LEARNING SKILLS FOR OPEN DISTANCE LEARNER

FALKUTI PENDIDIKAN DAN BAHASA

JANUARI 2012

OUMH1103

LEARNING SKILLS FOR OPEN DISTANCE LEARNER

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LEARNING CENTRE           :        OPEN UNIVERSITY SIBU

                                                                                   

CONTENTS

1.0    Introduction

2.0    Body of contents

a.        Excellent written and verbal communication skills

b.      Self-motivation and a keenness to learn

c.       Flexibility to manage multiple tasks

d.      Computer literacy

e.       Analytical problem solving and the ability to plan, organize and reflect

3.0    Suggestions

a.        Universities should determine the attributes that should be acquired by its graduates to thrive in the workplace and to function effectively in society

b.      Universities should adopt a holistic and integrated approach towards enhancing graduate employability: curriculum-integrated approach , stand alone soft skills modules, student involvement in work-related projects and extra-curricular activities, work placement, and guidance on job-getting skills through Career services.

c.       Strengthening co-operation with the world of work and analyzing and anticipating societal needs

d.      Self-directed and lifelong learning should be encouraged through Personal Development Planning (PDP). PDP’s primary objective is “to improve the capacity of individuals to understand what and how they are learning, and to review, plan and take responsibility for their own learning

4.0    Conclusion

5.0   References

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Many undergraduates are thinking about their professional future. Whether or not they have a career in mind, most are curious to know what qualities employers are looking for. Apart from relevant tertiary qualifications, employers in any field look for certain generic skills in their prospective employees. The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) identifies five key competencies, describing them as 'the capabilities people need in order to live, learn, work and contribute as active members of their communities'. They are:

Ø thinking

Ø using language, symbols, and texts

Ø managing self

Ø relating to others

Ø participating and contributing

2.0 BODY OF CONTENT

Here are the most important skills that employers are looking for in graduates:

a)      Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Possibly the most requested skill employers look for is the ability to communicate articulately in both written and verbal forms and whether graduates have the ability to organize thoughts and ideas effectively. The ability to communicate ideas and concepts effectively in conversation, presentations, correspondence or reports is fundamental to growing a career in an organisation.

In an article written by Hariati Azizan and Lee Yen Mun for The Star (August 11, 2011), a survey done by Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF), verbal and written communication skills in English is most important trait employers look for when recruiting graduates. Its executive director Shamsuddin Bardan said that globalization had changed the nature of jobs, making communication skills, specifically in English, a valuable asset for today's worker. Nonetheless, English is widely used among the business community, both in Malaysia and internationally. The Kelly Global Workforce Index survey released in 2010 listed “communication skills” as one of the top five most desired skills within the corporate sector. Pemudah co-chair Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon pointed out that, contrary to popular belief, it was important for civil servants to have a good command of English due to a growing borderless world. Successful communication is critical in business.

b)     Self-motivation and a keenness to learn

Most employers look for employees who are self-motivated and able to work independently, with as little supervision as possible. Coupled with self-motivation is a keenness to learn – the technology industry is constantly changing and more and more employers are looking for staff with aspirations to improve their skills on the job.

"Attitude is the main thing," says David McKay from Kitchen Contours. "If you've got the right sort of attitude you can pretty much do anything – just the ability to listen and take instructions without being a know-it-all.”  It is not so much coming in and being able to do a perfect dovetail joint, but more being willing and able to learn on the job.

c)      Flexibility to manage multiple tasks

Employees may need to be able to manage several tasks at the same time. Multitasking skills are desirable as it can mean less micromanaging for an employer. A potential employee who can effectively juggle more than one task at a time is attractive to organizations.

"Our technologists are generally working on two or three different projects at any one time," says Sandra Chambers, Product Development Manager at Heinz Wattie's. "They are involved with all aspects of the development of new products. This means they need to be very good at multi-tasking."

Specialized skills are important and in demand in modern business, however people with the abilities and aptitude to broaden their skill base into a multi-tasking role have strong credentials in the current competitive job market.

Scott Abernethy, Software Engineer at Harris Stratex, has this to say: "Engineers can be assigned new work on a daily basis and often have to manage their work across multiple tasks and multiple projects. To be efficient and successful in their job engineers need to be able to prioritize work, to focus on the task at hand, and to be flexible and adaptable to change."

d)     Computer literacy

In an ever-changing technological environment many employers require employees to have good computer literacy. Almost all jobs now require some basic understanding of computer hardware and software, especially word processing, spreadsheets, and email.

"New employees are always surprised at how computerized things are and how quickly we can do things," says David Mackay, Managing Director of Kitchen Contours. "They still think of kitchen manufacture as hammer and chisel stuff and the good old sandpaper block. They quickly realize that you need a sophisticated set up if you're going to compete."

