Competences and learning outcomes

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Competences and learning outcomes

• Raimonda Markeviciene

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What are learning outcomes?
Learning outcomes are an explicit description of
what a learner should know, understand and be
able to do as a result of learning. (Learning
and Teaching Institute, Sheffield Hallam
University)
Learning Outcomes are specific statements of what
students should know and be able to do as a
result of learning (Morss and Murray, 2005)
Learning outcomes are statements of what is
expected that a student will be able to DO as a
result of a learning activity.(Jenkins and
Unwin).
Learning outcomes are statements that specify
what learners will know or be able to do as a
result of a learning activity. Outcomes are
usually expressed as knowledge, skills or
attitudes. (American Association of Law
Libraries).
Learning outcomes are explicit statements of what
we want our students to know, understand or to be
able to do as a result of completing our courses.
(Univ. New South Wales, Australia)
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Learning outcomes are statements of what a
student should know, understand and/or be able to
demonstrate after completion of a process of
learning
Across various systems and different countries
Formal , informal experiential and lifelong
learning
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Competence - what does it mean?

• It is difficult to find a precise definition.
• There is such confusion and debate concerning
  the concept of competence that it is impossible
  to identify or impute a coherent theory or to
  arrive at a definition capable of accommodating
  and reconciling all the different ways that the
  term is used.
• (Winterton et al., 2005)

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ECTS Users Guide (2009)
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• A competency is more than just knowledge and
  skills. It involves the ability to meet complex
  demands, by drawing on and mobilising
  psychosocial resources (including skills and
  attitudes) in a particular context.
• For example, the ability to communicate
  effectively is a competency that may draw on an
  individuals knowledge of language, practical IT
  skills and attitudes towards those with whom he
  or she is communicating. (OECD)

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The relationship between learning outcomes and
competences is a complex area the subject of
some debate and no little confusion.

(Adam, 2004)
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Competences in Nursing types of competences
(Miller et al)

• Narrow view
• equate competence with performance, i.e. the
  ability to perform nursing tasks.

• Broader view competence in terms the ability of
  the nurse to integrate cognitive, affective and
  psychomotor skills when delivering nursing care.

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Tuning Project

• Tuning Educational Structures in Europe was
  initiated in 2000. In this project, the term
  competence is defined as follows
• Competences represent a dynamic combination of
  knowledge, understanding, skills and abilities.
  Fostering competences is the object of
  educational programmes. Competences are formed in
  various course units and assessed at different
  stages.

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From Project to Process

• Academic area vs. professional area and
  competences

Competence Circle
Employment profile
Academic field
Academic field
Academic field
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Examples of Generic Competences

• SAARD (Self-Assessment of All-Round Development
  Questionnaire
• Research project identified 14 generic
  competencies

• Communication
• Creative thinking
• Critical thinking
• Cultural Appreciation
• Emotional Intelligence and Psychological
  wellness.
• Entrepreneurship
• Global outlook

• Healthy lifestyle
• Interpersonal Effectiveness
• Leadership
• Life-Long Learning
• Problem Solving
• Social and National Responsibility
• Teamwork

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What are Generic Competences?

• Generic competencies are transferable
  multifunctional knowledge, skills and attitudes
  that people could learn and develop in different
  ways and learning environments and apply across a
  variety of job and life contexts. (Fung et
  al)

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Tuning Project - generic and subject specific
competences

• Tree types of generic competences
• Instrumental competences cognitive abilities,
  methodological abilities, technological abilities
  and linguistic abilities.
• Interpersonal competences individual abilities
  like social skills (social interaction and
  co-operation).
• Systemic competences abilities and skills
  concerning whole systems (combination of
  understanding, sensibility and knowledge prior
  acquisition of instrumental and interpersonal
  competences required)

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Combined ranking First ten competences
Results
Comparing Graduates and Employers
Instrumental
Interpersonal
Systemic
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Results
Comparing Graduates and Employers
Combined ranking Last three competences
Instrumental
Interpersonal
Systemic
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Document analysis (Lithuanian case)
Research expert group
Review and finalisation of the list of the
competences
List of documents to be analysed
Researchers of the professional field
Preparation of primary list of competences
Representatives of subject area
Representatives of subject area
Public Health primary list of competences 98
competences (items) finalised list of
competences 18 competences
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Lists of subject specific competences (Lithuanian
case)
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Differences in evaluation of the importance of
generic and subject specific competences among
different subject areas? (Lithuanian case)
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The most important generic competences by subject
areas (Lith.)
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(No Transcript)
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Social responsibility (Lith)
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Work in international and multicultural
environment (Lith)
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Research results Public Health (Lithuanian case)

• Graduates (professional bachelors, bachelors and
  masters)
• Most of respondents have been employed during
  their studies
• Positive assessment of the study programme a
  profound basis for further professional
  development
• Employers of expect experienced employees, able
  to adapt immediately to the specific
  requirements, with high level of practical skills
  that is identified as main disadvantage of the
  studies)
• Employers expect Masters degree
• At the workplace specialisation, specific skills
  are obtained (depends on the institution,
  laboratory).

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Suggestions for the Public Health programmes
improvement (Lithuanian case)

• EMPOYERS
• To distinguish the development of Bachelors and
  Masters level competences
• To deepen knowledge of professional foreign
  language (professional terminology)
• To improve quality of studies regarding
  different subjects (the quality of work of the
  professors, departments staff).

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Relationship between competences and LO (by
Jeremy Cox, Polifonia
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Competences and Learning Outcomes
confused
Bachelor of History - Generic competence
LO
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Learning outcomes and competences in study
programmes (Tuning)
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Relation between Competences and LO in study
cycles (subject area of social work) (Lithuanian
case)
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Finallyin the programme

• Competence
• The student should be able to use the mass and
  energy balances for a given food process.
• Objectives
• Understand scope of mass balances in food
  processing systems.
• Understand appropriate use of mole fractions and
  mass fractions in mass balances
• Learning outcomes
• Describe the general principles of mass balances
  in steady state systems.
• Draw and use process flow diagrams with labels on
  flow streams for mass balance problems.
• Solve mass balance problems associated with food
  processing operations.
• Design and solve mass balances for complex
  process flow systems, including batch mixing
  problems, multiple stage flow problems, problems
  with multiple inflows and outflows, recycle
  streams and multiple components, and processes
  where chemical reactions take place.
• Hartel and Foegeding (2004)

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Recommendations
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Issues for staff find your way!
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Using competences and writing LO is a process!