Overview

  • There are 12 graduate capabilities which encompass the key skills and capabilities students should develop to achieve ACU’s four graduate attributes.
  • The graduate capabilities are mapped to the unit learning outcomes to evidence student capacity to demonstrate the aspirations of the ACU graduate attributes across the course of study.

The ACU Graduate Attributes are embedded across ACU curricula through two key components: A course-level graduate statement and graduate capabilities. The graduate statement and the graduate capabilities work together to enable students to achieve the aspirational graduate attributes.

The twelve graduate capabilities are the skills that underpin the development of the graduate attributes and they are embedded implicitly and explicitly within ACU’s graduate attributes.

Graduate Capabilities

Description

A graduate who has discipline knowledge is able to demonstrate discipline-based concepts, principles, and understandings appropriate to the field of study.
Assessment

Activities that could be used to assess discipline knowledge include:

  • Quizzes and exams
  • Written Reports
  • Research Papers
  • Lab reports
  • Presentations or oral exams

Description

A graduate who has the skill of applied knowledge is able to competently use their disciplinary knowledge in relevant fields of study and/or professional practice.
Assessment

Activities that could be used to assess applied knowledge include:

  • Case studies
  • Simulations
  • Project-based assessments
  • Practical exams
  • Workplace or field-based assessments

Description

A graduate who has the skill of autonomous learning is able to learn and perform independently and as a reflective, effective, self-aware learner.
Assessment

Activities that could be used to assess learning autonomy include:

  • Independent research projects
  • Reflective journals
  • Case studies
  • Portfolios
  • Problem-based learning tasks
  • Self and peer reviews
  • Profile showcase

Description

A graduate who has collaborative skills is able to collaborate respectfully and effectively with diverse peoples and groups in local and global contexts. 
Assessment

Activities that could be used to assess collaborative skills include:

  • Group projects
  • Peer evaluations
  • Presentations
  • Debates
  • Role-playing exercises
  • Team reflection

Description

A graduate who has cultural capability is able to understand and learn from Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges, histories and experiences, and their impacts, and apply critical reflective practice to influence social change and work alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Assessment

Assessments and learning should focus on improving the development of and growing cultural capability of students. Cultural capability can vary depending upon context and is therefore difficult to measure or assess. Cultural capability is not a competency for students to achieve or attain, rather it is ongoing learning journey which requires continuous learning as a student and a future professional.

Activities that could be used to assess development and growth of the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples cultural capability include: 

  • Critical self-reflections
  • Critically reflective essays
  • Critical analysis essays
  • Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples case studies
  • Collaborative and participatory assessments
  • Engagement with Indigenous Communities including placements with Indigenous organisations
  • Simulation
  • Project Proposals
Curriculum and Teaching

Curriculum and teaching practices and processes that can support integrating the Graduate Attributes and the Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples cultural capability include: 

  • Delegated Indigenous pedagogy and curriculum roles
  • Cultural Capability/Cultural Safety/Indigenous Curriculum Committees/Working Groups
  • Building Indigenous community relationships and partnerships
  • Indigenous curriculum and Empathy Graduate mapping in current curriculum to identify areas for review and development
  • Consultation with Indigenous Curriculum academics
  • Course learning outcomes relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities, knowledges, and experiences
  • Including critical discussion in classes/discussion boards/learning spaces that critique the profession or field of study and its cultural understandings

Description

A graduate who has the skill of community mindedness is able to engage critically with social issues and work with community in ways that recognise the dignity of the human person and advance the common good.
Assessment

Activities that could be used to assess discipline knowledge include:

  • Self-reflection and personal statements
  • Community-based projects
  • Community research - interviews or discussions
  • Research papers and essays
  • Leadership in community initiatives

Description

A graduate who has the skill of critical thinking is able to critically analyse and evaluate their own ideas and those of others and to synthesise information to formulate clear and well-reasoned, evidence-based positions.
Assessment

Activities that could be used to assess critical thinking include:

  • Research papers and essays
  • Case studies
  • Problem-solving tasks
  • Decision-making simulations
  • Debates
  • Critique/validate chatGPT generated outputs or answers

Description

A graduate who has problem-solving skills is able to use critical thinking to address practical problems with appropriate evidence, and support decision making.
Assessment

Activities that could be used to assess problem-solving skills include:

  • Research papers and essays
  • Case studies
  • Design or innovation challenges
  • Decision-making simulations
  • Debates

Description

A graduate who has the skill of information literacy is able to locate and assess the authority and relevance of information from a range of sources, including scholarly, research-based evidence and the media, and reference them appropriately.
Assessment

Activities that could be used to assess information literacy include:

  • Quizzes and exams
  • Research projects (individual or collaborative)
  • Annotated bibliographies
  • Source evaluations
  • Reflection papers
  • Capstone projects
  • Annotated bibliography
  • Story boarding
  • Analysis and critique of AI generated text and media

Description

A graduate who has the skill of digital literacy is able to use a range of information communication technologies effectively in personal, academic, and professional contexts.
Assessment

Activities that could be used to assess digital literacy include:

  • Presentations
  • Posters
  • Online portfolios
  • Multimedia projects
  • Capstone projects
  • Simulation-based tasks
  • Authentic assessment incorporating appropriate use of gen-AI to per industry/disciplinary norms

Description

A graduate with written communication skills has the ability to present information and ideas effectively in a variety of written genres to diverse audiences.
Assessment

Activities that could be used to assess written communication skills include:

  • Essays
  • Reports (business, technical, lab etc.)
  • Reflective journals
  • Blog posts or online articles
  • Research papers
  • Creative writing tasks

Description

A graduate with oral communication skills has the ability to present information and ideas effectively in a variety of spoken genres to diverse audiences.
Assessment

Activities that could be used to assess written communication skills include:

  • Presentations
  • Interview scenarios
  • Debates
  • Public speaking
  • Role-plays or simulations
  • Group discussion
  • Elevator pitch
  • Mock interview
  • OSCE type assessments

Aligning Graduate Capabilities and Unit Learning Outcomes

Achievement of the graduate capabilities should be spread across a course. It is not expected that one unit will cover all, or even most of the graduate capabilities.

When aligning the graduate capabilities and unit learning outcomes, it is also useful to consider how the unit learning outcome, and therefore the graduate capability, is assessed. Consider the relationship between the assessment tasks aligned to the learning outcome and the graduate capability..

  • How is the learning outcome assessed and how does the assessment align with the graduate capability?

Consider the wording of the learning outcome and how it relates to the graduate capability. If the wording of the unit learning outcome has been revised as part of any unit review process, then the alignment may also have changed. Consider the verb and the content of the learning outcome. Learning outcomes that “Define” or “Outline” do not generally reflect alignment with critical thinking or problem-solving.

  • How does the wording of the learning outcome support alignment with the graduate capability being chosen?

 

Page last updated on 19/07/2024

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