Student Perceptions of Transferrable Skill Development in an Online Archaeology Course

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Pedagogy in the Undergraduate Archaeology Classroom" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Many universities focus on the idea of graduating students who are “career ready.” One of the pillars of career readiness is the emphasis on transferrable skills, those skills focused on the ability to do something (e.g., think critically), as opposed to content-based or discipline-specific knowledge. In a world where the average person changes careers 5–7 times during their lifetime, transferrable skills are becoming increasingly important to help leverage career options. Due to the varied nature of archaeological research, archaeology is a field that is well-suited to teach different transferrable skills to students in any major. This study explores transferrable skills in the context of a high enrollment (approx. 160 students), asynchronous online, undergraduate, general education introductory archaeology course. I examine student perceptions about their own transferrable skills, collected through a pre- and post-survey. Specific skills considered include critical thinking, written communication, quantitative, and teamwork skills—some of the top qualities today’s employers seek in new hires.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Pedagogy in the Undergraduate Archaeology Classroom   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35531.0