Competency, capability, complexity and computers: exploring a new model for conceptualising end‐user computer education

Abstract

Renata Phelps is a Lecturer in the School of Education at (CBT) in information technology at all levels of education and training. The emergence of counter-narratives underpinned by the capability movement, have as yet had minimal impact on practice in computer education. New discourses in educational theory and practice which are founded on non-linear approaches to learning and teaching provide added impetus to engage in the competency/capability debate, and re-examine our approaches to computer education. This paper explores complexity theories and demonstrates how complexity's pedagogical implications can lead to new models for understanding computer learning and teaching. A new model for conceptualising end-user computer education is presented that was derived from a three-year action research initiative with pre-service teachers.

Competencies and Learning for Management Information Systems

“…The affective competence, which Marcolin and others studied, was self-efficacy. Gupta and Bostrom (2006) added metacognitive learning outcomes to this triple, and other research supports the importance of including problem solving skills in IT competence (Phelps, Hase, & Ellis, 2005). While these dimensions are generally applicable to all learning and therefore to any subject matter area, they do not address the specific subject matter areas of information systems.…”

“…Coulson and colleagues (2003), Herskin (2006) and Stamatova and Kaasbøll (2007) have pointed to the need for teaching of concepts and principles in computer training, but further research is needed to find better ways of carrying out such training. User training for problem solving and for learning is also an area where we know little more than the fact that metacognitive skills are useful (Phelps et al, 2005), and this area can bring substantial improvements for user learning if research is carried out.…”

Researching pharmacist managerial capability: Philosophical perspectives and paradigms of inquiry

“…67,72 Knowing how to learn is considered a major part of what it means to be capable. 73,74 Capability has been defined as holistic, ".…”

“…15,72,[80][81][82] The conceptualizations differ at more than one level, however a key difference between these approaches is the attempt in the latter studies to conceptually capture 'holism,' and to explain a more realistic nonlinear relationship between knowledge and action.…”

Exploring the structure of trainee teachers’ ICT literacy: the main components of, and relationships between, general cognitive and technical capabilities

“…According to this approach: ''ICT literacy is using digital technology, communication tools, and/or networks to access, manage, integrate, evaluate and create in order to function in a knowledge society'' (ETS, 2002, p. 16). In contrast, the current requirements for, and training of, trainee teachers' ICT-related capabilities are based on narrow competence-based approaches (Phelps, Hase, & Ellis, 2005). The majority of ICT-related standards and programs aim to develop trainee teachers' technical capabilities in isolation or integrate the enhancement of these skills with the development of teachers' competencies in instructional design, subject matter and other profession-related skills (e.g., ISTE, 2001;Midoro, 2005a).…”