by Lawrence Parisotto

1. ETUG Fall Unconference
Competency
Based
EducationMS

2. Competency Based Education
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Fill in your definition here…

3. Competency Based Education
Traditional Academic Programs with a New CBE
(Pedagogical) Approach
• flexible option
• personalized learning
• focus on direct assessment (and PLA?) rather than credit hours
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• bachelor of business degree
• etc
Traditional CBE Programs with a New (Educational
Technology) Approach
• health care education and training
• apprenticeship and trades training
• “Competency to Credential” approach

4. Traditional Academic Programs
Implementing the “new” CBE Approach
• see ‘7 Things You Should Know About CBE’ at
https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7105.pdf (February, 2014)
1. What is it?
Competency-based education (CBE) awards academic credit based on
mastery of clearly defined competencies.
2. How does it work?
CBE is built around clearly defined competencies and measurable learning
objectives that demonstrate mastery of those competencies.
3. Who’s doing it?
In recent years, a growing number of other CBE programs have been
developed at all levels of instruction
4. Why is it significant?
CBE replaces the conventionl model in which time is fixed and learning is
variable with a model in which the time is variable and the learning is fixed.
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5. Traditional Academic Programs
Implementing the “new” CBE Approach
• see https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7105.pdf (February, 2014)
5. What are the downsides?
Ensuring the learning objectives are measurable and that the competencies
can be demonstrated is not a trivial undertaking.
6. Where is it going?
The value of CBE credentials must be widely accepted, both by consumers
(students and employers) and by providers (institutions and accrediting
agencies)
7. What are the implications for teaching and learning?
Students emerge from CBE with a more consistent standard of learning,
having met all of the competencies included in an educational program
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6. Traditional Academic Programs
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Implementing new CBE tools
• see ‘7 Things You Should Know About CBE’ Tools at
https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7110.pdf (June, 2014)
“As competency-based education (CBE) programs become more prevalent,
tools have emerged to support them, ranging from software utilities that
enable a single type of student project to complex, custom-built, campus-wide
solutions that accommodate multiple degree programs.
These tools can help define and document learning outcomes, map
competencies to the curriculum, track student progress, or certify prior
knowledge. CBE and the tools that support it encourage a rethinking of
pedagogy, assessment, and the concept of the credit hour.”

7. Traditional Academic Programs
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Implementing new CBE tools
• see ‘7 Things You Should Know About CBE Tools’ at
https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7110.pdf (June, 2014)
3. Who’s doing it?
To track competency-based learning in the trades and health care, the
British Columbia Post-Secondary Education Office is using tools such as
Totara LMS and IOMAD, which were designed to identify skills and
competencies for enterprise employees. Individuals seeking a trade
credential can complete an application and self-assessment, supplying
evidence of competency in each area. Gaps are identified by human
consultants, and the system generates a personalized education plan to
address these gaps

8. Competency to Credential
What is ‘Competency to Credential’?
• A flexible and systemic approach to competency-based education,
training and recognition using Totara LMS, a custom distribution of the
Moodle LMS
• part of a (much) broader flexible and online learning approach
Topics
• A quick word about Totara
• Current Approaches
• Competency to Credential Approach
• (Totara demo shots time permitting…)
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9. Totara LMS

10. Totara LMS
• Totara LMS is an open source distribution of Moodle developed for
the corporate and government sectors with a focus on competency-based
education and training.
• has primarily been used in corporate training
• we’re applying to post-secondary education and training
• The current version of Totara LMS is 2.4 and is based on Moodle
2.4.
• Totara 2.5 is now/soon to be released
• http://totaralms.com
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11. Totara LMS
Repositories
Team
Management
Calendar
Competencies &
Organizational Roles
Content
Management
User
Management
Messaging &
Notifications
Learning
Activities & Types
Course
Management
Integration w/
other systems
Social Learning
Audience
Management
F-2-F Training
Support
Individual
Learning Plan
Enterprise Reporting
Dashboard
(Learners & Managers)
Totara
Sync
Program
Management
Badges
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12. Totara LMS
ACCREDITATION
cycled
scheduling
course/
resource
program
HIERARCHIES
organization positions competency
f2f support
audience user team
USER MANAGEMENT
badges
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13. Totara LMS
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14. Current
Approach

