Developing Learning Outcomes for Competency-based Education

D E V E L O P I N G L E A R N I N G O U T C O M E S  
F O R C O M P E T E N C Y- B A S E D E D U C AT I O N
C E N T E R F O R O N L I N E I N N O VAT I O N I N L E A R N I N G ( C O I L )
C O M P E T E N C Y- B A S E D E D U C AT I O N W O R K S H O P ( 1 0 / 2 9 / 2 0 1 5 )
K Y L E P E C K  
P R O F E S S O R O F E D U C A T I O N
P E N N S TA T E U N I V E R S I T Y

L E A R N I N G O U T C O M E S :
• Understanding CBE:
• Define "competency," capturing the two major points made in the
most frequently cited definition by Jones, Voorhees, & Paulson on page 7 of
the NCES report "Defining and Assessing Learning: Exploring Competency-based
Initiatives."
• Paraphrase the US Department of Education's definition of a
"competency-based program" as stated on page 1-1 of the "Competency-
Based Education (CBE) Experiment Reference Guide."
• Define "direct assessment" in a manner consistent with the US Department of
Education's definition on page 1-2 of the "Competency-Based Education (CBE)
Experiment Reference Guide."

W H AT I S “ A C O M P E T E N C Y ? ”
The definition I see the most is…
“a combination of skills, abilities, and knowledge
needed to perform a speciﬁc task.”
U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. Defining and 
Assessing Learning: Exploring Competency-Based Initiatives, NCES 2002-159, 
prepared by Elizabeth A. Jones and Richard A. Voorhees, with Karen Paulson, for the 
Council of the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative Working Group on 
Competency-Based Initiatives. Washington, DC: 2002.

T Y P E S O F L E A R N I N G O U T C O M E S
• Knowledge
• Skills
• Attributes (AKA “Dispositions”)

W H AT I S …  
“ C O M P E T E N C Y- B A S E D E D U C AT I O N ? ” ( C B E )
• “There is currently no Federal definition of CBE”
• “However, in general, a CBE program is one that
organizes content according to what a student knows
and can do, often referred to as a ‘competency.’”
USDOE, (2015). Competency-Based Education (CBE) Experiment Reference Guide 
available at: https://experimentalsites.ed.gov/exp/pdf/CompetencyBasedEducationGuide.pdf

C B E P R O G R A M S …
• Generally have very clear claims for student
learning.
• Stress what students can do with the
knowledge and skills they acquire.
• Have assessments that provide measurable
evidence of competency.

S T U D E N T P R O G R E S S …
• Is determined by mastery of each competency.
• Because CBE focuses on whether students
have mastered these competencies, there is a
focus on learning outcomes rather than time
spent in a classroom.

W H AT I S “ D I R E C T A S S E S S M E N T ? ”
• Measuring the CAPABILITY the learning was to
produce, rather than using “seat time,” knowledge
alone, or other proxies for performance.
• There is a specific Federal definition for direct
assessment programs.
“A direct assessment program is an instructional program that,
in lieu of credit hours or clock hours as measures of student
learning, utilizes direct assessment of student learning, or
recognizes the direct assessment of student learning by others.
The assessment must be consistent with the accreditation of
the institution or program utilizing the results of the
assessment.”

W H AT I S “ D I R E C T A S S E S S M E N T ? ”
“Direct assessment of student learning means a
measure by the institution of what a student knows
and can do in terms of the body of knowledge
making up the educational program. These
measures provide evidence that a student has
mastered a specific subject, content area, or skill or
that the student demonstrates a specific quality
such as creativity, analysis or synthesis associated
with the subject matter of the program. Examples of
direct measures include projects, papers,
examinations, presentations, performances, and
portfolios.”

C O M P O N E N T S O F C O M P E T E N C Y
• “a combination of skills, abilities, and knowledge
needed to perform a specific task.”(Jones, Voorhees & Paulson, 2002)
K N O W L E D G E
COM P E T E N C Y
S K I L L
S K I L L
A B I LT Y
K N O W L E D G E
Knowledge Skills & Abilities Competency+
+ =
=

C O M P O N E N T S O F C O M P E T E N C Y
• “a combination of skills, abilities, and knowledge
needed to perform a specific task.”(Jones, Voorhees & Paulson, 2002)
L E A R N I N G
O B J E C T
( K N O W L E D G E ) :
U N D E R S TA N D I N G
C B E
COM P E T E N C Y :
"
D E S IG N I N G  
C B E OU TCOM E S
A N D
AS S E S S M E N T S
L E A R N I N G
O B J E C T ( S K I L L ) :
W R I T I N G
E F F E C T I V E
C B E L E A R N I N G
O U T C O M E S
L E A R N I N G
O B J E C T S K I L L :
D E V E L O P I N G
VA L I D , R E L I A B L E
T E S T S
L E A R N I N G
O B J E C T
( S K I L L ) :
D E S I G N I N G
A S S E S S M E N T S
F O R H I G H E R -
O R D E R
L E A R N I N G
O B J E C T
( K N O W L E D G E ) :
E F F E C T I V E C B E
L E A R N I N G
O U T C O M E S
Knowledge Skills & Abilities Competency+
+ =
=
X

L E A R N I N G O B J E C T S
• Experiences designed to cause learners to accomplish
a learning outcome.
• Can include:
• “Lessons” (didactic, instructional)
• Assembled resources presented as options
• “Experiences” (cases, problem-based learning, simulations, etc.)

