[NIFL-AALPD:800] Re: Flaws in frameworks?

From: Eileen Eckert (eileeneckert@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Nov 04 2003 - 12:06:17 EST


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From: "Eileen Eckert" <eileeneckert@hotmail.com>
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Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:800] Re: Flaws in frameworks?
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Hi all:
In response to Jackie's question, a possible flaw in competency-based 
frameworks is that competencies can be viewed in isolation. Competencies can 
be taught and assessed with a kind of "checklist" mentality and an 
assumption that "competence" is simply the sum of all competencies. 
Cognitive science research describes, explains, and provides support for the 
ideas of both tacit knowledge--unconscious knowledge that contributes to 
proficient performance when it is correct, and is a barrier when it is 
incorrect--and mental models. Mental models are organizational frameworks 
for knowledge and skills. They are largely tacit, which means that if they 
are not "surfaced" and addressed they continue to operate subconsciously, 
possibly interfering with acquisition of competencies that don't fit the 
mental model. Competency-based frameworks tend to ignore tacit knowledge and 
mental models that influence how all of someone's knowledge and skills fit 
together in use (or don't).

There's an article by Shavelson and Huang in the February 2003 issue of 
"Change" called "Responding responsibly to the frenzy to assess learning in 
higher education." Though the intended audience is in higher education, I 
think it applies to adult literacy and basic education and ESOL. The authors 
describe four types of domain-specific knowledge:
declarative (knowing that)
procedural (knowing how)
schematic (knowing why), and
strategic (knowing when, where, and how certain knowledge applies)

Those who use competency-based frameworks, does your instruction include all 
of the above? If so, how? If not, what's missing? And can you tell from 
current assessments what's working and what's not?

Eileen

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