The paper addresses one aspect of the ‘New Realities’ of higher education: the employer‐higher education interface. It explores the development of the ‘employability’ agenda in higher education, examines the nature and implication of organisational change for graduates and assesses what attributes graduates will need in the next decade. Flexible organisations need flexible, and increasingly empowered employees; that in turn calls for transformative and empowering learning. The way that higher education might address this, particularly in the context of lifelong learning, is explored.

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New realities: the relationship between higher education and employment

This is the second part of the review of the papers published in Quality in Higher Education from its inception in 1995 to the present day. This part of the review focuses on internal quality assurance, improvements in learning and teaching and assessments of the impact of quality assurance. In doing so, the review also examines papers about quality enhancement instruments such as student feedback surveys, which have played an increasingly prominent role in quality processes since the early 1990s. The review suggests that quality assurance has resulted in clearer documentation and transparency although external processes could be better aligned to everyday academic activity. Quality assurance has become an international concern and procedures have become increasingly standardised across national boundaries. Significantly, the consumerist approach to higher education quality that is driven by governments and senior management, has not met with enthusiasm from contributors to the journal and there ...

Fifteen Years of Quality in Higher Education (Part Two)

There has been wide recognition that today’s graduates need the type of generic capabilities necessary for lifelong learning. However, the mechanism by which universities can develop these generic skills is not clearly established. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism for their development. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test a hypothesized model of capability development through a suitable learning environment with 1756 undergraduates at a university in Hong Kong. To triangulate against this model and more fully characterize the learning environment, focus group interviews were held with five to six students from three programs with good records of capability development. Analysis of the interview data resulted in a set of categories, describing a learning environment, which were consistent with the SEM model. The learning environment which seemed conducive to capability development aimed for understanding of key concepts through a variety of assessment methods and active engagement in learning activities. Teacher–student relationships were developed through interaction, feedback and assistance. The promotion of peer–student relationships led to a high degree of collaborative learning.

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Characterizing Learning Environments Capable of Nurturing Generic Capabilities in Higher Education

The effect of the teaching and learning environment on the development of generic capabilities was examined through a survey of 1756 undergraduate students at a university in Hong Kong. The survey assessed students' perceptions of the development of the six capabilities of critical thinking, self-managed learning, adaptability, problem solving, communication skills, and interpersonal skills and groupwork. Students were also asked to rate the quality of nine facets of the teaching and learning environment. Structural equation modelling was used to test a model of the influence of teaching on the nurturing of the six capabilities. The model grouped the nine facets of teaching and learning under the three higher-order latent variables of teaching, teacher–student relationship, and student–student relationship. The model showed a good fit to the data, indicating that the teaching and learning environment had a significant impact on the development of the generic capabilities while the students were taking their degree. The teaching latent variable had the strongest effect on the development of all six of the capabilities. A suitable teaching environment was characterised by a focus on understanding, the active participation of students in learning activities, a coherent curriculum, and assessment which focused on analytical skills and self-learning capability. Strong student–student relationships nurtured communication and interpersonal skills. There was a mutually reinforcing effect between the type of teaching, teacher–student relationships and student–student relationships.

The Influence of the Teaching and Learning Environment on the Development of Generic Capabilities Needed for a Knowledge-Based Society

Articulation across the further education/higher education (FE/HE) interface is of vital importance in addressing the government's widening participation agenda. Many institutions are grappling with how best to prepare students to make this transition particularly when they are direct entrants and join ongoing cohorts of students who are already familiar with the HE environment. At one new Scottish university, the generic module 'Next steps at university' aims to prepare students for life at university and to help them acquire the necessary key skills for coping with HE delivery and assessment regimes. This paper presents an overview of the basis on which the 'Next steps' module curriculum was designed with respect to content, delivery methods and assessment then analyses the performance and progression outcomes for 103 students who successfully completed the module. These outcomes are set within the context of institutional figures and the beneficial impact of'Next steps' is explored in quantitative terms with respect to progression, retention and performance statistics.

Making the transition from further to higher education: the impact of a preparatory module on retention, progression and performance

It is widely believed that today's student population would benefit from receiving explicit training in generic skills, but there is substantially less agreement concerning the best way in which to bring this about. It is argued in this paper that it is very difficult, and perhaps impossible, to establish the skills levels that students should reach by the various stages of their degree courses. There appear to be two issues: the different needs of various disciplines and courses on the one hand, and the differing needs and expectations of the UK's diverse student population on the other. These issues are discussed via a case study of one academic teaching department that is running a stand‐alone module in generic skills, which is mandatory for all first‐year students.

Defining and Assessing Competence in Generic Skills

In higher education, modifications to student induction would be broadly beneficial in order to take account of the changing student population and its increasingly diverse needs. A case study of one rather innovative approach to induction is described where a pre-semester credit-bearing bridging module is mounted. This module is designed for Higher National Diplomates from the Further Education sector who have gained direct entry to the penultimate year of a university degree course. The module has five broad aims: to facilitate general integration into the university; to familiarise students with the main methods of teaching, learning and assessment that they will experience; to develop the skills necessary for successful independent study in higher education; to build self-confidence; and to improve the appropriate skills which will enhance career prospects.

Helen Godfrey

Papers

Defining and Assessing Competence in Generic Skills

Enhancing the student experience for direct entrants to the penultimate year of undergraduate degree programmes