What Is It?
What Is It?
RATIONALE
COMPETENCIES
INFORMATION SECTION
1.1. The CBI Concept
1.2. Advantages and Disadvantages of the CBI Approach
The Program
The Teacher
The Student
2.1. The Steps to Competency Based Programs
Identify and sequence tasks
Develop performance objectives
Develop teacher activities
Develop learner activities
Develop criterion referenced tests
Develop student progress charts
Revise the program
where needed
2.2. Major Sources of
Assistance
This information package is intended to provide an overview of competency based instruction and its relationship to the teaching of technology education. It is specifically prepared to answer your questions and keep you informed. Recent news presentations have revealed a genuine and intense concern on the part of government and the citizenry about the quality of American education. A national movement to improve education has produced several important developments. Among these is competency based instruction (CBI) which is being use as a means of improving the quality of technology education programs and students in our nation.
The Virginia General Assembly has approved legislation requiring that local school divisions establish minimum competency levels for their students in math and communication skills. In addition, vocational education in Virginia, under the auspices of past vocational improvement plans, had an objective to fully implement CBI in Virginia's classrooms and laboratories. Technology education, as a part of vocational education, had a similar commitment through its long range improvement plan for instruction. Consequently, the technology education profession in the Commonwealth of Virginia recognized the unique opportunities afforded by competency based instruction and accepted the method's challenge for further program improvement.
This information
package has been prepared to provide you with a better understanding
of competency based instruction. Specifically, it will explain the
concepts associated with CBI and provide information so you might
develop your programs in this mode of instruction.
TASK 1.0. Describe
the characteristics of a competency based instructional program.
PERFORMANCE
OBJECTIVES:
1.1. After completing
this package, you will be able to summarize the concept of competency
based instruction including its definition and standards.
1.2. After completing
this package, you will be able to evaluate the advantages and
disadvantages of a competency based instructional program according
to program, teacher, and student needs.
TASK 2.0. Explain how
a competency based technology education program can be developed.
PERFORMANCE
OBJECTIVES:
2.1. With the
assistance of this instructional package, you will list in the proper
sequence all the steps which must be achieved to make your technology
education program competency based.
2.2. Using this package, identify four major sources of assistance in constructing competency based technology education courses.
1.1. The CBI Concept
The improvement of education is a continuing concern among educators and the public. While researchers are busily engaged in the lengthy task of determining what makes a good learner and what effect teaching has upon student learning, students are being educated to perform the critical tasks needed for a successful adult life. Consequently, those responsible for educational programs are seeking evidence for designing quality academic experience for students.
With the advent of the accountability movement in education, society called for a system that was relevant and provided learners with competencies which would enable them to succeed in school and life. As evidenced by newspaper stories, magazine articles, and television programs, there is a national concern and discontentment with American education. Data from standardized tests has revealed widespread failure of the educational system to impart basic communication and numerical skills. Parent and citizen groups, joined by legislators and government agency personnel, refuse to accept the shallow explanations for failures that have been used in the past and are demanding that educators and the public schools be held more accountable for the output of the educational process at all levels. The demand is for reform in education.
One systematic approach that has been developed to reform education is competency based instruction (CBI). It has its roots in the specifications required for task analysis, behavioral objectives, and programmed instruction and has emerged as a practical approach to accountability in education. More specifically, CBI has been defined as "an instructional system designed to develop pre-specified, role-relevant knowledge, skills, and attitudes in learners who are enrolled in a particular content area" (Virginia Department of Education, 1979).
In classroom terms, it can be explained as a process of specifying what makes a person competent (well qualified) in a certain subject or field and then teaching these competencies to the learner at a mastery level. In this fashion, a learner does not leave the program or lesson of study until actually demonstrating that he or she mastered all of its stated content at pre-established levels.
For example, if it were felt (by you and other educators) that a learner had to be competent in wiring a light switch before he or she passed a course in construction technology, the students would be tested through paper and pencil and performance examinations to see if they could properly achieve this skill. If they could, they would pass; if not, they would be required to work on the skill until they could successfully perform it.
