1. Developing valuable and relevant skills and attributes at L4 to improve retention- a multi-school investigation Alison Day, Dr. Iulia Mihai , Dr. Allan Mason and Dr. Ake Fagereng
Opportunity to work cross-school as part of our Post Grad Qualification in T&L
Problem of dis-engagement, attrition and success at L4 a concern for all.

2. Background- Group Project
Rising attrition rates Physiotherapy
Lack of engagement in core skills topics across ENGIN and EARTH at L4
Attrition and success a concern for all.
Opportunity to work cross-school as part of our Post Grad Qualification in T&L
UK-wide average 8% non-continuation (attrition and IOS)
For many years attrition rate averaged 3%, one of the lowest in the School.- large cohorts
ENGIN and EARTH schools were finding attrition rates were increasing, with staff reporting an increased lack of engagement, attendance and academic success in “core” quantitative skills, computer skills, maths and modelling.
Programmes with higher rates of retention and success make use of group-based learning and teaching and varied learning opportunities including real-world learning and work placements; all of us representing the 4 programmes felt as all were vocational/professional programmes there should be a strong link to real-world examples, and applied skills developed in the 1st year. All 4 programmes incorporated work placements.

3. What works? Phase 1
Belonging
Engagement
Feeling connected
Developing knowledge, confidence and identity
HE experience relevant to interests and future goals
“The development of clear, highly relevant skills of perceived value to students’ future aspirations are known to be key factors influencing retention and success.”
(What Works- Phase 1)
Programmes with higher rates of retention and success make use of group-based learning and teaching and varied learning opportunities including real-world learning and work placements; all of us representing the 4 programmes felt as all were vocational/professional programmes there should be a strong link to real-world examples, and applied skills developed in the 1st year. All 4 programmes incorporated work placements.
All 4 programmes felt we used real-world examples, all included field trips/placements but interestingly not in the first year, group learning and a range of learning opportunities were offered and we felt in all of our programmes a range of skills were developed in areas to increase the students capacity to engage…..

4. Project aim:
To determine which generic attributes and skills are perceived as being most valuable/relevant to the students in the 1st year across 4 programmes (3 Schools), most developed by the students; and which skills the students perceive are valuable to future employers.

5. Current practice
HCARE programmes L4, L5 and L6 IPE modules (Personal and Professional Development)
EARTH and ENGIN large proportion of time spent at L4 developing Health and Safety, Quantitative skills and Computer skills
All 4 programmes represented in the project felt real-world examples were embedded at L4 though none had any field trips/placements at L4
IPE develop communication, team working, professional identity and communities of practice
Historically within Physio students undertook a day in practice in the first year, but with increasing demand for placements, our clinical partners found it increasingly difficult to support the observation day so it was stopped 2 years ago.

6. Which attributes and skills should all students develop?
Mobility
International Experience
Work Experience
Creativity
Curiosity
Cultural Awareness
Commitment to Wales
Independence
Writing Skills
Interpersonal Communication
Quantitative Skills
Problem Solving Ability
Ability to Follow Instructions
Self-directed learning
Computer Skills
Confidence
Team work
Health and Safety
Estimating risk and uncertainty
Flexibility
With reference to Cardiff University “The Way Forward”, QAA and subject benchmark statements, the following list of generic attributes was developed:

7. Design
Questionnaire based survey of Level 4 students across 4 programmes across 3 different Schools within Cardiff University
Students select 5 attributes/skills that they believe they have developed to the greatest extent, 5 attributes/skills they believe to be most important and 5 that they believe employers value the most.
Sample size of between students from each programme surveyed (210 total)

8. Results: 3 way correlation diagram: Most valued skills
(ENGIN)
Blue bubbles are the student rated skills/attributes
Red bubbles are the skills/attributes perceived by students to be valuable to employers
Bold- common to all 4 programmes
Overlap are the skills that students feel they and employers value
Top graph first- the most valued
Most valued skills-
Top right- valued and developed, Creativity unique to ENGIN
Top left- valued but not perceived developed, except EARTH that valued and developed WE

9. Results: 3 way correlation diagram- most developed skills
(ENGIN)
Most developed-
All 4- PS, Indep, Team work, SDL

10. Results: 3 way correlation diagram
Ability to follow instructions
(ENGIN)
Bottom graph- least valued- all those in bold plus “Ability to follow instructions”, H&S poorly valued by Civil Engin and HCARE!!
Bottom right- developed but not valued
Bottom left- not developed or valued

11. Picture a typical ENGIN (Civil) student in the future…!
Independent
Health and Safety
Solving problems
Estimating risk and uncertainty
Working in a team
Quantitative skills
Confident
Ability to follow instructions

12. Picture a typical EARTH student in the future…!
Independent
Health and Safety
Solving problems
Estimating risk and uncertainty
Curious
Communication
Confident
Ability to follow instructions

13. Analysis: summary
Self-directed learning and Writing skills, well developed by all students but of little perceived value to the students
Work experience, very high value but poorly developed at L4
Health and Safety, well developed but of little perceived value to HCARE and ENGIN (civil)
Health and Safety, high value but poorly developed in EARTH and ENGIN (mech)

14. Implications for practice: embedding real-world
Work experience opportunity or real-world examples at L4 (Projects 4,5,7)
See these valuable skills being used (H&S, Quant skills, Computer skills)
Increase perceived value to students
Increase engagement and motivation at L4/5 = lower attrition and higher success
Embed the relevance in relation to future career aspirations
Make visible what employers value and want early on in Programme
Challenge student perceptions about what they think employers want
Increase engagement and motivation = lower attrition and higher success
Developing a range of skills to increase student capacity to engage and be successful including communication, academic skills, negotiation, learning styles, self-directed learning and team working (Projects 2,3,5 and 7)
Real-world examples supported by findings from What Works Phase 2 Project 5
In developing range of skills- ensure these skills are overtly linked to ILOs so that it’s visible to students when and why they are spending time developing these skills e.g self-directed learning which was developed but poorly valued by all 4 programmes

15. Final thoughts Happy thought Slightly worrying thought
Ability to follow instructions
Final thoughts
Happy thought
Slightly worrying thought
Unsurprising thought
Puzzling thought
Happy top right
Slightly worrying top left
Unsurprising bottom left
Puzzling thought – bottom right, developed but little value