1. Competences and learning outcomes
Raimonda Markeviciene

2. 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 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 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 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)

3. Learning outcomes are statements of what a student should know, understand and/or be able to demonstrate after completion of a process of learning LO
Simply and clearly described
Assessable
Not a “wish” list
Facilitate diversity
Facilitate comparability
Common l-ge for education
Across various systems and different countries
Formal , informal experiential and lifelong learning

4. 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)

5. ECTS Users’ Guide (2009)

6. “A competency is more than just knowledge and skills
“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) 6

7. “The relationship between learning outcomes and competences is a complex area – the subject of some debate and no little confusion” (Adam, 2004)

8. 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.

9. Tuning Project
Tuning Educational Structures in Europe was initiated in 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”. 9

10. From Project to Process
Academic area vs. professional area and competences
Competence Circle
Employment profile
Academic field
Academic field
Academic field

11. Examples of Generic Competences
SAARD (Self-Assessment of All-Round Development Questionnaire
Research project identified 14 generic competencies:
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

12. 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)

13. 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)

14. Combined ranking: First ten competences
Results
Comparing Graduates and Employers 6
Capacity for organisation
and planning 5
Teamwork 4
Information management skills
Ability to work autonomously
Combined ranking: First ten competences 3
Capacity to adapt to new situations
Concern for quality 2
Capacity for applying knowledge in practice 1
Capacity for analysis and synthesis
Capacity to learn
Problem solving
Instrumental
Interpersonal
Systemic

15. Results 18 17 16 Understanding of cultures and
Comparing Graduates and Employers
Combined ranking: Last three competences 18
Understanding of cultures and
customs of other countries
Appreciation of diversity
and multiculturality 17 16
Ability to work in
an international context
Instrumental
Interpersonal
Systemic

16. Document analysis (Lithuanian case)
Research expert group
Review and finalisation of the list of the competences
List of documents to be analysed
Researchers of the professional field
Preparation of primary list of competences
Representatives of subject area
Representatives of subject area
Public Health: primary list of competences: 98 competences (items)
finalised list of competences: 18 competences

17. Lists of subject specific competences (Lithuanian case)
Subject area
Chemistry 28
English Philology 23
Fine Arts 26
Informatics 24
Medicine (family doctors)
Music 30
Public Health 18
Social work 38

18. Subject specific competences
Differences in evaluation of the importance of generic and subject specific competences among different subject areas? (Lithuanian case)
Generic competences
Subject specific competences
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)

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

21. Social responsibility (Lith)

22. Work in international and multicultural environment (Lith)

23. 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).

24. Professional bachelors
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).

25. Relationship between competences and LO (by Jeremy Cox, Polifonia

26. Competences and Learning Outcomes
Competences – A dynamic combination of cognitive and metacognitive skills, knowledge and understanding, interpersonal, intellectual and practical skills, ethical values and attitudes
Dictated by job market and societal needs. Property of a student which (s)he “takes away” after the process of learning.
E.g: Awareness of the connections between present -day issues and the past
Learning outcomes - Statements of what the learner is expected to know, understand and be able to do after completion of a process of learning .
Expressed through competences. Show the level of the developed competence. Show the requirements to obtain credits. Formulated by academics. Have to be tested.
E.g.: is able to describe historiographical tendencies of the last 20 years and to identify the major actors in the debate about modernity , post-modernity and globalization and the related understanding of the relationships between world’s peoples.
confused
Bachelor of History - Generic competence LO 26

27. 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
Unit 2
Unit 3
Unit 4

28. 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
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.

29. Finally…in the programme
Competence:
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)

30. Recommendations Starting points
Term competence has shared meaning in some professions
Therefore, the term should be clearly defined for each context
Therefore
State the definition of competence that is being used in the particular context
To ensure clarity of meaning, write competences using the vocabulary of learning outcomes

31. Issues for staff – find your way!
Bloom’s taxonomy
Should be seen as a toolkit
Any other taxonomy or tool might be used
Competences
Competences should be seen as an important element for the dialogue with the employers
LO are more programme specific and indicate the level

32. Using competences and writing LO is a process!