Three options for competency-based assessment in Australia's national standards system are grades, merit, and end-of-course assessment. Grades are well established; merit has flexibility and provides progressive feedback. All three have advantages and disadvantages. (SK)

A study identified the benefits and problem areas of competency-based vocational education (CBVE) and compared perceptions toward CBVE of 44 faculty, 5 administrators, and 236 students of the Cabot Institute of Applied Arts and Technology in Newfoundland. Academic faculty were more negative toward CBVE than any other group and students were…

Presents a format for auditing educational programs based on the key elements of efficiency, effectiveness, and economy. Describes a review of the audit format developed by the Britain's Further Education Unit. (SK)

In a survey of 80 managerial and 130 entry-level computer professionals, most entry workers believed they possessed competencies identified in Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) curricula; most managers did not agree. Most managers rated 28% of ACM competencies moderately to not important; 63% were so rated by entry workers. (SK)

To ensure scientific literacy at graduation, teachers at Littleton (Colorado) High School created Direction 2000, a two-year Integrated Science course to introduce students to the life sciences, physical sciences, and earth science. Graduation is based on demonstrations of what students actually know and can do, rather than on accumulated credits.…

Problems in the definition of competency-based education are discussed. Theory and examples are cited in three areas: limited range of competencies, emphasis on knowledge rather than use, and lack of requirements for a phrasebook approach. (Contains four references.) (LB)

Discusses the positive and negative aspects of outcome-based education. Also included in the discussion are recommendations for the successful implementation of outcome-based education. (ZWH)

Explores outcome-based education, tracing its historical basis in competency-based education and mastery learning. Discusses the results of an ongoing dialogue between the authors (a classroom teacher and a university researcher). Although OBE offers some powerful ideas, it is not radical enough. OBE is based on behavioral objectives determined by…

Western Governors University (WGU) was initiated by 15 western governors in response to perceived needs in the marketplace and as a supplement to traditional institutions. WGU features competency-based credentials (certificates and degrees) rather than course-based programs; distance learning; focus on nontraditional, working students; third-party…

Describes the ESP Model for Learning program, a supervisor leadership program that ties training to the performance goals of the work unit. The ESP program's most critical component, the Supervisory Competency Assessment Process, is detailed. Concluding comments discuss what is being learned from the program's results, and the work-related…

Describes a comprehensive assessment plan designed by the Kitsap (Washington) School District. This plan clarifies district assessment purposes and aligns student evaluation with the district's new performance-based content standards. The test provides a model for other districts seeking to integrate curriculum standards, instruction, and…

Inadequate conceptions of the self underlie vocational education and training policy and instruction. The concept of a socially extended self, a social being who is complex and multifaceted, is incompatible with competency-based approaches to vocational education being used in Australia. (SK)

Discusses the importance of assessing medical students' competence in prevention knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Provides general guidance for programs interested in evaluating their prevention instructional efforts, and gives specific examples of possible methods for evaluating prevention education. Stresses the need to tailor assessment…

In a competency-based master's program, students assess their competencies and design an individual learning program, then apply their learning through portfolio assignments in 10 management knowledge courses. Competencies include interpersonal, personnel management, and analytical skills; management knowledge; and career-specific skills.…

Skills acquisition is complex and cyclic rather than linear and modular as in competency-based training methods. It depends not only on mental attributes that infuse meaning but also on personality dimensions, learning styles, and self-concerns. This raises ethical questions about policies emphasizing competency-based methods. (SK)