Teaching and Assessing Soft Skills - MASS - Measuring and ...

In one case there was an internal education programme, which was conducted in the
evenings. This training included management and human resources related courses, such as
training for mentoring, public speaking, interviewing, conducting performance reviews, team
building, and professional behaviour. It also included training sessions on service excellence,
equal employment opportunity and, working with cultural diversity, disability.
Discussion groups or meetings
In an information technology sector case study focus groups were used, where developers,
project managers and business analysts met off the job once a month to discuss technical or
project management issues. This further developed their generic skills, such as
communication, problem solving and project management skills.
Self-directed learning activities
Self-directed learning activities, using video, interactive computer software and other
learning material, or observation, interviews, personal experience or other project work,
were also used for developing and enhancing generic skills.
Scenarios and case studies were also used in self-directed learning activities to analyse
examples and situations with questions, such as ‘What if this action were taken or this was
said?’ or ‘What did they do wrong?’ or ‘How would you fix it?’. Projects were sometimes
assigned to staff as a learning and development activity.
Visits to other sites or organisations by individuals or teams were sometimes used as
training and development activities for staff. In a number of the companies the staff were
professional trainers and assessors, who were able to train or assess staff from other
organisations.
Initial Education Students
Teaching and learning in schools have strong social, emotional, and academic components
(Elbertson, Brackett, & Weissberg, 2010; Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger,
2011). Students typically do not learn alone but rather in collaboration with their teachers,
in the company of their peers, and with the encouragement of their families. Emotions can
facilitate or impede children’s academic engagement, work ethic, commitment, and ultimate
school success. Because relationships and emotional processes affect how and what we
learn, schools and families must effectively address these aspects of the educational process
for the benefit of all students (Elias, Zins, & Weissberg, 1997).
Research has shown that emotional skills are prerequisite to the thinking and learning skills
that comprise the time-honoured academic focus of education. For instance, “we know
emotion is very important to the educative process because it drives attention, which drives
learning and memory”. Moreover, emotions impact on perception, motivation, critical
thinking, and behaviour.
The social aspects of the learning environment also contribute significantly to learning. As
the level of attachment, communication, and respect shared between a child and teacher is
enhanced, the child’s attention, learning, and brain development follow. Students who
report warm, supportive, positive, and respectful interactions with their teachers also tend
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