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.