Skills of Higher Education Student 1

SKILLS OF HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS

by [Name]

Course

Professor’s Name

Institution

Location of Institution

Date
 Skills of Higher Education Student 2

Skills of Higher Education Students

Countries make huge investments in educational systems with a goal in mind that

learning facilitates development. Developing nations today have joined the First-World countries

by creating a large pool of persons with higher education diplomas. The high number of

graduates does not necessarily mean that there are enough graduates to satisfy the demand for an

educated workforce required to promote economic and social development. Instead, institutions

are concentrating more on equipping the learners with vital skills and qualities that help the

graduates to succeed in their careers as well as other areas in life.

Critical Thinking

The critical thinking movement emphasizes particular reasoning skills and strategies that

are the basis of the entire education curriculum. According to Fahim and Masouleh (2012),

“refers to the use of cognitive skills or strategies that increase the probability of a desirable

outcome” (12). A critical thinker consumes information and tried to determine the underlying

reasons and evidence. In Kolb’s learning cycle, students are required to take an active role in

each of the four steps. In the experience stage, a critical thinker will examine the issues and

apply evidence. For instance, a student on an internship with a municipality will begin focusing

on the key issues that affect the community. At the reflection level, the student will frame the

issues in a way that will communicate effectively with the target audience. The learner will

reflect on their experience and thoughtful input by others will enhance this stage. In the

subsequent thinking stage, the student will draw on lessons learned that form the basis for the

last stage. In the acting stage, the student will consider the options that the community has and

come up with prediction scenarios predicting how they can handle the situation.
 Skills of Higher Education Student 3

Problem Solving

The education system anticipates that the learners will graduate with effective problem-

solving skills. In the classroom, educators do their best to develop these skills by prompting the

learners to think about how to solve a problem through open-ended problems[ CITATION Ove08 \l

1033 ]. In Kolb's reflective model, the first stage that concerns experience is strongly associated

with good problem-solving. By engaging in this stage, a student learns the situations in which

they can work as quickly as possible and learn by experiencing different things. In the second

stage, the student will think about something first and consider all potential angles and

implications of a problem as they determine a possible solution. In the thinking stage, the student

will structure their learning situation with specific goals, theories and models. They will

additionally ask questions and explore the themes. For the final stage, a problem solver will take

the initiative and make decisions.

Teamwork

Teams started to be used in organizations many years ago. Today, companies have

restructured from the hierarchical model to one that is based on teams (Marasi, 2019). Even

though modern organizations value teamwork, they still emphasize that most graduates lack

teamwork skills (Thacker and Yost, 2002). Consequently, educators have to ensure that students

develop teamwork skills by providing them with knowledge and practical training. In Kolb’s first

stage, a group of students is assigned a task and the key thing at this level is active involvement.

In this model, a person cannot learn by merely watching or reading about something as they have

to be actively doing it. In the second stage, the learners will pause and reflect on what is being

done and experienced. At this level, students are encouraged to ask questions and seek

clarification. In the third stage, the students interpret events and try to understand the
 Skills of Higher Education Student 4

relationships as a group. Finally, they put what they learned into practice and the instructor

should also require the students to make presentations as a group. In this way, they learn how to

work as teams.

Personal Reflection

Overall, I feel that while I possess some of these vital skills, I still need to practice more

often to improve in each area. Critical thinking is characterized by an in-depth exploration of

concepts, ideas, and events before an individual makes a decision. In my case, I consider myself

stubborn as I constantly find it challenging to analyse the reverse side of an issue. To improve on

my critical thinking, I will be applying reflective thinking in specific situations, and relate these

to other experiences. Problem-solving is essential since, without it, it would be impossible to

learn or measure success. I feel that this is the most challenging skill as it necessitates a person to

consider the big picture and examine all underlying factors. To become a good problem solver, a

person would have to consider more real-world scenarios and use the learned theories to

determine the appropriate course of action and anticipate the results.

My weakest area is teamwork, yet this is the most sought after skill in the corporate

world. I prefer working alone as I have the perception that I get to work on things the way I

envision them in my mind. In the class assignments that have required us to work as groups,

however, I have learned that a team is more successful when everyone is committed and

motivated to achieve a common goal than a person would. Therefore, I will learn to get along

with people, even the ones that I did not initially know, in teams to become a better player.
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Conclusion

Besides preparing for a career, higher education offers an opportunity for the students to

learn key skills that include critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork. These skills are

required in every career, organisation and even personal endeavours. Students should learn how

to draw lessons from learning experiences and apply the right thinking to identify and act on the

appropriate course of action. To become valuable in the professional field, it is paramount for

students to become good critical thinkers, effective problem solvers, and active team players.
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References

Fahim, M. & Masouleh, N. S., 2012. Critical thinking in higher education: A pedagogical look.

Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 2(7), pp. 1370-1375.

Marasi, S., 2019. Team-building: Developing Teamwork Skills in College Students Using

Experiential Activities in a Classroom Setting. Organization Management Journal, 16(4),

pp. 324-337.

Overton, T. & Potter, N., 2008. Solving open-ended problems, and the influence of cognitive

factors on student success. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, Volume 9, pp.

65-69.

Thacker, R. A., & Yost, C. A. (2002). Training students to become effective workplace team

leaders. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 8(3/ 4), 89–94.