Social context and transferable skill development in experiential learning
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Rebecca Collins-Nelsen [1] ; Frank Koziarz [1] ; Beth Levinson [1] ; Erin Allard [1] ; Stephanie Verkoeyen [1] ; Sandeep Raha [1]
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[1] McMaster University
McMaster University
Canadá
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- Localización: Innovations in education and teaching international, ISSN 1470-3297, Vol. 59, Nº 4, 2022, págs. 421-430
- Idioma: inglés
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
Increasingly, employers are seeking candidates with transferable skills in addition to technical and educational requirements. Thus, university students seek opportunities to develop transferrable skills, often through extra and co-curricular programs. With this in mind, our research explores student assessments of their own development of transferable skills after participation in a co-curricular, experiential volunteer program (McMaster Children and Youth University) in Canada. Using pre/post-survey methods, we find statistically significant increases in participants’ self-assessments of leadership, problem solving, knowledge translation, and knowledge mobilization. Adaptability emerges as an unexpected skill several participants report developing as a result of working with young people. We conclude that co-curricular programs play an important role in transferable skill development. Further, we argue that social contexts of experiential learning opportunities play a significant role in shaping transferrable skill development.
