16a) Skills for Success – enabling students to develop their own skills for future employment

Dr Jenny Burnham (Chemistry) and Professor Jane Grasby (Chemistry) 

Type:	Presentation
Time:	Third Session (14:00 – 15:00)
Location:	Inox Conference Suite 2

 

What is this about?
The session will present the Level 3 Skills for Success project in the Department of Chemistry. Students apply competitively for one of a portfolio of projects. Projects are highly diverse allowing students to select ones that enable them to gain evidence for, develop, or enhance skills required in their chosen careers. Projects with a digital-focus include a Video Project, a Media Project, a Radio Show project, and a Chemical Databases project. Many projects also require students to organise themselves into effective groups outside of the classroom environment. Students receive minimal guidance on set tasks and are instructed to develop their skill-sets as necessary to achieve the desired outcome. To consolidate the learning experience, students are required to complete a self-reflection following completion of the tasks. Student feedback indicates the module is successful in its aims of being useful for future employment and in increasing student self-awareness.

How will colleagues benefit?
Colleagues will benefit from the description of the module, from ideas and examples of how students can be used as a resource to the benefit of their home department, and from a discussion of the strengths of the module as well as the teaching-resource implications. Most projects have very little Chemistry content and, as such, are highly-transferrable between disciplines.