Search Results

The development of a competence framework (4Cyourway) which is meant to give insight in the consecutive stages of competence development is described. The development of the framework followed a design-based research approach. Generic competence statements derived from behavior-related competency frameworks (Bartram and SHL Group 2005) can be applied at different levels of vocational and professional education. The question is what is the meaning of those statements at those different levels? For example, analysis competence means quite different things at secondary vocational education versus bachelor or master education. Three studies are described using the framework.

In the first study, the frame work is used to develop a student self-diagnosis competence instrument. The instrument was sensitive to determine the competence level between higher education students at the start of their final year of their bachelor program and students at of this year. The second study used a similar kind of instrument. This instrument was sensitive to determine the difference in competence growth between secondary vocational students involved in elaborating research questions of enterprises and organizations and those who were not in this program. The third study concerns the development of rubrics, based on 4Cyourway, to measure competence growth in every day practice of pre-secondary vocational students (VMBO schools) with life science programs.

The studies show that the framework can be used as an instrument to determine the development level of competence. A description of an example of a practical application, its impact, and the usefulness of the framework complement the chapter.

Published abstract. Show less

The objective of [Projecting Reform Impact in VET] PRIME in Jordan was to carry out an ex-ante assessment of options for policies in support of increasing female participation in the labour market, in particular by improving transition from education and training to employment, and from inactivity to employment through better, more relevant [vocational education and training] VET. Ex-ante impact assessment represents an attempt to provide an analysis of the reasoning behind policy actions and to assess their foreseeable effects in advance of undertaking them. The PRIME implementation was split into three phases: phase one (problem analysis and scenario building - completed in 2014); phase two (assessment of impact); and phase three (operationalisation). This summary presents the results of phases two and three. The objective in the impact assessment phase was to perform an ex-ante impact assessment of the policy options developed during the problem analysis and scenario-building phase, and to facilitate an informed choice of action by authorities, beneficiaries and stakeholders. The impact assessment was complemented with field visits for interviews with purposefully selected stakeholder groups. The purpose was to contextualise the judgements about impact and test-run the conclusions with those who will be affected by the policy actions. The objective of the third and last phase of PRIME was to assess the impact of operationalisation of the policy options defined in the exercise. Following a request by the Jordanian authorities, the focus in that phase was limited to analysis of implications of policy action on the funding and financing of VET.

Excerpt from publication. Show less

Competence-based education is delivered in various forms of vocational education and training from theoretical instruction to practical workplace learning. The awarding of qualifications is based on skills demonstrations, which means that their approved completion also serves as a criterion of the quality of a person's competence. Most of Western-European countries have implemented some form of competence-based education. Assessing the quality of vocational education in general therefore includes competence-based vocational education policies and practices. There are two mechanisms to assure quality in vocational education and training (VET): (1) outcome standards and targets measured in assessments and (2) accreditation of educational institutions and training providers. In this chapter VET quality management will be discussed, which includes the quality of the specific competence-based education issues. An integrated set of policies, procedures, rules, criteria, tools and verification instruments and mechanisms has been developed that together safeguard and improve the quality provided by VET institutions at the European level. These policies will be introduced in the chapter, together with examples from some [European Union] EU member states to illustrate approaches to quality assurance. The majority of information presented within this chapter is derived from past Cedefop work on the topic.

Published abstract. Show less

Competency-based medical education (CBME) can be defined as education for the medical profession that is targeted at a fixed level of proficiency in one or more medical competencies and medical competency as a learnable, durable and measurable ability to execute a specific, integrative task that is a part of the full range of tasks that constitute the medical profession. It is a generalized ability that may vary somewhat, depending on the context. The individualized and time-independent nature of CBME stems from this definition, as education is finished when a preset level of competence is reached rather than after a fixed number of years. In this sense, a competent medical professional can act but also has an authority or right to act and may be bestowed with a duty to act, implying that unqualified persons would not have this right or duty.

CBME has observed a huge interest since the turn of the century. As competency frameworks became implemented, its strengths and weaknesses became apparent. To respond to conceptual, psychometric and practical problems, new developments within CBME have recently been added, two of which stand out: milestones for the evaluation and monitoring of learners and entrustable professional activities to ground CBME in day-to-day professional practice. This chapter discusses the definition, the historical background, the problems and the possible solutions concerning CBME.

