Embedding Graduate Attributes at the Inception of a Chemistry Major in a Bachelor of Science

Sarah Windsor; Kerry-Lee Rutter; David B McKay; Noel Meyers

doi:10.1021/ed5001526

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Embedding Graduate Attributes at the Inception of a Chemistry Major in a Bachelor of Science

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Embedding Graduate Attributes at the Inception of a Chemistry Major in a Bachelor of Science

Sarah Windsor, Kerry-Lee Rutter, David B McKay and Noel Meyers

Journal of Chemical Education, Vol.91(12), pp.2078-2083

2014

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/ed5001526

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Abstract

first-year undergraduate/general

curriculum

learning theories

second-year undergraduate

upper-division undergraduate

Future employers increasingly require work-ready graduates. Higher education institutions throughout the world have responded through reforming the curriculum of major strands of study to incorporate graduate attributes. In this case study, we explicitly taught graduate attributes, obliged students to practice their newfound capabilities, gave feedback on their mastery of their new talents, and then assessed their expertise. We worked with students to progressively acquire graduate attributes that they need to become professional chemists. We implemented this strategy in a coherent suite of eight courses at a regional university in Australia. Our purpose was to design a tranche of eight courses to sequentially guide students' mastery of graduate attributes in ways that would contribute to producing "bench-ready" chemists. Students' perceptions of their acquisition of graduate attributes were ascertained through surveys and compared with student performance on assessment tasks. The knowledgeable and problem-solving graduate attributes were successfully developed in the first-year course, SCI105 Chemistry, and the third-year course, Physical Chemistry, respectively. The communication, engaged, ethical, and sustainability-focused graduate attributes were simultaneously developed in the second-year course, Inorganic Chemistry. We present here our model and underlying framework in such a way that others could implement this strategy in another context.

Details

Title: Embedding Graduate Attributes at the Inception of a Chemistry Major in a Bachelor of Science
Authors: Sarah Windsor (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
Kerry-Lee Rutter (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
David B McKay (Author) - Abu Dhabi University, United Arab Emirates
Noel Meyers (Author) - La Trobe University
Publication details: Journal of Chemical Education, Vol.91(12), pp.2078-2083
Publisher: American Chemical Society
Date published: 2014
DOI: 10.1021/ed5001526
ISSN: 0021-9584; 0021-9584
Organisation Unit: School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; School of Tertiary Access - Legacy; School of Education and Tertiary Access; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99449078702621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Chemistry, Multidisciplinary; Education, Scientific Disciplines

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