The Competency-Based Approach (CBA) is much more than just a pedagogical evolution. As Eric Giraudin points out: "APC is part of a mission that aims to help learners meet the demands of changing professions, but also to get involved in responding to societal challenges".
This first article in a series of 5 will look back at our latest conference on APC, organized in collaboration with SKEMA, the University of Montpellier and CentraleSupélec.
A new vision of teaching
APC marks a break with traditional approaches by placing the learner at the center of the learning process. This transformation is based on a more global and humanistic vision of education.
As Eric Giraudin explains: "We have moved on from an approach centered on concrete know-how to a more complex approach integrating cross-disciplinary skills, to arrive today at a third generation that combines complexity and evaluability.
From knowledge to competence
The evolution of the competency-based approach has been structured around three distinct phases that mark a progression in the design and assessment of competencies.
The first generation: concrete know-how
This first approach focused on concrete, directly observable skills, such as "whisking eggs". These skills were easy to assess, but remained highly fragmented, being limited to the evaluation of specific knowledge and know-how.
The second generation: cross-disciplinary skills
This phase introduced a more complex dimension, with the integration of cross-disciplinary skills such as creativity and autonomy. Although these skills gave greater meaning to learning, they proved difficult to assess objectively.
The third generation: the evaluable complex
This current approach combines complexity and evaluability. It defines competence as the potential of an individual to cope with a complex situation within a given family of situations. For example, for a professional pastry chef, making a pastry involves combining a number of skills, know-how and postures: compliance with hygiene protocols, choice of ingredients, creativity in revisiting a recipe.
This evolution reflects a more sophisticated understanding of what a skill is, moving from a simplistic vision based on isolated tasks to an integrative approach that takes into account the complexity of real-life work situations.
The challenges of transformation
Implementing APC becomes particularly complex when dealing with large numbers of students. "Assessing one student or 10 in a competency-based approach is already complex, but it's feasible. If you have cohorts of 50, 80 or 300 students, it's very difficult to implement..
Support for teaching teams
Teachers generally understand the philosophical appeal of the approach, but question its practical implementation. "For teachers, the main concern is operational management. Philosophically, they understand the interest, but they wonder about concrete implementation".
The need for training
Teachers need substantial support to :
- Making the process your own
- Identify skills related to their courses
- Master the necessary digital tools
Supporting teachers
Dominique Hervy Guillaume emphasizes: "We need to support them in this appropriation: my course, what skills, and then also equip them digitally so that they can follow it all along the way".
Resistance to change
Vaietea Jaquier observes: "For teachers, the main concern is operational management. Philosophically, they understand the interest, but they wonder about concrete implementation".
Changing learners' attitudes
APC requires learners to become true actors in their training, which is a particular challenge for the first years. "It's a bit difficult to get them to become responsible actors, because APC means I take charge of my training".1.
Inter-team collaboration
The success of the APC requires a decompartmentalization of practices and close collaboration between the various players. "There's a real need for collaboration, particularly at teacher level, since we also need to define how to assess and validate a skill".
Adapting tools and systems
Establish enabling digital ecosystems that enable :
- Interconnection between different platforms
- Data centralization
- Tracking skills through various courses
This far-reaching transformation therefore requires a systemic, step-by-step approach, taking into account the specific characteristics of each plant and its particular constraints.
The pillars of success
The success of the APC depends on close collaboration between all the players involved. As Aurélie points out, "There is a real need for collaboration, especially at teacher level, as we also need to define how to assess and validate a skill". This collaboration must extend beyond the teaching teams to include the IT and administrative departments.
Personalized support
Supporting learners is crucial if they are to make the most of this new approach. They need to be given the means to visualize their progress and understand how the skills they have acquired relate to their future career.
Rethinking assessment
Assessment in APC revolves around four essential dimensions:
- Quality of results and performance in integration situations
- The ability to justify choices and actions
- The ability to self-regulate and correct mistakes
- The ability to adapt to different situations
Concrete benefits
For learners
- Greater awareness of their real capabilities
- Reducing impostor syndrome
- Developing a reflective approach
- Increased ability to promote their skills
For plants
- A structured framework for continuous training improvement
- A better match with the needs of the professional world
- More precise monitoring of learner progress
- Training better adapted to the challenges facing society
For teachers
- A clearer vision of learning objectives
- Better pedagogical alignment
- More relevant assessment tools
- Increased collaboration between peers
For the professional world
- Graduates more aware of their skills
- Better prepared for the demands of the field
- Greater adaptability
- Continuous, lifelong skills development
Vaietea emphasizes: "This approach helps students to overcome imposter syndrome by enabling them to visualize their abilities in concrete terms". She adds that "you no longer leave with your diploma as an expert on the job market, but with a certain level of skill acquisition that you are invited to continue developing throughout your life".
Conclusion
The competency-based approach represents a major transformation in higher education, requiring appropriate tools for successful implementation.
For learners
APC enables students to become real players in their training, by developing a clearer awareness of their abilities. Tools such as ChallengeMe facilitate this awareness by enabling students to visualize their progress and receive regular feedback on the development of their skills.
For teachers
Transformation requires substantial support and changes in teaching practices. The use of adapted digital tools, such as ChallengeMe, makes it possible to :
- Managing peer review effectively
- Track the progress of skills on a large scale
- Maintaining individualized support despite large numbers of employees
The keys to success
Supporting change
- A gradual transformation adapted to the context
- Technical and educational support for teams
- Enhancing existing practices
- Digital tools to automate time-consuming tasks
Digital tooling
The success of APC relies on tools that enable :
- Longitudinal skills tracking
- Continuous formative assessment
- Progress visualization
- System interoperability
Future prospects
The APC is part of a modern vision of higher education where "you no longer leave with your diploma as an expert on the job market, but with a certain level of skills acquisition that you are invited to continue developing throughout your life".
Although complex to implement, this approach offers a pertinent response to the current challenges facing higher education:
- Adapting to changes in the professional world
- Responding to societal challenges
- Developing learner autonomy
- Continuous training improvement
The success of this transformation depends on the commitment of all players, a clear vision of objectives, and technological solutions like ChallengeMe that automate and simplify skills tracking, while maintaining the pedagogical quality required for this ambitious approach.
