General transferable skills: assessment models

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

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• Passport scheme
• Personal transferable skills certificate
• Free-standing compulsory skills module within the law degree
• Competency-based degree programme

Passport scheme

Characteristics

• integrated into different subject
• students responsible for ensuring skills are carried out
• lecturers responsible for providing opportunities
• compulsory – credibility given to skills as they are seen as part and parcel of developing knowledge

Evidence

• completion of passport and progress on to next level of degree – progression re the assessment; for example the skills passport is given to students setting out a number of tasks which they will be required to complete satisfactorily during that year. Each student arranges for the passport to be stamped on satisfactory completion of each task
  and the students skill is appraised toward the end of each year with the personal tutor.

Difficulties

• not yet tried and tested
• requires support of staff to provide opportunities for students to practice and complete the skill requirement.
• opportunities through taught modules as well as extra curricular activities
• overcoming problems of students failing to meet the passport requirements for that year

Advantages

• students get the opportunity to practice all the skills listed in the passport in the first year
• students also get the opportunity to identify for themselves the extent to which they address a particular skill in different contexts and elements of their course/academic life.

Personal transferable skills certificate

Characteristics

• integrated into different subject
• students given opportunity to acquire general transferable skills certificate but responsibility on staff to provide opportunities throughout their subjects
• voluntary
• skills certificate obtained upon completion of skills tasks
• students are provided with a skills handbook which illustrates how students are able to acquire skills

Evidence

• completion of competences ultimately resulting in acquisition of university skills certificate; for example students submit pre-completed sheet containing details of the skills element comprised in every assessed piece of work with every assignment. This is returned to them with details of competences achieved and further constructive comments. Students build up a portfolio of skills achievement.

Difficulties

• voluntary and therefore relying on enthusiasm of students as well as staff

Advantages

• students who participate are doing so on a voluntary basis and so will be met with enthusiasm from the students
• a ‘carrot on a stick approach’ – the certificate acknowledges the students participation and success

Free-standing compulsory skills module within the law degree

Characteristics

• skills separately addressed in one focused skills module
• tends to be an emphasis on legal skills rather than generic

Evidence

• successful completion of course

Difficulties

• skills developed in one single module generally in the first year with little
  opportunity for these skills to be assessed and developed throughout the course and/or different contexts
• emphasis is on legal skills – to what extent are students made aware of the
  transferability of these skills?

Advantages

• all students participate in the skills module and therefore get the opportunity to practice these skills
• have to pass the module to complete the degree ensuring that students meet a certain standard

Competency-based degree programme

Characteristics

• integrated into different subject
• student demonstrates application of knowledge, skills and values to relevant workplace performance in accordance with criteria determined externally to university
• collaboration with employers
• development of accreditation framework
• development of learning outcomes

Evidence

• recognition of achievements through accreditation framework and learning outcomes
• assessment methods supporting workplace learning, for example portfolios, reflective learning

Difficulties

• employers and academics agreeing outcomes
• mapping skills required within the degree programme – Huddersfield competency-based degree programme and ILEX both note this problem of mapping
• student interpretation of criteria sheets

Advantages

• potential employers are very much involved in developing outcomes and will provide students with the required competencies for a working life

Last Modified: 4 June 2010