Competences and learning outcomes

Raimonda Markeviciene

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 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 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 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)

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

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)

ECTS Users’ Guide (2009)

6

• “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 individual’s knowledge of language, practical IT skills and attitudes towards those with whom he or she is communicating.” (OECD)

“The relationship between learning outcomes and competences is a

complex area – the subject of some debate and no little confusion”.

(Adam, 2004)

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”.

Academic area vs. professional area and competences

Academic field

Employment profile

Competence Circle

Academic field

Academic field

From Project to Process

Examples of Generic Competences

• 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

SAARD (Self-Assessment of All-Round Development QuestionnaireResearch project identified 14 generic competencies:

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)

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)

Combi

ned

rank

ing:

Firs

t ten

com

pete

nces

2Capacity for applying knowledge in practice

Instrumental

Interpersonal

Systemic

33

Capacity to adapt to new situations

Concern for quality

44

Information management skills

Ability to work autonomously

ResultsComparing Graduates and Employers

11

1

Capacity for analysis and synthesis

Capacity to learn

Problem solving

5 Teamwork

6 Capacity for organisation and planning

Combi

ned

rank

ing:

Las

t thr

ee c

ompe

tenc

es

ResultsComparing Graduates and Employers

Instrumental

Interpersonal

Systemic

18Understanding of cultures and

customs of other countries

Appreciation of diversityand multiculturality

17

16 Ability to work inan international

context

Document analysis (Lithuanian case)

Research expert group

Representatives of subject area

List of documents to be analysed

Researchers of the

professional field

Preparation of primary list of competences

Representatives of subject area

Review and finalisation of the list of the competences

Public Health: primary list of competences: 98 competences (items)

finalised list of competences: 18 competences

Lists of subject specific competences (Lithuanian case)

Subject area

Chemistry 28

English Philology 23

Fine Arts 26

Informatics 24

Medicine (family doctors) 23

Music 30

Public Health 18

Social work 38

Differences in evaluation of the importance of generic and subject specific

competences among different subject areas? (Lithuanian case)

Generic competencesSubject specific

competences

mean (s) mean (s)

English philology 3,45 (0,32) 3,07 (0,47)

Informatics 3,31 (0,33) 3,02 (0,51)

Chemistry 3,46 (0,28) 3,37 (0,40)

Fine art 3,37 (0,25) 3,25 (0,50)

Music 3,36 (0,31) 3,38 (0,36)

Public health 3,46 (0,32) 3,13 (0,47)

Medicine (general practitioners) 3,38 (0,30) 3,54 (0,27)

Social work 3,48 (0,29) 3,33 (0,37)

The most important generic competences by subject areas (Lith.)

Social responsibility (Lith)

Work in international and multicultural environment (Lith)

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 Master’s degree;– At the workplace specialisation, specific skills are

obtained (depends on the institution, laboratory).

Suggestions for the Public Health programmes’ improvement (Lithuanian case)

GRADUATES:

Professional bachelors Bachelors, Masters

• To prolong studies

• To make changes in the curriculum (e.g. time of selection of study area)

• To ensure opportunities for further studies

• Focus on psychological, social skills, foreign language

• To distinguish bachelor’s and master’s programmes

• Equal focus on biomedical and social sciences (e.g. law, management)

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).

Relationship between competences and LO (by Jeremy Cox, Polifonia

Competences and Learning Outcomes

confused

Bachelor of History - Generic

competence

LO

Learning outcomes and competences in study programmes (Tuning)

Course unit LO

Competences

A B C D E F G H I J

Unit 1 X X

Unit 2 X X X

Unit 3 X X X

Unit 4 X X X

Relation between Competences and LO in study cycles (subject area of social work) (Lithuanian case)

Generic competence Ability to plan and organize

LO

Professional bachelor Bachelor Master

Estimates time needed to reach goals and meets deadlines.

Differentiates between primary ands secondary aims of the activity.

Plans stages of the activity according to the available guidelines

Distributes roles to the team members in order to reach goals.

Adjusts activities according to the analysis of the results and recommendations of the experts.

Plans activity after having critically evaluated controversial information from different sources

Plans complex activity composed of interrelated tasks.

Depending on the changing situations adjusts plans in the process of activity implementation.

Plans stages of activity evaluating risks of unknown situations

Subject specific competence

To influence social policy through analysis and evaluation of social processes based on research and practice in social work and other subject areas

LO

Professional bachelor Bachelor Master

Discuss questions related to social help processes and proposes ideas/solutions for the increase of their effectiveness

Evaluate processes of social help and propose solutions based on theory and interdisciplinary practice that would lead to the increase of effectiveness. Critically evaluate various social care systems and offer solutions to enhance Lithuanian social care system.

Explain movements and initiatives aimed at decreasing social exclusions and ensuring social justice.

Critically evaluate various social care systems through the analysis of the effectiveness of available services.

Finally…in the programmeCompetence:• 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)

Recommendations

Issues for staff – find your way!

Using competences and writing

LO is a process!