University of East London Homepage

Skills Curriculum

Introduction

The webpage consists of:

  • The newly approved Level 1 Skills Learning Outcomes (Approved by Academic Board on 06.04.11), together with relevant implementation information.
  • The newly approved Level 2/3 Employability Learning Outcomes (Approved by Academic Board on 01.02.12), together with relevant implementation information.

AND

  • The original Skills Curriculum which is now only relevant in relation to Levels 2 and 3 research module.

Implementation Level 1 Skills Learning Outcomes 2011/12

Some programmes may wish to make immediate changes to their Level One skills learning outcomes, whilst others may prefer to revise their relevant modules within the medium term. Accordingly, the implementation requirement wil be that all revision to the skills learning outcomes will be completed by end of May 2012, ensuring full implementation for the start of the 2012/13 Academic Year. However, early adoption is recommended.

Collaborative partners will be permitted a further year to fully implement these proposals.

Employability Skills module Implementation 2012

Deadline for implementation

The external factors driving this change are so great that immediate implementation is required. All designated employability modules must be revised by the end of May 2012, ensuring full implementation for the start of 2012/13 session.

Exemption from 25% rule

As revision of these modules is required, such revisions to be exempt from the 25% rule on module modification. 

Supporting activities

The Rework project is designing activities to support implementation:  Module specification workshops; Mapping internal and external resources to the LOs; Staff development sessions entitled Reworking employability teaching and learning.  All to be delivered by May 2012.

Context

Our Skills Curriculum is an entitlement for our students. It has been designed to ensure that students are taught [1] , have the opportunity to practice, and are assessed in Skills for: Academic Learning, Employability (Professional Practice [2] ) and Research. The Skills are explicit and are developed within the context of the student's programme of study. Students will have the opportunity to identify the skills they need and record and evidence skills acquisition through a supported Personal Development Planning process,

The Skills Curriculum consists of an identified Skills Module for each of:

  1. Skills for Academic Learning
  2. Employability (Professional Practice)
  3. Research Skills

The Skills for Academic Learning module is located at level 1. It is expected that the modules for Employability (Professional Practice) and Research Skills will normally be located (one in each level) at levels 2 and 3 of the programme of study. However programme teams may decide, based on the academic coherence of the programme, to make both modules available at either level 2 or 3.

The Learning Outcomes for each module were defined through the consultation process and were discussed, and then agreed, by Academic Board. They are to be customised only to the extent of including the named Programme or Field of study and they are to be achieved by supporting student learning within the context of their programme of study. Any content introduced into and delivered through the Skills modules will be for the purpose of contextualising the Skills and not as separate components of the module.

Structure of the paper

This paper is in two parts. Part 1 describes the agreed Learning Outcomes for each of the skills modules at the appropriate level. Part 2 describes expectations for implementation of the Skills Curriculum.

Part 1 The Skills Curriculum

Skills audit

All Schools will provide students with the opportunity to undertake a personal skills audit during First Week or in the first Skills Module session as part of the introduction to the Personal Development Planning process. This will enable students to identify their current Skills level and begin to collect evidence of their skills acquisition.

Skills for academic learning level 1 - Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, students will be able to:

  1. Find, access, interpret and evaluate evidence.
  2. Express a range of ideas using appropriate English, relevant academic writing conventions and discipline specific styles (e.g. science, business, law etc).
  3. Use and cite sources in line with the concepts of academic integrity.
  4. Reflect on and record your own learning, skills and development needs.
  5. Demonstrate appropriate use of technology.

These learning outcomes must EITHER be realised in one Level One, Core module OR embedded within two Core modules. In most cases, it is likely to be more practical to keep the learning outcomes in one.These learning outcomes may be combined with others, specific to the discipline. All learning outcomes will be assessed within summative module assessment. Ideally, delivery will take place in the first semester of study though this will be left to the discretion of the Programme Leader.

Employability (Professional Practice) Level 2 - Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, students should be able to:

Thinking skills

  • Compare and contrast own skills, behaviours, attitudes and competences with  those  prized by graduate employers, and propose personal actions to bring these closer together

Knowledge

  • Analyse the graduate labour market, identifying job opportunities (whether paid or unpaid) and attendant recruitment practices
  • Apply previous learning on team roles so as to illustrate understanding of team working in the workplace, recognising and respecting differing perspectives

Skills for life and work

  • Identify graduate selection processes relevant to the chosen field and consider the process of applying for a job 

Employability (Professional Practice) Level 3 - Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, students should be able to:

Thinking

  • Consider own employability competencies and career management skills and outline own future development either in employment or enterprise

Knowledge

  • Research and critically evaluate the graduate job market and behaviours prized by employers, distinguishing between different sectors and enterprises
  • Critically reflect on own working relationships using teamwork and leadership skills, recognising and respecting different perspectives

Skills for life and work

  • Engage in the requirements of recruitment and selection and consider your experience of that process
  • Evaluate the cultural, environmental, business context of a chosen organisation, appraising what is prized by employers in this area (e.g. self-management, creativity, motivation, problem-solving, dealing with cultural difference) and own plans to adopt this identity.

