Authentic Assessment in Online Higher Education

Among the increasing pressures on today's higher education providers are the call from employers for improved preparedness of graduates for entering the workforce and the expectation from students that their learning be personalized and targeted toward their unique professional goals. Authentic performance assessment is proposed as an opportunity for higher education to collaborate with industry and create targeted and personalized skills-based performance assessment for adult learners as a means for closing the skills gap between school and work. This chapter provides in-depth descriptions of the characteristics of authentic performance assessment and steps and strategies for creating them.

People, Place, and Purpose

While higher ed institutions have been incorporating online learning into their curriculum and delivery of content, the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic acted as a catalyst for major reform and reconsideration of learning practices, especially online. This chapter focuses on the ramifications of the pandemic on people, place, and purpose in ways that will have long-lasting meaning for both higher education options and the future of work for years to come. From the form of delivery to the way in which content becomes measured, mastered, and linked to employment opportunities, the future of higher education and work will demand non-degree offerings (NDO) that align with skills gap needs to improve efficiency, speed to completion, and qualifications for jobs and/or promotion.

Visibilization of Graduating Student Employability Skills via ePortfolio Practices

Embedding employability skills into the core of higher education is a priority worldwide to reduce the skills gap and better equip graduates for entering or progressing in the workplace. This chapter presents an innovative solution based on high impact e-portfolio practices developed within the H2020 EPICA project oriented towards making employability skills visible. It also reports on the implementation of a new methodology for assessing and micro-credentialing employability skills tested in three East African universities. The pilot carried out in a variety of study programs is described along with the measures taken to address the spread of COVID-19. Lessons learnt, transfer possibilities, and organizational implications are also reported as a final note on the experience. This high impact learning experience aims to inspire academic institutions to innovate by integrating e-portfolio and micro-credentials along with fresh pedagogical practices and strategies that better align the future workforce with societal and economic demands.

Project Management Skills in Malaysian Economic Sectors

Objective of this conceptual study is to investigate the demand for project management skills in Malaysian economic sectors and to develop strategies on narrowing down the project management talent gap to enable the nation in leveraging on project management talents to implement strategic initiatives, driving change, and delivering innovation to Malaysia whilst contributing to nation’s productivity and standard of living. Previous studies on project management skills demand in Malaysian economic sector is limited, mostly related to non-Malaysian economies and other areas of skills. Demand and supply theory based on Graduate Tracer Study is used as basis to understand and close the gap in project management skills demand and project management talent shortages and, in consideration of potential job mismatch due to traits of workers and the impact of curriculum design on employability competence. This study on project management skills in Malaysia will serve as basis to identify the project management skills gap in Malaysian economic sectors. Proposed model of strategies expected to be developed in this study is aimed to provide granular level insights for government in adopting more targeted approach in meeting the demand for project management skills and narrowing down project management talent shortages.

THE EFFECTS SOCIAL CAPITAL ATTRIBUTES ON THE EMPLOYABILITY READINESS AMONG ENGINEERING GRADUATES IN THE HIGH EDUCATION INSTITUTE’S IN OMAN

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Social Capital attributes on the employability readiness of the engineering graduates of the High Education Institutes in Oman. The study adopted a self-directed structured questionnaire was distributed to a sample of engineering students and graduates from a number of colleges and universities. The study used structural equation modelling (SEM) for analysed the collected data. The findings of the statistical analysis of the study showed the significant contribution of social activities in the attainment of teamwork, communication, proficiency of the English language, and problem-solving skills. As a result, the involvement of the graduates in social activities strongly influences the awareness of career information which in return affects positively graduates’ Readiness for Employability. Specifically, study findings showed Social capital attributes factor could have a high influence on the Readiness for Employability of the graduates in Oman when it is utilised effectively. Finally, the study’s implementations and recommendations could be transferred to the Gulf and Arab or other countries’ contexts having similar settings of HE systems and similar issues of skills gap and employability concern of their graduates.

