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Competency-Based Professional
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By TeachThought Staff / April 18, 2016 / Learning /
Experienced Teacher
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Competency-
Based Learning: A
:
Definition
Online learning for 1-6
Grades
Competency-based learning is an approach to
education that focuses on the student’s demonstration
of desired learning outcomes as central to the learning
process.
It is concerned chiefly with a student’s progression
through curriculum at their own pace, depth, etc. As
competencies are proven, students continue to
progress. It is similar to mastery-based learning, with
the primary difference being that competency-based
learning often focuses on observable skills or
‘competencies,’ while mastery learning may be
academic–as likely to focus on concepts as skills.
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Like most things education-related, there is
disagreement of what competency-based learning
actually means, what its defining traits are, and how it
should ideally be used or function. It is traditionally
thought of in terms of skills and vocation, but it can be
entirely ‘academic’ as well.
The Characteristics Of Competency-Based
Learning
A key characteristic of this type of learning is its focus
on mastery. In other learning models, students are
exposed to content–whether skills or concepts–over
time, and success is measured summatively. In a
competency-based learning system, students are not
allowed to continue until they have demonstrated
mastery of the identified competencies (i.e., the
desired learning outcomes to be demonstrated). In this
way, the definition of competency-based learning is
closely tied to mastery learning.
Competency-based learning is similar to outcomes-
based learning in that said outcomes–in this case,
called ‘competencies’–are identified beforehand, and
students are frequently assessed. In this way,
competency-based learning can be thought of as a
form of outcomes-based learning.
See also 21st Century Teacher’s Dictionary
:
Pros & Cons Of Competency-Based Learning
Its effectiveness, of course, depends on the ecology it
is embedded in. In a system with deep and diverse
support systems, robust assessment forms, and clear
and manageable learning outcomes that are accessible
to all learners, competency-based learning can be an
effective model, potentially reducing inefficiency
(including time spent learning) and increasing
pedagogical precision and student achievement.
Its strengths lie in its flexibility, as learners are able to
move at their own pace. This supports students with
diverse knowledge backgrounds, literacy levels, and
other related aptitudes. Its challenges should sound
familiar to most educators, including the difficulty in
identifying–and agreeing upon–the most important
competencies, how to best assess them, and how to
support learners that struggle.
On paper, technology adds a new wrinkle to
competency-based learning, as it provides students
with access to content to develop said competencies. If
every student can access the same content the teacher
does, there is less of a need for the class to move
together, and students are able to prove their
understanding on more personal and authentic terms.
Infographic source Rasmussen College
:
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