In competency based instruction, achievement levels are always held constant, but the time allotted to reach competence may vary. Testing (evaluation) is not conducted in groups for the purposes of ranking and grading; they are administered whenever the learner is ready (possesses competence). When measuring for competency, objectives are assessed for achievement with specific criteria established (criterion references) for mastery. This is because the criterion levels for competency apply to everyone.
In addition to the variations in time for the achievement of competencies among learners, they may also follow alternate routes in becoming competent. Resources including learning centers, instructional technology, and a variety of optional learning activities are found in competency based programs. An all out effort is made to match learning activities to learning styles of individual learners. In summary, competency based instruction is an attempt to manage the education of learners so control can be gained and accountability achieved.
In Virginia, four
standards have been established to guide one in establishing a
competency based technology education program. These include:
1. Role relevant
competencies that include standards are identified and stated.
2. Competencies are
specified to students prior to instruction.
3. Criterion
referenced measures are used to measure achievement of
competencies.
4. A system exists
for documenting the competencies achieved by each student.
Following is an
explanation of each of the above standards.
In Virginia technology education programs, role relevant competencies that include standards have been identified and stated. These have been analyzed and developed for all approved technology education courses in the Commonwealth and are found in technology education instructional guides. Advisory committees composed of teachers, supervisors, and teacher educators identified and validated all competencies for each course. This research identified competencies needed for technological exploration and individual development related to improve citizenship in a technological society including tasks at the knowledge (cognitive), attitude (affective), and skill (psychomotor) levels. In this way, experts came to a consensus of what they believed to be important for learners to know at the completion of each approved technology education course. These competencies are those listed in curriculum guides.
When you develop a course in the competency based mode of instruction, the competencies taken from the guides are made known to the learner and the public in advance of instruction. This procedure assists in informing the learners regarding what will be expected at the completion of the course. For example, competency lists, course outlines, and activities can be provided to the learner. In this way learners are aware of what is expected of them prior to and while enrolled in the technology education course.
Criterion referenced measures are used to measure the achievement of the competencies. Performance objectives, establishing minimum performance levels, and criterion references are developed by the teacher and student performance is measured against these pre-determined standards rather than against other student's accomplishments.
The final standard
for CBI is the establishment of a system for documenting the
competencies achieved by each student. This documentation provides a
record of competencies achieved by the student. The documentation may
be used for articulation of the program to provide smooth transition
of the student from one school to another or from one level of
instruction to another level. The documentation is also a means of
providing information to employers and other teachers.
1.2. Advantages and Disadvantages of the CBI Approach
When deciding whether
to develop instructional programs in the competency based mode, a
prime consideration is to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages
to this instructional strategy. As with all alternative plans of
instruction, certain pro's and con's exist. CBI is no exception. In
this review we will look closer at the advantages and disadvantages
to the program, teacher, and student offered by CBI.
The Program
Competency based technology education is designed to complement, not change, established courses and curricula. In Virginia, competency instructional resource guides have been developed for state approved technology courses. These guides are based upon the suggested outlines for the established courses and assist teachers in identifying appropriate instructional content.
CBI is an effective tool for identifying course content and providing measurable means for evaluation. Along with the identification of agreed upon content in the guides, objective measures provide exactness of what the teacher should provide in his or her instructional programs and what reference points should be utilized to establish whether learners can master pre-specified knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
In a competency based program, features are incorporated from existing technology education programs that have proven successful. What CBI does to your existing program is make it systematic and manageable. CBI focuses upon identifying content and student achievement through objectives, using a variety of learning activities (including hands-on projects and experiments) for instruction, and evaluating and recording that content which students can successfully perform.
CBI encourages creative use of existing instructional materials. Since research has proven that learners learn differently and at different rates, in a CBI program the instructor must be creative in his or her methodologies and provide learning activities which complement the various learning styles of the students. It should be stressed that the same content can
be mastered through various instructional presentations (reading, lecture, demonstration, video tape, experimentation, etc.) and learning activities (worksheets, tests, projects, presentations, written reports, etc.). We, as instructors, should always work at increasing our instructional flexibility.
A competency based technology program can be implemented without the purchase of expensive new equipment and materials. What it really calls for is the adoption of specified content (competency lists), the teaching and testing by objectives, and incorporating various teacher and learner activities to meet varied learner styles. The present technology education laboratories, equipment, and materials (books and supplies) can still be maintained, but probably better utilized.
A major advantage of CBI is that it is a way of improving programs and making their evaluations more realistic. If one teaches what a majority of educators feel is the important content for a course and if one evaluates strictly according to the objectives based on this pre-specified content, then one can determine if learners are competent in information and skill that will make them better contributors to society.
Finally, CBI relates well to the contents and methods of the technology education subject areas. Instructors who have placed their programs into this mode of instruction have experienced success in managing their daily activities and measuring the advancement of their learners.
Although a number of
advantages have been identified at the program level for moving
toward the competency based approach to instruction, there is one
disadvantage. It is that of obtaining agreement on what competencies,
performance objectives and criterion referenced measures students
should achieve. However, this problem has been rectified in Virginia
with the development of competency lists for all state approved
technology education courses.
The Teacher
Competency based instruction is an instructional tool for use in program development activities by technology education teachers. It can aid in identifying content to teach in your program, providing the basis for selecting performance objectives, suggesting learner activities, and constructing performance and paper and pencil tests.
In short, CBI assists you in planning, organizing, teaching, and evaluating effective technology education instruction. It provides for an orderly sequence of instruction. As was said earlier, CBI assists in managing your instructional program. Sequential steps are followed which keep you in control in the program development and teaching process.
CBI encourages your promotion of minimum student competencies, emphasizes advanced achievement for the gifted, and can be designed to provide alternatives for special needs learners. As was stated earlier, the content for CBI programs has been specified through competency lists and course outlines. By varying teacher and learner activities, teachers can maintain the same course content but modify the learning process to meet the varying needs and styles of gifted and special needs learners.
In addition, competency based instruction can enhance the quality of statewide instruction. If all of Virginia's technology education teachers teach the same basic content in the specified courses and follow the CBI procedures, learners should be prepared to perform what we, as the technology education profession, feel is essential for survival in a technology oriented world. Consequently, this will lead to greater satisfaction for all of us as teachers.
Finally, by incorporating the CBI approach, we will emphasize the teaching of competencies that students should possess as they exit our courses. It is not enough in today's complex society to have students graduate from programs just because they have attended. They should leave with predetermined knowledge, skills, and attitudes which will assist them to succeed in their futures.
Disadvantages associated for the teacher using CBI also exist. Extensive staff time is demanded during the development of a CBI program. The competency lists have to be transformed into lesson plans with objectives, teaching procedures, learner activities, and evaluation means. However, when one develops any quality instructional program, planning and development time must be undertaken.
Because the
competency based system is built upon student performance, also there
is a potential increase in data or record keeping. Students need to
be evaluated so it can be determined if they can perform at
pre-specified levels and their progress and achievements need to be
monitored and recorded.
The Student
Competency based technology education is designed to benefit the student through attainment of knowledge, skills, and values relevant to life and career and personal exploration. In an attempt to determine the most appropriate contents for our technology education courses and our students, advisory committees composed of teachers, supervisors, and teacher educators spent many long hours analyzing our courses. This work resulted in the publication of our competency list and new instructional resource guides.
CBI allows students to know what is expected of them in a technology education course. Again, research has proven if learners are informed of what they are going to learn and of what they are expected to perform, then the end results will be superior. By establishing our course competencies and making them public to the learners and parents, we are providing improved avenues of instruction and learning.
Competency based instruction also emphasizes individual instruction. Teachers who operate these types of programs expand their teacher and learner activities so each individual learner has the opportunity to learn by the style which most closely fits their needs.
In essence, CBI is fair. The learners are held accountable for the performance of pre-specified competencies. When learners know what they must do to pass, they will usually put forth the necessary effort to progress.
Finally, competency based technology education has as its end result the preparation of learners and teachers for life a technological world. Through the course guides and CBI, program emphasis is placed on understanding consumer, technical, and occupational aspects of technology. In summary, this is the mission of technology education instruction in Virginia.
The major disadvantage of CBI for the students is that they must learn to become independent learners responsible for their education. They must do their part so they can gain the assistance of our instructors and courses to become competent citizens in a technological world. Learning is the responsibility of the learner.
As has been pointed
out in this section, both advantages and disadvantages exist in the
development of competency based technology education programs. The
advantages can be weighed as improved programs, while the
disadvantages focus on planning and program development time.
However, if we really care about technology education and our
students, the initial devotion of time will far outweigh the
potential of our curriculum on the lives of our learners.
2.1. The Steps to Competency Based Programs
To develop your
technology education courses so they are in the competency based
instruction format, there are seven basic steps which must be
undertaken. These include the following:
a. Identify and
sequence the competency tasks.
b. Develop
performance objectives.
c. Develop teacher
activities.
d. Develop learner activities.
e. Develop criterion
referenced tests.
f. Develop student
progress charts.
g. Revise the program
where needed.
A brief explanation
will be provided for each of these.
Identify and
sequence tasks. The first essential step required to establish a
competency based course is to identify and sequence all necessary
competency tasks associated with that course. This has been
accomplished for the six state approved middle school and high school
technology education courses. It is recommended that you use these
materials in the development of your courses. However, if you teach a
course other than those approved or that does not have curriculum
materials developed, you will be required to identify and sequence
your own tasks. This is a timely procedure but is the essential first
step in CBI. Your attention should focus on identifying role relevant
tasks needed for living in a technology dominated world.
Develop
performance objectives. With the identification and sequencing of
your competency tasks, the next step is to write the performance
objectives you will use to teach the tasks. Remember to utilize
performance verbs in your objectives along with the component parts
of conditions, performances, and criteria. Many other sources exist
to assist you in developing your performance objectives. Our new
curriculum guides have the performance statements already developed
for you.
Develop teacher
activities. Teacher activities are those instructional processes
the teacher will undertake so the students can learn the knowledge
associated with the technology education program. A good teacher
plans and records the procedures of his or her activities. Examples
of these could include: lectures, demonstrations, videos, computer
programs, individual learning packages, etc. Remember all good
instruction is pre-planned and meets the individual needs of
learners.
Develop learner
activities. These activities facilitate student learning and
reinforce the content the teacher tries to get across during
instruction. Examples of learner activities include: completing work
sheets, building projects, completing design briefs, conducting
experiments, writing presentations, giving reports, etc. Again, it
should be remembered that learning activities should meet the
individual needs of each learner.
Develop criterion
referenced tests. These should be either paper and pencil test
items or actual performances to assess whether learners can perform.
Criterion referenced tests should be based on your performance
objectives and lead to the achievement of their respective competency
tasks. An important point to remember is that all criterion
referenced tests should be constructed prior to instruction. This
will ensure that you are only teaching and testing relevant content
based on the pre-specified competency tasks of the course.
Develop student
progress charts. To record student achievement through
performance, instruments should be drawn up to record student
competence. These progress charts should include all competencies
associated with the course. Many have been developed for your use for
state approved technology education courses.
Revise the program
where needed. The teacher's job is never done in a competency
based program. Whenever new materials are needed or older materials
revised, the teacher must provide for this revision in a CBI program.
All efforts must be made to enable the students to become masters of
our pre-specified competencies.
These steps describe
the essential components of a competency based technology education
program. Each must be accomplished for each lesson or unit of
instruction. The following section will list a number of sources to
assist you in preparing your competency based technology education
program.
2.2. Major Sources of Assistance
Beside your own
individual efforts which are required in developing competency based
programs, other sources of resources are available to assist you in
your efforts. These include:
a. CBI Curriculum
Courses. These are offered by teacher education institutions at the
pre-service and in-service levels.
b. State and Local
Supervisors. If you have a local technology education or vocational
education supervisor, these individuals will be able to assist you in
your program development. If you do not have these resources at hand,
please contact the state's Technology Education representatives,
Virginia Department of Education, P. O. Box 2020, Richmond, VA 23216;
telephone (804) 225-2089.
c. Teacher Educators.
In addition to their assistance in pre-service and in-service CBI
activities, technology education teacher education institutions can
be contacted for assistance in preparing CBI programs. Each of the
four universities has staff members who are competent and willing to
provide you assistance in developing your program in a competency
based format.
d. Literature.
Besides commercially available books and publications the State
Department of Education has published a number of resources which can
assist you in developing your competency based program. These
include:
1. CBI and You
2. Instructional
Resource Guides for all state approved courses.