DES MOINES AREA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Crriclm development Competency-Based Edcation www.dmacc.ed
Why does DMACC se competency-based edcation? DMACC tilizes competency-based edcation for a nmber of reasons. Fnding of some programs and grants reqires the move to competencies or some other measres that will permit the assessment of the competency or otcome. Accrediting organizations, sch as the North Central Association, are reqiring otcomes assessment as part of their approval process. Bt even more so, DMACC tilizes a competency based edcation: to be more accontable for its prposes to its fnding sorces, its stakeholders and the general pblic to increase its effectiveness as an instittion of higher and lifelong learning to increase the collaboration with bsiness and indstry to increase the qality of its services to the commnity Who Develops crriclm? Being competency-based means that the entire crriclm is designed to allow for the achievement of established competencies. Competencies for each corse taght at DMACC have been developed by: faclty who are experts in their fields advisory grop members from bsiness and indstry members of professional and trade organizations Additional inpt is provided from the Crriclm Commission. The commission is comprised of faclty representation from each of the campses who teach the same or related corses, and personnel responsible for the transfer fnction to for-year colleges and niversities. What are the benefits of sing competencies? They form the framework for a corse of instrction. They acqaint the learners with knowledge, skills and attitdes expected of them pon completion of the corse or program of stdy. They assist the instrctor in organizing and seqencing sbject matter. They indicate the type and extent of activities reqired for sccessflly carrying ot learning. They provide a basis for evalating both the learner s achievement and the effectiveness of the corse. They convey to the varios stakeholders and the pblic what is to be taght and learned. www.dmacc.ed
New Crriclm Development Processes All new corses and programs as well as any corse or program deletions are approved by the Crriclm Commission. Proposed corses, corse changes and programs follow the following processes: Discipline-specific district chairs and deans/provosts review the proposals for clarity in description, adeqacy of credits, academic rigor, spporting rationale, assessment plan and any specific spport services reqired by the stdents. Corse and change proposals are reviewed by an administrative committee for clarity and compliance with instittional policy and procedres. The crriclm proposal then goes before the Crriclm Commission for discssion and final Commission recommendation to the Chief Academic Officer for adoption. Corse proposals become part of the crriclm offered at DMACC pon the signatre of the Chief Academic Officer. New program proposals are sbmitted to the Iowa Department of Edcation for final approval. What is Competency-Based Edcation? Competency-based edcation is a systematic approach aimed at improving the teaching/learning process that addresses these qestions: What do we want or stdents to be able to know and do? How can we best ensre that they will be able to achieve those otcomes? How do we know when these otcomes are achieved? What are Competencies? Competencies are statements of the knowledge, skills and attitdes stdents are expected to have or to demonstrate at the completion of a corse or a program of stdy. A competency statement is a general statement that contains the following three parts: An action verb An object that receives the action, and One or more relevant qalifiers, if necessary. Below are examples: Prepare an income statement. Write a bsiness letter. Solve percentage problems. Condct a marketing presentation for sales department staff.
What are the Steps in Writing Competencies? Identify competencies that are considered important to achieve by the end of the corse. Organize the competencies for the major sections of the corse. Organize the competencies based on normal corse seqence. Sb-competencies are statements prepared sing a competency and asking the qestion: What has to be done to achieve this competency? following the same process sed to write a competency. An example follows: Sample Competency: 1. Write a resme Sb-competencies: 1.1 Review resme formats 1.2 Write career objective 1.3 List edcation, job skills, and abilities More Insight on Sb-competencies Writing sb-competencies is a bit more complicated than writing competencies in that a procedre is to be followed when sing verbs in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. Bt the procedre is very simple: never se a verb in a sb-competency that is at a higher level than that level of the verb in the competency for which it is written. Cognitive and Affective Domains COGNITIVE DOMAIN: AFFECTIVE DOMAIN: Concerned with information and knowledge Attitdes and vales, feelings and emotions PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN: Concerned with doing skills Sample Action Verbs What the stdent mst know: Define, describe, discss, explain, fill in, identify, label, name, remember, repeat What is broken down: Analyze, choose, categorize, parts, differentiate, evalate What the stdent mst nderstand: Explain, match, discss, restate in other words, interpret, distingish, comprehend What two or more pieces: Combine, create, plan, design, of information are to be: organized, compiled, combined What information is to be applied: Apply, constrct, draw, se, sed assemble, disassemble What stdents are to do: Appraise, assemble, defend, assess, express, evalate, determine, compare, design, constrct
