In a recent article for the evoLLLution, Jarek Janio (Santa Ana College) argues against the notion that some courses teach skills while others are focused on developing the human being. Janio writes that this idea is flawed, as it reflects a misunderstanding of what constitutes a skill by reducing it to technical and hands-on abilities. The author argues that skills are developed through both vocational training and academic study, and explains that the definition of a skill must not leave room for abstraction or vague language. When skills are not clearly defined, students bear the cost, he explains. “Either we continue to describe learning in abstract terms, or we define it in ways that can be demonstrated,” writes Janio. “Skill is not a subset of education. It is how learning becomes observable.”
