The 2015 QAA Benchmark statement for Business and Management lists, in section 3.9, key practical, academic and transferable skills. Such skills should be integrated into every UK Business and Management undergraduate degree programme that meets the standard. HOW institutions set about meeting the standard is up to them.
Assessment often provides the opportunity to showcase key skills. Many degree programmes now sport group work, presentations, practical reports and posters as types of assessment. But how will tomorrow's business graduates actually communicate? How will they collaborate? How will they be expected to carry out their roles in a fast changing, time-poor business environment?
The answer, sadly is probably NOT: meeting with a team, producing a Powerpoint presentation, writing a detailed report or producing a poster.
Yes, these are all excellent ways of embedding academic skills such as research, analysis of data and communication of ideas. However, they do not prepare students for a world where interviews and meetings are via Skype, videocast or telephone conference; where collaboration is virtual, global and across different timezones and where anyone who presents a Powerpoint to their boss is immediately taken outside and given a sound beating.
So, what should today's students (tomorrow's graduates) be doing - online collaboration, video production, and real-time and real - life case studies. But, of course, that's quite beyond the skill-set of the lecturers and teachers delivering the curriculum - or is it?
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