Lessons learned from three projects to design learning environments that support 'generic' skill development

Abstract

Efforts to ensure that graduates leave university with the skills needed forcareer wide lifelong learning have been the focus of much activity atuniversities both nationally and internationally for over a decade. In thispaper, we describe three projects aimed at developing student skills as part ofthe discipline content in line with current theory and research. Projectsrequired instructors to reflect on their current practice and, where necessary,to change learning environments from content to process oriented and fromteacher to student centred, and to align learning outcomes, learning activitiesand assessment tasks. We describe each project and, using models of changemanagement and the findings from investigations of teaching and learninginnovations in Higher Education, identify the design features that supportedor constrained each project’s success. Based on the lessons learned fromthese three projects and those of others reported in the literature, we makerecommendations for the design of projects that will have a good chance ofsuccess in creating effective learning environments that support skilldevelopment.