Knowledge or Skills — The Way to a Meaningful Degree? An Investigation Into The Importance of Key Skills Within an Undergraduate Degree and The Effect This Has On Student Success

Abstract

The grades attained by students studying biological science at level 1, at Liverpool John Moores University, UK, were examined between the academic years 2003/04 — 2005/06. The marks attained in the study skills module, and the mean level 1 mark (number of modules, n = 10) were also analysed. The data were divided into two groups: those relating to students who had come from A-levels and those for students who had studied for a foundation degree at John Moores University the previous year. Analysis of study skills marks and mean module marks for level 1 revealed that study skills marks were positively correlated with mean module marks. There was a difference between marks obtained by A-level students, and those obtained by foundation degree students. This suggested that a strong set of key skills such as communication, literacy and numeracy, helps students obtain higher grades, possibly because the foundation degree students have had longer to develop these skills.

Keywords:

• key skills
• employability
• curriculum
• Further Education
• Higher Education