Published abstract. Show less

Quality outcomes from vocational education and training (VET) are fundamental to ensuring a skilled workforce and supporting a productive economy. In a competency-based training system, assessment is the gatekeeper for quality. This discussion paper sought stakeholder views on reform options within three broad themes to improve the quality of assessment in VET: (1) foundation reforms to the capabilities of VET professionals; (2) reforms to the assessment of learners and industry engagement; and (3) reforms to the regulatory framework. The discussion paper was released in late January 2016 with a submission close date of 11 March. It received 211 submissions from stakeholders including RTOs, industry bodies, regulators, VET practitioners and experts, state and territory governments and community members. The development of this discussion paper has been informed by deliberations of the Training and Assessment Working Group, established by the Australian Government. Outcomes from consultations, including feedback from this discussion paper, were to form the basis of recommendations from the Training and Assessment Working Group [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 140.885] to the then Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, Luke Hartsuyker.

Edited excerpts from publication and publisher's website. Show less

The expectations with regard to competence-based education (CBE) are high; students would be more motivated to finish their educational programmes and experience less transition problems when entering the labour market. Looking at evaluations of the implementation of competence-based qualifications profiles at country level, it becomes clear that it is not sufficient to solely determine whether competence-based qualification profiles are implemented to be able to generate answers regarding the effectiveness of CBE. In this chapter, it is emphasised that it is necessary to take the design of the curriculum, teaching, learning and assessment into account when trying to answer questions regarding the effectiveness of CBE. Four steps are necessary for designing effective CBE: (1) defining summative competence-based assessment programmes (CBAs), (2) identifying related practical learning situations (including supportive knowledge and skills), (3) formulating relevant personal learning questions and (4) composing corresponding learning activities and materials and putting these together in a personalised learning environment. Implementing CBE is a complex process and includes the coherent application of CBE principles in teaching, learning and assessment activities and alignment of these activities. This chapter describes models and principles to design competence-based vocational and professional education in practice. It goes into the role of vocational core problems in competence-based qualification profiles, and describes steps in the process of designing competence-based learning arrangements. The chapter concludes with the description of a series of authentic and inspiring learning environments as examples of competence-based vocational and professional education.

Published abstract. Show less

This book presents a comprehensive overview of extant literature on competence-based vocational and professional education since the introduction of the competence concept in the 1950s. To structure the field, the book distinguishes between three approaches to defining competence, based on: (1) functional behaviourism; (2) integrated occupationalism; and (3) situated professionalism. It also distinguishes between two ways of operationalizing competence: behaviour-oriented generic and task-oriented specific competence. Lastly, it identifies three kinds of competencies, related specific activities, known jobs, and the unknown future. [It is proposed that] competence for the unknown future must receive more attention, as [the] world is rapidly evolving and there are many 'glocal' challenges which call for innovation and a profound transformation of policies and practices.

The book presents a range of different approaches to competence-based education, and demonstrates that competence-based education is a worldwide innovation, which is institutionalized in various ways. It presents the major theories and policies, specific components of educational systems, such as recognition, accreditation, modelling and assessment, and developments in discipline-oriented and transversal competence domains. The book concludes by synthesizing the different perspectives with the intention to contribute to further improving vocational and professional education policy and practice.

Excerpt from publication.

The contents are as follows: Introduction / Martin Mulder and Jonathan Winterton. Part one, 'Theory: conceptual foundations, concerns and perspectives', contains the following chapters: Developing domains of occupational competence: workplaces and learner agency / Stephen Billett; Competence, qualification and action theory / Matthias Vonken; Competence and professional expertise / Arnoud T. Evers and Beatrice I. J. M van der Heijden; Competence, capability and graduate attributes / Len Cairns and Margaret Malloch; Using an epistemological perspective to understand competence-based vocational and professional education / Richard G. Bagnall and Steven Hodge; Mindful working and skilful means: enhancing the affective elements of vocational education and training through the ethical foundations of mindfulness / Terry Hyland; Competence-based education and teacher professional development / Christopher Day; Beyond competence, thinking through the changes: economy, work and neo-liberalism / James Avis; The integrated view on competence / Paul Hager; Competence and the alignment of education and work / Martin Mulder.

