For this year’s 10th anniversary of the University’s Blackboard & VLE Awards, there are 10 award categories for staff nominations. In this blog post, we focus on courses that shine when it comes to development of student employability skills. This blog post includes examples to help you consider which courses you’d like to vote for.
Example module: Child Health
Within the Child Health (MEDI3044) module, the key skills taught directly apply to working in a medical world, such as:
- how to handle a new born baby
- how to write consultation notes for a patient
- breaking bad news
- measuring vital signs
- handling common allergies
- and so much more!
To help students on the programme understand the impact of these skills, the team prepared a presentation. This presentation shows how the module directly supports future employability skills for a career in Paediatrics. You can open the presentation in a separate browser window by selecting the image below:
Example module: Language and Memory
In a different field, Psychologists on the Language and Memory module (PSYC2021) are upfront about what is being taught and how it relates to employability. They devote a page to highlighting key skills such as:
- How essays help you form an argument
- Tutorials that build your debate skills
- How to improve your memory
- Testing that improves how you use information
- Critical thinking which applies to all industries
Other examples
What other things might you be considering when voting for a module in this category?
“This course reflects how a business actually works”
“There are multiple opportunities to engage in real-life problems”
“I’m learning how to use hardware and software I need in a job”
We interviewed previous winners for a Project Management module, who discuss different methods to help students be ready for their future careers.
We hope this blog post has made you reflect on your modules and you’re now wondering what else makes a winner. You can uncover further insights from 2021’s Award winners at https://tiny.cc/winners2021.
For tips and course examples in three more categories visit Best Learner Support, Best Structure and Building Community.
Nominate a course
Both students and staff can nominate a module for the Best development of employability skills category. Nominations remain open until February 28th, with the nomination forms for both students and staff available on our Blackboard & VLE Awards homepage.
We will reveal 2022’s award winning courses at the Awards Event on May 4th.