Analysis of Higher Education Skills and Competencies Development

This report provides an analysis of the skills and competencies developed during the transition from school to university. It highlights the importance of self-managed study and critical thinking, comparing skills such as communication, time management, and creative skills developed in school with social networking, decision-making, problem-solving, and organizing skills acquired in higher education. The report uses the Volkswagen emissions scandal as a case study to illustrate critical reading and thinking, emphasizing the significance of leadership in organizational success. The author reflects on their learning journey, emphasizing the development of leadership qualities and their impact on organizational outcomes, concluding with a reflection on the crucial role of higher education in personal and professional development.

Higher Education
Skills and
Competencies

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
The difference between studying at my previous school and now at the University.............3
Engagement with critical reading and thinking......................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
While moving from school to university, I have found that I have developed many new
skills. I have found that there are several skills can be easy developed than other and I have
analysed the difference between my previous skills and new skills which is developed in
University. Main difference in my previous skills and higher education skills is majorly the
importance of self-managed study. For better understanding about this I've counted my
competencies and skills below in order to note how much my knowledge has been built against
set criteria. From this I am able to evaluate my progress from week 1 to week 11.
The difference between studying at my previous school and now at the University.
First I have found it quite easy to evaluate different in my past school and University. In
my school education, teachers are responsible for setting the works and telling exactly about
what we are needs to study. But at high education, task was given by teacher but it was up to me
what I want to read as well as when. In my education I did not chose to read much and there are
many skilled developed in my school and University. Some of the major skills that was
developed in my previous school are communication skills, time management skills, creative
skills. Communication skills refers to those skills that help in convey thought and idea to other
person easily (Huda and et.al., 2017). This skill is very helpful in explaining thoughts or building
relationship with others. I have analysed the because of different activities of school and various
task given by teachers that has helped me in creating effective communication skills. Time
management skills can be referring to a process of organizing and planning how to divide our
time to complete specific activities. We only get 24 hours to complete all our day task so in
school I have learned to manage my time of studying and playing. In school we have to do
different task and a proper time schedule was developed so it has helped a lot in developing time
management skill. In my views creative skill is an ability of a person to ask good questions as
well as resolve problems. Through my previous school experience, I have developed creative
skills. School activities such as artistic hobby, painting, music as well as drama has helped me in
developing creative skills.

I have found that in University I am able to develop new skills as well as improve
skills that has been developed earlier. Higher education has helped me in enhancing my previous
skills and creating new skills. I have analysed the difference in my skills developed in previous
school and University. In university I have noticed that thinks were much harder than school.
Higher education has helped me in developing several skills such as social networking, decision
making, problem solving and organizing. These skilled has helped me in successfully completing
my task on time. Social networking skilled can be define as a skill that help a person in building
networks and connections (Adnan and et.al., 2017). This skill is developed though different task
and projects given in University and we have to perform these tasks in a group. Participating in
group task and activities has helped in building networks. Decision making skills are those skills
that helps a person in taking right and accurate discussions. In University, I was our decision to
take part in different activities or task. Different project provided by teachers of University has to
be completely handled and performed by us. This has helped me in developing effective decision
making skills as I have to take various decisions regarding project and delegation of several task
to team members. Problem solving skills is a very crucial skills and it helps in solving various
issues. In University, we have to deal with different person and each person have their own
skills. When different types of personality work in a team then there are huge chances of have
conflicts and issues within team. In order to solve these problems, it has helps me in developing
problem solving skills. Organizing skills is a very important skill that was developed in
University (Ramazani and Jergeas, 2015). This is a skill that help me in handling as well as
managing all task or other resources of project. While conducts a team work or a project I have
to manage various task and responsibilities. This has helped me in developing multitasking as
well as conducting all task smoothly and successfully.
I have found that there is huge difference between the skills developed in school and
University. Schools has helped me in building communication, time management and creative
skills whereas University has provided assistance in developing social networking, decision
taking, organizing skills and so on.
Engagement with critical reading and thinking
In order to analyse the week 1 to week 11 progress, I have to refer back to all my good
and not so good learning experiences from this. I have noted some plan that will help me in next
term's modules. Critical thinking and reading is to two different aspects in which critical thinking

