Graduate Attributes
Graduate Attributes
One of our key research themes revolves around the exploration of graduate attributes. We are fascinated by the essential skills, competencies, and qualities that students acquire throughout their educational journey, which equip them for success in their future careers and personal lives. By investigating the nature, acquisition, and application of these graduate attributes, we aim to enhance educational policy and practices and empower students to thrive in a rapidly evolving professional landscape.
Find out more
Key contacts
Professor Rachel Spronken-Smith
Collaborations
Current and Potential Projects
Past/Current Students
Researchers
Research Outputs
Publications
Professor Rachel Spronken-Smith (Theme Lead/Contact)
Rachel is a professor in Higher Education and Geography and works as an academic developer in HEDC. She has been researching graduate outcomes since 2010, when she lead a national project on ‘Graduate outcomes – are they driving learning’. Her early research in this space focused on graduate outcomes for undergraduates, but in recent years she has been exploring doctoral graduate outcomes. She is always seeking possible collaborators both nationally and internationally and welcomes applications for doctoral study in HEDC.
Dr Rob Wass
Dr Rob Wass is a Senior Lecturer in the Higher Education Development Centre at the University of Otago. Rob’s research aims to enhance student learning through academic development, mentoring, good assessment practices, and peer learning. His research interests relate to constructivist approaches to learning and critical thinking.
Dr Qian Liu
Qian provides academic development support to staff and students, teach within the programmes offered by HEDC, and research in the field of higher education. His research revolves around learning and teaching in higher education. He has conducted research into approaches to academic development, employability development pedagogies, vicarious learning via videoed tutorials, student video production, and more recently non-institutional technologies and learning analytics.
Collaborations
Below we provide some detail on past projects, current projects and future projects, for which we are seeking students and other collaborators.
Past projects
Graduate Outcomes – are they driving learning?
This was the first substantive piece of research Rachel Spronken-Smith undertook on graduate outcomes. This project was funded by Ako Aotearoa (2010-13) and involved collaboration with the Auckland University of Technology, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology and Victoria University of Wellington.
Current projects
Future projects
Contact Rachel
Past/Current Student Researchers
Watch this space for information on our postgraduate students studying in Graduate Attributes.
Research Outputs
Spronken-Smith, R., Brown, K., & Cameron, C. (2023). Perceptions of graduate attribute development and application in PhD graduates from US and NZ universities. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/02602938.2023.2182873
Geertshuis, S., Liu, Q., Lewis, N., & Cui, J. (2022). Stuck between a rock and a hard place: The challenge of preparing graduates for their futures. Innovations in Education & Teaching International. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/14703297.2022.2152362
Geertshuis, S., Wass, R., & Liu, Q. (2022). Equipping graduates with future-ready capabilities: An application of learning theories to higher education. Teaching in Higher Education. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1080/13562517.2022.2137399
Windle, J. M., Spronken-Smith, R. A., Smith, J. K., & Tucker, I. G. (2020). Relationships between academic performance of pharmacy students and their postgraduate competence during internship. Pharmacy Education, 20(1), 1-12.
Geertshuis, S., Lewis, N., & Liu, Q. (2019). Teaching future-ready graduates: Implications for changing academic practices. Proceedings of the 42nd Annual Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Conference: Next Generation, Higher Education: Challenges, Changes and Opportunities. Retrieved from https://www.herdsa2019.auckland.ac.nz
Brown, G., Cooper-Thomas, H., Curtin, J., Dunham, A., Geertshuis, S., Kensington-Miller, B., … Liu, Q., … Wass, R. (2019). Teaching for transformation: The four E’s of teaching future-ready graduates. Proceedings of the 42nd Annual Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Conference: Next Generation, Higher Education: Challenges, Changes and Opportunities. Retrieved from https://www.herdsa2019.auckland.ac.nz
Bond, C. H., Spronken-Smith, R., McLean, A., Smith, N., Frielick, S., Jenkins, M., & Marshall, S. (2017). A framework for enabling graduate outcomes in undergraduate programmes. Higher Education Research & Development, 36(1), 43-58. doi: 10.1080/07294360.2016.1170767
Spronken-Smith, R., McLean, A., Smith, N., Bond, C., Jenkins, M., Marshall, S., & Frielick, S. (2016). A toolkit to implement graduate attributes in geography curricula. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 40(2), 254-266. doi: 10.1080/03098265.2016.1140129
Geertshuis, S., Wass, R., & Lewis, N. (2016). Future ready graduates. Proceedings of the Tertiary Education Research in New Zealand (TERNZ) Conference. Retrieved from http://herdsa.org.nz/ternz/2016
Mager, S., & Spronken-Smith, R. (2014). Graduate attribute attainment in a multi-level undergraduate geography course. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 38(2), 238-250. doi: 10.1080/03098265.2014.910757
Spronken-Smith, R., Bond, C., McLean, A., Darrou, M., Frielick, S., Smith, N., Jenkins, M & Marshall, S. (2013a). Graduate outcomes: Are they driving learning? Wellington: Ako Aotearoa.
Spronken-Smith, R., Bond, C., McLean, A., Frielick, S., Smith, N., Jenkins, M., & Marshall, S. (2013b). How to engage with a graduate outcomes agenda: A guide for tertiary education institutions. Wellington: Ako Aotearoa.
Spronken-Smith, R., Bond, C., McLean, A., Frielick, S., Smith, N., Jenkins, M., & Marshall, S. (2013c). Institutional toolkit for engaging with graduate outcomes. Wellington: Ako Aotearoa.
Spronken-Smith, R., Bond, C., McLean, A., Frielick, S., Smith, N., Jenkins, M., & Marshall, S. (2013d). Toolkit for heads of department and programme directors to engage with graduate outcomes. Wellington: Ako Aotearoa.
Spronken-Smith, R., Bond, C., McLean, A., Frielick, S., Smith, N., Jenkins, M., & Marshall, S. (2013e). Toolkit for lecturers to engage with graduate outcomes. Wellington: Ako Aotearoa.