Research Skills Level 2 - Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, students should be able to:

  1. Describe aspects of the research process relevant to a chosen field of study
  2. Select techniques appropriate for research in a field of study. These techniques may be qualitative, quantitative or a mixture of both
  3. Plan a research project appropriate to a field of study
  4. Select and implement appropriate analytical techniques
  5. Identify the nature and sources of information and data needed to write a research proposal and report
  6. Constructively critique the research of others, identifying strengths and weaknesses in technique, analysis and conclusions.

Research skills Level 3 - Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, students should be able to:

  1. Frame a research topic
  2. Construct a literature review
  3. Identify and apply appropriate research methodologies
  4. Construct and implement a realistic research timetable
  5. Deliver a presentation on a chosen research topic
  6. Critically reflect on data produced
  7. Critically reflect on the ethical considerations of their chosen research topic

The Skills Curriculum as the basis for broader skills development

The Skills Curriculum specifies a core set of skills that have been identified through a broad consultation exercise. However, the Curriculum can only form a basis from which students will develop their skills throughout their particular programme of study and upon which skills in all other modules will build.

Some of the many skills that employers are looking for (as expressed in the ESECT's [3] publications) may currently be implicit within modules. These should be identified explicitly for students as Learning Outcomes throughout their programme and articulated in module specifications as research indicates that students need to practice, develop and refine skills across their programme. Learning Outcomes throughout a student's programme of study should provide explicitly for this developmental process and the Personal Development Planning process enables students to evidence their skills acquisition and growth.

Part 2 Implementation

Summary of agreed requirements for Implementation

In order that students can individually identify their Skills Curriculum, programme teams will need to ensure that:

  1. The Learning Outcome for each of the skills specified in our Skills Curriculum is included and that:

    1.1. The learning and teaching methodology for each skill is made explicit to the students

    1.2. The methodology and criteria for assessment are made explicit to the students

    1.3. On completion of the module students will be able to provide evidence to demonstrate their acquisition of each skill

  2. Each student has the opportunity to undertake a Skills Audit at the beginning of their studies with us.
  3. All Skills Curriculum Modules will explicitly identify that the students will be taught, will practice and will be assessed in those skills within the context of their subject of study. They are not intended to be 'bolt-on', and should act as a vehicle for studying the subject.
  4. The Learning Outcome agreed for each Skills Module must be taught and assessed in a single module which will normally be of 20 credits [4] . Schools are responsible for ensuring the equity of the student entitlement and experience.
  5. There are only 2 exceptions to the requirement for incorporation of a single Skills Module for each set of Learning Outcomes. (Employability in some Professionally accredited programmes and Research Skills where Research methods and a Research project or dissertation are delivered in two modules at the same level). The procedure in such cases is spelt out below in 5.1 and 5.2.

    Where programmes are approved by Professional Bodies and both contain Learning Outcomes for professional practice andmeet or exceed their employability benchmarks. For these programmes the following will apply:

    5.1.Existing explicit Learning Outcomes for skills requirements for professional practice and standards that are embedded throughout the programme will constitute the Skills Curriculum for employability

    5.2. The location of each Learning Outcome equivalent to those in our Skills Curriculum for Employability must be highlighted and brought to the attention of the students so they can see that the programme provides their entitlement within the Skills Curriculum

  6. 5.3. Students have a supported Personal Development Planning process embedded into their programme and have the opportunity to record the evidence for acquisition of the skills in their own Personal Development Plan

    5.2. Where programmes have chosen to develop students' research skills over 2 modules at the same level, the Learning Outcomes for Research may be delivered between the two modules
    1. The skills are delivered for all students, including Part time, Semester B starts and Combined Honours students
    2. Provision for continuous support for the Personal Development Planning Process must be incorporated into a core module delivered in each semester of a student's study.

    Provision for students joining us in Semester B

    Provision must be made to deliver the Skills for Academic Learning module in Semester B for all students joining in that Semester. If this module is taught across either a field or the whole School, then economies of scale can be achieved.

    Introducing the Skills Module in Semester B will require one of three courses of action:

    1. If students are to take 3 modules in each semester, both the Skills Module and a second core module will need to be taught in both semesters.
    2. Exceptionally and with appropriate counselling, students starting in Semester B may take 4 modules in Semester B and only 2 in the following Semester A
    3. Students registering for a Semester B start may take the Skills Module in part-time mode during Semester A in preparation for their University studies

    Combined Honours Students

    All combined programmes are required to have a Skills Module as an option at each level.

    1. Where students have a major and minor, the Skills Curriculum Module will become a core component of the major discipline
    2. Where students have a joint programme, the students will chose the Skills Module in one discipline. This will be made clear to students so that they neither miss out on their entitlement nor are assessed twice for the same Learning Outcomes. Appendix 1 illustrates these principles.