THE INSTITUTIONAL ATTRIBUTES AND EMPLOYABILITY READINESS AMONG ENGINEERING GRADUATES IN THE HIGH EDUCATION INSTITUTE’S IN OMAN

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of Institutional attributes on the employability readiness of the engineering graduates of the High Education Institutes in Oman. The study adopted a self-directed structured questionnaire was distributed to a sample of engineering students and graduates from a number of colleges and universities. The study used structural equation modelling (SEM) for analysing the collected data. The findings of the statistical analysis of the study showed that Omani graduates signify the contribution of the HEIs Policies, Classroom environment, the implementation of Student Centric Approach strategies on the graduates’ readiness for employability skills attainment. Also, the findings of the study recommend HEIs to improve their teaching quality, overall Syllabus and Course Curriculum, assessment strategies, and teaching materials to enhance their graduates with required graduates’ readiness for employability skills. Specifically, study findings showed Institutional attributes factor could high have an influence on the Readiness for Employability of the graduates in Oman when the HEIs reform effectively the Institution-Related attributes factors analysed in the research study. Finally, the study’s implementations and recommendations could be transferred to the Gulf and Arab or other countries’ contexts having similar settings of HE systems and similar issues of skills gap and employability concern of their graduates.

DOSE INDIVIDUAL ATTRIBUTES MATTERS ON THE EMPLOYABILITY READINESS AMONG ENGINEERING GRADUATES IN THE HIGH EDUCATION INSTITUTES IN OMAN

The aim of this study is to examine the effects individual attributes on the Employability Readiness among engineering graduates of the High Education Institutes in Oman. The study adopted self-directed structured questionnaire which was distributed to a sample of engineering students and graduates from a number of colleges and universities. The study used the structural equation modelling (SEM) for analysing the collected data. The findings of the statistical analysis of the study showed the most influential individual attributes on graduates’ readiness for employability are workshop attendance that affect the attainment of the technical skills of the graduates, family motivations, and graduates’ career orientations that help graduates to identify future career requirements and future career opportunities, and graduates’ personal learning targets. Also, class attendance, academic excellence, financial sources, and parents’ career position showed high important effects as well. The findings of this attribute which consist of the individual attributes of personnel’s’ values, attitudes, abilities, and work-life balance enhance the graduates attainment of the adaptability and flexibility attributes for their future readiness for employability. Therefore, study findings showed Individual attributes factor has high influence on the Readiness for Employability of the graduates in Oman. Finally, the study’s implementations and recommendations could be transferred to the Gulf and Arab or other countries’ contexts having similar settings of HE systems and similar issues of skills gap and employability concern of their graduates.

THE EFFECTS OF HUMAN CAPITAL ATTRIBUTES ON THE EMPLOYABILITY READINESS AMONG ENGINEERING GRADUATES IN THE HIGH EDUCATION INSTITUTE’S IN OMAN

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of human capital attributes on the employability readiness of the engineering graduates of the High Education Institutes in Oman. The study adopted self-directed structured questionnaire distributed to a sample of engineering students and graduates from a number of colleges and universities. The study used the structural equation modelling (SEM) for analysing the collected data. The findings of the statistical analysis of the study showed that Omani graduates signify professional ethics and morality, teamwork including respecting others, cooperating, negotiating, persuading, and contributing to discussions, Communication skills including listening and questioning, Capacity for lifelong learning including openness to new ideas, Creative thinking of the ability to develop and apply appropriate solutions, and Problem solving skills of the ability to analyse facts and situations as the top required skills of Readiness for Employability. Specifically, study findings showed Human capital attributes factor has high influence on the Readiness for Employability of the graduates in Oman. Finally, the study’s implementations and recommendations could be transferred to the Gulf and Arab or other countries’ contexts having similar settings of HE systems and similar issues of skills gap and employability concern of their graduates.