Part two, 'Competence-based education as a global innovation', contains the following chapters: Competence-based education in the United States / R. Kirby Barrick; Competence-based education and assessment in the accounting profession in Canada and the USA / J. Efrim Boritz and Carla Carnaghan; NVQs and approaches to competence in the UK: contexts, issues and prospects / Peter Stokes; Competence development and workplace learning: enduring challenges in the interplay of policy and practice in the UK / Karen Evans and Natasha Kersh; Competence domains and vocational-professional education in Germany / Susanne Weber and Frank Achtenhagen; The competence development agenda in France / Francoise Le Deist; Competence-based approach in the education reforms of Lithuania and Estonia / Vidmantas Tutlys and Olav Aarna; Competence-based education in the Italian context: state of affairs and overcoming difficulties / Marco Ronchetti; Competence-based education in China's higher TVET: the case of Shenzhen Polytechnic / Dayue (David) Fan; Competence-based training in South Asia / Brajesh Panth and Rhona B. Caoli-Rodriguez; Competence-based vocational education and training in Viet Nam: input and process towards learning outcomes / Nguyen Quang Viet; Competence and TVET innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa: the case of Rwanda / Wybe van Halsema.

Part three, 'Competence and key aspects of education systems', contains the following chapters: Competencies in higher education: experience with the Academic Competences and Quality Assurance (ACQA) framework / Jacob Perrenet, Tijn Borghuis, Anthonie Meijers, and Kees van Overveld; Models and principles for designing competence-based curricula, teaching, learning and assessment / Renate Wesselink, Harm Biemans, Judith Gulikers, and Martin Mulder; '4Cyourway': a competence framework for measuring competence growth from secondary vocational to higher education and curriculum design / Frank P. C. M. de Jong, Hans Corten, and Cees de Jong; Comparing recognition of prior learning (RPL) across countries / Sandra Bohlinger; Competence assessment as learner support in education / Cees van der Vleuten, Dominique Sluijsmans, and Desiree Joosten-ten Brinke; Assuring quality in competence assessments: the value added of applying different assessment approaches to professional education / Sigrid Blomeke; Quality management of competence-based education / Antje Barabasch; Competence-based education and educational effectiveness / Lorenz Lassnigg; Areas of learning: the shift towards work and competence orientation within the school-based vocational education in the German dual apprenticeship system / Michael Gessler; Knowledge concepts in competence-based VET research perspectives on cognitivist and social-constructivist approaches / Agnes Dietzen; Competence and the need for transferable skills / Christof Nagele and Barbara E. Stalder; Factors influencing professional development in teacher teams within CBE contexts / Piety Runhaar; Self-regulation and competence in formal and informal contexts of vocational and professional education / Petri Nokelainen, Heidi Kaisvuo, and Laura Pylvas; Fostering development of work competencies and motivation via gamification / Michael Sailer, Jan Hense, Heinz Mandl, and Markus Klevers; Software tools for scaffolding argumentation competence development / Omid Noroozi and Simon McAlister.

Part four, 'Competence domains', contains the following chapters: Modeling, measurement, and development of professional competence in industrial-technical professions / Florina Stefanica, Stephan Abele, Felix Walker, and Reinhold Nickolaus; Competence modeling and measurement in engineering mechanics / Georg Spoettl and Frank Musekamp; Modeling and measurement of teacher competence: old wine in new skins? / Eveline Wuttke and Jurgen Seifried; Competency-based medical education and its competency frameworks / Olle ten Cate; Green skills as the agenda for the competence movement in vocational and professional education / Margarita Pavlova; Complex problem-solving in a changing world: bridging domain-specific and transversal competence demands in vocational education / Jonas Neubert, Thomas Lans, Maida Mustafic, Samuel Greiff, and Peer Ederer; Intuition as crucial component of professional competence: its relevance for competence-based vocational and professional education and training / Christian Harteis; Labour market uncertainty and career perspectives: competence in entrepreneurship courses / Olivier Toutain and Alain Fayolle; Becoming globally competent through student mobility / Vitaliy Popov, Dine Brinkman, and Jan Pieter van Oudenhoven; Social competence research: a review / Susan Seeber and Eveline Wittmann; Computational thinking as an emerging competence domain / Aman Yadav, Jon Good, Joke Voogt, and Petra Fisser. Part five, 'Conclusions and discussion', contains: Competence theory and research: a synthesis / Martin Mulder. Show less

This chapter describes recent developments in the use of competence frameworks for professional education in the Unites States of America (USA) and Canada, taking the accounting profession as an example. Professional accounting bodies in the USA and Canada, as well as internationally, have developed competence-based professional standards as a basis for professional education, certification, and continuing education.

