Fit for Purpose: A Framework for Developing and Assessing Complex Graduate Attributes in a Changing Higher Education Environment

Abstract

This paper provides an assessment framework for shared collaboration among accounting educators. Key developments in higher education more broadly and challenges specific to accounting education are synthesised to identify their combined effects on the accounting curriculum and on accounting academics in fulfilling the teaching component of their academic role. The issue of assessment validity for complex graduate attributes that invariably encompass skills, disposition and values – beyond technical knowledge – is highlighted. This paper draws on multi-disciplinary research and principles of best practice to provide a framework to design innovative assessments. The framework is then used to illustrate the support and design of a set of assessment learning activities targeting graduate attributes. The authors also intend to share the framework with peers and to promote debate and further development to counter some of the challenges presently confronting accounting education in the already resource-scarce and high-demand higher education sector.

Key Words:

• Assessment framework
• graduate attributes
• assessment validity
• assurance of learning
• accounting academic standards

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Macquarie University Learning and Teaching Priority grant and Innovation and Scholarship grant schemes, and the constructive comments during the development of the paper from Mark Freeman, the 2012 RMIT Accounting Educators' conference participants, AE reviewers and editors.

Notes

1 Full documentation available at: www.teqsa.gov.au.

2 ‘Graduate capabilities’ and ‘generic attributes’ are alternative terms currently used by many universities in Australia to describe the knowledge base, technical and non-technical skills, attitudes and values of their graduates. The present paper has used the term ‘graduate attributes’ to align with the broader research literature.

3 For instance IES 3 prescribes the mix of skills comprising intellectual, technical, personal, interpersonal and organizational skills that candidates require to qualify as professional accountants.

4 See Price et al. (2008) for setting assessment standards.

5 The Appendix provides an example (from Macquarie University) to show the broad characteristics of graduate attributes within the context of the illustrative example provided further in the paper.

6 A critical input for AACSB accreditation is a faculty's mission in the formulation of program goals against which evidence of assurance of learning is evaluated. As discussed earlier, a faculty mission is a flowthrough effect from a university mission, thus representing a clear lineage to the Australian authoritative body, TEQSA. See Lawson et al. (2011).

7 Previous CPA Australia and ICAA accreditation guidelines require at least 50% of total assessments to be in the form of individually invigilated assessments and reviews of final examination papers (the latter continues to be prevalent in the current accreditation guidelines).

8 Also see Birrell (2009).

9 Cf. Sadler (2010).

10 Henceforth, ‘self-regulated’ will be used rather than ‘student self-regulated’ to avoid repetition.

11 Sadler (2009), however, has cautioned that the quality and scope of potential divergent responses from students can be constrained by explicit descriptions of levels of achievements in marking criteria or rubrics.

12 This point is particularly relevant for external accreditation, such as AACSB, in closing the loop in the assurance for learning.

13 While dialogical feedback in the framework appropriately emphasises feedback given and received by students with each other in an authentic student-centred environment, it does not preclude feedback received and given by academics in actual practice.

14 Self-management is a learning outcome of the AAS described as the ability to reflect on performance feedback to identify and action learning opportunities and self-improvements (at the Bachelor level) and the ability to seek and reflect on performance feedback to identify and action learning opportunities and self-improvements and initiate this process for others (at the Advance Master level) (Hancock et al., 2010).

15 See the Appendix for the complete list of Macquarie University graduate capabilities.

16 This framework has also been used to support the design of learning and assessment activities in an accounting final-year capstone unit and an intermediary finance unit, examples of which are available from the authors on request.