Learning & Teaching

Title of case study	Surfacing skills… in the course evaluation
School/Subject:	MSc Global Mental Health; School of Health & Wellbeing
Lecturer(s):	Dr Dimitar Karadzhov, Prof Julie Langan Martin, Prof Laura Sharp, and Programme Team
Course:	various
Student Level:	PGT
Class size:	40-50
Location:	On campus and online distance learning

Brief summary

In the MSc Global Mental Health programme, we have incorporated employability-relevant questions into our routine EVASYS course evaluation questionnaires, as well as the end-of-year programme-wide review questionnaire. This has enabled us to measure and monitor the degree to which students are aware of the employability value of subject-specific teaching. 

This approach helps surface skills as it makes implicit skills explicit, as students often gain future skills without consciously recognising them. Asking targeted questions helps them reflect on and articulate these skills.  When students recognise the relevance of their academic learning to future employment, they are better equipped to present these skills in CVs, interviews and applications. 

Objectives

To routinely measure the degree to which students are aware of the employability value of subject-specific teaching, including on-campus teaching, self-paced online learning materials and assessments. 

What is done? 

The following questions have been embedded in course and programme evaluations: 

Course evaluations (EVASYS):

Q1. The (online) learning materials made it clear what professional (employability-relevant) skills I was developing. Strongly disagree ---Strongly agree

End-of-year programme review:

Q1.The course has offered me opportunities to explore potential career paths.

Q2. The online learning materials made it clear what future (employability) skills I was developing.

Q3. The programme has provided me with ample opportunities to reflect on my personal and professional development.

Q4. Which, if any, of the University of Glasgow ‘Graduate Attributes’ were enhanced by the varied ASSESSMENT TYPES incorporated into the GMH Programme? (Tick all that apply)

What works well?

The questions are easy to administer and responses, straightforward to interpret. The simplicity of questions allows us to more easily monitor changes over time. 

Benefits (students & staff)

For staff, this approach demonstrates commitment and accountability regarding embedded employability in the curriculum. Some of the questions also help us to indirectly assess how well we are developing students’ career readiness (e.g. see Q1 and Q3 above). 

For students, it promotes reflection as to the professional value of subject-specific teaching and assessments. It encourages students to reflect on the professional relevance of the subject-specific teaching and assessments they engage with. 

Challenges (students & staff)          

Ideally, more employability-focused questions could be added, together with open-ended response options to more deeply gauge students’ awareness and perceptions. However, the intention was to keep evaluation questionnaires as brief as possible to lower student burden. 

What did you learn? 

(1) Students were aware of the employability value of the learning materials and summative assessments. We believe this has been positively influenced by our systematic efforts to embed employability in our core online teaching by, for example, introducing ‘employability insights’ rubrics that explicitly link subject content with employability skills. 

For more details, please see Karadzhov, D., Sharp, L., Hatton, G., Stubbs, F., & Langan Martin, J. (2024). More than just an add-on: Enhancing discipline-specific employability skills and awareness via the virtual learning environment. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 12(1), 19-35.  

(doi: 10.56433/jpaap.v12i1.568) 

(2) Different assessments are rated differently by students based on perceived professional/future workplace relevance. This change likely reflects the different degrees of authenticity of assessments.  

For more details, please see Karadzhov, D., Sharp, L., & Langan Martin, J. (2021). Integrating disciplinary practices to optimally deliver alternative assessments and embed graduate attributes in a Global Mental Health Master’s programme. Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 9(1), 18-35. (doi: 10.14297/jpaap.v9i1.438) 

What advice would you give to others?

(1) Pilot and refine employability-focused curriculum enhancements on a continual basis.

(2) Incorporate questions pertaining to (a) extent of employability embeddedness and (b) graduate capital into routine course evaluations. 

(3) At the start of the term, establish a baseline of students’ self-reported career awareness and management skills. Assess change mid-way and at the end of the programme.