    Collaborative Partnerships

    Students who are undertaking franchised programmes of study with our partner institutions have the same entitlement to the Skills Curriculum as students studying with us on campus or by distance learning. Where programmes are developed jointly with partners or are developed by our partners, partners should be strongly encouraged to include our Skills Curriculum for the benefit of all students.

    Review and Enhancement

    Each School will need to establish an auditable process to ensure that:

    1. All students have an equivalent opportunity to gain the skills they need to underpin the rest of their studies and that this entitlement is widely known and understood by all staff and students.
    2. Assessment is equitable in each programme
    3. A module in each semester of each level of every programme is identified to support the Personal Development Planning process
    4. The Personal Development Planning process is effectively and equitably delivered and supported for all students and that Combined Honours, Part time and Semester B starting students have equitable access to our Skills Curriculum.
    5. Programme leaders monitor and evaluate the delivery of the Skills curriculum within their programme and ensure that this process is recorded in the REP report
    6. Comparative information concerning equivalence forms part of the School REP report to be reviewed by QSC.
    7. Issues for enhancement are passed to the Learning and Teaching Committee in each school for consideration and recommendations.

    Institutional oversight

    The Learning and Teaching Committee will take responsibility for the oversight of the Skills Curriculum.

    Materials

    1. Print materials from various providers for which we have a license to customise and copy are available for use within the terms of their licences. Copies on CDs have been made available to LILTs for:
      1. Learning Skills
      2. The Effective Learning Programme
      3. Information Skills
      4. Induction to learning
      5. Research Methods
      6. Career Planning
    2. Higher Education Academy resources at:
    3. Higher Education Academy resources available to members
    4. Web-based resources available from the SkillZone web site
    5. Cotterell, S. Study Skills ( UEL 4 th Edition) Pergamon Press London 2004 (All Schools have chosen to provide this for all of their students)

    Appendix 1

    Single and Combined Programmes and Skills

    The grid below gives one example of the way that modules from single, major, minor and joint programmes can be mapped onto a programme structure.

    Notes:

    1. The Skills 1 module (study skills) should always be in the first semester of level 1
    2. The Skills 2 and Skills 3 modules may be in either semester – all that is required is that an employability skills module and a research skills module are included (except in the limited case, covered by professional body requirements, where the outcomes of the employability module are embedded in other modules)
    3. Although many of the modules are designated as core they might be options – for instance it is not uncommon for a minor to stipulate that some (or all) of the modules should be merely selected from the relevant Field (prerequisites allowing). Whereas for a major which is professionally accredited, the professional body may insist on the entire set of modules as core for exemption purposes. This is a matter for programme approval.

    Single

     ModuleModuleModule
    Level 1

    A (core)

    Skills 1 (core)

    B (option)*
    Level 1

    C (core)

    D (core)

    E (option)*
    Level 2

    F (core)

    Skills 2 (core)

    G (option)*
    Level 2

    H (core)

    I (core)

    J (option)*
    Level 3

    K (core)

    Skills 3 (core)

    L (option)*
    Level 3

    M (core)

    N (core)

    O (option)*

    * an option allows modules to be added or replaced easily

    Major

     ModuleModuleModule
    Level 1

    A (core)

    Skills 1 (core)

    		  
    Level 1

    C (core)

    D (core)

    		  
    Level 2

    F (core)

    Skills 2 (core)

    		  
    Level 2

    H (core)

    I (core)

    		  
    Level 3

    K (core)

    Skills 3 (core)

    		  
    Level 3

    M (core)

    N (core)

    		  

    Minor

     ModuleModuleModule
    Level 1

    A (core)

    		    
    Level 1

    C (core)

    		    
    Level 2

    F (core)

    		    
    Level 2

    H (core)

    		    
    Level 3

    K (core)

    		    
    Level 3

    M (core)

    		    

    Joint

     ModuleModuleModule
    Level 1

    A (core)

    Skills 1

    B
    Level 1

    C (core)

    D

    E
    Level 2

    F (core)

    Skills 2

    G
    Level 2

    H (core)

    I

    J
    Level 3

    K (core)

    Skills 3

    L
    Level 3

    M (core)

    N

    O

    Students doing Joint 1 and Joint 2 would select at each level from which joint to take the skills module

    • Skills 1 or (B or D or E)
    • Skills 2 or (G or I or J)
    • Skills 3 or (L or N or O)

    For joint programmes a student is required to do relevant skills modules at each level from either (but not both) joints making up their programme – hence the skills modules are options for each joint

    Graham Curtis, Head of Modular Programmes, April 2005

    • [1] A variety of learning and teaching methodologies will be appropriate but must be explicit for students.
    • [2] Professional practice is defined as those programmes accredited by a Professional Body that have core Learning Outcomes for Professional Practice.
    • [3] Enhancing Student Employability Co-ordination Team
    • [4] The module may be of more than 20 credits where modules carrying more credits currently exist

    Navigation menus:

    Site-wide menu

    Information for screenreader users:

    For a general description of these pages and an explanation of how they should work with screenreading equipment please follow this link: Link to general description

    For further information on this web site’s accessibility features please follow this link: Link to accessibility information