9a) Electronic Voting Systems; a hard tool for assessing soft skills

Dr Plato Kapranos (Department of Materials Science & Engineering)

Type:	Presentation
Time:	Second Session (12:20 – 13:20)
Location:	Inox Conference Suite 1

What is this about?
The session will describe the development of the ‘Diploma in Personal & Professional Skills’ that forms part of the training within the Advanced Metallics Doctoral Training Centre, the teaching philosophy associated with this and the use of Electronic Voting Systems (EVS) as one of a number of tools used in assessing the acquisition of these skills by the participating students. Learning has been defined as a ‘change in a person’s behaviour resulting from experience’. Knowledge is something one has; skill is something one does and is mastered by practice and feedback. Knowledge, skills and attitudes are three areas in which learning can occur and changes in these areas are good indicators of learning. The use of EVS provides a quick form of assessment on changes in the knowledge, skills and attitude of the students and in consequence on their learning during their voyage of self-discovery.

How will colleagues benefit?
It is hoped that the audience will benefit from seeing the constructive alignment of the teaching philosophy and the enactment of teaching, as well as the continuous adjustment of both through feedback and reflection that lie behind the development of the Diploma in Personal & Professional Skills modules aiming to impart transferable skills to cohorts of Doctoral level students. The process concludes with the methods of assessing the acquisition of transferable skills.