Research Article
Empowering Graduates for Knowledge Economies in Developing Countries
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-319-67837-5_21, author={Maurice Danaher and Kevin Shoepp and Ashley Ater Kranov and Julie Bauld Wallace}, title={Empowering Graduates for Knowledge Economies in Developing Countries}, proceedings={Emerging Technologies for Developing Countries. First International EAI Conference, AFRICATEK 2017, Marrakech, Morocco, March 27-28, 2017 Proceedings}, proceedings_a={AFRICATEK}, year={2017}, month={10}, keywords={Professional skills Learning outcomes Performance task Online discussion Assessment Learning management system}, doi={10.1007/978-3-319-67837-5_21} }- Maurice Danaher
Kevin Shoepp
Ashley Ater Kranov
Julie Bauld Wallace
Year: 2017
Empowering Graduates for Knowledge Economies in Developing Countries
AFRICATEK
Springer
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-67837-5_21
Abstract
Professional, transferable, or 21 century skills such as life-long learning, problem solving and working in a multi-disciplinary team are vitally important for graduates entering knowledge economies. Students in the developing MENA countries have been identified as weak in these skills, which are challenging to both teach and assess. This paper describes the creation and application of the Computing Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), an IT specific instrument to assess students’ abilities in the professional skills, administered using a Learning Management System (LMS). As part of this research students were surveyed on their perceptions and the results revealed a positive response regarding the benefits of the CPSA. It is suggested as an effective and applicable blended learning method in developing countries to better enable students to learn and apply 21 century skills. The use of this method in regions with limited IT infrastructure is discussed.