How can we exploit emerging technologies to enable our graduates to have the competitive edge in a complex working world?
Today’s complex working world demands that graduates come to the job prepared. Employers expect universities to provide education that not only gives students discipline-specific skills, but that allows them to develop generic capabilities such as communication skills. (Business Council of Australia 2011) However, these skills can be difficult to evidence in traditional formats such as the academic transcript.
Initiatives that exploit emerging technologies may serve to educate students, prompt them to learn to prepare to address prospective employers, and even give them a competitive edge. Deakin’s Graduate Learning Outcomes (including generic capabilities) are contextualised, embedded and assessed in all degree courses. In addition, Deakin students are invited to engage in Me in a Minute. This means that students are employed to assist other students to make a one-minute video to articulate evidence of their achievement of selected Graduate Learning Outcomes to prospective employers.
Students are asked a series of questions in a one-minute video presentation to camera, which prompts them to talk about their skills, knowledge and experience, gained at university and beyond. Students choose up to three Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes and provide images or video to evidence their acquired knowledge and capabilities.
Student videos are then uploaded to a Deakin hosted website and YouTube channel so students themselves can share them on social media channels such as LinkedIn.
This presentation will include some showcase examples of Me in a Minute, as well as how the strategy has been developed and sustained.