1. Charles Neame
GLASGOW SCHOOL OF ART
University of the West of Scotland
Learning & Teaching Conference: 20th
June 2013
c.neame@gsa.ac.uk
2. An Anatomy of Employability:
Articulating Graduate
Capabilities for the
Creative Arts
GSA in collaboration with
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE NEW UNIVERSITY
HEA Funded
Teaching
Development Grant
6. Kolb’s Learning Cycle:
Experiential learning
Concrete Experience
(CE)
Reflective
Observation (RO)
Abstract
Conceptualisation (AC)
Active
Experimentation
(AE)
6
Kolb, D.A. 1984. Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and
development. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall
7. Project aims - 1
To articulate and develop:
discipline specific modes of
delivery for employability in
Fine Art, Design & Media
using the Oliver model:
“Assurance of Learning for
Graduate Employability”
(http://boliver.ning.com)
8. Project aims - 2
To
•ascertain the skills required for
early professional success, and;
•ensure that students
understand what is expected of
them beyond graduation and
how to achieve it
9. Project aims - 3
To recognize and articulate:
•the existing strong skills base
amongst the student body and
•the wealth of employability
activity that takes place outwith
the curriculum.
10. Project aims - 4
• To co-design employability
content with student
researchers and
• for students to be critically
engaged with their
professional development.
11. Project aims - 5
To
•better understand the
contribution to employability of
a range of practices and
•highlight where these may be
further developed in the
curriculum.
12. Project aims - 6
To
•evaluate and disseminate our
findings and
•engage a wider audience in
their development;
13. Project aims - 7
To broaden the understanding
of employability skills and how
we discuss them in and across
the disciplines…
An Anatomy of Employability.
14. Project aims
1. To articulate and develop discipline specific modes of delivery for
employability in Fine Art, Design and Media using the Oliver model,
Assurance of Learning for Graduate Employability;
2. To ascertain the skills required for early professional success, to ensure
that students understand what is expected of them beyond graduation
and how to achieve it;
3. To recognize and articulate the existing strong skills base amongst the
student body and the wealth of employability activity that takes place
outwith the curriculum.
4. To co-design employability content with student researchers and for
students to be critically engaged with their professional development.
5. To better understand the contribution to employability of a range of
practices and to highlight where these may be further developed in the
curriculum.
6. To evaluate and disseminate our findings and engage a wider audience
in their development;
7. To broaden the understanding of employability skills and how we
discuss them in and across the disciplines (Anatomy of Employability).
15. Progress to date
• Initial mapping:
– staff and student perceptions of ‘employability’
– Existing employability related curriculum
• Analysis underway
• Complexity of employability issues starting to
emerge
– Different career routes within disciplines
– Different priorities between disciplines
• Importance of communication, interpersonal
and learning skills…
17. Recommendations
1. Highlight employability activities
– within timetables
– during the activities themselves
1. Ensure alignment between course
documents, and the real curriculum
2. Promote a holistic understanding of the
curriculum: explore links between curricular
and co-curricular activities
18. Recommendations
4. Identify and fill gaps in provision of formal
professional practice activities
5. Coordinate processes for external live
project/vacancy opportunities
6. Explore ways to increase cross-school activity
7. Identify and advertise examples of good
practice within individual courses
19. Dissemination
As ‘show and tell’:
• Internally: interest and engagement from
other disciplines, e.g. Architecture
• Events, e.g. GSA all-staff event on student
engagement
• Events such as this: feedback welcome!!
21. Transferability?
• Where are the opportunities for you?
1. What ‘mapping’ exercises would be fruitful in
your departments?
2. How could you effectively engage students in
reaching a consensus on employability
priorities?
3. Where are the gaps in your curriculum?
