Competency-Based Education | Origin: ED206
This is a general discussion forum for the following learning topic:
Teaching in the Lab and Shop Environment --> Competency-Based Education
Post what you've learned about this topic and how you intend to apply it. Feel free to post questions and comments too.
I thought for this forum, i would take the individual "Reflection Questions" and address each one in response to this forum.
1. What is your opinion of competency-based education?
From a military point of view: competency based education trains a high school or college grad from knowing little to how to fire a rifle, drive a tank, fly a military jet, or operate a navy nuclear propulsion plant on an aircraft carrier or submarine in the shortest time possible, by “untrained” educators who went thru the identical training before them, and doing it effectively so that the military is trained as an effective fighting force.
Military personnel, after discharge, are generally effective in civilian companies in a variety of positions using their military training as a foundation for further activities.
2. How do you define competency-based education?
Being able to do the job (competency) in an effective manner – your life depends upon it, as does your comrade in arms – the guy next to you. You don’t get to go home every night, but your wife and children, and other members of society depend upon you to do your job.
3. Does competency-based instruction result in better-prepared students?
Damn well better, or Joe-infantry man, or the man operating the nuclear power plant can cause a world of issues.
4. How does the cognitive domain as identified by Bloom’s Taxonomy impact learning?
Cognitive domain deals with recall, recognition of knowledge, and development of intellectual skills – military training repeats training until it is gotten right – to a level of proficiency, under instruction, by those who may have to rely upon the skill of the peon to save their own life. Repetition is a key to establishing cognitive domain in the manner necessary for life.
Affective domain addresses changes in interest, attitude, and values. Affective domain trains the recruit into a “lean, mean, fighting machine”… it takes people of varied interests, attitude and values, and trains them into the “military way”… to a common set of interests, attitudes, and values of the military – follow orders.
Psychomotor domain addresses motor skills and manipulation: The military trains, and drills, and trains, and drills, and trains and drills, until the task can be done in your sleep, as sometimes, tasks are done in sleep, as there is no one else to do it and it needs to be done.
5. What are some of the benefits of using Bloom’s Taxonomy to help design instructional delivery methods?
The military didn’t spend much time on Bloom’s Taxonomy (on the theory)… It trained… One on one and small group instructors, peer to peer learning, in tell, show, do, confirm… repeat. I suppose all of the verbs in Bloom’s lists were used in some way or another, but it wasn’t emphasized.
6. What is an advantage to using competency-based objectives?
The American fighting force – Army, Navy, Airforce, Marines, Coast Guard, Space Force, Guard is competency based. Civilians can sleep well at night knowing that recruits have met their competency-based objectives.
7. How does the affective domain contribute to student learning?
In contrast to the military, affective domain being trained (some might call indoctrinated) into the military way, the affective domain in post-secondary education is “all over the place”. It depends upon the instructor and what he/she teaches (or indoctrinates) into their students, graded on how well the student adhere to the instructors teaching or philosophy.
I was an instructor in the US Nuclear Navy, teaching high school and college grads how to operate a naval nuclear power plant.
6 months of high intensity 8-4 pm classroom instruction, with studying from 4 to midnight and 6 - 8 am; Followed by 6 months of "prototype" training operating a land based nuclear power plant under instruction on swings-mids-days shiftwork. The prototype training was "Competency Based" in a student learning environment (self learning required systems) in a one-on-one instructor checkout signing of a qual card (equivalent to "badges").
I didn't learn educational theories... I taught how i was instructed when i went thru the program initially. I wasn't introduced to "Bloom's Taxonomy" until two years ago at Idaho State.
Military training is different from Post Secondary education... but it seems post secondary is trying to catch up to military competency based training.
From this module, I’ve learned that competency-based education (CBE) focuses on ensuring students can demonstrate mastery of specific skills and knowledge rather than simply spending time in a classroom. The emphasis is on outcomes—students progress when they can show competence, not just completion. I also learned that this approach allows for more individualized learning, giving students the flexibility to move at their own pace while ensuring they meet clearly defined standards tied to real-world performance.
Utilizing Bloom's taxonomy can create a successful learning experience for students and all parties combined
Learning how to teach students on all levels is KEY.
Everyone is on a different level when it comes to learning...
how they learn easier as opposed to others, the intake of learning comes at different paces, some are able to take different pieces of information from something as opposed to another person, ect...
It was a interesting take on competency learning most of what i teach is competency based i will try and incorporate blooms Taxonomy into my teaching
I've learned the importance of objectives and how they relate to the cognitive and attentive levels of learning. I will ensure that my students always understand the objectives of each lesson and I will use creativity, teamwork, and experimentation to increase the student's level of understanding.
I learned a lot about competency-based education and how it shifts the focus from seat time to mastery of skills and knowledge.
I thought the pros and cons from the very begininning were helpful. Then continuing to break out the curriculum by interest, attitude and values. There seems to be more of a selection to focus on to be come better,
I learned that education via trial and failure in the laboratory is not only my philosophy, but well researched.
I enjoy learning about Bloom's taxonomy and how to use it as scaffolding for my students.
I learned that clearly defined objectives in lab/shop environments improve instruction and assessment. Competency-based objectives should engage cognitive, psychomotor, and affective domains, aligning with Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Competency based education is important because it shows the students not only do they need to be able to perform the hands-on task but how they also need to be able to show they have a good understanding of knowledge/ theory behind what they are learning.
