Community-Based Co-creation of Soft Skills for Digital Cultural Heritage, Arts and Humanities: The Crowddreaming Method

While market researchers have found that employers desire durable skills (formerly known as "soft skills") and that the Humanities and general education curriculum is best suited to meet this demand, there heretofore have been few studies dedicated to identifying where, when, and how these are introduced and how these outcomes differ from counterparts in other disciplines, such as Business or STEM. This study proposes to investigate the way the Humanities contribute to the development of durable skills and how those approaches might be integrated elsewhere into the curriculum to meet employer needs and ensure future success for college graduates. Results from the study demonstrate the differing perspectives and expectations of students and faculty with regard to developing durable skills. Overall, students believed durable skills, such as teamwork and critical thinking, are developed in major coursework and General Education, while faculty primarily pointed to experiences outside of the classroom to develop and reinforce these skills, including through internships, volunteering, student life-athletics, and student clubs.

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Higher Education in Developing Durable Skills: Reframing General Education

2023

“…The survey was administered in Spring of 2022 and collected data on student demographics, modality of attendance, where NACE competencies and Graduate Attributes were developed in curricular, co-curricular or extracurricular activities, and what had the greatest impact on the development of said skills. The instrument was designed using the categories and meta-categories identified by Emsi, NACE, and the Lindenwood University Graduate Attributes and previous literature (Adler, 1992;Madsbjerg, 2017;Khakhalkina, 2018;Weise, 2020;Abd Majid, Hussin, Norman, and Kasavan, 2020;Edmondson and Formica, 2021;Smydra, 2021;Barbuti, Zanni, Russo, and Valentini, 2021).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The term, Bowen and Schapiro (2014) argue, "feminizes" the Humanities disciplines and undermines their importance when compared to the "hard skills" provided in other fields, such as STEM. As such, with the latest research on the global economy (Emsi, 2021) emphasizing the need for these skills, a rebranding has occurred in terminology and now they are referred to as "durable," "transferable," "indispensable," and/or "power skills," reflecting their indelible importance for the future of work (Adler, 1992;Madsbjerg, 2017;Khakhalkina, 2018;Weise, 2020;Abd Majid, Hussin, Norman, and Kasavan, 2020;Edmondson and Formica, 2021;Smydra, 2021;Barbuti, Zanni, Russo, and Valentini, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Faculty in Durable Skills Development in Higher Education

2023

Although Emsi and other market researchers have found that employers desire durable skills (formerly known as "soft skills") in new hires, there have been few studies dedicated to identifying how faculty perceptions of skill development differ in degree and by area, and how that might impact how such skills are embedded in classroom instruction. This study proposes to investigate the perceptions of faculty from different academic backgrounds and how their disciplines and experiences may contribute to their perceived role in curricular, cocurricular or extracurricular offerings that support durable skill development. Results from the study demonstrate the differing perspectives and expectations of faculty with regards to developing durable skills. Faculty primarily pointed to experiences outside of the classroom to develop and reinforce these skills, including internships, volunteering, student life-athletics and student clubs. Educating faculty on their role in developing skills, as students see those primarily in the classroom, will support career readiness in general.

“…The importance of "soft skills" is no longer debated. The latest research on the global economy (Emsi, 2021) emphasizing the need for these skills has resulted in a rebranding in terminology and now they are referred to as "durable," "transferable," "indispensable," and/or "power skills," reflecting their indelible importance for the future of work (Adler, 1992;Madsbjerg, 2017;Khakhalkina, 2018;Weise, 2020;Abd Majid, Hussin, Norman, and Kasavan, 2020;Edmondson and Formica, 2021;Smydra, 2021;Barbuti, Zanni, Russo, and Valentini, 2021). As such, ensuring students develop durable skills in all modalities should be at the forefront of higher educational goals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of Modality in Developing Durable Skills: Challenges and Experiences of Diverse Student Populations

2023

The efficacy and benefits of various modalities for teaching and learning have been fiercely debated since the pandemic. In general, disciplines that are content-laden and could be taught primarily through passive learning strategies (reading and lecturing) fared better with the transition to distance and online learning. There was great skepticism about the ability to have the same engagement and learning outcomes met in asynchronous design for more applied and interactive disciplines, especially when considering the development of durable skills. Although market researchers have found that employers desire durable skills (formerly "soft skills"), few studies have been dedicated to identifying where, when, and how course modality plays a role in fostering such skill sets. This study proposes to investigate how modality contributes to or inhibits the development of durable skills and identify strategies for addressing challenges that different student populations face given their manner of course participation and attendance while in college. Results from the study indicate that commuters, first-generation, online, and graduate students, given the manner of their engagement with co-curricular and extracurricular activities, are at a disadvantage, requiring new strategies for skills development.