A four-stage model for lifelong competence development Judith Schoonenboom - University of Amsterdam, Colin Tattersall, Yongwu Miao, Krassen Stefanov, Adelina Aleksieva-Petrova

Competence development The general development of knowledge, understanding and cognition in a person with respect to a specific domain (Hyland 1994) Emphasis is on the individual learner Related to lifelong learning Not related to specific types of learning activities May, but needn’t involve formal learning

Competence assessment Assesses the proficiency level of a specific competence as a whole Usually not related to specific training Alignment between competence assessment and what professionals actually do in practice Typically delivered in intervals ranging from quarterly to a few years Problem how learners get access to the competence assessment Based on output criteria set by the professional community, which can and will change over time

Competence development: five phases in the validation of prior learning Commitment and awareness – individuals become aware of their competences, organizations become aware of the importance of lifelong learning and VPL Recognition – identifying or listing competences, usually in a portfolio Valuation or assessment of competences – using the portfolio or additional assessments Development plan or the actual valuation – the valuation is turned into an action plan Structural implementation of VPL – VPL is structurally integrated into the organization (Duvekot 2005)

Competence assessment: seven stages State required criteria for performance Collect evidence of outcomes of individual performances Match evidence to specified outcomes Make judgements regarding achievement of all required performance outcomes Allocate ‘competent’ or ‘not yet competent’ rating If purpose of assessment is certification: Issue certificate(s) for achieved competence. Plan development for areas in which ‘not yet competent’ decision has been made (Fletcher 2000)

The cycle of competence development

Competence development and competence assessment

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