The first class I ever taught was public speaking – and it changed how I thought about teaching forever.
In that classroom, I saw what happened when students practised a skill that cuts across professional and personal contexts: they grew more confident, more engaged and more prepared to effectively communicate with others. It was clear that I wasn’t just preparing them to pass a course; I was helping them acquire a life skill.
Now I support faculty as they design learning experiences that do just that – equip students with transferable skills that will endure long after exams are forgotten. These include communication, teamwork, professional self-presentation and the ability to navigate ambiguity. We’re not just teaching academic content, we’re helping students become more competent, collaborative human beings.
- The transfer student advantage: soft skills in motion
- Video: Strategies to train students in three transferable skills wanted by employers
- Spotlight guide: Get your students workplace-ready
This approach also normalises the idea that transferable skills require development. We can’t expect students to be great teammates or presenters by default, especially if they’ve had limited or frustrating experiences in the past.
But how do we do that within already content-heavy curricula?
Here’s how I’ve approached it and how, as part of my work at Virginia Tech’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, I advise others to begin.
Make transferable skills visible – and intentional
Many of us already integrate soft skills into our courses without naming them. Students write emails, deliver group presentations and collaborate on projects. But unless we highlight those moments as learning opportunities, students might miss their deeper value.
Start small: if students are giving a presentation, take 15 minutes to crowdsource what makes a strong presentation. If they’re working in teams, ask them to draft a team agreement before the project begins. Simply naming these activities as skill-builders signals their importance – and encourages students to take them seriously.
Support the skill, not just the assignment
Assigning a group presentation is not the same as teaching students how to present or collaborate effectively. That’s a common pitfall.
In my own courses, I’ve found that informal, low-lift scaffolding makes a big difference. Before a team presentation, I’ll ask students to identify the characteristics of a strong team dynamic and troubleshoot what goes wrong in poorly executed group work. Then we co-create strategies – such as shared project timelines, regular check-ins or conflict-management strategies. This doesn’t take much time, but it sets them up for success.
Practise skill transfer across contexts
One of the most valuable things we can offer students is a chance to apply a skill more than once, and in more than one setting.
Public speaking, for instance, shouldn’t be confined to a single general education course. We should offer students multiple chances to build on those skills – through poster presentations, pitch sessions, capstone projects or community engagement work. The more contexts in which they practise, the more adaptable and confident they become.
Repetition helps retention – and application in the real world.
Align soft skills with academic rigour
We often worry that including soft skills means cutting content. But in my experience, it’s about aligning them with course outcomes to enhance subject-specific learning rather than compete with it. If your students are learning disciplinary research methods, can they also practise synthesising findings into a compelling narrative? If they’re solving a technical problem, can they also collaborate across teams to present their solution professionally?
When transferable skills are integrated into authentic academic tasks, students don’t see them as distractions. They see them as necessary.
Don’t assume students know how – at least not yet
It’s easy to assume that by the time students reach our classrooms, they will know how to work in groups, write professionally or manage their time. But that’s not always the case, at least not without our intentionally embedding support. That’s why I always begin to assign teamwork-heavy assignments with the question: what’s worked well in past group experiences? What hasn’t? What would you change this time?
Giving students space to reflect on these questions humanises the experience and helps them approach teamwork with more self-awareness and accountability. It also shows them that struggle doesn’t mean failure; it means growth.
Start where you are
If I could offer one piece of advice to my fellow educators, it’s this: you don’t need to redesign your entire course to teach transferable skills. Start by naming the ones already embedded in your assignments. Add small, supportive structures around them. Encourage reflection and repetition.
Our students aren’t just preparing for exams. They’re preparing for lives of impact. And the more we help them connect what they’re learning in class with what they’ll need in the world, the more powerful their education becomes.
Tiffany Shoop is director of special programmes at the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Virginia Tech.
If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter.
comment