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The Graduate Attribute story....
The Graduate Attribute story....
Ever since engineering became a formal profession, standards have been developed to ensure the minimum achievement of a relatively uniform set of requirements. The South African Engineering Council (ECSA) is a signatory to global accords (Washington - Engineer; Sydney - Technologist; Dublin - Technician) and these bodies follow the recommendations of the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) in the design of what used to be called 'Exit Level Outcomes' and are now referred to as Graduate Attributes in our SA context.
The problem with the GAs is that they are often interpreted individually and seen as a checklist. Many academics and industry partners have also demonstrated different understandings of what the GAs actually require. The image on the right is based on a collaborative analysis of engineering GAs, and illustrates the point about different interpretations.
Wolff, 2018. Closing the loop in engineering educator development: Using theoretical and empirical research to inform curriculum and teaching. Proceedings of the 2018 IEEE Global Engineering Education Conference (EDUCON), Tenerife.
A model for holistic development
A model for holistic development
In reality, Simon Barrie (2004) originally coined the term 'Graduate Attribute' and defined it as follows: the need to develop in our students a STANCE towards the SELF, KNOWLEDGE and the WORLD so as to develop Lifelong Learning, Scholarship and Global Citizenship competencies or attributes.
In reality, the engineering standards will continue to evolve as industries, employers and key stakeholders review local, national and global needs. The current standard (2023) is based on the 4th IEA Competency Profiles, so all accredited countries have the same mandate: to place greater emphasis on the development of psychosocial attributes in our potential graduates so as to better equip them to work respectfully, inclusively and sustainably in complex socio-technical work contexts among diverse stakeholders. The WEEF 2023 video is a summary of shifts over the decades based on research conducted in the faculty.
Our Stellenbosch Engineering approach to introducing the GAs
Our Stellenbosch Engineering approach to introducing the GAs
We have used the Sydney Model as the basis of the design forIntercultural Communication [ICC113] as of 2026. This module fulfills our mandate to introduce our engineering students to the Graduate Attributes.
The Graduate Attributes in ICC113 are used as a framework to explore a local example of an SDG. Students work in project teams of 8 in a shared MS Office environment, investigating their SDG using each GA as a guideline.
The Bachelor's in Engineering Standard (August 2023): Graduate Attributes
The Bachelor's in Engineering Standard (August 2023): Graduate Attributes
Engineering Graduate Attributes WORKSHOP Resource.xlsxFaculty & national research on Graduate Attribute development
Faculty & national research on Graduate Attribute development
The Demystifying Graduate Attributes video will help to explain the connection to Simon Barrie's model, and showcases examples of more holistic strategies for GA development.
This video provides background into my own journey and why today I find myself working across sectors in supporting staff in their efforts to prepare our graduates for the complex world of work.
Kruger_Wolff_2022_Enabling_epistemic_transitions_by_integrating_virtual_and_physical_laboratory_experiences.pdfWolff_vanBreda_GAs_Analysis_WEEF 2023.pdfWorking with our colleague, Karel Kruger, we used the epistemic plane initially to design a holistic learning experience for his Control Systems students. We subsequently mapped that curriculum experience to the Sydney model. This is a good example of how to stretch student thinking into more real-world and open-ended problem solving, while simultaneously developing their Self, Knowledge & World practices.
As part of the national Innovative Engineering Curriculum project, we have run Graduate Attribute development workshops at multiple SA institutions. This video is the introduction for thinking holistically about the GAs.
For more information on our IEC project work, see: https://iecurricula.co.za/
Graduate Attribute Worksheets
Graduate Attribute Worksheets
Engineering GA1-6 HandOut.pdfEngineering GA 7-11 HandOut.pdfPage updated
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