Interest to impact: engaging learners through Short Courses and skills-based learning

At ASDAN, we believe that education should do more than impart knowledge – it should equip learners with practical and transferable skills for learning, work and life. Our new Short Courses, underpinned by ASDAN’s renewed six core skills, are designed to do exactly that. Learners can explore areas of personal interest while developing vital skills in more visible, engaging and meaningful ways - supported by our new digital learning platform. 

Why skills-based learning matters 

Skills-based learning is about placing competencies such as communication, problem solving, and teamwork at the heart of learning. By aligning activities with these skills, ASDAN’s Short Courses empower learners to take ownership of their progress and see the relevance of what they’re doing. 

Michael Shaw is part of the team creating the learning platform, headed up by ASDAN's Director of Education, Research and Innovation, Dr Zoë Elder. He explains how this comes to life in practice: 

“For each challenge, the most relevant skills are being highlighted. Some work better for individuals, others are where teamwork is particularly essential, and there are some challenges such as those involving presentations where communication is a pivotal skill being developed and so on. This ensures learners get to display a balance of skills.” 

While the flexibility to explore core skill areas remains a hallmark of ASDAN courses, the updated structure makes skill development more intentional and visible. For each challenge, the learning platform highlights the most relevant skills and offers additional guidance on how learners might demonstrate them. 

“There’s flexibility for learners or educators to choose to approach challenges differently,” says Michael. “But if they’re stuck for ideas or need extra inspiration, guidance is available.” 

Reflecting on learning and skill development 

Reflection is a key part of the learning journey, and one that ASDAN has deliberately enhanced. The new learning platform makes it easier for learners and educators to track not just progress through the course, but how and where each skill was demonstrated. 

“At the end of a Short Course, learners can reflect on how they showed those skills,” Michael notes. “Built into the design are ways it becomes easier for them to see – these were the challenges where you used those skills, and this is the amount of time you spent on this skill versus that skill.” 

This improved transparency supports more informed reflection and helps learners build confidence in articulating what they’ve achieved, a vital skill in itself. 

The power of learner-led engagement 

ASDAN’s Short Courses can be run as learner-led, allowing participants to choose the challenges that most interest them. This autonomy is especially powerful in cultivating the skill of learning itself – how to approach new challenges, adapt and grow. Michael gave an example of how this works with a food-based challenge of baking a cake: 

“If the cake is a disaster, but the learner’s able to show what they’ve learnt from that and how it’s changing their approach next time… that’s a success.” 

By shifting focus away from outcomes and onto skills acquisition, reflection and progression, ASDAN nurtures resilient learners who understand that the experience and learning how to do it better next time is part of growth. 

Spotlight on Esports: skills through play 

A prime example of how interests can lead to deep, skills-rich learning is ASDAN’s upcoming Esports Short Course, launching later this year. “Some parents might hear their child is doing an Esports course and think, ‘Is this just going to make them better at gaming?’” says Michael. “But actually, it’s everything apart from this; it’s the skills they develop which are transferable to a career in the Esports industry or other employment opportunities. It’s about proving the skills through what you’ve done, not proving you're great at games.” 

Learners will take on challenges such as setting up and managing teams, planning competitions and handling events – all rich with opportunities to develop skills like teamwork, communication and organisational management. 

“If at the end, their team comes last, that’s OK,” Michael adds. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is, did they show the skills, what’s their reflections on how it went, and what might they do differently next time with the skills and knowledge acquired?” 

The Esports course perfectly encapsulates our learner-centred philosophy: start with engagement and the skills will follow.

A new home for skills-based learning: ASDAN’s new learning platform 

The redesigned learning platform enhances the Short Course experience with user-friendly dashboards and intelligent tracking features. It helps both learners and educators visualise progress and focus more effectively on skill development. 

Educators can also see which challenges support specific skills and how learners are performing across them, providing valuable insight that supports better guidance and reflection. 

“One of the risks with learning platforms is that they can become too rigid,” says Michael. “But what we’re doing here is making the skills even more overt while keeping the flexibility that educators and learners love.” 

Celebrating World Youth Skills Day 

In 2014, the United Nations General Assembly designated 15 July as World Youth Skills Day to highlight the vital role of empowering young people with the skills needed for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship. The day also underscores the importance of youth skills in tackling global challenges and promoting sustainable development. 

At ASDAN, this mission is embedded in everything we do. Our refreshed Short Courses and new learning platform are purposefully designed to engage, elevate and empower learners in meaningful, skills-rich experiences that foster personal development and workplace readiness.  

Looking ahead 

As we look to the future, ASDAN’s commitment to accessible, quality and impactful education that is both compelling and relevant remains unwavering. With refreshed Short Courses, a powerful new platform, and exciting new offerings like the Esports course, we’re creating more ways than ever for learners to grow through skills-based learning. 

Explore our suite of Short Courses to discover the range of subjects available to engage, elevate and empower your learners. Not an ASDAN member? Express your interest and start a conversation with our education development partners to create a pathway that works for you and your learners.