Importance of Higher Education Skills for Academic Growth and Development

This report discusses the importance of higher education skills for academic growth and development. It covers the definition of higher education skills, their importance in academic performance, and the use of assessment tools to evaluate personal skills. The report also includes a reflection on personal skills and an action plan to improve skill gaps.

Foundation Degree in
Business and Management

Table of Contents
Introduction:.....................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Describing the definition of higher education skills as well as its importance for my
performance in academic life:.....................................................................................................3
Explaining about learning assessment tools in order to analyse personal profile:......................4
Discussing about reflection on my personal skills:.....................................................................5
Conclusion:......................................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................7

Introduction:
The term professional development is considered as the process which assists the students
in identifying and developing relevant skills in order to attain success as well as growth at work.
This also support students in making sure that their skills and knowledge is suitable and up to
date. This report will describe my reflection about the higher education skills as well as its
importance for me in order to improve academic career. In addition to this, the report will also
determine use of assessment tools in order to evaluate my personality traits and profile.
Moreover, it will also cover assessment regarding my personal skills as well as will also make
plans to improve my skill gaps.
MAIN BODY
Describing the definition of higher education skills as well as its importance for my performance
in academic life:
Higher Education skills:
The higher educational skills are the defined as various academic skills that can allow me
in giving best performance in my class as well as in my overall academic career. These skills can
also support me in getting better version of myself and can aid me in gaining higher marks in
projects or in exams (Pugh and Broome, 2020). Moreover, the higher education skills cover
various type of skills such as time management, study skills, presentation skills, decision making
skills and many more. The following point represents the importance of higher education skills
in gaining better growth and development in my academic career:
Become more productive:
The higher educational skills can assist me in getting more productive by completing
studies on time and in most proper manner. This would allow me to give better performance in
my class as compared to other students. In addition to this, it can also help me in making
appointed time fit to my schedule.
Better communication skills:
The higher education skills can assist me to further improve communication skills as by
gaining this skill I can become effective communicator. This can enable me connect better with

my colleagues as well as my professors. Apart from this, it can also support me to find out
effective solutions for my problems by communicating in the most appropriate manner.
Improves self-esteem and confidence:
The higher education skills can help me in further improving my confidence as well as
self-esteem level. Due to high confidence, I can effectively learn critical skills that can improve
my career growth and development. In relation to this, it can also support me gaining better
motivation levels which can enable me to attain greater heights in academic career.
Explaining about learning assessment tools in order to analyse personal profile:
The assessment tools can support me to identify and evaluate the skills that I have in me.
In relation to this, it also support me to know my skill gaps and rectify accordantly by
formulating SMART plans (Mashizum and et.al., 2020). The following are the assessment tools
which can allow me to evaluate my personal traits are:
Giving exams:
The first technique through which I can evaluate my learning and thinking knowledge is
by taking regular classroom exams. This will allow me in timely analysing my skill gaps and
skills that needs further improvement.
Classroom assessment techniques:
This assessment tool which is practised by professors will support me in analysing my
current knowledge regarding the course materials in which I am researching. It will enable me to
receive quick feedbacks about my understanding level as well as knowledge.
Rubrics:
This type of learning assessment tool will help me to gain quick feedback from the
instructors which will lead me to improve my performance levels on timely manner. In addition
to this, it will also help me in recognising my strengths and weakness in effective manner.
Concept tests:
Participating in the concept tests will support me to evaluate my understanding level
about key concepts related to my course subjects. It will also assist me to to develop greater
knowledge about basic concepts (Lahiri, Lucarotti and Gortney, 2021).
Discussing about reflection on my personal skills:
Strengths Weakness

 I have effective team working skills
through which I am able to complete
class projects before the deadline. I am also good presentor which helps
me to present my reports in attractive
manner.
 I am not good in communicating with
large number of people which restricts
me to speak in front of class students.
 I am also not good in critical thinking
which stops me to gain root cause of
problems (O’Leary and Sheedy, 2021).
Opportunities
 The rise in the digital technologies in
the form of E-learning platforms
supports me to learn anything by sitting
anywhere.
Threat
 The rise in academic pressure or
personal problems can pose a threat on
my effective learning process.
My action plan:
What skills I will develop? How can I develop these
skills?
How much time will I take?
Communication skills I will improve my
communication skills by
allowing myself to take part in
group decision activities of
class.
I will take 5 months to develop
communication skills.
Critical thinking skills I will develop my critical
thinking skills by regularly
engaging in solving complex
issues related to academic life
(Caena and Vuorikari, 2021).
In this, I'll need 3 months to
improve my critical thinking
skills.

Conclusion:
From the above report, it has been analysed that personal development skills is crucial for
me as it will transform my academic growth in the positive manner. This report has discussed by
the higher educational skills as well as its key role in building high performance. In relation to
this, the report has also explained about the assessing tools that can support me in analysing my
skill gaps. Moreover, this report has also presented my reflection on personal skills as well as
also designed an action plan in order to rectify my weaknesses.

References
Books and Journal:
Caena, F. and Vuorikari, R., 2021. Teacher learning and innovative professional development
through the lens of the Personal, Social and Learning to Learn European key
competence. European Journal of Teacher Education, pp.1-20.
Lahiri, M., Lucarotti, R. and Gortney, J.S., 2021. Engaging faculty advisors to promote students’
personal and professional development. Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and
Learning, 13(10), pp.1346-1350.
Mashizum and et.al., 2020. Experiences within a cross-cultural academic exchange programme
and impacts on personal and professional development. British Journal of Occupational
Therapy, 83(12), pp.741-751.
O’Leary, E. and Sheedy, G., 2021. Integrating the personal and professional development of
therapists. In New approaches to integration in psychotherapy (pp. 167-175). Routledge.
Pugh, M. and Broome, N., 2020. Dialogical coaching: An experiential approach to personal and
professional development. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and
Research, 72(3), p.223.