Competencies Tool

Screenshot of Competency section

Screenshot of Competency section

What is the Competencies Tool?

Competencies track information about the knowledge, abilities, and skills learners acquire as they participate in a course or other learning experience. Competencies are an inventory of skills and knowledge, rather than measures of how good learners are at something. Other vocabulary used to describe competencies can include “proficiencies”, “learning outcomes”, “standards”, “objectives” and “skills”.

Why would you use the Competencies Tool?

Use the Competencies Tool in your course to:

  1. Define thresholds of mastery
  2. Assess learning outcomes and skill acquisition
  3. Link assessment activities to learning outcomes

Scenario 1: Identify Knowledge

Professor Clark is teaching a History course. This year he would like to track students’ research, writing, and debate skills in order to ensure all students are achieving a satisfactory level in these skills. To do this, he creates a competency structure that includes learning objectives that are attached to activities. Throughout the course of the year, he routinely monitors students’ progress on these skills providing encouragement and support to both high achieving as well as under achieving students.

Tara Lee, a student Professor Clark’s History course, has performed very well in her writing and argumentative skills. However, her competency in the research skillset has been identified for remediation. Professor Clark is able to provide additional resources and support to help her bring this skill up to a satisfactory level throughout the remainder of the course.

The Competency tool allows Professors to identify and track all key learning outcomes for their course.

The Competency tool allows Professors to manage and track which students are completing learning outcomes and which could benefit from additional support.

The Competency tool ensures that students have met all learning outcomes to a satisfactory level. Students can receive targeted support from Professors throughout the course.

 

Scenario 2: Course Completion

Professor Jones is running a Continuing Education course at her University. She uses the Learning Objectives tool to identify key items that need to be completed by students that take this course. As they complete the required activities the tool tracks who has met the requirements. Professor Jones can track the completion and progress of her students that are taking the training course.

Jean Connors is a student taking a self-paced Continuing Education course. As she completes the course she can refer back the Learning Objectives set for her course to view which components of the course have been achieved to date.

Utilize Learning Objectives to Students course completion requirements.

Professors can utilize Learning Objectives to create a list of completion requirements for a course. Teachers can refer to this tool to identify Student progress.

Students can track the Learning Objectives they have completed in real-time.

 

Video Tutorials: Competencies

 

Your Turn Activity

Access Competencies section on top menu bar, see side bar

Any access issues with Competencies contact Champlain’s D2L Brightspace administrator. 

  1. Click create a new competency
  2. Enter a name
  3. Enter a description
  4. Click save
  5. Click into Competency
  6. Click the structure button to go to Edit structure tab
  7. Click New Learning Objective
  8. Enter a Name
  9. Enter a description
  10. Choose ready for evaluation
  11. Click add
  12. Click to enter the Competency and set status to published
  13. Click to enter the Learning Objective
  14. Click edit structure
  15. Click Incorporate Activities
  16. Select an existing Activity
  17. Click save

Note: Your menu bar might not have all the same items as screenshot.

Create a Competency structure within your course with the following attributes:

  1. One Competency
  2. Two Learning Objectives
    1. One connected to a Quiz – completion based on overall percentage grade
    2. One connected to a Dropbox Folder – completion based on overall Rubric level

 

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