Graduate Attributes

There are several Graduate Attributes which are aligned with UWC’s vision and mission and which are well positioned within my own Teaching Philosophy Statement:

• SCHOLARSHIP - with the aim for students to develop a critical attitude towards knowledge and understanding within our current context and the ever-changing space of higher education through appropriate investigation, analysis, critique and synthesis of knowledge. The application of this acquired knowledge should be relevant and easily demonstrable to the community in general, thereby creating a useful and usable framework for effective problem-solving, critical reflection and collaborative educational efforts. The drive towards scholarship starts with a dedication to effective learning and teaching from an undergraduate level, with a strong emphasis on a process which is research-led, research-oriented, research-based and research-informed.

• CRITICAL CITIZENSHIP AND THE SOCIAL GOOD - which underpins the importance of a positive relationship and interaction between communities and the environment, by emphasising the responsible and accountable roles that graduates can play for the social good of their respective communities. Active citizenship and involvement with community projects should not only be a reflection of their level of engagement, participation and commitment, but should similar contribute to social justice with a high regard for environmental sustainability efforts, by facilitating and promoting the development of agents of change within themselves. Teachers should therefore be able to instil these values in their students during engaging activities during learning and teaching, as well as acting as positive role models for students.

• LIFELONG LEARNING - as a benchmark against which can measure how we, as educators, have managed to inspire our graduates to continue their on-going quest for new knowledge and experiences. To loosely paraphrase the sentiments of Barnett (2009), the continual process of learning from taking ‘knowledge’ through from ‘understanding’, to ‘knowing’ and finally to ‘being’, is integral for our graduates to be able to reach the contextual of understanding of who they are and what their roles in our complex and dynamic society.

These graduate attributes should be embedded with the curriculum, which should represent a well aligned project of education – from learning and teaching, to assessment, to course re-evaluation. By focusing on the delivery of a well-designed, responsive and adaptive learning and teaching philosophy, the academic environment can be strengthen so as to support the ever-increasing student diversity and potential for e-learning opportunities.

As a facilitator of andragogy, it is part of my teaching philosophy that additional attributes such as effective, informed and confident communication; greater autonomy of thought and action; self-motivated and self-driven continued education; creativity of thought, critical reasoning and problem solving skills; an engaging and collaborative spirit; respect for human indifference; empathy; and a high work ethic which reflects integrity on all levels (socially, personally and professionally), should be cultured within our students. It is my opinion, that these ‘softer’ skills and abilities represent vital ingredients for success of any graduate within a community of practice, in a real-world setting.