“Education at a Glance” is the misleading title of a new publication from the OECD, as 570 pages will not be read at a glance by anyone!
However, there are gems to be pulled out from the report, and both the Guardian and Times Higher have identified some key messages for universities.
From the Guardian:
“The UK’s massive expansion in university education has not led to a parallel increase in skills, an international study has discovered, with only a quarter of the country’s graduates reaching the highest levels in literacy, well below other top-performing nations.”
And from the Times Higher:
“The UK is ranked relatively low among the most developed nations for the literacy skills of graduates, with its performance described as “a puzzle” given the elevated reputation of its universities”
Interestingly, the Guardian also reports that he skills gap is even greater when numeracy is considered.
On a more positive note, Nicola Dandridge of UUK is reported as saying:
“the sector recognised complaints from some employers about graduates’ skills, and argued that some of this was down to schooling. She added: “However, higher education can have a role in developing students in key areas of employability.” Universities were addressing this challenge, she said, in part through increased links with employers such as work placements”
Clearly our work on Staffordshire Graduate Attributes and the focus of employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship throughout our awards will allow our graduates to be able to compete successfully on graduation.
However, as so often, I an left with the question – could we do more around numeracy to support our students better? I’m not proposing high level mathematics here, but topics such as the ability to use a spreadsheet sensibly, to be able to understanding basic probability and statistical tests, and an understanding of how to handle and present data. Numeracy was identified in the recent Kaplan report on what employers want – maybe a university could steal a march over others in being the first to embed these skills into programmes.
Alternatively, if we don’t want to embed the skills, then maybe its time for either individual students or institutions to look at some of the latest developments in MOOCs and competency based education, currently happening in the US.
Clay Christensen (he of disruptive innovation fame) is now promoting the idea that vocational competency based education is the new disruptor. Maybe for developing specific skill sets (such as numeracy, or enhanced literacy) there may be a place for individuals or unis to engage with this agenda to provide them with the added skills in literacy and numeracy that the OECD identify are lacking in UK graduates.
Could this be an end to my MOOC skepticism, and the development of a Staffordshire University optional course to enhance numeracy skills?