Competency Based Education and Training (CBET) and TLCs

Caroline Masara; Zablon Osinde; Violet Atieno; John Gekonde; George Muga; Geoffrey Nyachiro; Ye Chen; Kathleen Bortolin

2 Competency Based Education and Training (CBET) and TLCs

A TVET Instructor stands at a whiteboard with students listening in a workshop

By Geoffrey Nyachiro, Kisii National Polytechnic

WHAT IS CBET?

CBET stands for Competency-Based Education and Training. In Kenya, CBET is adopted by tertiary institutions and more specifically by Technical and Vocational Education and Training [TVET] institutions.

CBET may be defined in various ways. First of all, it can be defined as training based on the participant’s ability to demonstrate mastery of skills performed under certain conditions, to specific standards which he or she must acquire before moving to the next phase of learning or life. Another definition is tied to employment. Hence, CBET can be defined as an education and training that focus on the attainment of standards in which case trainees, based on their unique abilities, master the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are matched against the needs of employers.

Third, CBET can be looked at as a personalized learning experience for each individual student, whether in a group or not, in which the student moves at his/her own pace at the end of which he/she ought to demonstrate full mastery of skill against set standards before they can move forward. This way, the goal of equity is achieved: students move forward at their own pace, but everyone in the class achieves mastery. Thus CBET gives a clear focus on preparing students for the next stage of their life, whether it be college or a career.

Finally, CBETis an approach to vocational education and training in which skills, knowledge, and attitudes are specified in order to define, steer and help to achieve competence standards, mostly within a kind of national qualifications framework. (Source: Deißinger & Hellwig 2011)

CHARACTERISTICS OF CBET

Learner-centered: Encouraging the autonomy of individuals, i.e. the progress of the trainee during the training goes at the pace of each individual.
The trainer is an enabler: Transforming the role of the trainers towards facilitating and problem solving instead of monopolizing learning.
Predetermined competencies: The competencies are carefully identified beforehand, verified, and in the public domain (of public knowledge).
Modular: Instruction is aimed at the development of each competency.
Based on POE [Portfolio of Evidence]: The assessment and evaluation take into account knowledge, skills, attitudes, and performance, as the main sources of evidence.
Individualized/personalized training at the core: Instruction is individualized as much as possible.
Outcome-based: Emphasis is placed on the results that guide and drive the training.
Trainee-trainer feedback: The learning experiences are guided by continuous feedback.
Subject-matter/content mastery: CBET focuses on how competent the trainee is in the subject matter, trainee moves forward upon exhibiting mastery, personalizing the learning experience, and preparing the trainee for the next stage of their life.

PRINCIPLES OF COMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING

The philosophical and pedagogical foundations of CBET are:

Constant communication: All learning expectations are clearly and consistently communicated to trainees and families, including long-term expectations (such as graduation requirements and graduation standards), short-term expectations (such as the specific learning objectives for a course or other learning experience), and general expectations (such as the performance levels used in the school’s grading and reporting system).
Trainee achievement is evaluated against common learning standards and performance expectations that are consistently applied to all trainees regardless of whether they are enrolled in traditional courses or pursuing alternative learning pathways.
All forms of assessment are standards-based and criterion-referenced, and success is defined by the achievement of expected standards, not relative measures of performance or trainee-to-trainee comparisons.
Formative assessments measure learning progress during the instructional process, and formative-assessment results are used to inform instructional adjustments, teaching practices, and academic support.
Summative assessments evaluate learning achievement, and summative-assessment results record a trainee’s level of competency at a specific point in time.
Academic progress and achievement are monitored and reported separately from work habits, character traits, and behaviors such as attendance and class participation, which are also monitored and reported.
Academic grades communicate learning progress and achievement to trainees and families, and grades are used to facilitate and improve the learning process.
Trainees are given multiple opportunities to improve their work when they fail to meet expected standards.
Trainees can demonstrate learning progress and achievement in multiple ways through differentiated assessments, personalized-learning options, or alternative learning pathways.
Trainees are given opportunities to make important decisions about their learning, which includes contributing to the design of learning experiences and learning pathways.
Criterion Based – learners assessed against criteria established by the industry.
Evidence-Based – decision about learners’ competence based on evidence gathered by the assessor that the candidate demonstrates or produces.

