General transferable skills: intellectual skills

(Transcript of a section of the General transferable skills report, 1998)

Competence Statement	A student is able to: analyse think critically evaluate synthesise information
Basic Level	Within some core areas of the discipline, a student is able to: collect, collate and categorise ideas and information in a predictable and standard format identify novel and/or original perspectives on the subject summarise key points from taken from a variety of standard sources apply given classifications to concrete instances assess the reliability of results and/or information in standard situations using designed techniques or external guidance
Advanced Level	Through the use of a broad knowledge of key concepts in the discipline and through some in-depth specialisation, a student is able to: analyse new or abstract data and situations without guidance using a wide range of specialist and general techniques and theoretical approaches make use with minimal guidance of abstract data and concepts design novel solutions review critically evidence supporting conclusions and/or recommendations including its reliability, validity and significance investigate and come to conclusions based on contradictory or incomplete information use existing knowledge in new and different situations and select from it what is relevant to the new context
Illustrations of activities	At basic level: essays tutorial discussions research projects set with well defined tasks attendance at tribunal and court hearings – reviewing cases heard in court At advanced level: dissertation or project work – students identifying their own area of research, applying the techniques available to carry out aims and objectives set by the student for that research mooting or debate competitions problems involving substantial analysis and research literature reviews or surveys
Illustrations of evidence	ability to access knowledge and assimilate information on a particular subject ability to apply knowledge and engage in reasoning to solve problems identify ideas, concepts and principles that underpin theories on a topic ability to evaluate ideas and concepts ability to recognise and acknowledge inconsistencies in an argument ability to examine problems from a number of perspectives question and challenge viewpoints, ideas and concepts make judgments about the value of evidence, concepts and ideas ability to handle evidence in a professional and fair way

Last Modified: 4 June 2010

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