Graduate Quality - Engaged

The graduate quality of “Engaged" refers to the processes and connections a person makes with a discipline, profession or section of the wider community in order to contribute and/or make a positive difference to the lives of others. Engaged learning outcomes encapsulate life-long learning, professionalism, and the development of autonomy. Engaged graduates are culturally and socially aware and acknowledge diversity within any community. Work Integrated Learning (WIL) or Practicum courses should be aligned to the Engaged program learning outcomes.

An engaged person:

• Reflects on policy, practice, beliefs and procedures within a discipline and develops new or deeper understandings of implications of its implementation.
• Works with professionals in the area as a work placement or service unit.
• Develops connections via research, service learning, or professional networking.
• Develops social interaction skills of respectful discourse, negotiation and collaboration.
• Communicates to diverse audiences through different modes.

Learning Centred activities for Engaged

1. Authentic assessments designed around real-world settings, challenges or tasks.
2. Professional simulations, site visits, invited expert speakers or presentations.
3. Workplace or simulated situation.

Words associated with learning outcomes for Engaged

Transform, translate, suggest, modify, improve, plan and integrate, contrast, criticise, communicates, analyse, decide, determine, discriminate, distinguish, estimate, evaluate.

Example of aligning with criteria

Course learning outcome: Communicate research through written and oral modes.

Criteria example: Communication

• Referencing
• Grammar
• Syntax
• Vocabulary

Introductory

• Investigates the field through attendance and reflections on seminars, conferences, workshops, local media coverage.
• Analyses contributing factors to community profile - demographics, geographic location, economy and social infrastructure - and reflects on strategies to contribute meaningfully.
• Introductory Work Integrated Learning or Practicum
• Develops understanding of respectful interactions by observing modelled behaviours and using opportunities to apply effective social or collaboration skills.

Developing

• Critically engages with discipline research, practice or policy.
• Engages with the community within discipline context.
• Participates in a Work Integrated Learning course or work placement with success.
• Acknowledges the value of external expert opinion and advice drawn from contextual experience.

Graduate

• Independently develops professional contacts and learning partnerships within the community.
• Engages in Work Integrated Learning with early career professional excellence.
• Plans a research project, assumes a leadership role and accepts responsibility for quality of outcomes.
• Engages with discipline research and develops a publishable artefact Eg: essay, article, journal article, poster, presentation, art exhibit, professional product.

UniSC's mission is to be a primary engine of capacity building for our region. Providing opportunities for students to be engaged, contributing positively to diverse communities through service and leadership is one of the many ways this mission is realised. A person experienced in engaging within their discipline will possess a strong sense of civic responsibility and is active in contributing for the betterment of others.

Engaged graduate attribute aligns with the emerging work around Graduate Employability 2.0 and the importance of “connectedness learning”.