There are a wide range of opportunities available for these students to engage with, which include;
developing career management skills, digital literacy skills, debating skills, peer mentoring,
volunteering, work experience, tutoring in schools, study abroad and engagement with clubs and
societies. The broad range of activities within the EDGE Award provides students with opportunities
to develop social responsibility, civic engagement and involvement in the wider community thereby
developing the ability of the student to participate in, and contribute to, society in the future (Quinlan
2011). There are 4 categories of activities within the Award;
Category 1: Accredited co-curricular modules
Category 2: Work Experience, Study Abroad and Enterprise
Category 3: Internal & External Opportunities
Category 4: Formal University-wide Opportunities
There is no defined pathway of activities for completion of the Award, although not all four required
activities can be from the same category, this is to ensure that students engage with a broad range
of experiences. None of the activities within the Award contribute to the students 360 credit points
for their degree, and they are either co-curricular or extra-curricular in nature. Each of the activities
has a minimum of at least 30 hours engagement and for each activity they have to reflect on that
experience via the production of, for example, a log, video diary, poster or PowerPoint presentation.
The aim of the output is to encourage students to become more reflective practitioners so that they
become more aware and effective lifewide learners (Jackson 2014). They are thus equipped with
the ability to identify, develop and articulate their abilities and skills (Milner 2014).
The Award structure includes activities developed by academics, the students’ union, central
departments, employers and other external partners. This was a deliberate strategy so that the
Award would not be viewed as being solely a careers initiative but rather a university wide initiative
in which everyone is a partner.
Currently there are 68 activities on offer within the EDGE, details of which can be found in the
EDGE Award website http://www.ulster.ac.uk/edge
A critical part of the Award process is that once students have completed all four activities they
then have to apply for the Award. It is in this application that they have to clearly demonstrate how
engagement with the Award activities has enhanced their employability and capability as reflective
lifewide learners.
The first cohorts of graduates to receive Ulster’s Edge Award were formally presented with their
certificates at summer graduation in 2013. Future cohorts will also have the EDGE included in the
HEAR. The EDGE is now an embedded part of Ulster’s Learning and Teaching Strategy:
Implementation and Review Framework as a performance indicator of employability.
THE CENTRE FOR RECORDING ACHIEVEMENT 104 -108 WALLGATE, WIGAN, WN3 4AB |
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