The one-size-fits-all instructional and assessment practices of the past no longer equitably meet the needs of all students. Competency-based education (CBE) has emerged not only as an innovation in education, but as a true transformation of the approaches to how we traditionally "do" school. In "Deeper Competency-Based…

In today's knowledge society, there is a demand for professionals who are able to create knowledge across boundaries of disciplines, professions and perspectives. Traditional universities, universities of applied sciences and institutions for vocational education are all challenged to educate these knowledge workers. Accordingly, these…

The system of validation and accreditation of professional qualifications in Spain is offered as a certification opportunity, especially for vulnerable groups. The procedure is presented as an evaluative proposal that allows some inequalities associated with training and employment to be addressed. In this article we analyse whether this system…

This study examined students' competencies in engineering education at the university level. First, we developed a competency model in one specific field of engineering: process dynamics and control. Then, the theoretical model was used as a frame to construct test items to measure students' competencies comprehensively. In the empirical…

Problem solving plays an important role in mathematics and should have a prominent role in the mathematics education. The term "problem solving" refers to mathematics tasks that have the potential to provide intellectual challenges for enhancing students' mathematical understanding and development. In addition, the contextual problem…

The goal of this article is to contribute to the validation of a self-evaluation method, which can be used by schools to evaluate the quality of their Competence Assessment Program (CAP). The outcomes of the self-evaluations of two schools are systematically compared: a novice school with little experience in competence-based education and…

Purpose: To validate an 80-item self-report measure, A Systems Approach to Placement: Self-Assessment for Students and Counselors (SAP-SASC), designed to identify critical areas of knowledge, skills, and competencies possessed by rehabilitation counselors in state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency settings. Participants: 275 rehabilitation…

This article provides an overview of the history, development, and conceptual framework guiding a national certification initiative for child and youth care workers. Summarized are descriptions of three certification assessment measures (supervisor assessment, situational judgment certification exam, and portfolio assessment), integrated with…

Competence-based approaches are frequently adopted as the key paradigm in both formal or non-formal education and training. To support the provision of competence-based learning services, it is necessary to be able to maintain a record of an individual's competences in a persistent and standard way. In this paper, we investigate potential issues…

A four-phase project to validate a graduate psychology training program in delopmental disabilities included development of a questionnaire, a survey of 94 professionals who rated competency areas, validation of subskills within each area, and revision of the final 15 competency areas. (CL)

This study examined a model of assessment that could be applied nationally for Year Twelve Vocational Education and Training (VET) subjects and which could yield both a differentiating score and recognition of competence. More than fifty colleges across all states and territories of Australia field-tested the approach over one school year. Results…

Instruction and learning are increasingly based on competencies, causing a call for assessment methods to adequately determine competency acquisition. Because competency assessment is such a complex endeavor, one single assessment method seems not to be sufficient. This necessitates Competency Assessment Programs (CAPS) that combine different…

This learning module on using Vocational-Technical Education Consortium of States (V-TECS) catalogs in contemporary programs to make them more performance based is one of nine developed for use in training administrators, teachers, and prospective teachers in the utilization of V-TECS catalogs. Readings are provided on the use of V-TECS catalogs…

This article describes the Nursery Operations Curriculum, a competency-based instructional program currently being disseminated throughout Florida. The description covers the curriculum materials, the developmental activities, validation of the curriculum, and plans for implementing the curriculum. (BM)

Three approaches to validating competencies of vocational education programs in technical and professional schools are examined. Competencies are defined as behavior-oriented and relatively simple, observable behaviors which can be identified and measured by the frequency of occurrence. The three models, which have elements in common, are expert…