Building Better Learning – pioneering new book on 21st century learning is launched

The world is changing at dizzying speed. To adapt and thrive in our ever-evolving social and economic landscapes, education leavers need skills such as working with others, problem-solving, digital literacy and emotional intelligence. These skills unlock their technical and vocational knowledge and skill, allowing them to perform across contexts – while also managing their wellbeing.

Building Better Learning: An RSTU Perspective, co-authored by Professor Simon Bridge, Visiting Professor, Ulster University Business School with former members of South Eastern Regional College (SERC) Management team:  Professor Ken Webb MBE; and Dr Michael Malone, identifies common sets of what they term transversal skills (problem sloving, citizenship and communication) and uber skills (critical thinking, leadership entrepreneurial thinking) which, when combined in different ways, not only support employability, enterprise and entrepreneurship, but help many other aspects of life.  The book provides case studies of how educational organisations might “build better learning” through embedding opportunities to develop and assess these skills in the core curriculum.

Professor Simon Bridge writes, “Employers need people with these skills, but research has shown that they are not getting them in adequate measure. Businesses need people with the ability to adapt to change and be creative and flexible in response to it, and the economy needs people who can innovate products and processes and even start new businesses. These abilities have been labelled “employability”, “enterprise” or “entrepreneurship” but those terms are not clearly distinguished. Rather than assuming that they are separate abilities, they are much better thought of as being constructs based on a common set of T and U skills.”

Organisations such SERC and Young Enterprise are working to transform education so that these skills are developed alongside technical and academic knowledge and skill, which is crucial to ensuring students can apply them in life and work. Dr Michael Malone, Director of Curriculum and Information Services at SERC until July this year, adds, “From SERC’s experience, silo-ing the development of these skills to standalone courses does not work. Many students struggle to transfer this learning to real-world contexts and to apply the skills alongside their technical and vocational skills when needed. The skills must be embedded and assessed as part of students’ technical and vocational learning.”

Professor Ken Webb MBE, Principal and Chief Executive of SERC until August this year adds, “The College’s approach to embedding these important skills in learning and to providing additional student entrepreneur support has had excellent outcomes, including over a hundred (100) student businesses since 2019, three thousand (3000) students annually presenting their solutions to real world problems or business proposals at College-wide expos as part of the  Enterprise Challenge, and research by Stranmillis University College demonstrating the positive impact of the College’s learning model on entrepreneurial ambition and transversal skills.”  

Building Better Learning is a must-read for educators, parents, researchers and students alike. Olly Newton, Executive Director of The Edge Foundation, writes in the foreword, “As we collectively reimagine what’s possible – not just in our schools and classrooms but across society – I know this book will make a valuable addition to any educator’s arsenal. Its practical approach and focus on the learner will help many to create deeper and more meaningful learning experiences. The future depends on it.”

Building Better Learning: An RSTU Perspective was launched at the International Entrepreneurship Educators Conference at Queen’s University Belfast, 4 – 6 September 2024. Copies of the book can be purchased on Amazon.