What are Functional Skills?
Posted on | August 19, 2008 |
The Functional Skills element of the new diplomas is an area that raises many questions - there are for example over 50 “Frequently Asked Questions” on the DCSF Functional Skills FAQ page alone!
Answers such as:
“Functional skills are those core elements of English, maths and ICT that provide an individual with the essential knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable them to operate confidently, effectively and independently in life and at work.”
… may be of limited practical value. Perhaps the most important concept for practitioners to come to terms with is contained in the preface to the QIA guides “Teaching and learning functional English/Mathematics/ICT” (available here):
“A key characteristic of functional skills is that they are based on a problem solving approach. Learners who are ‘functionally skilled’ are able to use and apply the English/mathematics/ICT they know to tackle problems that arise in their life and work.
Clearly, teachers cannot know what English/mathematics/ICT their learners will use as they move through their lives. This means that we cannot identify a curriculum core that every learner will use. Instead, and much more powerfully, learners should be taught to use and apply the English/mathematics/ICT that they know, and to ask for help with the areas with which they are less confident.
It is essential to think of learners becoming functional in their English/mathematics/ICT, rather than thinking that there is a vital body of knowledge, known as functional English/mathematics/ICT.”
It seems clear that an essential part of “teaching” Functional Skills is to facilitate practice of English/
mathematics/ICT in realistic settings - for example by using the “Learning Challenge” scenarios provided in Guroo’s Functional Skills resources.
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Functional Skills
Looking for resources for the Functional Skills element of the new diplomas? Then hop along to Guroo.info
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