The new competence concept in higher education: error or enrichment?

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to evaluate whether the new (comprehensive) concept of competence and the competence-based education approach are being used in, and perceived as being fruitful for, academic education. Design/methodology/approach -In this explorative and qualitative study individual interviews with representatives of study programs from eight universities in the Netherlands were held, and a participative case-study in one university was conducted, in which practices and perceptions from various stakeholder groups were triangulated. Findings -The opinions of the respondents on the usefulness of the competence-based education approach were quite positive. There is wide agreement on the necessity to align university curricula to the needs of society and of the labour market. University education can make effective use of the competence concept. Universities differ as to the extent to which they employ a competence-based education approach. Many hurdles exist for actually implementing this in university curricula. Research limitations/implications -Interpretations largely depend on the perceptions of the respondents in the study. For most university programs only one representative was included as respondent in the study. Practical implications -With some exceptions, the competence-based education approach is currently not much used in academic education. Possibilities and limitations of competence-based academic education should be identified in further case studies and strategies for actually implementing it should be developed. Further research should show differential relationships between the level of integration of the competence concept in higher education and the societal effects of the respective programs. Originality/value -The competence concept has been underexposed in university education practices and in research.

Redesigning the Instructional Act in Romanian Higher Education

“…Winterton 14 describes competences, starting from a British competence-based approach, as the ability to apply knowledge, understanding and skills in performing the standards required in employment. Mulder et al 8 view competences closely correlated to the educational goals, designed in accordance with the employer's expectations from a future graduate. Winterton 14 points out the view of Mansfield 15 that enlarges competence reference to individuals who follow the rules without questioning, meaning that competence implies compliance, and skills that aid the development of an individual such as flexibility, adaptability and responsibility.…”

“…The main target of training in case of the future graduates is a set of competences that they should acquire. Mulder et al 8 view competences as a series of integrated capabilities consisting of clusters of knowledge, skills and attitudes indispensable for task performance and problemsolving, and for being able to function effectively in a certain profession, organization, job, role and situation. This system of competences leads to a re-design of the university curriculum, where disciplines are converted into professional and transversal competences.…”

Modelling competences and anticipating the future competence needs in the forest sector

“…There are several definitions about the concept of competence, and the debate of different meanings is widespread (Boyatzis 1982;Dubois 1993;Spencer and Spencer 1993;Fleishman et al 1995;Green 1999;Le Deist and Winterton 2005;Hogg 2008;Mulder et al 2009;Mäkinen and Annala 2012). For example, Weinert (2001) distinguishes nine theoretical approaches to competence, and Mulder et al (2007) divide competence research in three traditions, each of which include a variety of definitions.…”

Replicating enterprise environment using Office 365 to enhance graduates’ employability

“…A full description of competency concept, etymology and use in Higher Education as competenciesoriented learning is also debated into the literature [12]. The professional competencies target more the ability of the graduate to solve a specific field problem, being technical knowledge.…”