Understanding Student Learning Outcomes
To complete a course successfully, a student must clear the pre-set parameters including performance in the class and exams. Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) is defined as a set of parameters to ensure how much the student learns out of a particular course or program. The evaluator or teacher scores the students based on the set parameters in the SLOs and decides on the progress made by the student during the course. These SLOs are necessary for the student, teacher as well as the institution/governing body to mark their success rate.
Importance of SLOs for Institutions and Students
Questions like how many students are completing the course each year; what is the cumulative percent of the batch; is the success rate par with the level of university/nation; etc., are crucial for the institutions. Some institutions consider students entering into jobs after the course as an accolade for institutions. For students, it is the marks or grades that they score in the examinations, whereas teachers are more concerned about the “pass-percentage” of the students.
Methods to Achieve Student Learning Outcomes
For achieving SLO, institutions emphasize internal and external assessments which include assignments, projects, term-end tests, lab tests, internships, dissertations, etc. To what extent a student learns or completes the given tasks in a timeframe – the semester – is tested in the regular SLO assessments. In short, the knowledge level of the student becomes the key in these SLOs rather than their employability.
The Scarcity of Skilled Talents
However, the data show that the current SLOs fail to produce job-ready talents. Hiring personnel across the globe opine that fresh graduates are under-skilled to undertake the job. This is known as the ‘skill gap’ – the difference between the abilities employers seek in successful candidates and the capabilities that a fresh graduate has gained through their college education. To improve such competencies, organizations have to utilize resources for onboarding training and upskilling.
Six Most Sought-After Skill Sets
1. Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
Problem-solving and critical thinking are defined as the ability to use knowledge, facts, and data to effectively solve problems. According to various studies, about 60 percent of hiring managers think fresh graduates lack this skill. Employers expect their employees to face and handle issues and find solutions time-to-time. This can be achieved through critical and creative thinking, sharing of thoughts and opinions, using good judgment, and taking decisions.
2. Communication
Communication is defined as the ability to convey a message clearly, either by written or oral forms. Non-verbal communication is also included in this skill. It involves listening to others and understanding their points of view. Persuading clients/customers to get a favorable response is what employers expect from their employees.
3. Teamwork/Collaboration
No employee is supposed to work alone in the organization today. An organization would have multiple teams to perform various tasks. Every employee should get along with other employees in the team to achieve the target successfully. The success could be the team’s goal or the organization’s target.
4. Digital Technology
Technological developments force organizations to reform their functions with digital routes to reduce the human workload and realize quick results. Computer skills including word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, drafting and sending emails, and even using office equipment like printers and photocopiers are some of the digital technology skills every employer looks for in an employee. It may also include social media, understanding various software, basic programming knowledge, photography, or videography skills.
5. Leadership
Leadership skill is the most important one in today’s VUCA world. Good leaders are high in demand. Over 45 percent of HR personnel confess that they look for candidates with this quality. Employees need to lead projects, take initiatives, organize team meetings, prepare plans, and motivate others to fulfill tasks.
6. Professionalism/Work Ethic
A person’s work ethics represent their character. Strong work ethics mean the person’s attitude towards work as well as behavior towards others and their integrity. Professionalism includes timeliness, punctuality, accountability, being well-structured and organized, and maintaining a professional appearance and hygiene.
Integrating Skills with SLOs
The institutions, which aim to produce a skilled workforce, should ensure whether their students attain the above-mentioned skills upon graduation. That can be achieved with conscious attempts from the institutions’ side by integrating these with their Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). A two-way integration between employers and institutions is required to prepare the curriculum as well as SLOs. Thus, the institutions can reduce the skill gap by producing job-ready talents. A regular employability assessment would help students and institutions to guarantee employment upon completing the course.
AceTrac: A Solution for Employability Assessment
AceTrac, a solution from MeritTrac, is one such platform to test the employability skills of the students. The platform offers an online employability test to tackle comprehensive skill assessment needs holistically. It helps students prepare for jobs while they study, be prepared much before the campus placement season, and makes it easy for hiring organizations to connect with job-ready candidates.
