New and Inspiring
Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes

Applying Knowledge to Real Life

We’ve seen the difference, and the future is here! Students need strong opportunities to develop both real-world skills and soft skills to remember what they have learned. All new BYU Independent Study courses are now designed with a trifecta of mastery opportunities:

• Knowledge — subject mastery with integrated learning methods
• 21st Century Skills¹ —skill competency that includes digital badging
• Character Attributes — to become more emotionally resilient and successful

We call these innovations “Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes” or “KSA” for short.

View KSA Courses

Here are three examples of combinations of Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes:

How Badging Works

KSA skill acquisition is structured within four categories: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, and Critical Thinking.

Each of these skill categories includes 5–6 practical skills:

Just as the Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes acquired are useful after the course, these badges benefit students long-term. Each digital badge can be added to a student’s resume, LinkedIn, or other social account to demonstrate real-world application of learned knowledge.

For example, these are the Skills badges a student can earn in the Communication category:

In addition to the student’s experience, these Skills map to Attributes (soft skills), each of which is linked to a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) competency. KSA courses include deep questions and application opportunities, helping students become more emotionally resilient and successful—personally as well as academically.

¹ Battelle for Kids (n.d.). The power and promise of 21st century learning. Retrieved December 13, 2023, from https://www.battelleforkids.org/networks/p21

² Bowman, Nicholas A., Annette Miller, Sherry Woosley, Nicholas P. Maxwell, and Mary Jo Kolze. "Understanding the Link Between Noncognitive Attributes and College Retention". Research in Higher Education 60, no. 2 (2019): 135–152.