Abstract:
Industry and accreditation bodies around the world require graduates to be able to demonstrate specific graduate
attributes. Universities in this 21st century have responded to that call by embedding graduate attributes into their
curricula. However, how can individual academics ensure that they are incorporating and assessing graduate attributes in
their respective modules, which form part of the overall curriculum? This research question necessitates reflection as many
academics are struggling to come to terms with what many of these graduate attributes really mean or entail. Moreover, a
dearth of research publications exists on trying to define and explain these graduate attributes. The purpose of this article is
to determine to what extent have the 10 graduate attributes, adopted by the Central University of Technology been
embedded into the curriculum of the National Diploma in Electrical Engineering. A qualitative case study was used and
data was collected using documentary review. All 36 study guides of the Electrical Engineering qualification were analysed.
Results of this study show that 9 out of 10 graduate attributes are spread across the entire curriculum. The four most
dominate graduate attributes were found to be Innovation and Problem Solving; Technical and Conceptual Competence;
Numeracy, and Technological Literacy. Certain graduate attributes are clearly discerned in the learning outcomes while
others are hidden in different teaching and learning activities. A key recommendation of this study is for academics to
structure their learning outcomes in a way that addresses the incorporation and assessment of key graduate attributes
required.
