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The Pedagogy and Pleasures of Teaching a 21st‐Century Skill
Author(s) -
Breslow Lori
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
european journal of education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.577
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1465-3435
pISSN - 0141-8211
DOI - 10.1111/ejed.12159
Subject(s) - transferable skills analysis , argument (complex analysis) , discipline , curriculum , communication skills , skills management , pedagogy , critical thinking , mathematics education , sociology , higher education , psychology , engineering ethics , political science , engineering , social science , medical education , medicine , biochemistry , chemistry , law
Since at least the 1990s, voices both inside and outside the academy have vigorously debated whether the university has the responsibility to educate students in ‘transferable skills’ in addition to disciplinary content. Lists of these skills often include critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and innovation, and, almost always, communication, this article's focus. I briefly review the debate on whether such skills should be a prominent part of the university curriculum, and specifically address one argument advanced by the critics—that these skills cannot be taught. I describe my experience teaching communication relying on research‐based practices and reflect on what it means to teach transferable skills in the digital age, as pedagogy changes and the university extends its reach. The article concludes with a recommendation to expand the teaching and learning of transferable skills and suggests how this can be accomplished.