ERIC Number: EJ1170850
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0729-4360
EISSN: N/A
Do University Students, Alumni, Educators and Employers Link Assessment and Graduate Employability?
Higher Education Research and Development, v37 n2 p301-315 2018
Within higher education literature, "assessment" and "graduate employability" are linked and co-presented, in that quality student assessment is purported to enhance employability. This research was designed to query the extent to which these same conceptual links are perceived by those actively involved in higher education. Four stakeholder groups from multiple disciplines and eight Australian states and territories (students, alumni, educators and employers) were interviewed about graduate employability (n = 127). Interviewers intentionally omitted any mention of assessment to determine whether the various stakeholders would bring it up themselves when asked questions such as what is and is not effective for nurturing employability. The results indicated that among the educators, assessment emerged as a dominant theme. While the three other stakeholder groups infrequently used the term "assessment," they did discuss related educational concepts and practices in the context of enhanced employability. All stakeholder groups identified a "missing link" between theory and practice, with educators specifying that link as assessment. Recommendations to improve employability through assessment are the key takeaways from this research.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, College Students, Student Attitudes, Alumni, College Faculty, Teacher Attitudes, Employer Attitudes, Student Evaluation, Employment Potential, Semi Structured Interviews, Theory Practice Relationship
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Australia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A