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Competencies describe a learner's level of understanding or proficiency in certain subject-related concepts or skills. Competency-based grading is a type of standards-based grading where students are assessed based on their proficiency in specific concepts, skills, or behaviors. Faculty or academic departments that use competency or standards-based grading may benefit from adding competencies to their Moodle courses. From Moodle 3.1 upwards, it is possible to create and apply frameworks for evaluating students against competencies in Moodle.
This article discusses:
- How to structure a competency framework
- Competency rating scales
How to Structure a Competency Framework
Faculty wishing to add competencies to their course(s) should create a competency framework based on their content area. Only Moodle admins can set up a competency in Moodle, so frameworks should be as complete as possible before creating a ticket to have them set up. Faculty stakeholders and TLT staff should review proposed completed competency frameworks together before they are set up to ensure the framework will work within Moodle.
To see examples of competency frameworks, go to Moodle’s competency framework repository.
Competencies in Moodle can be structured as a hierarchy. Parent competencies and sub-competencies can be labeled as:
- Competency
- Behavior
- Concept
- Domain
- Indicator
- Level
- Outcome
- Practice
- Proficiency
- Skill
- Value
As competencies are created, think about how they should be labeled in Moodle. Additionally, each parent competency and sub-competency must have a unique ID number. ID numbers can contain letters. For example:
- Sample Competency Framework has an ID number of “SCF.”
- The first competency in this framework is Time Management, which has an ID number of “SCF 1.”
- This competency has three sub-competencies labeled as “behaviors.”
- The first behavior in this competency is “Prioritizes academic tasks effectively,” and has an ID number of “SCF 1.1”.
Competency Rating Scales
In addition to creating a competency framework, faculty should consider how they will rate each competency. Competencies use scales for rating student proficiency. Moodle has a variety of standard scales, including the default competence scale, pass/fail, and complete/incomplete. Custom scales can also be created for a competency framework.
To discuss creating a competency in Moodle with TLT staff in more detail, please submit a ticket.
For information on how to use competencies within a course, read the Moodle Doc on Competencies.