WHY TLCs ARE NEEDED TO SUPPORT CBET

There is a presence of trainers/faculty without teaching background or those fresh from teacher training colleges who went through traditional teaching methods.

Dynamics in teaching/new training methods keep on emerging and trainers need to be updated continuously and the TLC staff/champions have been prepared by Canadian experts on how to handle this.
Having equipment such as ICT and requisite materials/resources for training –it’s a one-stop shop.
Given mandate by management to draw and organize institutional training programs for all faculty across departments.
TLCs in Kenya have access to international support and funding to enable them to carry out their activities well. This goodwill has enabled them to reach international subject-matter experts to assist in the training both TLC staff and trainers.

HOW TLCs CAN SUPPORT CBET

TLCs can support the CBET-ization of training as follows:

They can create induction programs to prepare newly recruited trainers/faculty without teaching backgrounds or those fresh from teacher training colleges on CBET methodology/pedagogy thereby ushering them into the world of training in CBET.
They can organize seminars to expose/polish up long-serving trainers thereby transitioning them from the traditional methods to CBET methodologies. It will assist in the paradigm shift to CBET, e.g. online training.
They have the requisite materials/resources that are very crucial for reading and reference by trainers/faculty, for example, educational textbooks and videos.
They can foster creativity/innovation on CBET methods: TLCs can organize activities for trainers and trainees that will encourage creativity/innovation resulting in better ways of handling CBET or even improved training materials.
They nurture communities of practice [CoPs]. Through the TLC institutions can enable trainers with similar interests/specializations or across departments to come together for mutual sharing and networking in matters CXBET, for improved experiences.
They can enhance the scholarship of teaching-learning/publications. TLCs can encourage and assist trainers to engage in research on better training and also publish books/articles for others to read, e.g. publication of an Open Education Resource [OER].
They can link the institution and its trainers to external organizations engaged in advancing CBET interests and training, e.g. external training and certification by Canadian partner colleges.
They advise the management on the best ways to approach the growth and development of staff in matters of training, e.g. TLCstaff can participate in the drafting of policies regarding training.
They provide an appropriate environment for one-on-one/individualized consultations with trainers/faculty thereby helping in problem-solving in matters trainers face for improved teaching.
They help develop professional documents and assessment. The TLC has come at the right time to assist trainers in changing attitudes but also in the actual work of developing lesson and assessment tools for CBET-related activities.

The benefits of a TLC can be demonstrated as follows:

Transcript of the Video

The Benefits of a Teacher and Learning Centre
The establishment of a Teaching and Learning Center at the Kisii National Polytechnic has led to trainers asking several questions for those who have been long-serving teachers. They are asking what the Teaching and Learning Center can add that they were never given in college. For those who went through Teach Teacher Training and are now using the Teaching and Learning Center, I have come to realize that there’s quite a lot I can learn by getting services from the Teaching Learning Center.
I am Sarah Komen from Kisii National Polytechnic in the electronics department. The Teaching and Learning Center that was introduced at KISS National Polytechnic is one of the best training that I’ve ever had. It has helped me in the preparation of skills of work, course outlines, and lesson plans. Through the Teaching and Learning Center, we are able to remember some of the areas which we were taught in college which we have forgotten, and even some of the issues we were taking for granted. The Teaching and Learning Center has even changed my attitude toward teaching, especially when I’m dealing with mature students.
So I have been able through the training that I have undergone in the TLC, I’ve been able to interact with my learners and my learners have even given me feedback on how I can incorporate learning the learner’s activities with what I am teaching and they find learning very interesting and also have confidence in teaching.
In the classroom, attitudes are very crucial when teaching, and the Teaching and Learning Center has enabled me to know how to deliver content using various facilities, especially in online training. Through the Teaching Learning Center, I am able to use Zoom and other online platforms and deliver effectively.
Thank you so much and I’m hoping that more training will come on the way I am recommending that if possible, other trainers will go through it because it is going to strengthen their pedagogy skills in teaching in the classroom center. Thank you.

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Building a Teaching and Learning Centre in Kenya: A Guidebook for CBET Educators Copyright © by Caroline Masara; Zablon Osinde; Violet Atieno; John Gekonde; George Muga; Geoffrey Nyachiro; Ye Chen; and Kathleen Bortolin is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.