Thinking out of the box - skills for work
Elizabeth Page explains how a problem-based learning approach to chemistry module design helps students develop the skills they need for employment
Since the Dearing Report1 there has been an increased emphasis on the development of employability and transferable ('soft') skills in undergraduate programmes. Within STEM subject areas, recent reports concluded that universities should offer 'greater and more sustainable variety in modes of study to meet the changing demands of industry and students'.2 At the same time, higher education (HE) institutions are increasingly conscious of the sensitivity of league table positions on employment statistics and graduate destinations. Modules that are either credit or non-credit bearing are finding their way into the core curriculum at HE.
While the UK government and other educational bodies argue the way forward over A-level reform, universities must also meet the needs of their first year cohorts in terms of the secondary to tertiary transition and developing independence in learning.
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