University Report: Higher Education Skills and Competencies, UGB003

This report, submitted by a student, provides a detailed analysis of the skills and competencies necessary for success in higher education. It begins by contrasting the learning environments of schools and universities, highlighting the shift towards self-motivation and independent learning. The report delves into the key differences in learning styles, the size and culture of educational institutions, and the expectations placed on students. It explores the importance of critical reading and thinking skills, referencing relevant academic sources to support its arguments. The report also touches upon the organizational aspects of higher education, including the roles of administrators and the impact on student development. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of understanding these differences to succeed in higher education, and the bibliography provides a list of sources used throughout the report.

Running head: HIGHER EDUCATION SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
Higher Education Skills and Competencies
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1HIGHER EDUCATION SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
1. Introduction
There is a difference between the education that is given in schools and the education
that is given in higher schools or universities. I have gone through many books and institution
where I found that the primary education usually consisted of people who were of the age 4
to 11. The reception class is also included, which was followed by years 1 to 6. It is
commonly called the junior section. The children are taught the subjects by one particular
class teacher and there are not more than 30 students in a class room. If the number of
students is in increased number in a particular class the entire class is divided into two
different sections. On the other hand the secondary education system consists of the children
whose age is between 11 to 16 years. This is an important part of the secondary education as
in this form of education the students will learn new things that will be taught to them by the
specialized teachers. They will not be taught by only one individual teacher. At the age of 16,
the students take exams that are called GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education).
The further education include for the ones whose age is between 16 and 18. It is mandatory
for the students to attend the education till the age of 18. Once a student attains the age of 18,
they will be allowed to attend the higher education. The students either attend the college for
the further education or they attend vocational training. The students during the higher
education are exposed to different competitions and challenges.
2. The distinction between learning in the School environment and Higher
Education
The main difference between the higher education and the secondary education is that
while we study in the university we need to remain self-motivated. In the education that is
provided in the school the children are taken care of by the teachers. However, in the system
of higher education the children are not prompted by the teachers. The student is expected to

2HIGHER EDUCATION SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
do their work on their own. The other difference that I have found between school and
university is that the nature of learning is different. The university follows the independent
learning which the students find difficult to deal with once they come to the college after they
pass out from the schools. The most prominent difference is the size of the higher education
and the secondary school. We can consider our high school as a separate community and in
that case we can think of the university as a separate city. The other thing that forms the basic
difference is the study that interests us. The university education is considered to be the initial
step to have control over the learning of the individual. It is different from the secondary
education. In secondary education system we are required to study the subjects as some of
them were compulsory. This system of education is very different in the university education
system. The subjects that are being taught in the university are not compulsory but it comes
under specialization. During the higher studies, it is not compulsory for the students to study
all the subjects. The responsibility of the students changes when they are transferred from the
secondary school to the higher education. The students while learning in the schools are not
expected to undertake all the responsibilities on their own. The teachers are held responsible
for the way a subject is being taught. The teacher is responsible for the way to studies a
subject on the other hand the students in the higher education system are responsible for their
own action. They are responsible for identifying the best way to study and complete your
assignments on time.
The other thing that is different is the availability of the teachers in both the systems
of education. The contact time is the time that we spend at the universities while attending the
lectures and the tutorials. At the secondary levels we are expected to spend time about
generally more than 30 hours a week at school the students does not get enough time to
contact. This means that while reading in the universities we are expected to do our work on
our own outside the classroom.

3HIGHER EDUCATION SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
Culture is the other important thing that is different. The rules are regulations inside
the classrooms are extremely strict and they follow a particular pedagogy. On the other hand,
the rules and regulations are not that strict in the universities. There is a particular dress code
in the secondary level of education. In the higher education system it is not mandatory to
attend all the classes. A high standard of behaviour is expected and no form of discrimination
will be tolerated. The universities are not just about learning and teaching.
3. Engagement with critical reading and thinking
As per Savery’s (2015) opinion, it can be stated that the schools and colleges
represent the educational systems of the country. The schools include the primary and the
secondary education. On the other hand college is generally referred to as an institution for
the higher education. In order to understand the difference between the two forms of
education we should keep in mind that we should always keep in account that the usage of
these words might change from one country to the other country. Simmons (2017) critically
argues that in many countries like United Kingdom, the school generally refers to the pre-
university institutions which are further segregated into pre-schools, primary schools and
secondary schools. In North America, the term school might refer to any educational
institution at any level like preschool, kindergarten, middle school, college, university etc.
Therefore it is difficult to identify the differences between them, as the meanings are
subjected to change depending upon the country for which the term is used for.
While studying the term, it can be mentioned that Bowen (2018) have made an
extensive study where he extracted that the word school has been derived from the Greek
word, “ schole”, whose original meaning was “leisure”. It later was found that schools were
developed to group the students at a centralized location and then provide a learning
environment. The schools are developed in order to group the students at a centralized