Cognitive Domain Examples: Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evalation Define Convert Calclate Analyze Assemble Appraise Describe Defend Change Classify Categorize Assess Identify Discss Compte Compare Combine Compare Label Distingish Demonstrate Diagram Compile Conclde List Estimate Discover Differentiate Compose Contrast Match Explain Draw Discriminate Create Criticize Name Express Maniplate Dissect Develop Defend Otline Extend Modify Distingish Design Discriminate Reprodce Generalize Operate Examine Explain Estimate Select Give Practice Identify Generate Explain State Infer Predict Illstrate Modify Interpret Paraphrase Prepare Investigate Organize Jdge Predict Prodce Otline Plan Jstify Review Relate Point Ot Rearrange Measre Smmarize Simlate Select Relate Smmarize Solve Separate Reorganize Spport Translate Sbdivide Revise Use Rewrite Write Affective Domain Examples: Receiving Responding valing Organization Vale Complex Ask Answer Complete Adhere Act Choose Assist Describe Alter Discriminate Describe Comply Differentiate Arrange Display Follow Conform Explain Combine Inflence Give Discss Form Compare Listen Hold Greet Initiate Complete Modify Identify Help Invite Defend Perform Locate Label Join Explain Propose Name Perform Jstify Identify Qalify Point to Practice Propose Integrate Qestion Select Present Read Modify Revise Set Erect Select Order Serve Reply Recite Share Organize Solve Use Report Verify Synthesize Use Stdy Tell Select Work www.dmacc.ed
Psychomotor Domain Examples: Application Application Application Application Application Assemble Design Grip Locate Sharpen Balance Dismantle Hammer Make Set Bild Draw Handle Maniplate Sew Calibrate Drill Heat Mend Sketch Change Fasten Hook Mix Start Clean Figre Identify Nail Stir Compose Fix Load Paint Use Connect Fold Process Weigh Constrct Follow Saw Wrap Correct Grind Serve Write COMPETENCY EXAMPLE: Sbject: Baseball Goal: To win the game Competencies Needed to Achieve the Goal: Know the rles of the game. Be a sccessfl batter. Be able to field the ball. Be able to throw the baseball accrately. Sb-competencies for Competency of Batting: (Cognitive, Affective and Psychomotor Domains) Demonstrate the stance that the batter takes in the box. (Application Psychomotor Domain) Demonstrate how to swing the bat. (Application Psychomotor Domain) Identify the selection of pitches at which the batter swings. (Synthesis Cognitive Domain) Objective for Swinging the Bat: Given a bat, the batter will demonstrate correctly how to position the hands at the beginning of a swing. The batter will demonstrate correctly how to position the arms, hands and bat at the middle of a swing. The batter will demonstrate correctly how to position the arms, hands and bat at the end of a swing.
What Are Program Competencies? Program competencies are broader statements describing the otcomes reslting from stdents sccessfl completion of a program of stdy. Program competencies have been developed for the varios programs offered at DMACC. Program competencies are written following the same procedre sed in writing competencies. Checklist of Recommended Gidelines for Writing Competencies Below is a checklist of recommended gidelines that have been developed for writing competencies and sb-competencies at DMACC: Write a minimm of two to three competencies for each credit hor. While not all competencies need sb-competencies, a majority of the competencies within a given corse shold have sb-competencies to frther explain what is expected of the stdent. The minimm nmber of sb-competencies for any given competency is two; otherwise, the competency may stand alone. There may be more than two sb-competencies, bt not fewer. If more than 12 sb-competencies are written, refine the competency into two separate competencies. Twelve or more sb-competencies indicate that another competency is needed. Use the introdctory phrase for a set of corse competencies: Dring this corse, the stdent will be expected to: Use the approved nmbering system for competencies and sb-competencies. The first competency is nmbered 1.0; sb-competencies for the first competency will be nmbered 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and so on. The second competency is nmbered 2.0 and sb-competencies for it are nmbered 2.1, 2.2, 2.3. Begin each competency and sb-competency with an action verb. Employ a variety of action verbs. Note: A good thesars helps tremendosly. Use only one action verb per competency or sb-competency statement. Examples sch as Identify and describe that begin a competency or sb-competency shold be made into separate competencies or sb-competencies. There may be exceptions to this gideline in some corses. General Edcation Competencies? All programs and disciplines incorporate the general edcation competencies into their crriclm. The general edcation competencies are the lifelong learning skills that are identified as important for all stdents to acqire within the completion of a degree program at DMACC. These skills focs on: Understanding and demonstrating effective commnication Understanding and demonstrating logical and critical thinking Developing an nderstanding of fndamental scientific principles and their application Developing an nderstanding of fndamental mathematical principles and their application Developing an nderstanding of hman society and cross-cltral variation and perspective Developing knowledge of and appreciation for the hman condition as expressed in works of hman imagination and thoght www.dmacc.ed
www.dmacc.ed Nondiscrimination Policy Des Moines Area Commnity College shall not engage in or allow discrimination covered by law. This incldes harassment, based on race, color, national origin, creed, religion, gender, sexal orientation, age or disability. Veteran stats in edcational programs, activities, employment practices or admission procedres is also inclded to the extent covered by law. Individals who believe they have been discriminated against may file a complaint throgh the College Discrimination Complaint Procedre. Complaint forms may be obtained from the Hman Resorces Department, Provost s Office, EEO/AA Officer. Persons who wish additional information or assistance may contact the EEO-AA Officer, Hman Resorces, Bldg. 1, 515-964-6301. For reqests for accommodations, the Accommodation/Section 504/ADA Coordinator can be contacted at 515-964-6857.