Think global, collaborate local: Cross-team working to develop students’ employability

skills

Jonathan White and Mikaela Balder

Institute for Learning Enhancement and Innovation

www.derby.ac.uk/lei

The Buxton context• Hospitality, Tourism, Countryside, Outdoor

recreation and Sports programmes.

• Small campus, small student numbers, big aspirations!

• International and culturally varied.

• Partnerships with Colleges and Universities around the World.

• Erasmus and student exchange programme.

• International work placements.

• Lots of opportunities for cultural exchange!

The home of Real World Learning

• Employability, employability and employability!

• Buxton ‘graduate attributes’ embedded into programmes.

• Focus on embedding a wide-range of opportunities for paid work into the curriculum.

• ‘Learning labs’.

• Highly valued industry experience.

Providing professional support

• The Institute for Learning Enhancement and Innovation (LEI).

• Key support partners are also part of LEI.

• LEI leading on the University’s Information Literacy framework and approaches to digital literacy.

• Synergies between teams.

• Small campus, big opportunities.

Cross-support team working at Buxton

Work with the Careers and Employment Service:• Induction

• Roaming

• Workshops and classes

• We represent all of LEI

• Shared professional development

• Operate in a shared space.

Institute for Learning Enhancement & Innovationwww.derby.ac.uk/LEI

Links between skills sets

EmployabilitySkills

AcademicSkills

Digital Literacy image is based upon an image by SAGE ©. http://www.uk.sagepub.com/books/Book242976

What about the other big support services?

• International Student Centre and Placement Office.

• They are a key curriculum element.

• Library did little team working with these areas.

• We considered how we could engage with them…

Institute for Learning Enhancement & Innovationwww.derby.ac.uk/LEI

Links between skills sets

EmployabilitySkills

AcademicSkills

Intercultural skills

Global graduate attributes

Where do we fit?!

Digital Literacy image is based upon an image by SAGE ©. http://www.uk.sagepub.com/books/Book242976

Do global graduates need to be information literate?

The world as a workplace http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4tKZ1hUOoU

“Intercultural skills are competencies which people gain from any kind of international experience/whenever you deal with people from other cultures in an open way, either in your own country or abroad” (Barker et al. cited in Sovic and Blythman, 2013)

Open to new ideas* Builds trust Works effectively in diverse teams Demonstrates respect for other Collaborative* Seeks opportunities for

continuous learning* Listens/observes to deepen

understanding* Strong leadership skills

Foreign language skills Communication skills* Adapts to change without changing

their own values and virtues Thinks outside of the box!*

Attributes of the ‘global graduate’

Those with * link to the attributes of an information literate person

What we did

• Meetings from Summer 2013 onwards.

• Explored skill sets, literacies and attributes that we deliver/promote.

• Lots of cross-over identified.

• All focussed on developing students to be critical/analytical thinkers, responsible, professional, open-minded and informed.

Working on an ‘outduction’ event

• Aimed to improve the student experience.

• Sessions and workshops held over a two week period in March.

• Aimed at all students about to graduate.

• Promoted as ‘Finalists’ Fortnight’

‘Outduction’ = a series of sessions/interventions aimed at those about to graduate. Used to allow students to turn academic/University skills

into skills for living, work and lifelong learning.

Cross-team working with the library: the ‘outsider’s’ perspective

• Promotion of international events through the library.

• Academic writing study skills referrals.

• “International students’ ability to respond to writing requirements becomes a paramount importance to their academic success” (Gorska in Blythman and Sovic, 2013) – obvious link to research skills and information literacy.

• It is important to work together on issues relating to successful report/essay writing and with regards to international students adopting the UK teaching and learning methods. The library can assist with all of the above.

Outcomes and future work• Developing a version of the information literacy framework mapped

to University of Derby Buxton graduate skills and attributes.

• Working with the Culinary Arts/Management subject areas on embedding information literacy.

• Working together has so many benefits – we will definitely do it again!

• To learn from this year’s Finalist’s Fortnight event and turn it into an annual event.

Top tips for cross-team working

1. Don’t wait for ‘permission’

2. Open mind, clear objectives

3. Find informal and ‘neutral’ spaces

4. Listen to, understand and support each others’ priorities

5. Share the idea… and the results

Institute for Learning Enhancement & Innovationwww.derby.ac.uk/LEI

Thank you for listening, any questions?

Jonathan White, Subject Librarian (University of Derby Buxton)

J.P.White@derby.ac.uk @jonwhite82

Mikaela Balder, International Student Advisor (University of Derby Buxton)

M.Balder@derby.ac.uk