McQuillan, Nikki

Wightman, Christine

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Title: Work Ready or Not? Using innovative pedagogy to build student resilience and enhance leadership competencies for the workplace. Nikki McQuillan and Christine Wightman - Ulster University Business SchoolAbstract According to Barnet and Coate (2005) employers need graduates who are workplace aware (know), have practical competences (do) and have confidence to participate and grow (be). Crocket (2015) further argues that new graduates should be confident in their entrepreneurial endeavour; be resilient and responsive to change; exhibit professionalism and become global citizens that meaningfully contribute to professional communities and wider society. Arvanitakis & Hornsby (2016) stress the need for innovative pedagogies not only to bring about a shift in focus but to develop students who are better equipped to work through real-world global issues. This is underpinned by the incessant demand from employers for graduates, of any discipline, who are ‘work ready’ and resilient for the ever-changing workplace. Ulster University Business School is taking a proactive approach to nurture independent learners and positive contributors to society. Two pilot Graduate Transitions workshops have been developed to enhance the ‘resilience and leadership competencies’ of final year students toward work-readiness at Graduation.  The aim of this research paper is to share early student evaluations of these Graduate Transitions pilot workshops with CABS colleagues and gather valuable constructive feedback.  Subject to positive impact analysis, these workshops will be internally integrated into the wider Ulster University curriculum, regardless of discipline, by an academic community of practice known as Graduate Transition champions. MethodologyIn Ulster University a curriculum design team emerged, including, two academics, a career consultant and three external professional experts; media trainer, leadership coach; and mindfulness therapist. Two sets of workshop materials were designed, using innovative pedagogy to be delivered within a core module for final year undergraduate students.  Funding of £5000 from the PVC for Education was made available to design and produce the pilot delivery materials. The two workshops titled, the Resilient Graduate and the Mindful Leader, collectively aim is to define and polish professional leadership competencies in students and facilitate the graduation journey from the classroom to the world of work. A five-month design thinking process was used to co-create the workshop materials.  The first stage involved a ‘blue sky thinking day’ to craft workshops designed to be a unique experience for the students. The workshops incorporated an emancipatory pedagogic approach, avoiding the ‘traditional’ format and information was collected from employer stakeholders; past graduates and the design teams own expert experience and research.  This informed workshop design and content aimed at embedding the competencies identified that bring the best versions of graduates to the workplace. The second design day involved the team deliberating and shaping the activities scheduled for the two three-hour workshops.  The key outcome of this approach was to ensure that the participatory activities generated meaningful personal reflections on existing behaviours. Awareness of these behaviours can help navigate more resilient and mindful leadership competencies. The final design day involved delivery of the modules to the academics as participants to ‘road test’ the Graduate Transitions model before the final draft delivery materials were produced. Following this, final amendments communicated electronically prior to printing final materials.Evaluating the design of the workshop materials incorporates elements of diagnostic tools, evaluation surveys and focus groups with the student participants/past graduates to assess the impact and success of the pilot workshops.  The aim of this action research paper is to share qualitative student evaluations of the pilot graduate transition workshops taking place in March and May 2019 and gather constructive feedback from CABS colleagues. Impact of Research The Irish National Strategy for Higher Education to 2030 argues for “greater emphasis in the undergraduate curriculum on generic skills that are required in the workplace and for active citizenship” (O’Neill et al, 2014 p276). Barnett and Coate (2005) in their research assert that HE should be committed to providing students with learning opportunities aligned to the concept of “Being” in developing a sense of themselves and their capabilities, how they gain self-confidence and become the best version of themselves on graduation. Arvanitakis and Hornsby (2016) define resilience as consisting of two elements, “mistakability” – the ability to make mistakes and learn from these, the second is adaptability, the flexibility to adapt and learn accordingly. The capability to be resilient, adapt and learn are the fundamental characteristics of emerging future leaders. Central to the development of the resilient graduate certain, environmental conditions need to be present and this includes emancipatory pedagogical innovations (Fraser & Bosanquet, 2006). Subsequently, the ability to make and learn from mistakes needs to be articulated and normalised for students on graduation.  Further to this, McIntosh and Shaw (2017) proclaim there are many natural opportunities to nurture resilience throughout the student experience depending on the way teaching, learning and assessment are approached. The result of an emancipatory pedagogical approach is ‘a transformation of consciousness in the way one perceives and acts in the world’ (Grundy, 1987, p. 99). This is aligned to Ulster University’s visionary commitment to developing graduates as independent learners, citizen scholars and positive contributors to society.  The Graduate Transitions workshop pilots are a pioneering step in this endeavour. ReferencesArvanitakis, J. and Hornsby, D. eds., (2016) Universities, the citizen scholar and the future of higher education. Springer.Barnett, R., & Coate, K. (2005) Engaging the curriculum in higher education. Maidenhead, UK: Society for Research into Higher Education.Crockett, R. (2015) The critical 21st century skills every student needs and why. Available from; https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/21st-century-skills-every-student-needs [Accessed 10 Jan 2019]Fraser, S.P. and Bosanquet, A.M., (2006) The curriculum? That’s just a unit outline, isn’t it? Studies in higher education, 31(03), pp.269-284.Grundy, S. (1987) Curriculum: product or praxis? (London, Falmer Press).McIntosh, E., & Shaw, J. (2017) Student resilience: Exploring the positive case for resilience. (Report). London: Unite Students. Available at: http://www.unite-group.co.uk/studentresilience [accessed 10 Jan 2019]O’Neill, G., Donnelly, R., & Fitzmaurice, M. (2014) Supporting programme teams to develop sequencing in higher education curricula. International Journal for Academic Development, 19(4), 268-280(992 words including title and references)

Work Ready or Not? Using innovative pedagogy to build student resilience and enhance leadership competencies for the workplace.

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