Identifying competences to support evaluating and enhancing student recognition of employability skills development: Examples from postgraduate project management

Jackson, Joan; Bromley, Kay and Shaw, Jill (2025). Identifying competences to support evaluating and enhancing student recognition of employability skills development: Examples from postgraduate project management. In: The 13th eSTEeM Annual Conference Proceedings: Sharing Best Practice - Implementing What Works (Pawley, Susan and Chang, Daphne eds.), 10-11 Apr 2024, The Open University, UK, pp. 19–30.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21954/ou.ro.00102263

Abstract

In a postgraduate distance learning module in project management, employability skills development is embedded in the module design and explained to students within the guidance to assessment. However, in assessment, some students do not articulate their development and application of these skills. As part of a wider project to investigate and improve articulation of employability skills development, competences were derived using a six-step method: identify relevant competence frameworks; map to the specific module; compare framework to mapped competences; compare module assessment criteria to mapped competences; identify competences which can be developed through study; define competence descriptors.
Eighteen technical and four behavioural competences were identified and reflection on competence development has been emphasised more clearly in module assessment. The competences will be used in subsequent research to assess student perception of skills development as a result of study. The six-step approach to developing competences appropriate to a module could be adopted in many STEM modules.

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