This Magna 20-Minute Mentor, led by Matthew Hora, PhD, redefines the notion of so-called “soft skills” by highlighting their distinct disciplinary and cultural elements, offering a fresh perspective for educators on the value and complexity of these skills.

Through this program, Hora shares proven instructional design principles that empower faculty to integrate transferable skills into their teaching. By following a teaching cycle of lecturing, demonstration, hands-on practice, and instructor feedback, faculty can make these skills part of their course structure. Hora provides examples from a range of disciplines, illustrating how these strategies work in practice and supporting faculty in building students’ career readiness. With practical tips for implementing this approach, faculty will leave equipped to bridge the skills gap and enhance their students’ success.

Learning Goals

After viewing this Magna 20-Minute Mentor, participants will be able to:

• Understand why dominant views of soft/generic skills misrepresent the disciplinary and cultural nature of human skill
• Apply this knowledge to re-imagine a skill in the their own discipline or profession
• Recognize the basic principles of instructional design
• Utilize this knowledge to consider revising their own lesson plans
• Evaluate the pros and cons of this approach for teaching transferable skills
• Pinpoint ways to approach implementing the approach in the field

Topics Covered

• A seven-step approach to effective teaching skills
• The myth of soft skills/generic competencies
• Basics of instructional design
• Creating an effective lesson or course
• Techniques for teaching transferable skills
• Tips for implementation in real-world classroom settings