Challenges in Learning Competency Design

The competency based training is a learning-oriented competency process therefore focused on the student, what this actually succeed in making thus changing the ways of planning and conducting teaching processes, which are aimed at achieving verifiable performance and change evaluation systems which are organized and developed to effectively record the performance.

Therefore, a different sequence in curriculum design is adopted, the graduate profile is determined based on the competencies valued from the world of work; and all educational processes are geared towards achieving the competencies identified in the graduate profile.

In designing learning competencies I identify the following challenges:

• How to present a competency? An active verb that identifies an action that generates a displayable result. It should include the description of the object of the action and the context in which it applies, and, at the same time, the quality indicators.
• How to present competencies in terms of learning outcomes? They must be clear and precise about what is expected the student can do and prove once the learning process is completed. They must express student’s verifiable actions or performances.
• How to develop competencies? Competencies are developed progressively, so it is necessary to consider different points on the achievements the student is reaching.

In order to overcome with the challenges described above, I consider the following recommendations:

• Establish clear learning outcomes and performance indicators as well as the time and tools to verify them, depending on whether generic or specific skills.
• Use tools to assess mastery of content at the highest level: items ordered result, development testing, cases or problems to be solved etc.
• Develop a team and validate various tools to assess performance: checklists, rating scales, rubrics.

How To Design Learning Competencies

The design of learning competencies is relevant for successful competency based learning implementation and, at the same time, it can often be a challenging task.

After checking the Best Practices for Designing Learning Competencies provided in this major, I agree with the statement that stands for competencies should be aligned to learning objectives and assessments, and as an example I propose the following explanation:

• The corporate finance course I teach has the following final competency: After completing the course, the student writes down and presents a final report on a group basis, based on the development of individual cases of financial planning, applying financial theory to a real situation, taking into account the financial principles and scenario analysis proposing recommendations aimed at maximizing the value of the firm and compare the results with empirical the course’s theory.
• Unit 2, which is entitle Risk, cost of capital and capital structure has the following competency: At the end of the unit the student writes an essay arguing his point of view on methodologies to value risk, estimates the cost of capital of the firm and structure of optimal capital, as input, based on financial information for the period 2010 - 2016 of a firm with operations in the Cajamarca region, applying different methodologies to estimate the cost of current and future capital, the structure of current and optimal capital and indicators of return and risk for the purpose of establishing action plans to maximize the value of the firm.
• Learning session number five of this unit has the following competency: At the end of the learning session the student prepares a report based in his results analysis of an MS Excel book in which applies the value at risk methodology for individual assets and a portfolio of at least 5 assets.

In the proposed example, the competencies are aligned to ensure the desired learning outcomes for my students when the practice of writing down report is require at three levels: learning session, learning unit and the course. At the same time, objectives are linked from the lowest level to the highs as the learning session is designed to build one basic competency for the whole unit; the unit is the summary of a group of competencies required for the whole of the course outcome.

Finally, the assessments are properly aligned ensure that you are measuring the desired learning outcomes of your students for each level in order to not impact negatively on student’s motivation and achievement.

CBL Learnings from Previous Challenges

Since 2010 Universidad Privada del Norte (UPN) educative model is based on competencies and it considers three perspectives, which are interrelated:

• The educator as a facilitator of the students learning: He or she guides students in order to develop their potential and provides tools for their learning.
• The student as manager of their own learning: He or she explores, experiments, builds, re-builds and re-learns.
• The curriculum as an interactive map which allows to reach the graduate profile, depending on the achievement of competencies.

My experience at UPN was implementing Competency Based-Learning (CBL) at Business School co-leading a team in two campuses: Cajamarca and Trujillo. The key points of the implementation were:

• UPN provided training to academic directors in order to understand and adopt the philosophy and methodology of BCL in the following subjects: 1) What is a CBL curriculum, 2) How to develop competencies at CBL for careers, 3) How to develop competencies for majors and how to make the inter-relationships between them and with general competencies for careers; and 4) How to develop competencies for learning sessions and how to make the inter-relationships between them and with the majors’ competencies.
• As team co-leader, I was in charge to replicate the training with my team (teachers and administrates).
• In parallel with training we implemented a plan preparing documentation for each level of CBL curriculum: 1) Career general competencies, 2) Majors’ competencies; and 3) Sessions learning’ competencies.
• After that, we make peer review of every level of CBL curriculum we developed, and make the necessary adjustments that feedback identified.
• We prepared an academic plan which systematized the proposal for changing curriculum in order to make presentations applying for approval of Faculty Dean and Academic Vice President.
• After approval, the main challenge was implementing CBL curriculum at the whole, and make follow up based on objective result indicators.

My co-leader and team successfully implemented CBL curriculum, and as a result, we were recognized but UPN. Nevertheless, the main recognition came from the students, who were able to demonstrate their learning advance based on objective assessment from educators.

An Overview to Competency Based Learning

In 2010-2011 I had the opportunity to lead a team in charge to implement Competency Based Learning (CBL) at the Business School of Universidad Privada del Norte (UPN). From this experience, I understand CBL as an educational model which purpose is developing competencies in students that are objectively measured and demonstrated in applying knowledge in real environments.

My definition of CBL has the following coincidences with CBL Introduction Resource definition: 1) it is an educational model; 2) the purpose is to develop specific knowledge in students; and 3) the students’ competencies have to be objectively demonstrated. In addition, the CBL Introduction Resource definition considers makes emphasis on: 4) the process, where teachers provide active learning opportunities so students can create their own transferrable knowledge.

The literature on CBL model identifies the following common characteristics:

• In curricula, syllabus and learning lessons, competencies are clearly defined and include not only what students should know, but also what they should be able to demonstrate in measureable terms.
• What the educator pretends in a CBL course is make the measureable demonstration of competencies, rather than the measure of the amount of time spent learning them.
• Students participate in authentic learning by applying and demonstrating knowledge in real or simulated context.
• Competencies are met or achieved when students demonstrate mastery of content through a valid and reliable assessment.
• Educators recognize that all students enter with various levels of prior knowledge and skills and all students acquire new knowledge at different rates.
• Educators act as facilitators and guides in learning experiences.

By contrast, the traditional model focuses on the following characteristics:

• Students graduate upon completion of a mandated number of hours in a required set of courses.
• Courses are designed to align with national standards or career standards.
• Course credit is received by meeting seat-time requirements.
• Course completion is assessed with a culminating grade composed of weighted averages of completed assignments (such as tests, homework, quizzes, labs), “effort” (organization, preparedness, and “attitude” are typically included in this component) and timeliness (students are typically penalized for turning in work late, arriving to class late, or missing school).
• Students complete coursework together.
• Students are placed in courses based on their age, grade-level and/or prior performance.
• Assessments are aligned with course calendars, and are taken when units of study are complete.

UPN made the transition to CBL model in 2010, and developed its own adaptation of CBL as follow – The model consists of general competencies, educational principles that guide the student's work and the principles that guide the action of the pedagogical model, and its interrelation with aspects of philosophical character (based on values), psychological (depending on student), educational (depending on the teacher) and sociocultural (depending on the company) – The general skills are transferable skills that UPN is looking to print on each of the academic actions taken. In the UPN we have declared seven general competencies: teamwork, leadership, problem solving, critical thinking, independent learning and social responsibility.

UPN pedagogical model gives guidelines on how to interrelate the three protagonists of the educational process: teacher, student and curriculum (knowledge and/or learning experiences). This interaction arises "how to learn", "what to learn" and "when to learn". This is the pattern for the design methodology of teaching and learning.