Sir Ken Robinson , the renowned Author and International advisor on education, defines the Element as
that point when Natural Aptitude meets Personal Passion. It is the point where
people are inspired to the fullest and achieve at their highest levels*.
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| Sir Ken Robinson |
Today Creativity, Innovation, Collaboration and
critical thinking are at the forefront of the work environment and companies look
at hiring graduates who have specific skills outside of academics and confident
of where their Element lies. In a recent development Ernest & Young, the
biggest graduate recruiter in the UK, has dropped the qualification criteria in
their hiring process and have started using tests to gauge candidate suitability
saying there is "no evidence" that success at university correlates with
achievement in later life. While credentials will still be looked at, they will
not pose a barrier to getting a foot in the door’
Increasingly Universities are also adopting a
holistic approach in their admissions process, looking for students with good
grades as well as a host of other non scholastic skills .
Hence, finding ones Element or Aptitude and
Interests becomes essential for students and young graduates in order to be
ready for the Future. In the 4 step
career planning process, Self Evaluation is the absolute first step as it is
important to not only know one’s areas of strength but also one’s challenges as
well. This then becomes the basis of making informed choices starting at that
critical period in a student’s life where she/he needs to choose subjects for
high school.
How does one measure Skills or Aptitudes,
Interest & Personality?
Psychometrics is the science of measuring and analysing
aspects of a person’s aptitude , interests or personality in a
statistically valid and quantifiable manner.
Although there is clear evidence of the growing
importance of psychometrics in education, this area is somewhat neglected. With course work, tests and projects to complete,
come decision time, the onus of subject selection falls squarely on the
student/parent. Very often students and parents fall
back on the “tried & tested” academic scores method –High scores often are encouraged
to choose Science over Commerce or Arts streams . In addition the students are
very young and may not know enough of potential careers or trending careers to
make subject choices.
Psychometrics
in Education- How it can help.
Psychometrics analyses 3 key measures . Motivation which refer to the
student’s cluster of interests, Aptitude his /her inherent potential and
Personality, aspects of behavior. These provide valuable insight on a range of
measures that are often not tested as part of the school curriculum.
Every occupation or career requires certain
aptitudes/skill sets. With years of research backing, Psychometric tests are
now able to isolate and measure accurately, a complete spectrum of Aptitudes,
Interests and Personality characteristics associated with different
careers. Mapping those to the students profile gives a clear picture as to
which careers would be a better fit to the
student .
For example, T has exceptional creative skills. He
can create pictures, form ideas in his mind and bring them out as an art form,
navigate using maps and his mom always asks him to pack their bags when going
on a vacation as he is able to understand very quickly which bags might be too
big or too small. Simple indicators like that point to T having excellent
Spatial skills.
Spatial skills are important in many fields of study
- Math, Sciences, Engineering, Art and Design all involve the use of spatial
skills. An engineer needs spatial and 3 Dimensional skills in order to
visualize the internal workings of various parts of a problem, machine etc., a
radiologist needs spatial skills to interpret the images on an X ray. T
therefore might be suited to those careers. However it is important to bear in
mid how high the spatial skills are and if there are other high skills as wel.
Psychometrics identify the range of skill sets of the student and effectively
compares or matches them with the skill requirements for various careers . It
often highlights inherent skills within us which we have not recognized due to
the fact that we may not have had opportunities
which required us to use those skills.
Lets look
at some of the benefits of doing a Psychometrics Test
- They identify untapped potential and provide clarity in the all important step of Self Evaluation.
- The results of the tests helps students set up a career plan, to make future educational choices by clearly identifying skills sets.
- They are useful for /examining discrepancies between ability and school performance.
- The tests play an important role in encouraging young people to focus on realistic and achievable goals.
- Guidance counsellors and teachers can use the results to help and advise students and their parents as they prepare to make important life and career decisions.
Career Planning is not a linear process and
requires a lot of introspection and research. It must be built on a process and
the absolute starting point is Self evaluation. Psychometrics is a fantastic tool
that can help you in this all important step. If you haven’t done one yet, its not
too late. Find your element!
Sources
*Finding your Element : How to discover your
Talents and Passions and Transform your life.
**http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2015/08/04/ernst-and-young-removes-degree-classification-entry-criteria_n_7932590.html
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