SECTION
2 – COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION
2.1
DESCRIPTION OF COMPETENCY-BASED
EDUCATION
Competency‑based education is a
systematic yet flexible approach to organizing instruction. This approach focuses on defining in measurable
terms what students are to learn and then evaluating how well they can perform
designated tasks after instruction.
Expected behaviors or tasks, conditions for their performance, and
acceptable standards are shared with students prior to instruction. Competencies are based on performance of
tasks identified by workers in the given occupation.
Feedback on performance is provided to
students who are held accountable for attaining a given level of
competence. Mastery of competencies is
determined by evaluation of knowledge and skills utilizing varied assessment
methods. Credit for prior learning may
be demonstrated through competency validation measures such as testing,
demonstration and evaluation of skills, portfolio documentation and evaluation,
and employer verification.
Competency‑based learning
includes these practices:
·
Course/module
content is determined by identifying competencies needed for successful
employment.
·
Individual
course/module performance objectives are competency statements given to
students in course syllabi or modules at the beginning of the learning
activity.
·
Subject
matter is presented in a variety of ways - large group, small groups, and/or
individually with varying time frames to accommodate different learning abilities.
·
Assessment
activities measure how well the student mastered the task (compared to
criteria), and include paper and pencil, actual demonstration of skills, and
electronic documentation.
·
Grades
are determined by comparing an individual's performance to pre‑specified
criteria or standards.
Competency-based education learning
objectives may be packaged in varied formats for traditional and alternative
delivery. Examples include the
following:
Learning Packages Delivery Strategies
*
Modules
* Traditional
*
Credit courses
* Teleclasses
*
Continuing Education * Telecourses
*
Online
* Hybrid (combination)
The
2.2
ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF COMPETENCY‑BASED EDUCATION
Competency‑based education is an
approach to instruction based on the philosophy that "given appropriate
instruction, time, and conditions, almost all learners can and will learn most
of what they are taught."
To make this philosophy work,
competency-based education uses a very systematic approach to developing and
delivering instruction. This approach
includes what to teach, how to teach, what to test, how to test, and how to
structure student progress through the program.
(In these guidelines, "performance‑based" and
"competency‑based" terms have the same meaning.)
WHAT TO TEACH
The first, and probably most important
step in the instructional development process is determining what to teach;
i.e., the content for a specific program.
In the competency‑based approach to training, the skills to be
taught are identified by people who know best what tasks are performed in a
given occupation expert workers in the occupation.
In a competency-based education approach
these competencies are made public.
Thus, students know exactly what is expected of them. They know, in advance, the specific skills
they must attain to succeed, both in the program and on the job.
HOW TO TEACH
Another essential element of competency-based
education is related to managing the learning process, so that each learner has
the opportunity to develop--and be evaluated on--the important occupational
competencies that make up the program.
The competency‑based approach
acknowledges that people learn at different rates and in different ways. One person may learn more quickly, another
more slowly, depending on the kind of task being learned.
Competency-based education makes a point
of accommodating this wide variation in potential rate and style of learning by
providing for the individual development and evaluation of important
occupational competencies. To the
maximum extent possible, students are allowed to learn at their own best rate
and in their own special way.
WHAT TO TEST
A necessary part of any instructional
program is testing to determine whether learning has occurred. In determining exactly what is to be tested,
competency-based education emphasizes proficiency and performance above all
else. Consequently, the final measure of
competence is whether the student can actually perform each competency
according to given criteria.
Attitudes and knowledge are also
tested--attitudes through observation of performance, and knowledge as an
essential prerequisite upon which performance is founded.
HOW TO TEST
Another step in the process of
designing instruction is to determine how to evaluate students' learning. Competency-based education focuses on each
student's ability to perform specified occupational tasks according to
established occupational standards. If
learners know in advance exactly how to judge whether their performance is
correct, their learning will likely be both more efficient and more effective.
This approach to evaluating learning
depends on having valid, specific, high‑quality criteria by which to
judge performance. Just as expert
workers in the occupation are used to identify the important occupational
competencies, current occupational practices indicate what criteria are
actually used in the occupation to judge successful performance.
