Posted on by Cristina Devecchi New Projects

More than grades: how to add ‘value’ to a university experience

The issue of how to value the impact that universities have on students is a major bone of contention. Mainly measured in terms of ‘value for money’, a number of methods and a plethora of metrics are available, but each one gives us only one aspect of a much more complicated picture. In this blog some of such ways of valuing are reviewed so to argue that a more comprehensive value system can be put in place to the benefit of students, universities and the wider community.

Just future earnings?

The value and currency of a university degree has been under question for a while and more so since  the rise in tuition fees. Common ways to put a ‘price tag’ on the future gains of a university degree is mainly calculated through the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey. The survey focuses on the number of students gaining graduate employment six months from graduation. While future earnings can be a measure of the impact of gaining a degree, there are a number of weakness in just relying on them. The first is that gaining employment within such a short time is dependent upon the wider economic context. The second is that there are well-established patterns which favour higher initial earning for students from some universities. Third, the survey does not take into account the choices that individuals make some of whom might decide not to seek graduate employment as a career progression. Fourth, there is a possible mismatch between how some types of job, mainly in education and social care and mainly carried out by women, are labelled as graduate employment and the knowledge and expertise they actually require. 

Just satisfaction?

Another common and no way less contentious way to measure the benefits of a university experience is through the National Student Survey. The survey, composed of 27 questions, is designed to elicit students’ views on the teaching and learning they experienced (http://www.thestudentsurvey.com/content/NSS2017_Core_Questionnaire.pdf). Yet, this covers only one aspect of a university experience and does not provide us with evidence of how the experience has had an impact on the student while at university or beyond. Another limitation of the survey is that ‘satisfaction’ is a at best a proxy and at worst time bound. While this argument does not diminish the argument about satisfaction and personal experience, it challenges the limited set of evidence such a survey can elicit. More importantly, the survey can be of used to rank universities, but how does it enable the individual student to show the full range of experiences she or she was involved in and their benefits?

The points above pose a question of how to ‘measure’ the value of a university degree beyond the seemingly tangible future earnings or reductive satisfaction surveys.

The comprehensive university experience: making the intangible count

There is clearly more to a university experience than the grades one gains and the content one learns. There is more to how a university experience impacts on graduates than just future earnings. As valuable as these two criteria are, they do not capture a number of so far intangible aspects of a university experience. For example, we value voluntary work, or support for the internal and external community, or simply being supportive of colleagues and fellow students. We also value the effort we put in achieving what is important to us. We also value showing the hard and soft employability skills we learn and apply. Yet, although valuable, such activities are intangible and therefore difficult to capture in a CV, at best, and lost, at worst. There are of course ways to make such experiences tangible, such as awards, certificates, prizes. But do they actually make what we value and the value we can bring visible, tangible, concrete?

One metric to capture value/s

Capturing the intangible contributions we make and the way in which being at university contributes to adding value requires to think differently. It requires to think differently about what is of value, how to assess it, and how to trace the way in which value was co-created through the many experiences to be had while at university. Combining both hard metrics and the Personal Value metrics, the CCEG Blockchain UN Lab is developing a method to make visible the transaction and worth of intangible and non-financial values using a unique combination of Blockchain Technology and the Social Earnings Ratio. The aim is that of developing objectively derived indicators and metrics to combine a variety of experiences, contributions and gains to show how being at university contributed to personal growth while also contributing to the growth and wellbeing of the university and wider communities. Through the Blockchain technology, the CCEG Blockchain UN Lab is seeking to make visible the journey through which that growth has occurred so to create a personalised passport as a testimony of value added, value for money and, most importatnly, value creation.

 

 

1,205 thoughts on “More than grades: how to add ‘value’ to a university experience”

  1. Youre so right. Im there with you. Your weblog is definitely worth a read if anyone comes throughout it. Im lucky I did because now Ive received a whole new view of this

  9. Thank you for the amazing information. Dissertation Helper is a professional service that provides academic assistance to students with their assignments. These helpers are experts in their respective fields and can provide guidance and support to students with their assignments. In today’s competitive academic environment, students need to submit quality assignments to achieve good grades, and an assignment helper can be the perfect solution to meet these needs. By seeking help from a dissertation helper, students can save time, reduce stress, and improve their academic performance. Furthermore, choosing the right helper is crucial, as they can help students to develop their research and writing skills, which will be beneficial in the long run.