This chapter starts by reviewing the historical development of competence-based approaches in the USA and Canada. Two American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)-supported competence frameworks that are quite different from each other are discussed: one for Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) aimed primarily at educators, and another one for Chartered Global Management Accountants (CGMAs) that serves as the basis for the education program and certification. In Canada, Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPAC) resulted from the merger of three accounting bodies, all using competence-based approaches. CPAC has a single competence model for CPAs which is also used for professional education and certification, as well as to inform curricula of undergraduate accounting programs. Comparisons are drawn to the International Federation of Accountants' International Accounting Education Standards addressing competence-based accounting education and outcome-based learning.

All three current models include personal attributes and focus on what is needed for effective performance at various levels of proficiency and tend to focus on observable skills. All three also tend to view competencies as activities/skills, although CPA Canada also provides the outcomes of the skills. The CGMA and CPA Canada models also include knowledge requirements and define accounting practice-specific competencies, while the AICPA CPA one does not. Strengths and weaknesses of competence-based approaches in accounting are discussed and current efforts in accounting are compared with the competence-based approach in the medical profession. Finally future directions for competence approaches in accounting are considered.

Published abstract. Show less

Background - In an increasingly globalized world, the call for internationally comparable competence measurements has emerged. After several international studies on pre-college education, the focus has shifted to international assessments of vocational education and training (VET). VET researchers in Germany developed a computer-based test (ALUSIM) that measures the competence of German apprentices in internationally defined core commercial areas. [The authors'] own study deals with the adaptation of this test to Switzerland and a discussion of the challenges involved, with the aim of providing guidance for future adaptations. More specifically, despite commonalities between the German and Swiss VET systems, it is necessary to examine whether the contents and technical aspects of ALUSIM are appropriate for Swiss conditions in order to ensure validity and evidence based on test content. Methods - Several methods were used to examine the criteria context, construct, and [information technology] IT components of the German computer-based test ALUSIM in order to successfully adapt it for Swiss commercial VET. To this end [the authors] first analyzed and compared the German and Swiss commercial VET systems and commercial curricula (context) to assess whether the tasks of the test were also embedded in the Swiss curriculum and whether any specific Swiss commercial contents were not represented by the test. Second, [they] interviewed experts in the commercial area to learn more about representative commercial job requirements (construct). Finally, [the authors] interviewed apprentices and tested [their] initial adaptation of ALUSIM to the Swiss context in order to assess the test's IT requirements.

Results - The analysis revealed similarities between the German and Swiss VET and the construct 'commercial competence'. However, commercial work conditions and cultural characteristics differ between these countries and lead to different job requirements. Therefore, only a subset of ALUSIM tasks is valid for the construct 'commercial competence' in Switzerland. Thus, the addition of further tasks for Switzerland would more validly represent the construct 'commercial competence'. Moreover, IT components need to be adjusted because the technical implementation represents the measured construct. Conclusions - The proceedings and findings of [the authors'] adaptation study imply that context, construct, and IT components need to be analyzed before doing adaptations. Even when dealing with countries with a similar context such as comparable educational system and language, it is necessary to carefully examine and test an adaptation in advance. Therefore, creating a successful and internationally comparable adaptation is admittedly possible but challenging, costly and time-consuming.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less

Valid and reliable standardized assessment of nursing competencies is needed to monitor the quality of vocational education and training (VET) in nursing and evaluate learning outcomes for care work trainees with increasingly heterogeneous learning backgrounds. To date, however, the modeling of professional competencies has not yet evolved into procedures that would meet large-scale assessment (LSA) standards in VET. To empirically test a proposed structural model for client-directed nursing competence and to estimate psychometric properties of a newly developed video- and computer-based test (CBT) to inform subsequent LSA in nursing VET, 402 final-year nursing students from 24 German schools responded to a 77 item CBT. Multi-dimensional [item response theory] IRT modeling was employed to test the subdomain structure and estimate students' competencies in geriatric nursing.

The standardized CBT measures nursing students' client-directed care competence with acceptable precision (WLE=0.76) and does so across the whole range of observed proficiency levels. Structural validity was supported by substantive contributions of test items from all proposed process-oriented subdomains, practice field scenarios, as well as items with and without reference to emotional demands. However, it was not possible to empirically separate the diagnostic, practical or communicative subdomains, probably reflecting parallel, recursive and hierarchical care processes in complex care situations. On average, students in [the] sample attained 45 per cent of the maximum test score so it is a demanding assessment of nursing competence. An extensively piloted, valid and reliable CBT is suggested to assess nursing students' client-directed care competencies at the end of the third year of the VET program.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less