4HIGHER EDUCATION SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
location and then provide a learning environment. The schools are developed with the goals
of providing a separate learning environment for the students. This form of education is
usually formal in nature, which is found in many places. The schools are being divided
broadly into private and government schools, which are funded by government. In this the
government takes the responsibility of the school. It is the opposite in case of the private
schools. In this process, the fees are generally collected from students in private schools. The
private organizations handle the school’s management.
According to Al-Emran, Elsherif and Shaalan (2016), the colleges on the other hand
include the institutions that are for higher education. This varies from country to country. In
general it is used to specify an educational institution that is on a higher level than a school.
The students usually specify on a particular subject. They are free from the strict guidance
that they receive in schools. In colleges the lecture is being delivered by the professionals
who are expert in some particular subjects. Moreover, it is important to lead, manage and
organize the schools in order to use the necessary skills and abilities for prioritizing,
establishing as well as achieving the goals. In addition to this, the organizations should also
focus upon the legal structures, issues and concepts as they are related to the higher education
of the students. Some of the vital issues that surround the higher education also involve
affirmative actions taken by the management, privatization, speech codes, sexual harassment,
academic freedom and other factors. Furthermore, student learning as well as development is
also a vital procedure for the organizational development. This involves an understanding of
the post secondary education, which impacts upon the students’ learning process and their
development. Moreover, they should be exposed towards various developmental theories that
include cognitive structural, psychological, college impact and typology theories. This will
ensure the enhancement of the roles as an administrator and also the study of recent trends on
pedagogy.

5HIGHER EDUCATION SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
4. Conclusion
Therefore, it can be concluded that while considering these two different terms it is
important to understand the difference between the two. In schools, the attendance policies
are stricter as compared to the colleges. The schools keep a close track on studies and thus
home work is provided to the students. In colleges, the group of students belong to the
matured group and they can take their own decisions. The students in the colleges are given
assignments and in the schools they are given homework. However, both the institutions aim
at providing quality education to the students. They try to build good relation with their
students and to create good individuals, so that they can influence others for the greater good.

6HIGHER EDUCATION SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
Bibliography
Al-Emran, M., Elsherif, H.M. and Shaalan, K., 2016. Investigating attitudes towards the use
of mobile learning in higher education. Computers in Human Behavior, 56, pp.93-102.
Bowen, H., 2018. Investment in learning: The individual and social value of American higher
education. Routledge.
Entwistle, N. and Ramsden, P., 2015. Understanding student learning (Routledge revivals).
Routledge.
Freeman, S., Eddy, S.L., McDonough, M., Smith, M.K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H. and
Wenderoth, M.P., 2014. Active learning increases student performance in science,
engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23),
pp.8410-8415.
Green, L., 2017. How popular musicians learn: A way ahead for music education. Routledge.
Karner, C., 2017. The urban school: A factory for failure. Routledge.
Marjoribanks, K., 2017. Families and their learning environments: An empirical analysis.
Routledge.
Merchant, Z., Goetz, E.T., Cifuentes, L., Keeney-Kennicutt, W. and Davis, T.J., 2014.
Effectiveness of virtual reality-based instruction on students' learning outcomes in K-12 and
higher education: A meta-analysis. Computers & Education, 70, pp.29-40.
Savery, J.R., 2015. Overview of problem-based learning: Definitions and distinctions.
Essential readings in problem-based learning: Exploring and extending the legacy of Howard
S. Barrows, 9, pp.5-15.

7HIGHER EDUCATION SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
Simmons, R.G., 2017. Moving into adolescence: The impact of pubertal change and school
context. Routledge.
Wiliam, D. and Thompson, M., 2017. Integrating assessment with learning: What will it take
to make it work?. In The future of assessment (pp. 53-82). Routledge.