What is the path from education to a career?
What is the path from education to a career? We attend elementary school, then decide on a suitable higher educational institution, choose a specialty, and master it alongside multiple other core disciplines to get a diploma or a degree. Afterward, confident of our ability to take on the world, we get a job.
Age-old process, isn’t it? However, in reality, it doesn’t always work - successfully graduated students often need additional skills, and their learning and requalification process transfers into a career routine to help them handle professional tasks. This issue brought forward the demand for an approach that focuses on equipping learners with specific skills, known as competency-based learning (CBL). This method of education is getting more and more popular among organizations and learners for its practical, personalized, and outcome-driven nature.
After reading this article, you’ll have a clear idea about the definition and key principles of competency-based education, its benefits, various models, examples, and steps for successful implementation. Here we go!
What is Competency-Based Education?
Competency-based education (CBE) is an educational approach that focuses on mastery of skills, i.e., it teaches students to demonstrate their understanding of skills and knowledge before progressing. Unlike traditional education systems, which assess learning through seat time and a standardized curriculum, CBE is about a more personalized learning experience. This approach is applied not only to professional learning but also to the development of professional competencies. There are also universal competencies that account for overall personal development and are necessary for private and social life.
CBE has clear learning objectives and assessments to measure their achievement, encouraging students to learn the material and apply their knowledge in practical, real-world scenarios. According to a recent survey, multiple higher educational institutions that have adopted competency-based learning programs, have recorded positive academic and professional outcomes for their post-graduates.
Principles of Competency-Based Education
Equity is Set Before All Else
This is the main principle of CBE, which means that all students should have a common collaborative learning environment with equal learning opportunities for achieving their goals, regardless of their backgrounds. Students’ teaching is based on their weaknesses and strengths, thus removing the likelihood of success through cultural views, income, or language skills.
Measurable Competencies That Help Build Skills for Life
For effective learning, educators should define and measure competencies in advance and put them on the same scale as learning goals. It means there is no need to check knowledge but rather the practical understanding of the subject by learners. These competencies include understanding key concepts, the ability to use knowledge for problem-solving, and mastery of relevant skills such as communication, critical thinking, social responsibility, etc. The proper definition of competencies is only possible through the teamwork of educators from different spheres.
Transparency Helps Students Take Ownership
Learning goals and assessment criteria should be available not only to teachers but also to the students, as they have the right to realize what is expected of them and take ownership of their learning journey. It is due to transparency that the learners can track their progress and fill in skill gaps in case of any challenges or failure to handle certain tasks. It is useful to leverage the concept of skill mapping as a part of learning transparency.
Students Get the Support They Need Individually
In competency-based education, all students get personalized support from teachers. Each student has unique needs and learning styles and faces certain challenges when handling projects or tasks. Not only should the students have a framework for how and when they can apply for assistance, but the teachers should also regularly track students’ progress to identify at which stage the assistance should come into play.
Teachers Assess for Growth and Mastery
The assessment of mastery and growth in CBE can be of different types. They include a) formative assessment, which involves asking the learners to make a presentation or submit an essay, thus identifying the key areas for improvement; b) authentic assessment, through the practical tasks that involve the application of obtained knowledge to real-world situations; and c) digital content assessment, using technology or software to track the learners progress. All these methods allow to focus on mastery learning and ensure that students have a deep understanding and retention of the subject matter.
Key Benefits of Competency-Based Education
The following benefits highlight the reason for implementation of CBE in educational institutions:
Focus on Practical Skills
The development of practical, job-ready skills is the main purpose of competency-based education, that ensures students’ preparedness for the demands of the workforce. This equips them with confidence and the ability to apply their knowledge effectively in real-world settings.
Performance-Based Evaluation
Focus on practical skills brings forward the opportunity to evaluate those skills afterward, i.e. assessment of students’ performance on exams or quizzes gives way to evaluation of their mastery level in practice. It is possible to memorize a topic or learn the answers to exam questions by heart, however, the retention of such knowledge won’t last long unless it is practiced in a real situation.
Content Personalization
CBE provides personalized learning paths where students can move towards progress at their own pace and focus on areas that require the most improvement. This personalization will help recognize the needs of potential customers in business and build better relationships and engaging experiences.
