Developing a Competency-Based Instructor Training Model of Professional Development: A Key Component for Competency-Based Instructional Programs

Introduction

Competency-based approaches to higher educational programming are typically seen as alternatives to the more traditional educational approaches. Education programs transitioning to a competency-based instructional approach require a significant realignment of the program’s education philosophy, epistemological assumptions and teaching culture, curriculum and assessment, and the administrative operations. Competency-based instructional approaches affect everything from evaluating instructional methods, assessing prior learning/credits, transcripts/grading scales, and Carnegie units/matriculation requirements. Some fear that adopting competency-based learning approaches means total abandonment of traditional letter grades, report cards, transcripts, and other familiar academic-reporting strategies. This need not be the case because competency-based, programming is compatible with and requires little change to the familiar, traditional reporting strategies. But most importantly, schools must develop faculty capable of providing competency-based methods of instruction for it to be considered authentic, competency-based, programming.

This chapter details considerations when designing and developing a competency-based, instructor training model. A competency-based education (CBE) program should, by extension, have instructors that are competent in the implementation of competency-based instruction; and those instructors should also be competent in analyzing, designing, developing, and evaluating competency-based instructional offerings. If the purpose of competency-based instructional programs is to move beyond static, passive, knowledge-only based instruction, then instructors should also be capable of providing dynamic, active, knowledge and skill-based opportunities for learning. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a set of instructor competencies for faculty professional development when transitioning to competency-based instructional programming.

What Is A Competency?

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  Competency: The combination of observable and measurable knowledge, skills, abilities and personal attributes that contribute to enhanced employee performance and ultimately result in organizational success. To understand competencies, it is important to define the various components of competencies. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2018) defines these components as:

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  Knowledge: Is the cognizance of facts, truths and principles gained from formal training and/or experience. Application and sharing of one's knowledge base are critical to individual and organizational success.

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  Skill: A developed proficiency or dexterity in mental operations or physical processes that is often acquired through specialized training; the execution of these skills results in successful performance.

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  Ability: Is the power or aptitude to perform physical or mental activities that are often affiliated with a particular profession or trade such as computer programming, plumbing, calculus, and so forth. Although organizations may be adept at measuring results, skills and knowledge regarding one's performance, they are often remiss in recognizing employees' abilities or aptitudes, especially those outside of the traditional job design.

Individual attributes are properties, qualities or characteristics of individuals that reflect one's unique personal makeup. Individual attributes are viewed as genetically developed or acquired from one's accumulated life experiences. Although personal characteristics are the most subjective of the components, a growing, significant body of research links specific personality traits to successful individual and organizational performance.