Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
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Employability CASE Studies
Employability Case Studies
These four case studies were written by academic staff from four different disciplines (Sport, Cyber Security, Broadcast Media & Childhood Studies). Each individually demonstrate innovative ways of embedding and teaching employability skills to students. Collectively, they demonstrate via industry and community links, pedagogies and supporting activities which build students' collaborative skills, deep critical thinking, student- led learning and confidence.
This case study describes the employability-related ‘Legacy Projects’. Tailored towards undergraduate students studying on the interdisciplinary BA (Hons) Childhood Studies degree, it involved a total of 270 students at levels 4, 5 and 6. A core spine of 40-credit employment modules was embedded into course design. The main impact was that this design led to 56% of L6 students securing highly-skilled employment or postgraduate training by the time they had graduated university. Diverse work experiences coupled with academic reflection developed assets in terms of career-specific knowledges, skills, and attitudes. Success in the final assessment was underpinned by academic reflection where students used and deployed these employability assets in discussions of the impacts they had on children and families in the real world. This prepared students to later present a robust professional identity to employers and post-graduate training providers. Students applied successfully for a diverse range of postgraduate career destinations including teaching (all ages and stages), nursing, occupational therapy, speech therapy, social work and the police. The main challenge is the low response rate of the Graduate Outcomes Survey which students take 15 months after completing the course. While this could provide individual courses with useful follow-up data of their students’ trajectories, in practice it fails to capture anything of the true, full, rich data that we had captured internally to track all of our own students as they proceeded through applications, interviews, offers to acceptances. In short, the low response rate means that the Graduate Outcomes Survey works to provide only a partial and biased picture of the highly-skilled outcomes this degree did in practice secure for our students.
The fourth case study is based on a seven year project with Creative Technologies students which is designed to foster belonging, networking and problem solving as students transition to Broadcast Industry workplace. This module was created to improve employability for final year students and has been running for around 7 years. Students are supported to make meaningful personal contacts with those working in industry and to develop their readiness for work. This is achieved by developing and rewarding professionalism, requiring students to approach the people they would like to work with through work shadowing and informal ‘interviews’ about industrial practice which lead to rapid career development and offers of employment. The course team can use their own networks to smooth introductions, where needed and students support one another with ideas for progress early in the module, strengthening sense of belonging. No student is ‘left behind’.
The assessment is in two parts: Portfolio presentation to a panel of academics and careers team members followed by a Report/Podcast presentation for the second component of assessment. The use of careers staff and portfolio presentation allows students control of what and how they present, while engaging them face-to-face with key staff in the University who can continue to support hem post-graduation and allows for their public persona to be professionalised before reaching into industry. The second component promotes critical thinking as well as confidence in growing networks and contacting employers/future peers.
Students are supported in both components to reflect upon their individual preferences and strengths. They have contact with academics and careers staff on the panel before presentation of portfolio. This puts them at ease and introduces the idea that personal relationships can be powerful and positive. A programme of guest lectures offers both informal introductions to professionals including graduates of the course, whose stories of how they ‘got in and got on’ are personally empowering for students and emphasise that the course ‘family’ is worth belonging to as a short and long-term network. The module receives very positive reviews from students, employers, careers staff and graduates. Graduate guest lecturers refer to it as empowering and influential for them and this perpetuates potential for positive/virtuous cycle of growing contacts/ influence.
This core Employability module was embedded in four different Sport courses and delivered to a cohort of 330 students by an interdisciplinary team (n=17) during the academic years of 2019-2022. The module aimed to develop students as reflective, self-managing practitioners who are committed to their own development and growth (Lester & Costley, 2010). Main topics covered included personal and career development, by promoting equal opportunities for development beyond curriculum through completion of 120h and encouraged students to engage in experiential learning while being part of a collaborative community.
The 120h development opportunities were tailored to each student needs and career interests and therefore flexible in terms of content and mode of delivery. Support provided within the module ensured that students engaged in relevant development opportunities matching their interest and needs, while feeling confident to embrace new developmental challenges. Some examples include placements in sport or health settings shadowing practitioners, interviews with professionals working in a field of interest (i.e., medical staff, teachers, academics), engagement in a journal club, development of a professional profile in social media. Modes of teaching comprised both one to one and group sessions delivered in different formats (remote to face-to-face or hybrid). Feedback received from students through focus groups and self-report measures highlight the importance of the module for personal and professional growth and valued the flexible and collaborative teaching approaches used. Students particularly enjoyed the autonomy and support offered, the opportunity to consider their own interests, and the prospect of new career horizons beyond their course, while enlarging networks. From a course perspective, the module has encouraged a sense of community towards finding meaningful development opportunities for each other while fostering collaboration and connection among peers and staff. This goal was reinforced through different pedagogical activities such as deep reflection exercises, sharing of best practices and challenges and mentoring opportunities. Despite the inherent challenges associated with the leadership and management of such a large module, outcomes were very positively reflected in students’ grades and qualitative feedback. Moving forward, researchers should dedicate further attention to the concept of inclusive and meaningful learning in higher education by valuing students’ experiences and contexts and offering equal opportunities for development.
A case study conducted at Leeds Beckett University aimed to enhance the delivery of current modules and ultimately, the student experience. The study focused on the use of Discord as the primary communication platform for cyber security students. The platform, originally designed as a gaming platform, became an associative learning space where students felt comfortable to ask questions, provide opinions, and make mistakes without feeling intimidated. Accessible on and off-campus, including on mobile phones, Discord allowed students to continue learning from home and fostered social connections and course bonds during the Covid-19 restrictions when campuses were closed.
At level 5, the Team Project module was designed to promote a sense of course, personal, and professional identity. Teams of students produced industry-standard penetration testing reports, which were used in a simulated court case and marked on project management and report quality. The cross-examination by a real barrister reinforced students' professional identity and helped students realise they were experts in their field.
The Production Project module at level 6 was also designed to provide a realistic professional context for individual projects. Students were organized into small expert groups and went through regular planning, progress, and review meetings. This allowed students to rely on peer feedback and embrace their role as technical experts/reviewers, reinforcing their sense of course and professional identity. The clear focus on why certain actions were taken and their benefit to students helped increase motivation and a sense of belonging. These findings are consistent with Wonkhe-Pearson's research, which found that students who feel a sense of belonging to their course and institution have better academic outcomes and are more likely to persist to graduation.
In conclusion, the case study highlights the importance of communication platforms like Discord and hands-on modules in enhancing the student experience and promoting identity, belonging, and professional development in cyber security students. The department intends to extend the use of Discord to other courses and assess its impact on student outcomes. Additionally, the staff aims to increase hands-on and project-based learning opportunities, including real-world scenarios and simulations, to better equip students for careers in the field.
