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The Development of Key Skills in Religious Studies
Deirdre Burke
Religious Studies Key Skills
Religious Studies was in the School of Education which pioneered the introduction of 'personal transferable skills' within the curriculum. Thus, at the revalidation in 1997 skills were identified for development and assessment within each module. This was important background in the current development of key skills in Religious Studies, in addition I was a member of the university working party on key skills.
The working party recommended that Schools/ subjects adopt the QCA Key Skills (Communication: Written and Oral; Use of Number; Use of Information and Communications Technology; Working with others; Improving own learning and performance; Problem solving) and work out their own specifications of skills. Within Religious Studies specifications were developed from the QCA documentation by brainstorming skills integral to studying religion, and considering the skills that employers sought from a survey of job advertisements.
The revalidation of the Religious Studies undergraduate portfolio earlier this year provided an opportunity to review earlier work on Key Skills (as presented to the ILT conference in 2000) and fully integrate Key Skills within the curriculum. Staff requested that documentation be simplified and indicated the need to draw on expertise within the school to assist students in the development of Key Skills. Feedback from final year students, who had used the profile for job applications and interviews was very positive. Firstly, students reported that the specification of skills encouraged them to apply for a wider range of posts. Secondly, the profile was instrumental in gaining employment, when employers were initially sceptical about the value of a Religious Studies degree.
1. Key Skills in the curriculum
Core modules introduce students to all the key skills, and students are assessed on specified aspects of key skills in these modules. The Level 1. module Introduction to the Study of Religion (30 credits) plays an important role in introducing the key skills. This foundation is used as the basis for the continued development of key skills in Religious Studies modules.
Other Religious Studies modules provide opportunities for development and assessment in key skills. Students are able to use the Key Skills within modules chart to design a programme that helps them to develop and evaluate their strategy for particular key skills. General Skills modules can also be selected to assist students develop particular skills, and students are advised to select at least one skills module at Level 1. (examples include Writing for Academic Success or Introduction to Study Skills and Information technology).
2. Key Skills Audit and Development
Each student undertakes a formal audit of their key skills during induction, using the Open University/ DFEE questionnaire on confidence in each of the key skills. This will be considered by module leaders in order to inform the development required in key skills by the cohort. Teaching activities will take place within modules to enable students to develop the key skills prior to assessment. Additional support is provided in the form of follow-up reading and information about study skills support available in Learning Centres from the academic staff in the Student Support Centre.
The Personal Tutor system will ensure that students develop a strategy for using each skill, tutors will assist students to monitor progress and adapt their strategy to achieve particular outcomes, and at then end of each year help students to evaluate their overall strategy.
There is an on-going support programme during the year for the development of key skills provided by Religious Studies staff, staff from the Student Support Centre and Learning Centre staff. This programme is timed to meet the needs of students at key points in the year; following the mid-semester evaluation of modules to respond to any needs that cannot be met in the taught sessions; at the inter-semester period to assist students respond to feedback from the first semester, and also to support students who need to resit assignments; and finally at the end of the second semester to help students develop an action plan for the next academic year, and also to support students who need to resit assignments.
3. Assessment of Key Skills
The introduction to Key Skills provides a general specification of the contribution this skill will make to the ability to learn and how it will develop the student skill base. The grid for each skill in the student profile states the specifications for each aspect of the skill. Not all aspects of each key skill are assessed within a module, and it may be the case that particular aspects of skills are not assessed at Level One.
Chart 1 shows where skills will be assessed. At least two skills are assessed in each core module, and other modules will assess at least one key skill. This assessment is an explicit consideration of the key skill that will lead to an assessment of achievement against each selected aspect of the skill. This will also provide an overall assessment of achievement for that skill which will be recorded on the student's key skills profile.
4. Resits
If a skill has been graded 'not yet satisfactory' it will be necessary for the student to resit the module. The form of the 'resit' will vary from doing the same assessment again to undertaking support tasks. The Student Guide to Key Skills in Religious Studies provides information on how each key skill will be re-assessed for resits.
5. The Key Skills Profile
Each student is given a profile booklet at the start of their course of study, this will contain an audit of their skill levels on entry and record their achievements in Religious Studies. Feedback sheets on Key Skills from each module should be placed in this profile. Students should take the booklet to their personal tutor at the end of each semester to discuss their achievement and to assist them in setting targets in relation to key skills for the next semester/ year.
At the end of their study students will be able to use the profile to provide employers with evidence of their competence in each of the specified skills.
This page was originally on the website of The Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies. It was transfered here following the closure of the Subject Centre at the end of 2011.
