The question of whether performance measures may be more accurate than examination methods to assess an individual's abilities and knowledge is examined, based on a literature review. An information processing view that focuses on the internal activities of thinking and the relationship to external stimuli is considered. Information processing…

In this book comprised of six chapters, multiple aspects of competency based education (CBE) are discussed contextually by various authors in terms of the current educational climate wherein the primary emphasis is upon learning outcomes rather than the process of learning itself. To illuminate the notion of competence, Chapter 1 presents:…

Literature on individualized learning appearing in the past three years includes many reports which are rewritings from the same data; however, generalizable results do exist for the practitioner. Individualized instruction systems work as well or better than traditional, conventional instruction. Students learn more, make higher grades, save…

In Australia the usual evaluation of whether a student will perform adequately as a doctor is a subjective evaluation of his clinical performance, usually at the completion of five or six years at medical school. The evaluation is performed on an inadequate and uncontrolled patient sample and appears to be subject to many errors. Recent work…

It is proposed that the only technology that has consistently been effective over traditional education approaches is the personalized system of instruction (PSI). An overview is given of the purpose, origin, development, and use of the system. The five critical components are outlined: use of student assistants, emphasis on the written word in…

Developed by participants in a counselor educator conference, this manual is designed to provide performance-based life career counseling instructional materials for vocational counselor training. Two introductory chapters present a brief description of the genesis and evolution on the concept of life career counseling and a model for evaluating a…

Information and exercises in this two-part learning module are provided to acquaint instructors with the educational theory behind competency-based education (CBE) and to help them apply this theory in the classroom. Part I of the module discusses: (1) the defining characteristics of CBE, in which instructional processes are designed to facilitate…

Again today, as 40 years ago, the idea of setting standards for career and technical education (CTE) has come to the fore. CTE practitioners have learned some lessons about implementing standards, among them that there is no "standard" standard; instead, there can be a confusing variety of standards. An analysis of standards reveals that there are…

Information is provided concerning the complexity of developing competency-based programs for members of service professions, such as teachers and media specialists, when there is little agreement about the qualifications and the behaviors required of the beginning professional. Section 1 discusses the qualities of a competent professional. Key…

Teacher education programs in 63 New York state colleges and universities were surveyed to determine which elements of competency-based teacher education have been adopted and the degree of participant satisfaction. Results reveal that concepts such as mastery learning, criterion-referenced assessment, and performance-based measures that evaluate…

This book is intended to provide managers, trainers, and others responsible for improving learning within their workplace with the tools, perspectives, and strategies to transform their workplace into a learning organization. Throughout the book, key principles underpinning recent thinking on positive workplace transformation are combined with…