What did you intend the students to learn from this teaching and learning activity? The objectives were x to facilitate the students of sports and design to gain insights on the expectations by prospective employers at the public and private organizations x to understand the importance of articulately present the knowledge, skills and competencies gained through authentic learning experiences x to find the motivation to look beyond the scope of the course to define the desired outcomes as employability skills and not the exam scores only Which generic features of the teaching and learning activity, would you share at TAL2019? We conducted interviews with the course projects’ contacts/prospective employers regarding their expectations of our graduates. Narratives were prepared and verified with the interviewees. Main findings in the narratives were that we recognized that the employers expected hard skills but the main focus in hiring a newly graduated, employees highly valued soft skill. Especially initiative, humbleness, collaboration and communication, flexibility, independence and they should have abelites listen to more experienced colleagues. We shall share the narratives made in Danish and English. The students were facilitated to write notes on the key skills and competencies that they should emphasize during the study and communicated during job application, interview and professional profile creation. We shall share students’ reflections after reading the ‘(prospective) employers’ narratives on expectations from sports and health program’s graduates. According to you and the students, what was the impact of the teaching and learning activity on student learning/engagement? Some of the students’ found it difficult to navigate in combining skills beyond the course, the presented materials of the course, and previous experience. Students were able to emphasize the importance of developing evident skill and competencies, to attain a certain level of employability. A group of three students wrote: “The stories chosen for this were also good, but relevance to the rest of the subject was not timely. Why should it be in this course? It was exciting to hear about what employers are looking for in applicants. It may be more about personality concerning the position, rather than what skills one can gain in or after education.” How could your practice be inspirational/transferable to other teachers, students, institutions? The narratives and facilitation workshop were made for a graduate course and now we are using it in some of the courses at the undergraduate level. We identified that similar narratives should also be made based on successful entrepreneurs and academic professionals that are alumni of the study program. A 30-min session can be allocated for plenum discussion in each course and narratives can be sent out in advance for reading before the session.

1. sdu.dk#sdudk
November 2019
Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics
Students find it difficult to
explain what skills they
need and have – why?
 Md Saifuddin Khalid, & Lars Elbæk
 Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics
 University of Southern Denmark
 skhalid@health.sdu.dk (professorkhalid@gmail.com), lelbaek@health.sdu.dk

2. Department of Sports Science and Clinical
Biomechanics
sdu.dk#sdudk
November 2019
21st century
employability skills
Authentic learning enhances motivation
for desired knowledge and skills
How:
internships
allowing part-time job opportunities
paid work ‘placement’ before graduation
goal-oriented and value-driven projects
and case studies

3. Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics
sdu.dk#sdudk
November 2019
Objectives of teaching
employability in
Sport & Design
to find the motivation to look beyond the
scope of the course
to gain insights on the expectations by
prospective employers
to understand and articulately present the
knowledge, skills, and competencies

4. sdu.dk#sdudk
November 2019
Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics
Aiming at a job
Facilitating learning
Seeking value creators
TheTeaching-EmployabilityContext
Student
Teacher
EmployerStudent
Teacher
Employer
How do students know what
knowledge and skills to gain?

5. Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics
sdu.dk#sdudk
Methods
Expected hard skills and professionalism –
but expected as a distinct matter after
graduation – respectable marks are valued
The Main focus in hiring a newly graduated:
 employees highly valued soft skill
 especially initiative, humbleness, collaboration
and communication, flexibility, independence
 graduates should have abelites listen to more
experienced colleagues
Interview with prospective employers
Narratives was created
Findings

6. sdu.dk#sdudk
November 2019
Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics
Opinions on impact of the teaching and learning activity
It is difficult to
navigate in combining
skills beyond the
course, the presented
materials, and
previous experience
Students were able to
emphasize the
importance of
developing skill and
competencies
“The stories chosen
for this were also
good, but relevance
to the rest of the
subject was not
timely.
Why should it be in
this course?”
“It was exciting to
hear about what
employers are looking
for in applicants. It
may be more about
personality
concerning the
position, rather than
what skills one can
gain in or after
education.”

7. sdu.dk#sdudk
November 2019
Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics
Inspirational or
transferable impact to
other teachers,
students, courses or
institutions
 we are using the material in some of the
courses at the undergraduate level
 similar narratives should be made of alumni
entrepreneurs and academics of the study
program
 In each course, we can allocate brief time for
plenum discussion of the employer narratives
that have been sent out in advance

8. sdu.dk#sdudk
November 2019
Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics
Workshop time
Please read one of the narratives and consider
how you may use the insights in your courses
Discuss with your peer neighbour
Note your thoughts in the link below
Plenum – share ideas! 
https://qrgo.page.link/CcXKn

9. sdu.dk#sdudk
November 2019
Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics
Lars Elbæk
Rene Engelhardt Hansen
Md. Saifuddin Khalid
Thomas Bernhard Kjærgaard
Thanksforyourattention
Khalid, Md Saifuddin, and Lars Elbæk. ‘Students Find It Difficult to Explain What Skills They Need and Have’. In Conference Teaching for Active
Learning: Practical Information Programme Abstracts for Short Communications, Posters and Work-Shops, 59–60. Odense, Denmark, 2019.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337260582_Students_find_it_difficult_to_explain_what_skills_they_need_and_have.