General transferable skills: University of Reading

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

Strategy and target group

The approach is based on students participating through active learning rather than teaching. The department devises a range of different situations where students need to use various skills. It places an emphasis on general personal skills and development of transferable skills throughout degrees generally, and feel that the law degree is a good way of developing those skills.

Attempts are made to make apparent to students, through non-assessed mechanisms, how they can adapt their skills to other professions; for example through the careers service. Students are also required to take a discipline other than law in the first year, and students may take a further non-law paper in finals.

Specific skills module or integration of skills?

There is an intensive legal skills course at the beginning of the first year, followed by integration of skills elements into first year courses. There is also a first year history of western thought course. There is a practical IT course in the first year which is assessed on a pass/fail basis, and students are actively encouraged to integrate IT skills in the production of work. In addition, there are skills related activities integrated into some modules especially in the first year but also thereafter.

Learning support

They have a building blocks approach to problem-solving, developing students’ problem-solving ability in stages. One to one tutor help is available for students with difficulties assimilating new skills, and there is a university-wide learning skills programme.

Specific skills

One of the most important features of the degree is tutorials. Tutorials are built around looking for and developing contributions from students. Students are expected to tackle issues as they are presented at the time in addition to preparing answers to questions in advance. Students are made aware that their contributions in tutorials form a significant part of the learning process.

Students have to undertake specific groupwork exercises (first year) and research work (second and final year). The latter may involve access to and use of computerised information retrieval systems, including Lexis, if the student can justify it.

Last Modified: 30 June 2010