Employees are required to work in groups to complete a task, particularly where they are more often working on collaborative projects and having to learn a range of new skills. Some may have a single client whose time may need to be shared and they are required to work together efficiently. So the graduates need to be well-literate in the technology programmes to develop ongoing and mutually beneficial community relationships critical for developing their competency in relating to others.

e)      Analytical problem solving and the ability to plan, organize and reflect

Technological industries are continually searching for innovative solutions. They place emphasis on employees being able to think analytically, organize and plan effectively, and reflect on outcomes. The ability to find solutions to problems using creativity, reasoning and past experiences are often very valuable.

"It's not an old fashioned workshop anymore," says Peter Botting, Director of RML Automation, "there's much more depth to it and many more opportunities for bright students to get involved.

Sandra Chambers, Product Development Manager at Heinz Wattie's concurs, "Good problem solving skills are vital to resolving product and process related issues. One aspect of a Food Technologist's role is troubleshooting in the manufacturing environment."

"Engineers need to know how to approach and solve complex problems," says Scott Abernethy of Software Engineer at Harris Stratex. "Complexity can easily overwhelm – but a skillful engineer is able to deal with complexity by breaking down the problem into manageable elements, which can be solved and then combined in a total solution."

f)       Honesty, integrity and reliability

Employers want trustworthy employees who will act responsibly and with integrity, both individually and as part of a team. "The old fashioned principles of honesty, integrity and reliability remain the cornerstones of modern business," says Ken Herd of Wanganui Incorporated, "and the prime reasons behind a successful and trusting relationship between employers and employees".

3.0 SUGGESTIONS

On the eve of a new century, there is an unprecedented demand for and a great diversification in higher education, as well as an increased awareness of its vital importance for socio-cultural and economic development and for building the future, for which the younger generations will need to be equipped with new skills, knowledge and ideals. 

Higher education includes ‘all types of studies, training or training for research at the post-secondary level, provided by universities or other educational establishments that are approved as institutions of higher education by the government.

Everywhere higher education is faced with great challenges and difficulties related to financing, equity of conditions at access into and during the course of studies, improved staff development, skills-based training, enhancement and preservation of quality in teaching, research and services, relevance of programmes, employability of graduates, establishment of efficient co-operation agreements and equitable access to the benefits of international co-operation.

At the same time, higher education is being challenged by new opportunities relating to technologies that are improving the ways in which knowledge can be produced, managed, disseminated, accessed and controlled. Equitable access to these technologies should be ensured at all levels of education systems.

Universities worldwide have adopted one or more of Enhancing Graduate Employability, Integrated Approach, as mentioned below:

·         Stand-alone approach wherein soft skills are taught in modules separate from their discipline  studies  (e.g. Personal  Development,  Public  Speaking,  Business  Writing, and Critical Thinking);

·         The curriculum-integrated approach that enables students to develop soft skills within the context of their discipline (with greater emphasis on oral presentations, role plays, usage  of  “real  world”  examples  in  teaching,  group  work,  analysis  of  case-study material, etc.);

·         Work-based learning which primarily require students to spend a portion of their time in the workplace;

·         Student involvement in extra-curricular activities; and

·         Provision of job-hunting guidance and advice through Career Services.

 As stated by Mason, Williams and Cranmer (2006, p. 4), many university departments use a mix of embedded and stand-alone approaches to enhance graduate employability skills. An integrated approach involving two or all of the above-mentioned approaches makes most sense.

Undergraduates should first be provided with a theoretical framework pertaining to the soft skills. Such a framework will guide the undergraduates to effectively practise the soft skills that have been embedded across the curriculum rather than learning them haphazardly through the trial-and-error method. More importantly, a systematic and step-by-step experiential approach is needed to assist individuals to develop positive personal attributes and to take charge of their lives (the intrapersonal component of soft skills). 

Psychologists generally agree that self-image is the key to human personality and behaviour. In this regard, a specific learning event (experiential in nature) is required to help undergraduates develop a positive self-image. Additionally, as discrete subject, well-trained lecturers will be teaching employability skills.

These are some suggestions for future graduates, government bodies or educational institutions in Malaysia to ensure that future graduates are equipped with the skills listed in 2.0 Body of content.

a)      Universities should determine the attributes that should be acquired by its graduates to thrive in the workplace and to function effectively in society.

In Malaysia, the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) has identified seven soft skills that should be possessed by all graduates: communication skills, critical thinking and problem solving skills; team-working skills; lifelong learning and information literacy; entrepreneurship skills; professional ethics and morality; and leadership skills. In 2007, MoHE directed all public universities to establish “finishing schools” to conduct soft skills courses aimed at enhancing graduate employability.

