Competency-based learning organizes teaching and assessment around what learners can demonstrate they know and can do. Rather than relying only on time spent in class or a single final test, it emphasizes defined learning outcomes, evidence of mastery, feedback, and support that responds to individual needs.
A competency is a predetermined combination of knowledge and skills that a learner is expected to demonstrate. A course or institution may organize its competencies into a competency architecture: the set or structure of competencies that defines what learners should achieve.
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What is competency-based learning?
An educational framework in which learners demonstrate predetermined knowledge and skills, with teaching and assessment focused on outcomes and performance.
What is a competency architecture?
The set or organized structure of competencies defined for a particular course or educational institution.
What is a criterion level?
The specified standard of behavior or performance that a learner must meet for an outcome to count as achieved.
Why can learners move at different paces in this model?
Learners may have different levels of difficulty with individual competencies, so they can need different amounts of practice, feedback, or support.
How does competency-based assessment differ from relying chiefly on a final test?
It assesses mastery of individual learning outcomes over time, often with repeated opportunities and continuous feedback, rather than relying mainly on one summative test.
Quiz questions
What is a competency in competency-based learning?Answer: A defined combination of knowledge and skills to demonstrate.
How should instructors identify learning outcomes in competency-based learning?Answer: As clear, observable behaviors or performances.
What makes an assessment meaningful in competency-based learning?Answer: It aligns with a competency and shows whether its criteria are met.
What is experiential learning?Answer: Learning through doing, practicing, and reflecting on performance.
Why might vehicle operation require a more demanding mastery standard than identifying an algebra formula?Answer: Errors in vehicle operation can have safety consequences.