As the world evolves, so do the skills required to succeed in it. Traditional education systems have long focused on imparting knowledge through classroom lectures and rote memorisation. However, this approach has its limitations when it comes to preparing students for the real world.
Enter skill-based education, an approach that emphasises developing practical skills and competencies that apply to real-world situations. Unlike knowledge-based learning, which focuses on theoretical concepts, skill-based learning gives students ownership of their learning and helps them close the comprehension gap.
What is Skill-Based Education?
Skill-based education is an approach to teaching that prioritises the development of practical skills over theoretical knowledge. It involves teaching students specific skills and competencies that are relevant to their future careers or personal goals.
The goal of skill-based education is not just to impart knowledge but also to help students apply what they have learned in real-world situations. This approach encourages active participation from students and helps them take ownership of their learning.
Why is Skill-Based Education Important?
There are several reasons why skill-based education is important:
1. Relevant Skills for a Changing World
The world is changing rapidly, and so are the skills required to succeed in it. By focusing on practical skills rather than theoretical knowledge, skill-based education ensures that students are equipped with the tools they need to thrive in a constantly evolving landscape.
2. Active Learning
Skill-based education encourages active participation from students, which helps them take ownership of their learning. When students are actively engaged in the learning process, they are more likely to retain information and apply it in real-world situations.
3. Closing the Comprehension Gap
Traditional education systems often leave behind students who struggle with comprehension or have different learning styles. Skill-based education addresses this issue by focusing on practical skills that can be taught through a variety of methods.
4. Career Readiness
One of the primary goals of skill-based education is to prepare students for their future careers. By teaching them relevant skills and competencies, skill-based education helps ensure that students are ready for whatever challenges come their way.
Skills-based learning is deeply rooted in our platform
The 2020 pandemic caused massive disruption to life that led to a rapid acceleration of our dependence on digital technologies across all aspects of life. We had to re-think our working lives, social lives and education delivery and consider alternative approaches that shifted us to the cloud and online work. There’s now an increased demand for skills that were already lacking in our workforce and education system. Our world has changed forever.
Digitize aims to support people to in-demand digital jobs and enterprise. Our whole focus in designing Digitize has been on developing practical skills-based challenges that are enjoyable and useful. Learn by doing real-life projects and challenges. Digitize is designed to help you learn at your own pace, from anywhere, and at any time.
Skills-based learning can take this agile approach that caters to new learning preferences. The job market favours candidates who are agile, adaptable and can embrace change. Our skills-first approach sees learners watch engaging video content and complete practical challenges where they’re putting what they’ve learned into practice, instantly. Then, learners can go on and complete further practical challenges to reinforce their learning even further.
What this looks like in practice
Learners can pick from our wide range of courses: for example, Fundamentals of Digital Marketing. In this course, learners will complete a variety of modules, including one on social media. This module will teach learners what it takes to create engaging social media content, then it will be their turn to create some content and learn by doing.
Pictured below: Fundamentals of Digital Marketing Course
When learners have completed the whole course, they might choose to move on to one of our mock company challenges. Our mock company challenges are designed to give learners briefs to work from to put what they’ve learned from our courses into practice.
Pictured below: Mock company challenge – Sole Traders
Conclusion
Skill-based education is an innovative approach to teaching that prioritises practical skills over theoretical knowledge. By giving students ownership of their learning and helping them close the comprehension gap, skill-based education prepares them for success in a rapidly changing world.
Sources
httpss://askeducareer.com/blog/why-skill-based-education-is-important/
httpss://www.hunschool.org/upper-school/skills-based-curriculum