HOW TO STRUCTURE PROGRESS
Student progress in a competency-based
education program depends primarily on one thing: attainment of the important occupational
competencies. In competency-based
education, students move ahead to pre‑identified competencies when they
can successfully demonstrate prerequisite skills, and/or attitudes. Each competency counts.
A parallel concept is that students
are considered to have completed the program only when they have mastered all
the specified skills, not when the calendar or clock says they have. What is important is that students acquire
the skills needed to get and hold a job in the occupation.
2.3
DEVELOPMENT
OF COMPETENCY‑BASED EDUCATION
What skills do graduates need to
demonstrate to succeed on the job or in continued education?
Various forms of occupational analysis
(including the DACUM process, to be discussed later) can provide this
information. Advisory committees, return
to industry, state and/or national standards, and peer groups are other sources
which are helpful in making checklists of competency areas for a
curriculum. Identified competencies can
be verified with on‑the‑job practitioners, employers, graduates,
and advisory committee members. Their
responses are useful in revising program competencies as the basis for
competency‑based curriculum development.
Input from other instructors (through
competency/course correlations) helps to identify which competencies are taught
in specific courses. This data is
valuable in making decisions about expanding or re‑designing courses, as
well as adding or deleting instructional components.
What must students know and be able to
do to meet specific objectives?
Overall course goals, based on
identified competencies, are explicitly stated.
They become the basis for specific course/module competencies and
performance objectives. Instruction is
designed to provide opportunities for students to learn, practice, and
demonstrate their ability to perform designated tasks, under given conditions,
to standards, pre‑set by the instructor.
Learning activities are designed to
help students master knowledge and perform tasks, allowing for individual
differences in rates and styles.
Frequent feedback to students on their progress is intended both to
reinforce and enhance student learning and to suggest alternative
teaching/learning strategies as needed.
What prerequisite skills and knowledge
do students need to be ready to enter a given course or program?
As specific competencies are sequenced
into instructional packages, prerequisite skills and knowledge are identified
that students will need in order to experience successful learning of new
competencies. Skill level may be
determined through such means as tests, placement information, mastery of
competencies in previous course work, or through validation of experiential
learning.
To what extent can students
demonstrate predetermined skills?
Students are tested on skills and
knowledge specified in the learning objectives.
Performance tests may range from demonstration of skills, observation of
performance, to projects, lab experiments, oral or written reports, paper and
pencil tests, as well as simulations and other computer-based formats.
Individual performance is evaluated
according to pre‑set criteria whether scored as pass/fail, by letter
grade, or by competency level.
To what extent is delivery of
instruction effective?
Some type of course/module evaluation
is conducted to gather data on retention of students and their performance on
specified competencies throughout the course/module. Information can be recorded for instructor
use in revising instructional design and/or delivery -- whether for the entire
course, a module, specific competency, performance measures, methods of
instruction, or time allowed for mastery.
2.4
BENEFITS
OF COMPETENCY‑BASED EDUCATION
Employers, students, and the general
public are increasing their demands on educational institutions. Improved communications, greater
accountability, more accurate evaluation, greater relevance of programs,
greater flexibility, improved career advisement, and justification of
educational expenditures are some of these demands. Competency-based education contributes
significantly to these ends.
