Imran Chohan. Chohan's home archive.
In his dissertation, MA Imran Chohan examines how students’ soft skills of employability can be enhanced during university education. These soft skills, referenced as super skills, include communication skills, motivation skills, initiative skills, and leadership skills. Chohan’s research provides a deeper understanding of the conceptual connection about the employability super skills and provides practical development tools.
The educational landscape is rapidly evolving. Therefore, certain soft skills – communication, motivation, initiative, and leadership – are essential in today’s competitive job market yet often neglected in traditional academic curricula. MA Imran Chohan examines how university students’ soft skills of employability can be enhanced by using feedback, reflection, and experiential learning in a learning by doing approached course.
"It is essential that we prepare students not only academically but also with the soft skills needed to thrive in professional environments," Chohan stresses.
"Using active learning strategies such as reflection, feedback, and experiential learning, we empower students to take ownership of their soft skills development and prepare for the complexities of the modern workplace", Chohan continues.
The SkillCraft model helps in facilitating soft skill development
Through an Educational Design Research (EDR) approach, Chohan developed and tested a unique course framework that bridges academic theory and practical application. His research engaged master’s students of education and art & design in a participatory learning experience designed to foster collaboration, reflection, and personal growth.
The SkillCraft: Curiosity-Enhanced Employability Super Skills (SCESS) framework is a flexible model that educators can adopt to facilitate soft skill development.
“It emphasizes the importance of refining educational design through student reflection and feedback to enhance learning outcomes.”
The model is an outcome of two iteration. In the first iteration Chohan identified four design solutions. Then, in the second iteration, the model was created, tested, and finalized.
Information on the public examination
Imran Chohan will be defending his dissertation Enhancing Employability Super Skills among University Students – Educational Design Research about an Employability Course Design Solution with the permission of the Faculty of Education at the University of Lapland on Saturday 8th of March at 12 noon in lecture room B 127.
The language of the public defense is English.
The opponent is Professor emeritus Eero Ropo, University of Tampere and the custos is Professor Satu Uusiautti, University of Lapland.
The public examination can be followed online at https://blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi/ulapland/
Coffee will be served in Restaurant Felli after the public defense.Information on the doctoral candidate
Imran Chohan holds two Master of Arts degrees in media: Media education from the University of Lapland and Media management from the Arcada University of Applied Sciences. His company Design Solutions IRC offers facilitating and educating services to universities of applied sciences and high schools.
Further information
Imran Chohan, +358 44 979 3245, imranriazchohan(at)yahoo.com
Information on the publication
Imran Chohan (2025) Enhancing Employability Super Skills among University Students – Educational Design Research about an Employability Course Design Solution. Acta electronica Universitatis Lapponiensis 403. ISBN – 978-952-337-476-8, ISSN 1796-6310. Rovaniemi.
The permanent address of the publication https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-337-476-8