Assessment of 21st century skills during an innovation challenge

Abstract

Students develop soft skills through frequent feedback and reflection, but skill development is difficult to measure. Innovation skills are desired for many career directions. Innovation challenges, like the one described here, give students the opportunity to address real-world problems while working in teams. We developed a toolkit to assess student growth in important skills needed to become effective presenters, innovators, and leaders. Participants practiced giving and receiving feedback about contributions and team dynamics. Following the program, students reported increased confidence in communication and presentation skills. Students reflected upon the importance of feedback and reported improved teamwork following guided reflection sessions.