For the
Student
·
increases
student motivation since he/she is aware of minimum competencies needed to
obtain employment
·
emphasizes
that students acquire knowledge and skills, appropriate attitudes, and work
habits
·
focuses
on student learning and retention for performance on the job
·
evaluates
individual student achievement rather than being compared to other students
·
assures
objectivity in evaluation of student performance
·
assures
the student is getting what he or she pays for
For the
Faculty
·
provides
a process for better planning, designing, and selecting learning experiences
·
provides
the instructor with confidence that graduates possess necessary job skills,
knowledge, and attitudes
·
enables
the instructor to define standards which are the basis for performance
evaluation
·
promotes
better communication among students and faculty
For the
College
·
enhances
the image of
·
provides
a common language for learning which promotes better communication among
faculty
·
helps
the college to work as a unit toward a common goal
·
promotes
increased productivity which can enhance
cost effectiveness
·
requires
all faculty to become more accountable for appropriate learning goals and
activities
2.5
THE COMPETENCY‑BASED EDUCATION
MODEL AT YORK TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Competencies are developed in steps or
layers. Each layer builds on the
previous layer and moves from the general to the specific:
|
Development Process General Specific |
College Institutional Goals DACUM Program and Learning Outcomes Course/Module Competencies Section/Unit Competencies Performance Objectives |
Learning Process General
Specific |
College
The
Institutional
Goals
The College Strategic Plan includes
institutional goals which are updated annually.
In the 2004-2005 Strategic Plan, Goal
II states “
DACUM
The DACUM (Developing A CurriculUM) process
is followed to identify duties and tasks of workers in occupations related to
college programs. These duties and tasks
become the foundation for development of curriculum to address work-related
competencies.
Program
and Learning Outcomes
Program and learning outcomes address the major duties identified
through the DACUM process, accreditation agencies, advisory committees, and other
resources as appropriate. Graduates of a
program are expected to demonstrate learning outcomes for the program.
Course/Module
Competencies
More defined competencies become part
of the course syllabi and modules in the program. Course syllabi follow a framework designed to
include course/module competencies
and other critical elements of the learning environment. Modules
are learning packages that may stand alone or serve as part of an entire
course. Competencies also serve as the
foundation for the structure of modules along with other key elements. There may be several sections/units within a
module.
Performance Objectives
Performance
objectives identify
specific learning outcomes expected for students upon completion of a learning
activity or learning package.
Performance objectives further define expected learning outcomes of
course/modules.
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS:
Faculty developing courses begin at the
institutional level and work downward as they complete modules within courses.
LEARNING PROCESS:
Students begin by mastering the competencies
for modules within courses and progress upward until they have mastered
competencies at all levels.
The outline on the following page
identifies the key tasks and responsibilities for the York Technical College
Competency-based Education Model.
Competency-Based Education at
Tasks and Responsibilities
A.
PROGRAM
PLANNING
A.1 Propose
new program. (F, DM, D,
A.2 Conduct needs assessment. (DM, D,
VP, CATTM)
A.3 Identify competencies for program.
(F, DM, D, ID,
B.
INSTRUCTIONAL
DESIGN
B.1 Develop program competencies. (F,
DM, AA)
B.2 Review existing curriculum when
appropriate. (F, DM, ID)
B.3 Develop/approve program plan for curriculum. (F, DM, D, ID, VP, CASA,
QLC, EXComm)
B.4 Determine courses/modules needed.
(F, DM, D)
C.
COURSE/MODULE
DEVELOPMENT
C.1 Develop course/module competencies/objectives. (F, DM)
C.2 Develop/approve course syllabi/modules.
(F, DM, D, ID)
C.3 Develop sections/units with performance objectives. (F, DM)
C.4 Develop learning activities. (F, DM)
C.5 Preview/order equipment/instructional aids.
(F, DM)
D.
IMPLEMENTATION
D.1 Initiate pilot course/module instruction.
(F)
D.2 Complete pilot course/module instruction.
(F)
E. EVALUATION
E.1
Develop/implement course/module evaluation.
(F, DM, D)
E.2 Analyze results. (F, DM, D)
E.3
Complete annual departmental planning/review.
(F, DM, D)
E.4 Initiate corrective actions. (F, DM, D, VP)
Person Responsible
Codes
AA Accrediting Agency
AC Advisory Committee
CASA Council of Academic and
Student Affairs
CATTM Center for Accelerated
Technology Training Manager
D Dean
DM Department Manager
EXComm Executive Committee
F Faculty
ID Instructional
Developer
QLC Quality Learning Council
(Faculty Committee)
VP Executive Vice
President for Academic and Student Affairs