Teaching the Soft Stuff

The topic of skill sets came up in the midst of the conversation with colleagues the other day. Specifically, the topic at hand was whether or not soft skills have a place in the science-based undergraduate curriculum independent of the institution type (i.e., big university to community college).

There are countless reasons to support the idea of teaching soft skills in technical-based programs. And although I imagine that teaching soft skills is generally a good idea (there’s certainly is resources available to support this notion) there are also reasons on the other side of the argument. Here were some points that were made on behalf of the more “hard skill-ers.”:

• Why teach a science major discipline-specific writing when they’re destined for a professionally “hands-on” career (i.e., medicine, pharmacy, etc.)?
• Many undergraduates majoring in technical degrees cannot perform basic calculations or negotiate pertinent, yet fundamental, information. Teaching soft skills would likely cut into opportunities to develop these skills.
• Many physics, chemistry, and engineering students do not know how to properly use technology such as calculators, career-specific software, or routine “workhorse” instruments. Teaching soft skills lessens the chances that students will gain the exposure required for career preparation.
• Many companies offer pre-professional development programs that train employees on important managerial skills (i.e., document drafting, one-on-one communication, how to hold a meeting, etc.). Since these opportunities are offered further down the career path, it doesn’t seem important to develop these skills within the technical major.
• Many programs require a fixed amount of credit hours specifically in writing-based courses. Offering more, especially to students with an already good writing skill set, might be perceived as beating (the proverbial) dead horse.

Critically interesting ideas to consider.