is a technique that help in evaluating information and ideas for deciding what is true and what is
false. Critical reading is a technique that helps in discovering information and ideas within the
words or text. Both of this two aspect are very important in understanding about which fact is
right and which is not. In this time period I have studied different documents and articles about
Volkswagen emissions scandal. When I first read about this thorough different documents and
articles I was not able to completely under but only get a brief idea about it. The Volkswagen
emission scandal was beginning in September 2015. This scandal is also known as Dieselgate
Emissionsgate. This issue happened when United States Environmental Protection Agency has
issued a notice of clean air contravention to Volkswagen company. At first reading I was not
able to understanding this in better way and I only get little knowledge about it.
For better understanding I read many articles and documents regarding this as well as
made notes so that I can full understand this topic. After just first reading I developed interest in
this case and wanted to study more about it. The first reading was just for general and unclear
understanding and after this I made various notes. These notes help in ensure that I completely
understand the content of all article and documents which I read. Because of this I was fully
engaged in critical reading and thinking about this case study. Through this I have found that
major reason for this was lack of leadership in organisation. Volkswagen company was accused
for producing products which is polluting environment (Ruben, De Lisi and Gigliotti, 2016).
While critically ready and thinking about this case study I have analysed that if company have
good leaders within organisation they can manage these issues very carefully. Leaders could
have stopped this issues in very first stage and maintained brand image of Volkswagen
organisation. During this I have deeply study about the leadership and their qualities which help
organisation in successfully and smoothly running its business as well as its activities.
Leadership can be defining as a process that leads to provide direction and guidance to
employees so that they can work effectively and efficiently (Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia and et.al.,
2017). Leadership is a quality or potential of person to motive and influences that to achieve
goals and objective of organisation. I have identified that leadership is a very important skill as it
enthuses others to work with their best possible manners. I have also study about the
characteristics or qualities of leadership which leads to develop effective leaders for
organisation. Leader must be honest and integrity as it helps in developing trust from followers
and influence them. Confidence and communication is two different ingredients that are must in

developing good leaders for organisation (Rudhumbu and Maphosa, 2015). I have analysed that
leaders and leadership is very important for an organisation. In absence of effective leader in
organisation company have to face some major impacts. Negative impact on organisation in
absence of leadership will affect in strategic planning so that company can achieve its goals.
Employees will not be able to work effectively and use their full potential in order to attain
motive of company (Ritzhaupt and Kumar, 2015).
CONCLUSION
From the above report I have learned many things and skills. I have identified that higher
education skills and competencies play a major role in developing traits and personality of a
person. The motive of this report is to present the development of higher educational skills. I
have found that skills which are developed in school and university are very different. Apart
from this I have understand that leadership is crucial for organisation as it leads to provide
guidance and support to organisation in achieving goals and objectives.

REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Huda, M. and et.al., 2017. Empowering learning culture as student identity construction in
higher education. In Student Culture and Identity in Higher Education (pp. 160-179).
IGI Global.
Adnan, Y.M. and et.al., 2017. Importance of soft skills for graduates in the real estate
programmes in Malaysia. Journal of Surveying, Construction and Property. 3(2).
Ramazani, J. and Jergeas, G., 2015. Project managers and the journey from good to great: The
benefits of investment in project management training and education. International
Journal of Project Management. 33(1). pp.41-52.
Ruben, B.D., De Lisi, R. and Gigliotti, R.A., 2016. A guide for leaders in higher education: Core
concepts, competencies, and tools. Stylus Publishing, LLC.
Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, O. and et.al., 2017. Modeling and measuring competencies in higher
education. Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden.
Ritzhaupt, A.D. and Kumar, S., 2015. Knowledge and skills needed by instructional designers in
higher education. Performance Improvement Quarterly. 28(3). pp.51-69.
Rudhumbu, N. and Maphosa, C., 2015. Implementation of talent management strategies in
higher education: evidence from Botswana. Journal of Human Ecology. 49(1-2). pp.21-
32.