Immediate Application of Knowledge
Students who engage in competency-based education have an amazing opportunity to apply their knowledge in practice. This helps reinforce learning and promote a more visualized knowledge sharing, which results in a more engaging educational process.
Focus on the Student
A student is a central target in CBE, as this approach focuses on each learner’s needs and goals. It gives the learners an image of their achievements and strengthens their engagement and motivation through a supportive and effective learning environment.
Development of Transferable Skills
Although theoretical knowledge is very important, it has limited impact without practical and transferable skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, feedback provision, and collaboration. These skills are valuable in a wide range of contexts and enhance students' overall employability.
Competency-Based Education Models
Competency-based education distinguishes four major models, the combination of which gives clear guidelines for students to get the most out of the educational process. Each of them can be also aligned with the e-learning model for those who prefer remote education. Let’s take a closer look at these models!
Student Experience
CBE designs flexible and adaptive student experiences where the learners can control their education and progress at their own pace. This model suggests detailed personalized instructions and feedback for students and builds their teaching process on their previous experience through practice, communication, and project-based learning.
Professional Practice
This model includes constant improvement through the relevant materials that will help create an inclusive classroom and develop relationships and mastery. Professional practice equally refers to the teaching staff, learners, and their parents, as the ongoing communication and cooperation between all three parties allows for the effective personalization of lessons.
School Systems
The school systems are responsible for CBE; their involvement in setting the framework for competency-based learning provides consistency across the network. This integration helps teachers assess the levels of mastery and identify competencies and assessments. Besides, school systems ensure that all students have access to the benefits of CBE.
School Culture
All of the above-mentioned models form a school culture that activates the operation of a competency-based education system as it triggers a unique approach to collaboration, continuous improvement, and a commitment to student success. This cultural change is essential for creating a supportive environment for CBE.
Competency-Based Education Examples
Various educational institutions and organizations worldwide have been adopting CBE systems for a certain period of time. One of the most popular examples that illustrates the successful implementation of competency-based learning is Finland’s national educational system, which offers equal education for everyone. Ranging from elementary education to adult education and training, the Finnish system is qualification-centered and includes degree studies, professional training, upskilling, and reskilling. The curriculum focuses on developing competencies, including critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. Teachers use continuous assessment methods instead of standardized assignments. The Finnish educational system proved to be among the top effective ones since it contributed to student engagement, motivation, and academic and career success.
Another CBE example refers to Western Governors University (WGU). This online university offers competency-based degree programs that address the need for skilled professionals in various fields. Each student here has a personalized learning path that is designed to follow one’s prior experience, skills, and learning speed. The assessment takes place through performance tasks and real-life scenarios.
How to Implement Competency-Based Learning Successfully?
Identify the Required Competencies
First, it is necessary to identify the abilities and competencies that students or team members need to master. In an organization, each department should be assessed in terms of skills required to meet the industry standards.
Design the Training Program
The next step is to design a training program that will address the development of the assessed skills. It is essential to evaluate the budget for the implementation of this program and include such learning mechanisms as various activities and assessments that can be used for different learning styles.
Choose an E-Learning Tool
It is crucial to choose the relevant e-learning tool for the success of CBE. When choosing an online learning platform, the organization should consider flexibility, simplicity, and resources to support personalized learning.
Provide Ongoing Support to Employees
To successfully navigate their learning journey, learners should have access to constant support, including the opportunity to connect with tutors, mentors, and additional learning resources. Besides, many online learning platforms offer special analysis tools.
Measure Results
The key and final stage is measuring the results of the CBE program to ensure that it meets its goals. To handle this process, institutions can track student progress, assess the level of competency mastery, and gather feedback from learners or whoever is involved.
Conclusion
So, as we see, competency-based education offers an advanced approach to the development of practical skills both in an educational institution and a workplace. It is a learner-centered strategy that offers many advantages to everyone. In the fast-changing world, schools and organizations benefit a lot by implementing CBE since its personalized learning methods help students and staff develop the necessary skills and succeed in their careers and personal lives.