP - Interpersonal Skill, PC - Personal Capability, Cog - Intellectual Capability and KSK - Key Skills &
Knowledge
What we do to develop capability.
At Otago Polytechnic we are designing our programmes so that
learner capability is explicitly developed:
• for each level of programme ie certificate, diploma, degree, a
set of graduate capabilities have been identified consistent with
the level of the programme and the vocational area
• explicit opportunities are provided for learners to acquire or to
enhance the personal qualities and attributes which make up
capability.
• which means designing both appropriate learning experiences
and appropriate assessment tasks.
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What we do to develop capability (cont).
• learning activities are designed which allow learners to exercise
control, to experiment and to take risks
• learners are provided with opportunities to be more responsible
and accountable for their own learning.
• learners are provided with opportunities to learn with others and
in teams - setting team goals and objectives, undertaking peer
evaluation and being accountable as a team.
• opportunities are provided for self assessment
• less formal teaching, especially passive didactic strategies, and
more learner managed learning
12
What we do to develop capability (cont).
• authentic work experiences are provided – internships, clinical
practice, work projects or commercial experiences on campus.
Our curriculum challenge has been to embed such
experiences within programmes, not for them to be an
added extra or left to chance
13
Assessing capability
• commences with self assessment – on-line tool
➢ have the capability, have evidence
➢ have the capability, no evidence
➢ do not have the capability
• summative assessment against behavioural indicators
• evidence of capability is required: relevance, quality, sufficiency
• evidence may include artefacts, attestations, observations
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i am capable
my initial
capability
1.
My Core
assessment
2.
My
additional
assessment
3.
Reviewing
initial
assessment
4.
My
objectives &
timeline
5.
My
evidence
6.
My
checkpoint
with teachers
7.
My learner
lifecycle8.
My profile
+ endorsed
aspects
Potential Employer Access
✓ Learners taking on the
identity of their
profession from day 1
✓ Learners defining,
measuring and owning
their own success
✓ Learners seeking
opportunities to apply
their capabilities (work
experience & internships)
Issues for consideration
• Training and developing staff
– Learning design
– Experiential learning eg PBL, enquiry learning
– Facilitating learning not lecturing
– Assessing transferable skills
• Managing academic staff workloads
– Institutional investment is essential
• Preparing learners
– For active learning and to self manage their learning
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