Students entering university are expected to think more independently and demonstrate higher-order thinking and soft skills that are not always explicitly taught at school. Innovate Summer Academy helps bridge this gap by combining academic lectures with project-based learning, skill development workshops and a capstone project, giving students a strong foundation for success in higher education.
Key points:
- University requires independent learning and greater responsibility.
- Higher-order thinking (analysis, evaluation and creation) is essential.
- Soft skills such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving are critical but often not explicitly taught.
- Innovate Summer Academy introduces students to real university expectations through academic lectures.
- Project-based learning develops critical thinking and practical application of knowledge.
- Workshops build academic writing, analytical and critical thinking skills.
- The capstone project develops research, collaboration and presentation skills.
- The programme supports a smooth transition into the first term of university.
As students transition from school to university, many discover very quickly that the expectations placed upon them shift dramatically. In most schools, teachers carefully select tasks, scaffold learning, and tailor support according to individual needs. At university, however, students are expected to operate as independent learners, effectively taking on responsibilities that their teachers previously shouldered on their behalf. This shift often comes as a surprise. Basic thinking skills, such as remembering, understanding and applying content, are no longer sufficient for academic success.
Instead, universities expect students to demonstrate higher-order thinking: analysing, evaluating, synthesising (bringing together ideas from different areas), and creating new ideas. Alongside these sit essential soft skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, presentation skills and adaptability, which are all elements of the so-called ‘hidden curriculum’. These skills are rarely taught explicitly, yet they are frequently assessed through group projects, presentations and written assignments.
This raises a crucial question: how can students prepare effectively for these expectations before they arrive at university?
This is precisely where Innovate Summer Academy plays a valuable role in supporting early academic development. Innovate provides students with lectures delivered by academics from prestigious universities, including Cambridge, King’s College London and the University of Edinburgh, exposing them to rigorous subject-specific content and authentic academic expectations. In doing so, students gain early insight into the vocabulary, concepts and intellectual frameworks that underpin their chosen fields.
However, Innovate goes well beyond subject exposure. For each three-hour class, one hour is dedicated to theory, while the other two follow a project-based learning (PBL) approach. Students are encouraged to explore, question assumptions, create and engage in meaningful academic discussion. This mirrors the discourse-rich, inquiry-driven nature of undergraduate learning environments. PBL is central to the programme structure and fosters critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving. These qualities are core to intellectual and career success. This inquiry-based approach allows students to practise the behaviours universities value: independent and critical thinking, and applying knowledge in novel settings.
In addition to the core lectures, students receive targeted workshops on academic writing, critical thinking and analytical skills — areas that often form stumbling blocks in the first year of university due to a lack of prior experience. Innovate incorporates personal development and feedback directly into the programme, allowing students to practise these skills in a supportive environment and receive constructive guidance from lecturers. The Innovate student experience culminates in the capstone project, a signature component of Innovate’s model. Here, students gain authentic experience of independent study and research.
Working collaboratively, they must manage their time, divide responsibilities, plan research tasks and work under faculty supervision. This process develops both academic and interpersonal skills. Students are then required to present their findings in multiple formats, including a written report and a verbal presentation, and they receive feedback from a panel of academic staff that includes non-subject experts. Through this, students practise communicating complex ideas clearly to diverse audiences, an essential skill for undergraduates and working professionals alike.
Altogether, Innovate Summer Academy’s blend of academic rigour, soft skill development and higher-order thinking offers students a meaningful early advantage — one that allows them to flourish as they make the transition into the first term of university. As teaching fellows and educators committed to advancing learning, we know that the most successful students are those who begin higher education already thinking and acting like scholars. This is at the heart of Innovate’s mission.
