Understanding – and accrediting – the learning journey
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Understanding – and accrediting – the learning journey
We are all learning, all the time. But do we know which skills we are developing? If we are learning a SHAPE subject (social sciences, humanities and arts for the people and economy/ environment), how can we make our achievements tangible? getTWOit believes there is a need for greater literacy around the skills that SHAPE subjects develop. Kristina Tischendorf, Head of Partnerships, tells us about getTWOit’s microcredentials, which recognise key skills and personal development.
What are the skills gaps that the getTWOit platform is addressing?
While we might study, take exams and participate in extracurricular activities, the specific skills we’re developing are rarely clearly defined, especially in relation to what employers and the future of work will require. The British Academy conducted some research to identify how the skills developed through SHAPE subjects (social sciences, humanities and arts) highlight the wide range of career opportunities available to SHAPE graduates. These skills include communication, problem-solving, adaptability and creativity. When I reflect on the courses I took at school and university – and even since – I would have loved to know exactly which skills I was building, what my strengths and weaknesses were, and how to communicate these effectively to employers.
Through our partnership with Aspect, a network of universities in the UK and internationally, we’re exploring the skills being developed by researchers on their entrepreneurial journeys, as well as the skills of those working alongside them in universities. By doing this, we’re able to comprehensively map out the skills landscape in this area, helping universities and Aspect become more efficient and effective in fostering these skills. It helps individuals to see that the skills they’re developing have broad applications.
Why is it so important that we make skills related to SHAPE tangible?
It’s all about creating shared understanding and a common language. Right now, there’s a significant talent shortage and a real disconnect between schools, universities and businesses. STEM training is often easier for people to grasp in terms of skill development. If you study coding, for instance, it’s easy for a tech employer to assume you have coding skills! But if you study geography, it’s not so obvious to an employer that you possess problem-solving skills. By establishing a shared language around skills development in SHAPE subjects and activities, we can help bridge that gap and create more opportunities for those keen to pursue these areas.
How do the getTWOit microcredentials make learning in SHAPE explicit?
When someone creates a getTWOit microcredential for training or an activity they’re delivering, they select a distribution of SHAPE skills being developed. For instance, decision-making 20%, communication 50% and so on, until it adds up to 100%. This information is hardcoded into the microcredential and stored on the blockchain, so it can’t be altered or falsified. The recipient of these microcredentials can store them in their Personal Development Passport on the getTWOit platform, which can also include any other information they wish to add, such as interests and social links. The passport acts as a ‘mini-website’, unique to that person, which can be shared with employers or as part of applications for further learning. These microcredentials can also be displayed on platforms, such as LinkedIn, offering great visibility for the learner and for the trainer or organisation issuing the credential.
How do students attain getTWOit microcredentials?
Students can earn getTWOit microcredentials by receiving them from their teachers, schools, universities or employers when undertaking work experience. The key skills recognised include Communication, Working with Others, Decision-Making, Designing Research, Collecting Evidence, Analysis, Independence, Adaptability, Creativity and Problem-Solving. These skills align directly with the skills most sought-after by employers. However, the skills can be customised; several of our projects are integrating skills such as Empathy and Self-Reflection, for example.
What role can microcredentials play in teachers’ professional development?
The skills gained through teaching are often overlooked! It’s not only students who are developing skills – teachers are constantly developing skills by delivering training and helping others learn and grow. And, of course, teachers also want to progress; we don’t stop developing just because we’re teaching. It’s an ongoing process.
We have various mechanisms for teachers to earn getTWOit microcredentials. Schools or universities can issue them to teachers, and they can also be automatically awarded for delivering specific training materials. For instance, with the materials Futurum provides to help teachers, simply engaging with those materials on getTWOit can earn teachers a microcredential detailing the specific skills they’ve developed.
What practical applications do the microcredentials have?
The practical applications certainly include university applications or starting a career, as mentioned earlier, but they’re also incredibly useful in terms of understanding the learning journey we all go through from school into adulthood. They’re great for personal development, career progression and project involvement, as well as things like securing start-up funding, where the skills and attributes of founders are critical for banks and investors.
How is getTWOit helping to enhance the SHAPE community?
Our background is firmly rooted in SHAPE – our founders studied across the social sciences, humanities and arts spectrum – and getTWOit was developed over several years in collaboration with schools and universities to understand how best to support this environment. However, we’re far from SHAPE-exclusive. We see great potential in combining SHAPE with STEM; STEM is often about creation, while SHAPE focuses on socially responsible implementation, so they complement each other well. But there is a real need for greater literacy around the SHAPE skills and the opportunities they can lead to, which is why SHAPE is particularly interesting to us. There are so many brilliant people working within SHAPE, and so many organisations supporting it and doing amazing things. In helping to create a shared language to better understand SHAPE skills and the development of SHAPE fields, we aim to increase dialogue, reduce duplication of efforts and align agendas on an international scale.
How can schools get involved?
It’s really simple! Just sign up to the platform and start creating skills-based microcredentials to issue to your students. All it takes is uploading a list of awardees. We wanted to make it as easy as possible to get started. From there, you can explore additional functionality like community building, online events, self-learning courses and more. We also run a partner programme where we work with organisations to understand their community’s needs and help them maximise value from participating in those communities, attending events and taking part in training sessions. This programme is mainly focused on larger organisations, but we’re always open to fun and exciting opportunities, so if anyone is interested, we’d love to hear from them.
What impact are the microcredentials having?
We’re seeing a lot of engagement, which is fantastic! Both from Aspect and from partnerships like the one we have with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Summer School, which is using our microcredentials to showcase the uniqueness of the activities it is offering. We’re also working with the British Council (to develop skillsets across multiple organisations in sub-Saharan Africa and the UK), a network of Dutch universities (who are using microcredentials to show the impact of SHAPE subjects to align with changing political agendas), and the Holy Family Catholic Multi Academy Trust (which is creating exciting learner profiles that integrate microcredentials across their students’ activities). And they are just a few examples—it’s an incredibly exciting time!
What’s next for getTWOit?
We’ll keep doing what we’re doing! Collaborating with people and organisations to prepare everyone for the future of work and bridge the skills gap.
Website: gettwoit.com
Do you have a question for Kristina?
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