Teaching for transformation: The four E’s of teaching future-ready graduates
Thursday 5 July: Conference day three, 4:45pm – 5:15pm parallel session
Venue
Room 6 – 303-B05 Sem
Presenter
Professor Gavin Brown
University of Auckland, New Zealand
q.liu@auckland.ac.nz
Professor Helena Cooper-Thomas
Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
Professor Jennifer Curtin
University of Auckland, Mew Zealand
Dr Annette Dunham
University of Auckland, New Zealand
Professor Susan Geertshuis
University of Auckland, New Zealand
Dr Barbara Kensington-Miller
University of Auckland, New Zealand
Narissa Lewis
University of Auckland, New Zealand
Dr Qian Liu
University of Auckland, New Zealand
q.liu@auckland.ac.nz
Dr Sean Sturm
University of Auckland, New Zealand
Dr Rob Wass
University of Otago, New Zealand
Background
Universities are being asked to anticipate future societal and economic needs, and provide students with transformative educational experiences that equip them for their lives and careers. In a rapidly changing world, this is a daunting task; nonetheless, universities have begun to consider what capabilities students are likely to need if they are to be employable and future-ready. The consensus among universities, expressed in their graduate profiles, includes complex capabilities such as abilities for collaboration, communication, global citizenship, problem solving, critical thinking, innovation, leadership, adaptability, resilience and lifelong learning. However, there is uncertainty about how such capabilities can be taught and nurtured.
Issue
The research project sought to address the issue of how complex graduate capabilities can be taught and nurtured in our programmes.
It aimed to develop a simple and intuitive pedagogical model that would enable academics to make reliable and creative decisions about how to develop such graduate capabilities.
To this end, the research team has reviewed literatures, interviewed over 40 academics and held multiple focus-groups and workshops.
Outcomes
The presentation will describe the rationale and outcomes of the project, including
- The methodological approach
- The pedagogical model for transformative teaching, including its development and testing
- The challenges experienced by teaching staff
- Case studies and an account of an ‘employability mind-set’
- Self-assessment and -design tools
- The workshops designed to change teaching practices.
The presentation will equip participants to apply the model in their teaching, and give them access to the guidance, templates and tools the team has generated so that they can deliver similar workshops in their own institutions, if needed.
Presentation topic
Academics – Academic Development
