Pitfalls in the development of generic attributes in undergraduate students

The role of universities has always been a hotly contested issue. What does society expect of institutions of higher learning? The conceptual foundations of traditional disciplines are changing so rapidly that knowledge is refuted and revised before it reaches the printed press. A response to this situation advocates a refocusing on the more process-oriented knowledge elements that involve higher order thinking, communication, affect and developing capabilities that people will need to possess to cope with work and leisure in an information society. Are, and can these knowledge components be learnt in universities? This paper explores how students might engage in learning experiences that enable development of generic capabilities and dispositions towards lifelong learning within specific discipline courses. The study reports on two case studies of undergraduate teaching contexts that purported to develop generic attributes in undergraduate students. Data collection involved classroom observations, interviews, and surveys with students and lecturers. The outcomes have been analysed in terms of the types of instructional practices that need to be undertaken to ensure that initiatives do actually impact on the more global skills identified as generic attributes. Of particular significance in the results was the role that lecturers need to play in developing student awareness of the importance of generic attributes, and facilitating the development of these attributes.