15. Why a different approach?
Current Approach
• in competency-based education and training in areas such as health care
and trades, methods and solutions for the following are considered and
treated separately and independently
• full program training
• gap training
• the challenge process for out-of-province and international trained
candidates
• practice education and work experience
• however, these could be better dealt with more systemically using a
competency database or repository as a foundation
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16. Why a different approach?
Current Approach – Complete Program
• full training program
• students admitted, take complete program, graduate, are certified and
recognized as meeting provincial/national standards
• tends to be:
• closed materials, siloed approach with no open, common ‘library’ of
materials and resources
• lack of collaborative development and delivery
• no competency repository in most cases
• no cross referencing of competency frameworks to content at high and
granular level
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17. Why a different approach?
Current Approach – Gap Training
• gap training
• addresses gaps in knowledge, skills, experience
• if I’ve been trained elsewhere, why do I need to take the complete
program?
• tends to be:
• re-creation or repurposing of resources, delivery and assessment
• lack of consistent process for foreign credential recognition
• inconsistent, labourious, time consuming and costly PLAR processes
• lack of recognition tools
• lack of process means learners opt for full program – disadvantage of
length, cost
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18. Why a different approach?
Current Approach – Challenge Process
• challenge process
• an alternate pathway to credential, professional certification
• if I have equivalent knowledge, skills and experience, why can’t I
demonstrate that and be recognized as such without having to re-train?
• tends to be:
• re-creation or repurposing of resources, delivery and assessment
• lack of quantitative or qualitative self-assessment as a predictor of
success
• lack of relationship for recognition between training organizations and
professional associations
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19. Why a different approach?
Current Approach – Practice Education
• practice education and work experience
• educational component of education and training done in the
workplace, e.g., clinical practicum, apprenticeship
• tends to be:
• a formal, well documented and assessed area for health care programs
• informal or infrequent competency assessment in practice setting for
trades areas
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20. Why a different approach?
Current Approach – are labour market needs addressed for
skilled trades?
• To better address:
• labour market needs,
• the BC Jobs Plan,
• enhance labour market mobility and
• re-skilling
in a systematic and more expedient fashion, we propose that the
comprehensive linking of professional or industry competency profiles and
frameworks to an open library of common resources through a flexible
learning approach can more efficiently address full program, gap training, the
challenge process and practice education
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21. Needs
Need for ‘horizontal’ competency profiles across ‘vertical’
professions
• became clear that a means of referencing competency profiles to content
was required for:
• tracking progress and achievement of ‘horizontal’ competency profiles
• prior learning assessment
• gap analysis and training
• individualized learning plans
• record book, log book
• common modules of content
• recognition (badging, reporting)
• through BCcampus collaborative projects such as :
• Care Management (MoH, AVED)
• Health Care Assistant
• Elder Abuse Reduction
• go2 ITO Gap Training
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22. Competency to
Credential Pilot
in Professional
Cook

23. Government strategic priorities
• Harmonization
• Labour mobility
• Innovative and flexible training delivery
• Improved completion rates

24. Pilot Objective – go2hr
• To identify the potential for using a blended learning
model to address gaps in prior experience, particularly for
those who gained most of their experience without formal
training.

25. Strategic priorities - BCcampus
Strategic priority on expanding collaborative program
strategies across sectors includes:
• Collaborative training and education
• Collaborative processes for open educational resources,
open education and program structures
• Models for processes that improve access, completion
rates and student success
• Collaborative innovation to facilitate the design of new
approaches to learning and teaching services

26. Pilot Objectives - BCcampus
• Introduce a Competency-Based Flexible Learning
Approach to support a wide range of candidates, trades
and stakeholders
• Apply this ‘Competency to Credential’ Flexible Learning
Approach by means of a limited pilot, expanded pilot and
systemic implementation
• Consider the current approach to training and issues
associated with it; contrast to a new flexible, systemic
approach

27. “Competency to Credential” Approach

28. “Competency to Credential” Approach
Labour Market Needs
Learner Needs
Government Priorities
Learner
Full Training
Program
PLAR +
Gap training
PLAR + Challenge
BC Resident   
Out of Province
  
(Canadian)
International /
New immigrant
  
Workplace Trained  
New Apprentice

CURRICULUM LIBRARY (LMS or CMS)
COMPETENCY LIBRARY (WEB-BASED)

29. Pilot – Professional Cook
• True collaborative, blended learning model
• Leverage existing resources and “unbundle”
apprenticeship program
• Create online portal to identify gaps
• Match individual “lessons” with skill gaps
• Provide activities and hands on training for practical skills

30. Resultss
Bccampus.ca

31. Results

32. Results

33. Results

34. Results

35. Collaboration
Gap
Training
Resource
Library
BCcampus
go2hr
Totara LMS
Training
Provider
Content
Government
Funding
User
Feedback

36. Scalability

37. Mid-Term Goals 2014-2015
• New challengers offered use as support
• Additional support for apprentices going through regular
delivery
• Tracking workplace activities through mentorship and
logbook
• Custom training programs linked to provincial standards
• Build out resource library to include other related
programs
• Expansion to support all BC Cook program participants

38. Long Term Vision
go2hr BCcampus Training Providers and
Government
Flexible training options
that meet industry’s
needs
Collaborative, blended
learning
Innovative and efficient
training delivery
Better linkages between
workplace and training
system
Central resource library
linking competencies to
curriculum
Increased and clearer
pathways to certification
Improved support for
industry skill
development
Systemic, scalable
approach
Improved success of
students, apprentices,
and challengers

39. Testimonials
Pilot participant
• “I was really happy to hear the news when this pilot came
out. Great job and look forward to seeing how far this
goes.”
College instructor
• “Going through the gap training , which I think is just
brilliant, not only for students but also as a tool for
instructors. It's just what has been missing for so long!”

40. Testimonials
Employer
• “This looks amazing. I see so much potential to bring my
kitchen managers up to a Red Seal level using this tool.”
College Dean
• “This is one of the first things I’ve seen since coming to BC
that gives me hope we are on the right direction in post
secondary education. Thank You!”

41. Thank You
Questions?
Bccampus.ca

42. Sample Business Process
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43. Competency Repository
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44. GAC Framework
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45. Competency
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46. Self-Assessment
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47. Evidence
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48. Individualized Learning Plan
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49. Review Gap Training Components
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50. Review Gap Training Components
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51. Workplace Components
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52. Record of Learning
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53. Validation
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54. Validation
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