Discussion Forum: Generic Skills

In 2000 UniServe Science introduced a First Year Experience Forum to enable the enthusiastic science teachers, who are committed to "doing things better", to have the opportunity to share with one another. Reports from previous Forums can be accessed through the First Year Experience web page.

The Discussion Forum, Generic Skills was held at the University of Sydney on Thursday 30 September 2004.

The programme included five short presentations by various academics representing several Australian universities. These 'cameos' illustrated a number of alternative strategies that are being implemented and issues that are being addressed by universities, faculties or school/department in relation to the development of generic skills in undergraduate students.

Invited speakers

• Sue Morris, Jacquelyn Cranney & Branka Spehar, The University of New South Wales
  Graduate Attributes in First Year Psychology: .Integrating Information Literacy Skills, Team Skills and Collaborative Learning into the Curriculum
  
• Sue Jones, The University of Tasmania
  Incorporation of generic skills into the first year life sciences curriculum at the University of Tasmania
  
• Charlotte Taylor, Mary Peat and Chris Stewart, The University of Sydney
  LifeLongEarning - Enhancing the employability of graduates: increasing the awareness of staff and students to the needs of the employers
  LifeLongEarning web site
  Generic Skills Project web site
• Manju Sharma, Ian Cooper and John O'Byrne, The University of Sydney
  Using lab based projects .for teaching & learning skills in large first year classes

Questions for and reports from break-out groups and wrap-up

References

Suggestions for the theme of next year's forum include:

• curriculum benchmarking
• level of study expectations
• assessment
• teaching development ("training") of tutors/demonstrators and/or new staff
• how to "get through" to recalcitrant colleagues/tutors whom appear to be inflexible in their approaches to teaching/learning
• what response is appropriate to the changes in Senior Secondary syllabuses in recent years (Science taught in context, more open-ended investigative approach
• how can a first level subject be successfully run with students with a wide variety of incoming knowledge, skills and abilities
• catering for students with a minimalist science background
• coordinating the transition program and generic skills development across disciplines in a general degree program
• developing learning resources yourself
• uisng technology in assessment
• research skills for first years
• explicit "transition" issues

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Last Update: Monday, 30-Apr-2012 16:53:55 EST
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