Benchmarking Careers Education Changing Student Choices conference HECSU Manchester July 2006

1. Benchmarking Careers EducationChanging Student Choices conference HECSU ManchesterJuly 2006 David Stanbury University of Reading AGCAS Careers Education Task Group AGCAS web site: http://www.agcas.org.uk/

2. Why did we do it? • In pairs • list as many ‘official’ reports and policy documents about careers ed in HE since Dearing (97) that you can think of.

3. Dearing’s children…..

4. Outline • Why do it? • Aims for the document • Starting from scratch • What are benchmarks? • Process • Consultation • Product • Making the most of the document in your situation

5. Aims for the statement • Provide an external reference point • Something that can be ‘owned’ by the careers ed community • Raise the profile • Point to its theoretical underpinnings • Assist dialogue b/w those involved in careers educational development

6. Activity • In small groups list the things you would like a careers education benchmark to be like and the things you would want it to avoid, under two headings • It should be…. • It should avoid….

7. QAA context • Documents that encapsulate an agreed guide to standards • Higher Education – inform curriculum development + review • Subject benchmarks • “Describes the nature and characteristics” of a specific subject and make “explicit the general academic standards” • 48 have been adopted by the QAA • “In evaluating the effectiveness of their policies and practices for programme design, approval and review … institutions will need to consider whether due account is taken of: external reference points” - QAA

8. Just what are benchmarks in HE???? • Reference points • Maps not fixed routes • Shared basis for discussion • A statement of what is (and what can be) • We can define it as:- ‘An external reference point with the characteristic concerns of a subject benchmark statement, which rather than being applied to a whole degree, is focused intently on a trans-disciplinary theme.’

9. Contents • Nature, characteristics and defining principles • Teaching, Learning and Assessment • Learning outcomes • Curricula context • Institutional context • Case studies • Drovers for change • Careers theory • Careers education and other related initiatives • Some resources

10. Where we’ve come from • Steering Group • HE Academy Generic Centre • AGR • Guidance Council • HE Academy subject centres / academics • AGCAS members • Careers Ed Task Group • QAA • SCOP • Working Groups & partners • Other interested parties UK and ROI

11. Where we’ve got to Feedback so far …. • Vast majority of total responses favourable • Good variety of respondents spread across the UK • CAS (59%) • Senior academics (19%) • Student services (18%)

12. Comments and issues • Is the nature and scope of careers ed described clearly? • Are the learning outcomes clear? • Is it fit for purpose • Some issues • Stylistic • What is a Benchmark? • Substantive

13. Over to you…. • In groups looking at section of the statement, • What are the strengths of this section? • How could you practically use this in your institution? • How should we disseminate the executive summary?

14. Resources • Full document can be downloaded from the AGCAS website at: http://www.agcas.org.uk/employability/index.htm • The Executive summary will be added by Oct • For further reading see QAA subject benchmarking, Vol 10, Number 3, 2002, Quality Assurance in Education (LTSN) • Or contact me d.r.stanbury@rdg.ac.uk