Surfacing skills… in a PowerPoint slide
What is it?
A short slide, shown at the beginning and/ or end of a class, that provides an overview of the skills students will practice (or apply) during the lecture. This can help students identify the skills they are building in their academic work. It encourages them to reflect on and understand their learning, which supports a stronger connection with the course material.
How does it work?
By explicitly naming and briefly describing the skills being practiced or applied during the lecture, students can connect activities and content to future skill development.
Repeating this slide at the beginning and end reinforces understanding and helps students track their growth over time.
At the end of the lecture– a comment like ‘Take a moment to think about the skills we have practiced today. Recognising these future skills helps you see how your learning is growing and how you can apply these skills in other classes and real-life situations’.
It could also be done as a short reflection exercise, if there is time.
Does it work?
Making skills visible improves students’ self-reflection and motivation. When students understand the relevance of skills they’re building (and they link to the course material), they are more likely to engage meaningfully and transfer those skills beyond the classroom.
What do I need?
- A concise list of future skills related to the lecture topic (e.g., critical thinking, data analysis, argument construction)
- Simple, student-friendly language which can be taken from the ‘Future Skills Taxonomy’
- A PowerPoint slide template to insert at the start and end of your lecture slides to keep consistency
- Optionally, examples, prompts or a short activity to encourage reflection.
References and further reading
TEDx talk – The human skills we need in an unpredictable world (16.55 mins)