ASSESSING FOR FUTURES – CAN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PROVIDE A SUSTAINABLE ASSESSMENT PLATFORM TO SUPPORT LEARNING BEYOND G

1. ASSESSING FOR FUTURES – CAN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PROVIDE A SUSTAINABLE ASSESSMENT PLATFORM TO SUPPORT LEARNING BEYOND GRADUATION? Prof Tracy Taylor, Dr Romy Lawson Ass Prof Theo Papadopoulos, Ass Prof Eveline Fallshaw, Ass Prof Michael Zanko,

2. Rationale for ALTC Project • The need for graduates to be career- and work-ready has been well documented. • Employability skills feature in all undergraduate business programs in Australia • Universities are increasingly mindful that graduates' transition into professions should be supported by a range of preparatory initiatives in the curriculum.

3. ALTC Project: Aim • The aim of the project was to investigate how to build professional learning through industry engagement in business courses at Australian universities.

4. Definition Professional Learning incorporates a range of teaching and learning activities that integrates theoretical and discipline-specific knowledge with the development of skills, qualities and attributes to facilitate the development of professional capability

5. ALTC Project: Methodology • Surveys, focus groups and interviews were used to develop a framework that categorisedprofessional learning and provided exemplars of good practice.

6. Types of Professional Learning • Industry Case Study • Industry Simulations • Industry Practitioner Delivery • Industry Mentoring • Industry Study Tour • Industry Placement • Industry Competition • Industry Project

7. Professional Learning Characteristics • Industry-referenced • explicitly linked to industry or professional bodies • Curriculum currency • addresses up to date issues and industry practice • Integrated curriculum • develops professional capability through linking practice with theory • Self-directed learning • fosters reflective practice and lifelong learning

8. ALTC Project: Methodology • This framework was then used to develop resources to support academics using professional learning in their teaching. • These resources include: • good practice principles, • enablers and impediments, • as well as assessment guidelines.

9. Embedding PL Website • Web Resource • www.embeddingprofessionallearning.com

10. Assessing for Futures • Assessment should reach beyond graduation to nurture attitudes, skills and knowledge for life (Boud et al, 2010). • Therefore assessment is more than just measuring learning objectives and instead should: • be sustainable, • inform judgement, • lead to reflexive learners • develop students into practitioners.

11. Assessing for Futures • Sustainability • Informs Judgement • Reflexive learning • Practitioner development • Authenticity • Assessment to drive learning • Effective Feedback • Constructively aligned • Moderation of marking • Explicit criteria and standards

12. Assessing for Futures • Sustainability • Informs judgement • Reflexive learning • Practitioner development • Authenticity • Assessment to drive learning • Effective feedback • Constructively aligned • Moderation of marking • Explicit criteria and standards

13. Sustainable Assessment

14. Inform Judgement

15. Reflexive Learners

16. Reflexive Learners

17. Practitioner Development

18. Authentic Assessment

19. Conclusion • We propose that many of the assessment elements of professional learning foster the sustainable assessment features that promote learning after graduation. • Professional learning can inform judgement and develop the necessary skills of a practitioner by emphasising the critical nature of professional capabilities in authentic settings. • The often self-directed nature of this style of learning environment also encourages self-assessment and reflection.

20. References: • Allen Consulting Group. (2006). Assessment and reporting of employability skills in training packages. Melbourne: Department of Education, Science and Training. • ALTC Report (2008). What’s happening in Assessment? Retrieved from http://www.altc.edu.au/resource-whats-happening-in-assessment-altc-2008 • Australian Business Deans Council Teaching and Learning Network. (2008). 'Business as usual: A collaborative investigation of existing resources, strengths, gaps and challenges to be addressed for sustainability in teaching and learning in Australian university business faculties - 2008 Final Report', • Australian Industry Group. (2006). World class skills for world class industries: employers' perspectives on skilling in Australia. Sydney: Australian Industry Group. • Boud, D. and Associates (2010) Assessment 2020: Seven propositions for assessment reform in higher education, Sydney: Australian Learning and Teaching Council. • Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L. & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C: National Academy Press. • Ramsden, P. (1993). Theories of learning and teaching and the practice of excellence in higher education. Higher Education Research & Development, 12(1), 87-97.