A S S E S S M E N T O B J E C T S
• Ways to determine whether learners have accomplished a learning
outcome.
• Must be appropriate for the learning outcome.
• Knowledge and comprehension can be “tested.”
• Higher-order skills must be assessed through performances and
products.
• Well-designed rubrics can enhance validity and reliability.
• Attributes can be observed and documented.
• Rubrics can help with attributes and dispositions, too.

PAT H WAY S T O C O M P E T E N C Y
• Collections of learning and assessment objects
• Length is determined by the outcome (competency!)
• Final step should include a summative “direct assessment” object
L E A R N I N G
O B J E C T
( K N O W L E D G E ) :
C B E
COM P E T E N C Y :
"
D E S IG N I N G  
C B E OU TCOM E S
A N D
AS S E S S M E N T S
L E A R N I N G
O B J E C T ( S K I L L ) :
W R I T I N G
E F F E C T I V E
C B E L E A R N I N G
O U T C O M E S
L E A R N I N G
O B J E C T
( S K I L L ) :
D E S I G N I N G
A S S E S S M E N T S
F O R H I G H E R -
O R D E R
L E A R N I N G
O B J E C T
( K N O W L E D G E ) :
E F F E C T I V E C B E
L E A R N I N G
O U T C O M E S
Test
Test
Assess
Direct 
Assessment
Assess

T O D AY ’ S L E A R N I N G O U T C O M E S :
• Understanding CBE:
• Define "competency," capturing the two major points made in the
most frequently cited definition by Jones, Voorhees, & Paulson on page 7 of
the NCES report "Defining and Assessing Learning: Exploring Competency-based
Initiatives."
• Paraphrase the US Department of Education's definition of a
"competency-based program" as stated on page 1-1 of the "Competency-
Based Education (CBE) Experiment Reference Guide."
• Define "direct assessment" in a manner consistent with the US Department of
Education's definition on page 1-2 of the "Competency-Based Education (CBE)
Experiment Reference Guide."
√
√
√

• Understanding Effective CBE Learning Outcomes:
• List the components that must be present in a sound CBE learning
outcome.
• Reproduce "Bloom's Taxonomy as revised by Anderson &
Krathwol.
• Describe the difference between higher-order and lower-order
outcomes.
• List at least three appropriate verbs for each level of Bloom's
Taxonomy.
• Describe how assessment differs for lower-level and higher-level
outcomes.

C O M P O N E N T S O F  
E F F E C T I V E L E A R N I N G O U T C O M E S
• Actor (who) (May be omitted when talking to learners)
• Behavior (what - verb - obesrvable!!)
• Criterion (how well? Deﬁne success)
• Conditions (when? how? with what?)

C O M P O N E N T S O F  
E F F E C T I V E L E A R N I N G O U T C O M E S
• Actor (who) (May be omitted when talking to learners)
• Behavior (what - verb - obesrvable!!)
• Criterion (how well? Deﬁne success)
• Conditions (when? how? with what?)
“A buffalo can’t co-author.”

L E V E L S O F  
C O G N I T I V E L E A R N I N G O U T C O M E S
Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Processes
(Revised, 2001)
!
Anderson, L.W., & Krathwohl, D.R. (Eds.). (2001).  
A taxonomy for learning, teaching and assessing:  
A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational
Knowledge Acquisition (Remembering)
Comprehension / (Understanding)
Evaluation
Creation
Application
Analysis

H I G H E R - A N D
L O W E R - O R D E R O U T C O M E S
• Image from “Rubrics and Bloom’s Taxonomy” Wiki at https://hillerspires.wikispaces.com/ and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 License.
Lower-Order Outcomes
“Testable”
}
Higher-Order Outcomes
“Performance-based
Assessments”
}

A P P R O P R I AT E V E R B S A N D
B L O O M ’ S TA X O N O M Y
(Revised, 2001)
!
Evaluation
Creation
Application
Analysis
design, construct, plan, produce, invent, devise, make
check, critique, judge, test, detect, monitor
compare, organize, deconstruct, outline, integrate
implement, carry out, use, execute, apply
interpret, summarize, infer, paraphrase, classify, explain
list, describe, name, identify, recall,  
state, locate, match

Q U I Z T I M E ! !
• Behavior (not observable)
• Criteria (?)
(Without a good verb, is it worth looking for other ﬂaws?)
What’s missing in this outcome? (hint: ABCC)

Q U I Z T I M E ! !
• Criteria (According to what source?)
• Conditions (Can they use notes? Google?)
Generally outcomes are written differently for
learners and for designers and evaluators.
What’s missing in this outcome? (hint: ABCC)

• Understanding Effective CBE Learning Outcomes:
• List the components that must be present in a sound CBE learning
outcome.
• Reproduce "Bloom's Taxonomy as revised by Anderson &
Krathwol.
• Describe the difference between higher-order and lower-order
outcomes.
• List at least three appropriate verbs for each level of Bloom's
Taxonomy.
• Describe how assessment differs for lower-level and higher-level
outcomes.
√
√
√
√
√

I T ’ S Y O U R T U R N !
(Revised, 2001)
!
Evaluation
Creation
Application
Analysis
design, construct, plan, produce, invent, devise, make
check, critique, judge, test, detect, monitor
compare, organize, deconstruct, outline, integrate
implement, carry out, use, execute, apply
interpret, summarize, infer, paraphrase, classify, explain
list, describe, name, identify, recall,  
state, locate, match
In your table groups:
1. Choose a topic for CBE
2. Write at least three lower-order and three higher-order outcomes for that topic.
(Make them good! You will develop an assessment for one in the next step.)
To earn this spiffy badge,
submit your work at 
badgesapp.psu.edu

T H A N K Y O U .
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Developing Learning Outcomes for Competency-based Education

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