Auditing and mapping key skills within university curricula

Universities are encouraged to embed key skills in their undergraduate curricula, yet there is often little support on how to identify skills development and progression. This paper describes a tool that facilitates colleagues in auditing key skills and career employability skills within individual modules and mapping these skills across degree pathways. The instrument presented supports a systematic approach to collect information on skills development. It enables tutors to highlight those skills students have the opportunity to develop or practise within a module, and to record for each skill whether explicit learner support is provided, whether the skill is assessed, and the desired standard of proficiency. The latter is identified from descriptors defined for three standards. Data collected for all modules within a degree pathway may subsequently be summarised (mapped). The tool provides valuable summary data for institutional quality assurance purposes and facilitates reflection on how to enhance students' learning experiences.