Key Skills - Learning, Problem Solving and Thinking

In addition to the ‘Big 3' skills of Teamwork, leadership and communication, all our courses offer links to the National curriculum and Key & Wider Skills, particularly:

Improving Own Learning and Performance

“….the key skill of improving own learning and performance involves pupils in reflecting on and critically evaluating their work and what they have learnt and identifying ways to improve their performance.”

• The tasks presented to students require them to make a plan, do it and reflect on what they have done (experiential learning cycle).
• Facilitators are skilled and experienced in the process of reviewing action.

Problem Solving

“… the key skill of problem solving includes the skills of identifying and understanding a problem, planning ways to solve it, monitoring progress and reviewing solutions.”

• All pupils are required to carry out simple indoor and outdoor tasks in teams. These tasks are in themselves problems - whether they be crossing gaps with ladders and ropes or planning presentations.
• In addition students are required to manage their own time on all activities.

Thinking Skills

“…. These enable pupils to give reasons for opinions and actions.”

• Regular periods of review mean that students have to give their views and reasons for those views.
• In addition they need to explain their actions.

Enquiry Skills

“….these enable pupils to ask relevant questions; to pose and define problems; to plan what to do….. and improve ideas.”

• Each task requires the student group to make a plan, including askingrelevant questions of their facilitator in order to gain a better understanding of what to do.
• During the review session students are encouraged to look back at their plan, identify problems they experienced and improve their original plan.

Creative Thinking Skills

“….these enable pupils to generate and extend ideas, to suggest hypotheses, to apply imagination and to look for innovative outcomes.”

• The course culture gives students considerable freedom as we try to avoid the concept of right and wrong solutions.
• This encourages students to be creative and not rely on adults for the answer.