Institutional Learning Outcomes and Desired Graduate Attributes in Higher Education
摘要
As employers commonly perceive skills gaps in university graduates and there are studies highlighting well-being issues in university students, it is essential to ask whether universities nurture holistic development in university students. However, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of institutional learning outcomes (ILOs) and/or desired graduate attributes (DGAs) in universities. In this chapter, we analyzed publicly available information from the top 100 universities in the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings 2023. We used a framework consisting of 29 indicators across 12 domains to assess the ILOs and/or DGAs, particularly in terms of non-cognitive skills and psychosocial competencies in these areas. Results revealed that 47% of the surveyed universities explicitly stated ILOs and/or DGAs at the university (39%) or faculty (8%) level, while 31% expressed similar expectations without providing specific ILOs and/or DGAs. Besides, most universities prioritize the development of discipline-specific “hard” employability skills, such as professionalism or discipline knowledge, scientific literacy, applied skills, and global awareness. In contrast, there is a notable neglect of the development of “soft” personal competencies, such as resilience, reflection, empathy, and respect. In view of the developmental issues faced by university students, we argue that there is a need to reflect on how to nurture holistic development in university students with particular reference to the inclusion of non-cognitive personal competencies and interpersonal skills into university education, particularly via credit-bearing subjects.