In 2008, MoHE introduced a more structured internship programme for final-year students in public universities. According to Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Higher Education Minister, this programme will provide more opportunities for students to gain early exposure to the workplace environment (Bernama, 3 June 2008). Some academicians are of the view that it is not the responsibility of higher education institutions to produce “work-ready” graduates.

b)     Universities should adopt a holistic and integrated approach towards enhancing graduate employability: curriculum-integrated approach, stand-alone soft skills modules, student involvement in work-related projects and extra-curricular activities, work placements, and guidance on job-getting skills through Career Services.

According to James and Baldock (2004), “In order for most soft skills to be learned, they must be taught.” Merely embedding soft skills across the curriculum is not likely to produce the desired impact of enhancing graduate employability due to three main reasons.

First, most lecturers succumb to the pressure of concentrating to finish the syllabus; hence, soft skills get watered down. Second, there is also a sense of inadequacy among subject matter specialists to incorporate soft skills into their teaching repertoire. As cautioned by Tait and Godfrey (cited in Lees, 2002), soft skills need to be covered competently. Third, theory without practice is of limited value; so too is practice without theory. A proper theoretical framework enables learners to practise soft skills more effectively. More importantly, a systematic and step-by-step experiential approach is needed to assist individuals to develop positive personal attributes and to take charge of their lives. Psychologists generally agree that self-image is the key to human personality and behaviour.  In this regard, a specific learning event (experiential in nature) is required to help undergraduates develop a positive self-image.

In embedding the soft skills into the curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment processes, steps must be taken to ensure that there is a “constructive alignment” between them. The desired soft skills should be made explicit through the learning outcomes of modules.

Universities should seriously consider adopting a compulsory stand-alone Personal Development Module (focusing on major soft skills) for undergraduates. It should preferably be taught during the first semester. Soft skills assessment criteria should be clearly stipulated and explained to all assessors and learners.

c)      Strengthening co-operation with the world of work and analyzing and anticipating societal needs

In economies characterized by changes and the emergence of new production paradigms based on knowledge and its application, and on the handling of information, the links between higher education, the world of work and other parts of society should be strengthened and renewed.

Links with the world of work can be strengthened, through the participation of its representatives in the governance of institutions, the increased use of domestic and international apprenticeship/work-study opportunities for students and teachers, the exchange of personnel between the world of work and higher education institutions and revised curricula more closely aligned with working practices.

As a lifelong source of professional training, updating and recycling, institutions of higher education should systematically take into account trends in the world of work and in the scientific, technological and economic sectors. In order to respond to the work requirements, higher education systems and the world of work should jointly develop and assess learning processes, bridging programmes and prior learning assessment and recognition programmes, which integrate theory and training on the job. Within the framework of their anticipatory function, higher education institutions could contribute to the creation of new jobs, although that is not their only function.

Developing entrepreneurial skills and initiative should become major concerns of higher education, in order to facilitate employability of graduates who will increasingly be called upon to be not only job seekers but also and above all to become job creators. Higher education institutions should give the opportunity to students to fully develop their own abilities with a sense of social responsibility, educating them to become full participants in democratic society and promoters of changes that will foster equity and justice.

d)     Self-directed and lifelong learning should be encouraged through Personal Development Planning (PDP). PDP’s primary objective is “to improve the capacity of individuals to understand what and how they are learning, and to review, plan and take responsibility for their own learning” (Lees, 2002, p. 7).

Higher educations should provide opportunities (espace ouvert) for higher learning and for learning throughout life, giving to learners an optimal range of choice and a flexibility of entry and exit points within the system, as well as an opportunity for individual development and social mobility in order to educate for citizenship and for active participation in society, with a worldwide vision, for endogenous capacity-building and for the consolidation of human rights, sustainable development, democracy and peace, in a context of justice;

Academic staff should have a proper understanding of the employability agenda and should model the desired behaviour. Academia should be convinced that “employability is not toxic to academic values” (Harvey & Knight, 2003). The employability agenda should be viewed positively as “supporting good learning, enhancing students’ chances of obtaining appropriate employment, and helping students to develop proficiencies that will be useful in life generally” (Yorke, 2003, p. 10). It is also crucial to create “employability champions” in each department/faculty.

 4.0 CONCLUSION

Without adequate higher education and research institutions providing a critical mass of skilled and educated people, no country can ensure genuine endogenous and sustainable development, and in particular, developing countries and least developed countries cannot reduce the gap separating them from the industrially developed ones. Sharing knowledge, international co-operation and new technologies can offer new opportunities to reduce this gap. Graduates should be ready to learn and accept the challenges so that they are valuable to their future employers and the country.

(2581 words)

5.0  REFERENCES

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