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Embedding Skills is Progressive
Academic perceptions
ââ¦the integration of critical thinking, to inform study and critical writing, to inform the demonstration of understanding and application of knowledge, into each stage of a studentâs journey through their degree. Each year stage is different requiring incrementally different skills.â
ââ¦the teaching, learning (hopefully!), practice and assessment of core practical skills.  The assessment must be through practical assignments designed to show proficiency in such core skills, building them incrementally.â
âIt would seem that generic skills/transferable skills relating to communication, analysis, interpretation and synthesis for example are important factors in any discipline at an early stage of the course. In relation to the area of art and design these need to be developed in tandem with skills of practice, judgment and critique with the notion of ‘progression’. Quite often ‘skills’ remain remote if given as an ‘introductory’ stage – they should be part of the diagnostic process in developing the learner and the dialogue that happens in teaching and learning. The ‘curriculum’ becomes more flexible and holistic if ‘skills’ are related to the innate processes of the discipline and re-introduced at key stages and as part of the continuing development of the individual’s profile.â
Learner Developers’ views
Taught > practised > assessed > reflection > practice
But do we always include the teaching and reflection?
Compromise with skills of students throughout academic course
Mismatch between students and academic idea of skills â need mapping exercise. What should be expected by end of Yr 1, Yr2 and Yr3
For embedding to be progressive it should involve mapping out the whole curriculum with skills and critical analysis being developed incrementally at each stage. This is achieved through a process of learner development critical self-analysis and integrating skills in learning design at each stage. (Yes but can then be implemented by discipline with remedial or instrumental models  – emancipatoryâ¦)
(Iâm worried about using generic terms such as âcritically analyse’ in learning development)
