Pedagogy Resources for Essential Skill 5: Adaptability and Leadership

Graduates must adapt to changes in their work environment and the world at large. The rate of change is more rapid than at any time in history, with new information becoming available and new methods of retrieving and sharing information demanding attention and proficiency as a regular part of any career. While an ability to adapt positions graduates as effective employees, the ability to manage or lead change is also essential. Working in a variety of settings, with a range of colleagues, for a variety of purposes – many of them not yet predictable or even imaginable – will all define the career trajectories of today’s graduates. Students who adapt, collaborate to ensure success when pivoting between responsibilities, and support the growth and success of their peers will position themselves as leaders in their fields following graduation.

Teaching Adaptability

“Why Soft Skills Matter in Higher Education and Career Development” | The Evolllution
Article interpreting how higher education helps students develop soft skills including communication, adaptability, and camaraderie.

“Teaching the One Skill Employers Desire Most” | Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Article arguing for the need to teach college students to be adaptable and providing guidance on how to incorporate adaptability as set of actions and skills into curriculum.

“It’s Time to Rethink How We Teach Today’s College Students” | McGraw Hill Education
Blog identifying changing needs of Gen Z students and establishing connections to contemporary workforce expectations. Includes recommendations for intentional preparation of today’s students for today’s and tomorrow’s careers.

3 Ways Universities Can Adapt to the Future of Learning and Work | World Economic Forum
Short article focused on what forward-looking pedagogy will benefit students in preparing for careers of tomorrow. Recommendations include skills-based learning, challenge-based learning, supporting student development of self-efficacy skills, and opportunities for lifelong learning.

Teaching Goal-Setting

How to set SMART Goals for the Academic Year | Stanford University Student Affairs
Student-facing article that contextualizes goal setting and pursuit in a behavioral change framework, explaining how change happens individually and how goals interact with personal change.

Ain’t Stressin’ Bout [SMART] Goal Settin’ | Rutgers-Camden
Student-facing blog post that identifies the importance of goal setting and offers tips for how to make goal setting effective or productive.

11 Academic Goals to Set for Success in an Online Class | University of Minnesota Online
Student-facing article applying SMART goal principles to online course context. Provides examples of academic goals students can set and pursue.

11 Goals to Attain to Have a Successful Academic School Year | Carson-Newman University
Student-facing article defining academic goals and offering a sample of academic goals students might adopt in their pursuit of success in college.

Goal Setting for the First-Time College Student Introduction | University of Memphis
Classroom-ready exercise for students to establish goals for school and life beyond school. Includes useful identification of steps to achieve desired goals.

Motivating Students Through Goal Setting | University of North Carolina Greensboro Teaching and Learning Commons
Faculty-facing article identifying ways to use goal setting to motivate students in any course and any modality. Includes multiple links to goal setting structures and processes.

Teaching Coaching

Supporting College Transitions: An Effective Peer Mentoring Model | University of Southern California Pullias Center for Higher Education
Overview of "Promoting At-promise College Student Success" (PASS) program, designed to support students during college transition and build self-efficacy and reinforce habits of successful college students. Includes link to PASS peer mentor practice guide.

Peer Mentoring for Student Success | Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities
Article providing overview of implementing peer mentoring program, including identification of student participants and mentor matching. Also includes useful list of references for additional information.

The Value of Peer Leadership in College | Inside Higher Ed
Article on benefits of peer mentoring, both in the college classroom and beyond, on mentors and mentees. Identifies 5 areas in any higher education institution that benefit from peer leadership programming.

Teaching Leadership

Developing Student Leadership | Edutopia
High school-focused article arguing for experiential learning as method of teaching students combination of skills that develop leadership ability.

Student Leadership Development Requires Holistic Approach, Educators Say | University of Illinois College of Agriculture, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences
Article seeking to define student leadership and exploring models of student leadership pedagogy. Includes link to longer article published in Journal of Leadership Education.

Why Leadership Skills are Essential for College Students | National Society of Collegiate Scholars
Article describing value of leadership development for college students and pathways to develop leadership skills.

Back to School: 5 Leadership Tips for College Students | Forbes
Reflective piece providing advice to college students to make the most of college years, developing skills that will serve students well while in college and after.