  11. Yeouido Full Gospel Church Unattended Match Major Site Classification Pengsoo Pengha Choo Miae Yoon Seok-yeol Site Collection Kinosadari Family Room Single Folder Betting Toto Site Address 토토

  12. Nuclear Weapon Development Shin Jae-eun Model Toto Safety Site Mukbang Tzuyang US Sanctions on North Korea Old Major Recommended Private Toto Major Site Live Betting Major Playground Prohibition 사설토토

  15. I am overjoyed to have, at long last, come across this website. Really thought-provoking articles and activities; many thanks for taking the time to put these together. Please continue to share additional content in the form of a blog. This website is now bookmarked in my browser so that I can continue to keep in touch with you.

    토토

  16. Nice to meet you. It’s a blog with a lot of amazing posts. I happened to come here while surfing the web. I like it very much because there are many interesting contents. I’ll visit often

    카지노

  17. Hello! I would wish to supply a large thumbs up for your excellent info you could have here about this post.
    I’ll be coming back to your blog site for further soon

    카지노

  19. This is inspiring, keep on the good work. I comment whenever I like a post on a website or if I have something valuable to contribute to the discussion. I had a nice time surfing through your blog article. Thanks so much for sharing

    divorce law in new jersey

  20. This is a really nice and informative post, Thanks for sharing this information. If someone is looking Assignment Help Sydney? Are deadlines stressing you out? Contact us for assignment writing help! The advantages of asking for help with your assignment are numerous.

  22. I admire this article for the well-researched content and excellent wording. I got so involved in this material that I couldn’t stop reading. I am impressed with your work and skill

    카지노

  26. Thanks for sharing superb informations. I’m impressed by the details that you’ve on this site. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for extra articles.Please visit my web site uptempodesign.com.au. Best Screen Printing Services Perth service provider.

  27. Thanks for sharing superb informations. I’m impressed by the details that you’ve on this site. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for extra articles.Please visit my web site Healthysupportwa.com.au. Best Disabled Travel Assistance Perth service provider.

  28. Some genuinely wonderful information, Glad I discovered this. I must say that you’ve done a superb job with this. And i am glad reading your article. Best of luck for the next! Please visit my hardcoreconcretedesigns.com.au. Best Concrete Driveway Perth service provider.

  29. It is really a nice and helpful piece of information. I’m glad that you shared this useful information with us. Please visit my web site creativewarrior.com.au. Best Website Design Perth service provider.

  30. Some genuinely wonderful information, Glad I discovered this. I must say that you’ve done a superb job with this. And i am glad reading your article. Best of luck for the next! Please visit my web site Gcgutters.com.au. Best Commercial Gutter Cleaner Near Me service provider.

  32. Generally I don’t read post on blogs, but I wish to say that this write-up very forced me to try and do so! Your writing style has been surprised me. Thanks, very nice post. Best of luck for the next! Please visit my web site unipac.net. Best Scissors Lift Price In Singapore service provider.

  33. I’ve been surfing online more than 3 hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. Personally, if all webmasters and as you did, the web will be a lot more useful than ever before. Best of luck for the next! Please visit my web site clearviewskylights.com.au. Best Perth roof windows ​service provider.

  35. I like the valuable info you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly. I’m quite certain I will learn a lot of new stuff right here! Best of luck for the next! Please visit my web site Offgridelectricalwa.com.au. Best Electrical Contractors Perth service provider.

  37. My brother recommended I might like this web site. He was entirely right. This post truly made my day. You can not imagine simply how much time I had spent for this info! Thanks! Please visit my web site Westernautomate.com.au. Best Automatic Gates Perth service provider.

  39. Thanks for sharing superb informations. I’m impressed by the details that you’ve on this site. It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for extra articles.Please visit my web site Tonosystems.com BestDrop Down Kitchen Cabinets.

  40. Wow! This could be one of the most useful blogs we have ever come across on thesubject. Actually excellent info! I’m also an expert in this topic so I can understand your effort.Naturalslimmingproducts.comLida Weight Loss

  42. Aw, this was a really nice post! I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this site. Best of luck for the next! Please visit my web site irfa.com.au. Best sunshine coast first aidservice provider.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *