A New Paradigm in Assessment:

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A New Paradigm in Assessment Competency Based
Halden A. Morris, PhD., P.E.,Senior
Lecturer, TVET School of Education, UWI.
Marjorie Blagrove-Williams, MSc , Education
Programme Coordinator, VTDI
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QUESTIONS
What Where How

• What is this new paradigm in assessment?
• What is Competency Based assessment (CBA)?
• What are the assumptions of CBA?
• What are the origins of CBA?
• What are the components of CBA?
• How are standards for CBA established?
• What is the CBA methodology?
• How are evidences for CBA collected?
• What are the fundamental challenges of CBA?
• What facilities required for implementing CBA?
• Where CBA is best employed?

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Connection with your current thinking / practice.
LEARNING MEMO - Concepts
Determine what?

• Assessment of learning.

• Assessment for learning.

• Realibility of Assessment.

• What challenges your thinking?

• Identify one useful, new concept or idea .

• Is assessment aligned to learning?

• Assessment as learning.

• Extends your thinking.

• Concept of CBA.

• What of accountability?

• Validity of Assessment.

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What is Competency Based Assessment (CBA)
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What is Competency Based Assessment (CBA)
An educational system which revolves around what
is essential for all students to be able to do,
or be like at the end of their learning
experiences, as a result of their education.
Competency based assessment is producing evidence
to make a judgment decision about whether the
person is competent in relation to a particular
standard
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What is Competency Based Assessment (CBA)

• Hayton Wagner(2008) sees CBA as the assessment
  of evidence to determine a persons current
  abilities against a given set of competency
  standards

• Competency-based assessment is a system in which
  a number of assessment techniques can be used to
  determine the persons abilities

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Origins of Competency Based Assessment (CBA)

• The theoretical roots of CBA lie in the
  behaviourist models of human psychology from the
  1950s (Skinner is the main proponent).
• The model of competence used most extensively in
  education was developed by the American defence
  forces in the 1950s.

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Five Related Developments that fed into the
Design of CBET
Mastery learning (Bloom 1974)
Criterion-referenced testing (Popham 1978)
Minimum competency testing (Jaegar 1980)
Competence in education (Burke et al. 1975)
Programmed learning (Skinner 1952).
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These movements shared three things in common
design of assessment around a list of observable
behaviours
Modules
the concept of mastery. (Harris et al. 1995
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Philosophy of CBA
Assessment is against industry standard, or a set
of criteria to establish competency.
Criterion referenced
A process that matches evidence of competency
against a standard.
Evidence based
Candidates are involved in the process of
assessment
Participatory
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Where is CBA best employed?

• CBA can be employed in all practical areas.
• Specifically, CBA is best employed where there is
  a need to assess performance demonstrated against
  established standards for a particular area.

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Emphasis of Competency Based Assessment
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Equipping students
Performance
Valid
Industry industry
Making inferences about competency on the basis
of performance (McGaw, 1993
Continuous development of outcomes that match
current industry needs in the workplace.
Emphasis is on determining if students are
equipped to meet the demands of the workplace.
Valid, reliable, fair and flexible assessment
process
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Misconceptions of CBA
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Misconceptions of CBA
CBA is the same as Performance Based Assessment
(PBA)
Performance in soft skills is not critical in CBA
Employers could conduct valid and reliable
assessment without assessment of competencies
Training records are assessments
CBA can be a single event
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Assumptions of CBA
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Assumptions

• CBA places the emphasis on developing detailed
  national criteria that are based on industry
  needs

CBA quality assurance emphasizes auditing human
and material resources in ways that lead to
continuous internal quality improvement.
Attempts to develop descriptions of practice
involve practitioners and this involvement is
active and collective.
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Components of CBA
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COMPONENTS OF CBA
A standard of competence or benchmark of
performance
Standards

• Established methods for the collection of
  evidence of competence

Evidence collection
Framework for the comparison of evidence against
standards to establish performance level
Framework for comparison
Assurance of quality of process
Quality assurance
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COMPONENTS OF CBA
Emphasis is on outcomes specifically, multiple
outcomes, each distinctive and separately
considered
Outcomes
The belief that these outcomes can and should be
specified to the point where they are clear and
"transparent". Assessor, assessee, and "third
parties" should be able to understand what is
being assessed and what should be achieved.
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How do you know when a student achieves
competency.
Establishing Standards for CBA
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Establishing Standards
Evidence must comply with the assessment
guidelines and other requirement stated in the
relevant nationally training package
Underpinning knowledge, skills and attitudes.
(Competency is achieved when a student can
demonstrate these)
The evaluation of sufficient evidence to enable
judgments to be made regarding competence.
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Judgment based on
Performance
Evidence
Standard
Industry acceptance Teachers compliance with
the standards.
Conditions of performance/ facilities/ experience
of teacher/ assessor
Variety Flexibility Observable
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What does it mean to be Competent
React
Fulfill
Transfer
Perform
Organize
Perform at an acceptable Skill Level
Respond and React to the unexpected
Organize ones tasks
Fulfill the Role expected in the Workplace
Transfer Skills and Knowledge to new Situations
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CBA Methodology
How do I do it? Who should be involved? When
Should it be done? Where should it be done?
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CBA Methodology
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Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Off the job assessment
Simulation
On the job assessment
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CBA Methodology On the job/ Workplace
assessment
The assessor assesses the practical component
at the workplace and the underpinning knowledge
and skills component off-the-job.
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Off the job assessment

• Actively involves the workplace in the assessment
  process

Assessment is conducted off-the-job after which
verification of on-the-job workplace performance
is sought from the workplace supervisor.
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Simulation
Makes assessment activity meaningful to students
by relating it workplace activities, procedures
and requirements.
Provision of a fully simulated assessment in an
off-the-job setting that effectively mirrors the
workplace requirements.
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Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

• Assessment through Recognition of Prior Learning
  offered where the apprentice/trainee presents
  evidence of appropriate knowledge and skills
  development.

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CBA Methodology - Instruments

• Observation
• Demonstration
• Project
• Role play
• Oral presentation
• Portfolio
• Written questions
• Case studies

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Fundamental Challenges of CBA
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Fundamental Challenges of CBA

• Deciding on approaches to assessment for CBA
• Gaining teacher confidence in using CBA
• No shared understanding about CBA
• Concept of competency is not well defined

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Fundamental Challenges of CBA

• Details required CBA for TVET is too cumbersome.
• Difficulty in designing assessment instruments
  that measure the criteria for not one but a
  number of competencies.
• Accessing suitable training for assessors.

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Fundamental Challenges of CBA
Difficult and impracticable to decide a level of
achievement as well as decide competencies.
Flexibility that schools can apply to developing
approaches to assessment.
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Fundamental Challenges of CBA

• The sequence of learning and assessment, can
  minimize, rather than maximize, the amount of
  assessment required.

• Inability to provide a variety of support
  materials, including print, audiovisual and
  simulations (models), keyed to the skills being
  mastered is used.

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Fundamental Challenges of CBA

• Providing appropriate (fit for purpose)
  facilities equipment for carrying out CBA.
• Providing facilities that is aligned with
  requirements of industry and commerce.

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Summary

• What is Competency Based Assessment (CBA)?
• Origins of CBA
• Philosophy of CBA
• Where is CBA best employed
• Emphasis of CBA
• Misconceptions of CBA
• Assumptions of CBA
• Components of CBA
• Establishing Standards for CBA
• CBA Methodology Instruments
• Fundamental Challenges of CBA

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Questions?
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References

• Information retrieved from the following cites
• http//www-new1.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/Documents/r
  esources/heca/heca_cl25.pdf
• http//training.qld.gov.au/resources/employers/pdf
  /requirements-competency-assessment.pdf
• https//www.cshisc.com.au/docs/ATSI_TAA/LearnerGui
  des/atsi_workplaceassessor_learnersguide_sec2_dev0
  1.pdf