What are the core key outcomes for students & employers to consider?
Key outcomes can be defined as the changes that have taken place in the individual as a result of going through a learning process. Some learning outcomes may be acquired as a result of experiences and/or training other than in the traditional classroom/lecture situation i.e. through a placement.
Whilst on placement these general key outcomes can be considered:
PERSONAL QUALITIES
1. Malleable self-theory: belief that attributes (e.g. intelligence) are not fixed and can be developed
2. Self-awareness: awareness of own strengths and weaknesses, aims and values
3. Self-confidence: confidence in dealing with the challenges in employment and life
4. Independence: ability to work without supervision
5. Emotional intelligence: sensitivity to others’ emotions and the effects they can have
6. Adaptability: ability to respond positively to changing circumstances and new challenges
7. Stress tolerance: ability to retain effectiveness under pressure
8. Initiative: ability to take action unprompted
9. Willingness to learn: commitment to on-going learning to meet the needs of employment and life
10. Reflectiveness: the disposition to reflect evaluatively on the performance of oneself and others
CORE SKILLS
11. Reading effectiveness: the recognition and retention of key points
12. Numeracy: ability to use numbers at an appropriate level of accuracy
13. Information retrieval: ability to access different information sources
14. Language skills: possession of more than a single language
15. Written communication: clear reports, letters, etc., written specifically for the reader
16. Oral presentation: clear and confident presentation of information to a group
17. Computer literacy: ability to use a range of software
PERSONAL SKILLS
18. Self-management: ability to work in an efficient and structured manner
19. Critical analysis: ability to ‘deconstruct’ a problem or situation
20. Creativity: ability to be original or inventive and to apply lateral thinking
21. Listening: focused attention in which key points are recognized
22. Explaining: orally and in writing
PROCESS SKILLS
23. Commercial awareness: understanding of business issues and priorities
24. Global awareness: in terms of both cultures and economics
25. Political sensitivity: appreciates how organisations actually work and acts accordingly
26. Ability to work cross-culturally: both within and beyond UK
27. Ethical sensitivity: appreciates ethical aspects of employment and acts accordingly
28. Prioritising: ability to rank tasks according to importance
29. Planning: setting of achievable goals and structuring action
30. Applying subject understanding: use of disciplinary understanding from HE programme (e.g. marketing, finance, human resource mgmt. etc.)
31. Coping with ambiguity and complexity: ability to handle ambiguous and complex situations
32. Problem-solving: selection and use of appropriate methods to find solutions
OTHER QUALITIES
33. Acting morally: has a moral code and acts accordingly
34. Influencing: convincing others of the validity of one’s point of view
35. Arguing for and/or justifying a point of view or a course of action
36. Resolving conflict: both intra-personally and in relationships with others
37. Decision making: choice of the best option from a range of alternatives
38. Negotiating: discussion to achieve mutually satisfactory resolution of contentious issues
39. Teamwork: can work constructively with others on a common task