Using blended learning to engage students embedding employability

Using blended learning to engage students: embedding employability awareness and career development skills learning in the curriculum Anita Norcott Employability Learning Specialist anorcott@cardiffmet. ac. uk Career Development Services

Overview • Your Career e-Module: the generic learning resource • Blended learning modules: 4 case studies • Impact and evaluation: evidence of student engagement

Your Career e-Module content – 13 e-lessons: • Planning your career • Job Search • Work Experience • Skills and selfassessment • CVs and covering letters • Application forms • Interview skills • Assessment centres • Self-employment

PDP and Employability Education Personal Awareness Career Development Skills Work Experience Reflection Personal Life Development © Cardiff Metropolitan University Career Development Services

Cardiff Met’s definition of employability : “an individual’s capability and confidence to enter and manage a career path* which fulfils both their potential and their aspirations, whilst enabling them to contribute fully and effectively to the economy and society. ” *“Career path” in this context is a lifelong and uniquely individual process which could include paid and voluntary work, self-employment, periods of learning, self-reflection and other self-development opportunities.

Case study 1: Cardiff School of Sport PDP & Employability Modules

CSS blended learning model • Collaborative module development team • Briefings on e-lessons and activities at beginning of each term • Generic e-lessons customised for Sport sector • Individual and group meetings with personal tutors • Access to Career Advisers

Module aims – year one • Develop students’ awareness of employability and understanding of the personal, social, academic, reflective and professional skills required at HE level 4 (5) • Devise an accurate evidence base for recording employability development

Year One - Term 1 e-lessons & tasks E-lessons: • 01: Information skills • 02: Academic style – academic English • 03: Referencing – Harvard system • 04: Learning styles questionnaires • 05: Reflective and summary writing Activities/tasks: • Attend briefing and tutorials • 3 day outdoor residential early first term • Complete Brecon self-assessment and action plan • Undertake the academic skills e-test • Load outputs into e-portfolios

Year One - Term 2 e-lessons & tasks E-lessons: • 06: Your career interests and motivations • 07: Your career personality factors • 08: Your transferable skills • 09: Your career-specific skills • 10: Year two options Activities/tasks: • Attend briefing and tutorials • Load reflective summary sheets into e-portfolios • Begin to build employability logs • Continue reflective log • Year two options choices

Learning outcomes of term 2 e-lessons : • Increase your understanding of yourself and which career paths might suit you. • Identify the skills and competencies employers generally regard as essential, and those which are necessary for your preferred career path(s). • Evaluate which options choices for Year 2 will be most appropriate to your personal and career development.

Employability Logs Transferable skills*: Career-specific (examples) Communication Customer service Team working Business sector awareness Planning and organising Coaching Interpersonal Self-management I. T. Problem-solving Numeracy Other? *descriptors in Logs *Source: CBI and Universities UK (2009) Future Fit: Preparing Graduates for the world of work

Learning outcomes: year two • Further develop and reflect on action plans for personal and professional development • Demonstrate an understanding of employer requirements of communication/presentation skills • Evaluate and reflect on the benefits of work experience • Demonstrate improvement in self-management and independent learning strategies to address study at HE level 5

Year two assessment Presentation (80%) - 10 mins maximum 6 slides: 1: Identification of possible professional career/pathway 2: Where I am know – skills, qualifications, knowledge and (work)experience 3: Further evidence to demonstrate strengths / skills etc 4: What development do I need to plan? 5: How will I go about this? 6: Summary development plan

Activities for year two • E-lessons and outputs: 1. Learning reflection questionnaire 2. Work experience 3. CV writing 4. Researching your career path 5. Preparing for your presentation 6. Year three options • Up-date employability and reflective logs • 3 -4 personal tutor meetings in groups • Deliver and reflect on presentations

Case study two: departmental approach • Year two Professional Employability module • One term – 10 credits • Humanities and Educational Studies programmes • Blended approach • x 4 e-lessons: Planning your career, skills & self assessment, CVs and interview skills

Poster presentation assessment Career specific skills: Transferable skills and attributes: Strengths Development areas Action plan Strengths Development Areas Action plan Your unique selling points Reflective summary Key preparation points for Interviews

Case study 3: programme approach • Year two Professional Employability module • Environmental Health programme • Assessed CVs and application forms for ‘real’ roles and presentations • x 4 e-lessons: Planning your career, skills & self assessment, CVs and application forms

New Year New Start • for recent graduates • 5 weekly structured learning units • Framework for Cardiff Met and external learning resources • Mainly on-line with e-portfolios and discussion group • Blended element offered: workshops and Career Adviser support • Certificated

Measuring impact – how? • Achievement of module learning outcomes and assessment criteria • Feedback from students and staff • Analysis of outputs from e-lessons • Feedback from Career Advisers • Feedback from Programme Directors • Usage stats – ‘hits’

2011 -12 stats • 1240 students engaged with embedded e-lessons (+ 34% on previous year - 925) • Approx 34 hours of embedded e-learning delivered (+112% on previous year - 16 hours) • 19, 830 ‘hits’ on embedded e-lessons • 32, 330 ‘ hits’ on the Your Career generic e-lessons

Summary - benefits of a blended approach for engaging students • Enables learners to self-manage their learning at times/places of their choosing • Supports development of range of employability skills and awareness • Delivers more learning support than traditional workshop programme • Improved module choices - learners research career path market requirements early • Fits with Cardiff Met’s Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy