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Competency-Based Education in 21 st Century Universities

Competency-Based Education in 21 st Century Universities. NATCON 2005 Ottawa, Ontario January 24, 2005. Janet Mitchell & Fred Evers Educational Research & Development Unit University of Guelph www.erdu.uoguelph.ca. The Bases of Competence. 1998. Fred Evers, Jim Rush & Iris Berdrow ---

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Competency-Based Education in 21 st Century Universities

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  1. Competency-Based Education in 21st Century Universities NATCON 2005 Ottawa, Ontario January 24, 2005

  2. Janet Mitchell & Fred EversEducational Research & Development UnitUniversity of Guelphwww.erdu.uoguelph.ca The Bases of Competence. 1998. Fred Evers, Jim Rush & Iris Berdrow --- Advanced Level Essential Skills. 2003. Fred Evers, Janet Mitchell & Betty Power for the Canadian Alliance of Education & Training Organizations

  3. Agenda: • Research: The Bases of Competence • University of Guelph-Humber - Curriculum • University of Guelph - Capstone Course in Sociology/ Anthropology • Bases of Competence Skills Portfolio • Your Applications • If time: Advanced Level Essential Skills

  4. The Context • University of Guelph • Humber College • University of Guelph-Humber • A new joint effort of Guelph & Humber. • A new building on the Humber North Campus. • Beautiful “Living Wall” – you may have seen in the Globe & Mail • Janet & Fred work at Guelph and do a number of tasks with G-H.

  5. Learning Objectives • Knowledge • Skills • Values

  6. Research:“The Bases of Competence”

  7. Making the Match Project • Phases 1 & 2 – Qualitative & Quantitative • What skills do university graduates need to thrive in the changing workplace? • Developed “Bases of Competence Model” • Phase 3 - Qualitative • What educational practices & technologies lead to skill development? • What is relationship between organizational core competencies & employees’ base competencies?

  8. Problem Solving/ Analytic Decision-Making Planning & Organizing Personal Organization/ Time Management Risk-Taking Oral Communication Written Communication Listening Interpersonal Skills Managing Conflict Leadership Co-ordinating Creativity / Innovation / Change Visioning Ability to Conceptualize Learning Personal Strengths <Technical Skills> Making the Match Skills

  9. Making The MatchBase Competencies • Managing Self • Communicating • Managing People & Tasks • Mobilizing Innovation & Change

  10. Base Competencies:Managing Self • Constantly developing practices and internalizing routines for maximizing one’s ability to deal with the uncertainly of an ever-changing environment. • Skills included: • Learning • Personal Organization/ Time Management • Personal Strengths • Problem Solving/ Analytic

  11. Base Competencies:Communicating • Interacting effectively with a variety of individuals and groups to facilitate the gathering, integrating, and conveying of information in many forms (e.g., verbal, written). • Skills included: • Interpersonal • Listening • Oral Communication • Written Communication

  12. Base Competencies:Managing People & Tasks • Accomplishing the tasks at hand by planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling both resources and people. • Skills included: • Coordinating • Decision-Making • Leadership • Managing Conflict • Planning & Organizing

  13. Base Competencies:Mobilizing Innovation & Change • Conceptualizing, as well as setting in motion, ways of initiating and managing change that involve significant departures from current mode. • Skills included: • Ability to Conceptualize • Creativity/ Innovation/ Change • Risk-Taking • Visioning

  14. Making the Match Results • Skills in all four areas are important to lifelong learning and employability. • Skills in Managing Self and Communicating rated consistently higher than Managing People & Tasks and Mobilizing Innovation & Change by university students and graduates.

  15. Base Competencies:Hierarchical Nature Mobilizing Innovation & Change Managing People & Tasks Communicating Managing Self

  16. A core set of skills emerged that were (1) rated relatively lower, (2) felt to be in the greatest need of improvement, and (3) in the greatest demand in the future. In Mobilizing Innovation & Change: Visioning Creativity Risk-Taking In Managing People & Tasks: Leadership Managing Conflict GAP

  17. Practice

  18. Competency-Based Education • Not an emphasis on trying to teach skills - rather an emphasis on skill development within a learner-centred environment. • Content becomes obsolete quickly – Skills last a lifetime. • Projects which allow students to take risks and develop their own creative solutions to problems. • Leadership opportunities and teamwork applications.

  19. Competency-Based Education Strategies • New Curriculum that includes KSV learning objectives (e.g., University of Guelph-Humber) • Matrix of curriculum learning objectives, • Experiential learning (e.g., co-op, job shadow), • Service (community) learning, • Practicum courses and programs, • Entrance and exit skill assessments, • Capstone courses & “Skills Portfolios.”

  20. Curriculum Design & Development – University of Guelph-Humber

  21. Introduction • Blend of curricula specifically designed for GH • All courses include both the theoretical perspective as well as practical application • All programs have a placement/service component and one program is co-op

  22. Programs • Business Administration • Media Studies • Distributed Computing • Early Childhood • Family and Community Social Services • Justice Studies

  23. Humber’s Employability Skills • Generic/employability skills • 16 skills • Communicating (5) • Personal (4) • Interpersonal (3) • Thinking (4)

  24. Guelph’s Learning Objectives • 1. Literacy • 2. Numeracy • 3. Sense of Historical Development • 4. Global Understanding • 5. Moral Maturity • 6. Aesthetic Maturity • 7. Understanding of Forms of Inquiry • 8. Depth and Breadth of Understanding • 9. Independence of Thought • 10. Love of Learning

  25. University of Guelph-Humber – Learning Objectives • Knowledge – determined for each course • Skills – 20 skills based on: • Humber’s Employability Skills • Guelph’s Literacy & Numeracy Learning Objectives and • Skills from the Bases of Competence • Values – Guelph’s Remaining 8 Learning Objectives

  26. University of Guelph-Humber – Learning Objectives • Skills are within 5 Categories: • Personal Skills • Communicating • Mathematics • Teamwork & Leadership • Thinking • Citizenship

  27. Personal Skills • Personal Organization & Time Management • Responsibility • Adaptability & Learning • Problem Solving • Resource Management

  28. Reading Writing Speaking Listening Communicating Through Evolving Media Communicating

  29. Mathematical Computer Applications Mathematics & Computing

  30. Teamwork & Interpersonal Leadership & Assertiveness Conflict Management Decision-Making Teamwork & Leadership

  31. Research Critical Thinking Responsible Risk-Taking Creative Thinking & Visioning Thinking Skills

  32. Guelph’s Learning Objectives Used as “Values” at Guelph-Humber • Literacy - Incorporated into Communicating • Numeracy – Incorporated into Mathematical • 1. Sense of Historical Development • 2. Global Understanding • 3. Moral Maturity • 4. Aesthetic Maturity • 5. Understanding of Forms of Inquiry • 6. Depth and Breadth of Understanding • 7. Independence of Thought • 8. Love of Learning

  33. Course Design • G-H courses are designed by experts in the field who determine the KSV for each course. • Experts have to determine which of the 20 skills will become learning objectives for the courses. • And, which of the 8 values will become learning objectives. • Content, mode of delivery & evaluation tools must be consistent with the learning objectives.

  34. Approval Processes • Pre-committee process • Curriculum Development Committee (CDC) • Joint Programs Committee • Approval committees at both Guelph and Humber. • If there are problems the courses are sent back to CDC.

  35. Once Approved • Course goes to Program Leaders and Faculty who deliver the course. • Course Outline and Syllabus are developed from the Approved Course Proposal. • Then the most important part – the course is offered to G-H students. • Finally, we need to assess whether the course is meeting the learning objectives.

  36. Curriculum: Matrix of Learning Objectives by Courses

  37. SOAN 4320: Transition from School to Work Capstone Course at Guelph • 4th year Sociology & Anthropology majors • Investigate changing workplace & how those changes affect graduates • Guest speakers discuss their own transitions • Résumés, cover letters, mock job interviews • “Action Project” - Students relate to their personal transitions • Reflection through “Skills Portfolio.”

  38. Bases of Competence Skills Portfolio • Collection of materials that shows the individual’s best work. • Appropriate for undergraduate students, especially those nearing graduation as they consider next steps. • Open learners evaluating which skill areas to develop further. • Employees as they progress through training and development or make lateral moves. • Tool for self-reflection.

  39. Skills Portfolio Contents • Résumé (in different formats) • Cover letters • Record (log) of job interviews • Personal Mission Statement • Intellectual Autobiography • Evidence of Skill Development within the Base Competencies and Skills • Development of Specific Skills • Summary of Strengths and Areas Needing Development

  40. Skill Sections of Portfolio • Organize using the four Bases of Competence. • Within each of the Bases, use the skills to help determine the material for that section. • Include overviews to each of the Bases and skills which explain how the evidence presented helped you develop the skills. • Focus on behaviours -- specific examples.

  41. Skill Sections of Portfolio • The “evidence” can consist of: • papers, presentations, projects, • awards, grades, • discussion of work and volunteer experiences, • experiences in the “Peer Helper” or other programs, • discussion of courses (credit and non-credit), • booklets, handouts, • your homepage, • and other material relevant to the skill.

  42. Specific Skills • Include a section in your Portfolio where you document: • Skills specific to your program of study, • The use of WordPerfect, PowerPoint and other computer programs, • Proficiency in foreign languages, music, sports, and any other specific skills.

  43. Areas of Strengths and Areas Needing Development • This section is a summary of the “evidence” sections. • Refer back to your self-assessment sheet. • The summary will be very useful when you prepare cover letters and get ready for job interviews.

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