Competence and Program-based Approach in Training: Tools for Developing Responsible Activities

The controversies that have developed in recent years in the field of education and training around program and competency-based approaches are not without reminiscent of those which are at the origin of a reflection on the question of methods to monitor, control, organize and shape innovation in science and technology "and led to the emergence of the notion of responsibility for innovation and research "(Pellé & Reber, 2015). This book is clearly part of this type of approach. Starting from a current state of play on the issues and controversies raised by curricular and competency-based approaches (Chapters 1 and 2), this book aims at presenting new theoretical frameworks, allowing to account for the processes implied by the implementation of these pedagogical innovations and, in particular, those which, at the very heart of the skills mobilized, promote a "responsibility" dimension. Based on a developmental approach to individual and collective competencies and their evaluation (Chapters 3, 4 and 5), it attempts to show how this approach can mobilize educational practices on strong societal issues, such as "sustainable development "(Chapter 5). Lastly, it aims to provide theoretical and practical benchmarks to help engage educational teams and institutions in these innovative and responsible approaches by providing a coherent framework for doing so (Chapters 6, 7 and 8).

Table of Contents:
Foreword xi Bernard REBER Preamble xvii Catherine LOISY and Jean-Claude COULET Introduction xix Catherine LOISY and Jean-Claude COULET Chapter 1 Program-based Approach, Curriculum and Competency-based Approach: Sense and Nonsense in the Light of Neoliberalism 1 Yves LENOIR 1 1 Introduction 1 1 2 The program-based approach 2 1 2 1 Its origins and context of its deployment in international assistance 2 1 2 2 The transfer of the concept to education 5 1 3 The PBA, the course of study and curriculum: differences and similarities 6 1 3 1 The PBA: a rejection of the concept of course of study 6 1 3 2 The PBA and the curriculum 7 1 3 3 Two distinct socio-educational logics 10 1 4 Attributes of the program-based approach 15 1 4 1 Positive attributes 15 1 4 2 A program-based approach for what school education purposes? 21 1 5 Conclusion 34 1 6 References 36 Chapter 2 Can a Competency-based Curriculum be a Humanistic Curriculum? 57 Xavier ROEGIERS 2 1 Introduction: challenges 57 2 2 Competency: a polysemic term 57 2 3 What is a humanistic curriculum? 59 2 3 1 Empowerment goals 61 2 3 2 Work for common good 63 2 4 What is a humanistic curriculum? 63 2 4 1 Awareness level of school challenges 63 2 4 2 Promotion of citizen awareness, rather than citizen submission 65 2 4 3 Progressive changes rather than radical changes 66 2 4 4 Explicit rather than implicit course of study 66 2 4 5 Choice, implicit or explicit, of graduate attributes 67 2 4 6 Prioritize the issue of meaning 67 2 4 7 Prioritize actions over speeches 68 2 4 8 Being clear with the status of innovations introduced 70 2 4 9 A consistent and long-term evaluation consideration for reform rather than a short-term, diffuse evaluation policy 71 2 5 Can a competency-based curriculum be humanistic? 72 2 5 1 Effectiveness at the benefit of meaning 73 2 5 2 Equity for itself, but also for more efficiency 75 2 5 3 What can be done for a humanistic curriculum? 77 2 6 Conclusion 78 2 7 References 78 Chapter 3 Developing Competencies: Theoretical Detour in Favor of a Humanistic-based Competency Approach 81 Jean-Claude COULET 3 1 Introduction 81 3 2 A competency model 82 3 2 1 Main limitations of the literature data 82 3 2 2 Presentation of MADDEC 83 3 3 MADDEC's interest in the implementation of a CBA 85 3 3 1 Elucidating the relationships between competencies and knowledge 85 3 3 2 The formalization of competencies 86 3 3 3 Procedures for guiding the development of competencies 90 3 4 Towards the building of a collective competency 93 3 4 1 Implementation of the CBA: a productive activity 94 3 4 2 Implementation of the CBA: a constructive activity 96 3 5 Conclusion 96 3 6 References 97 Chapter 4 A Developmental Perspective of Competency Assessment 101 Christian CHAUVIGNÉ 4 1 Introduction 101 4 2 Competency: an assessment object that is difficult to grasp 102 4 2 1 Convergence in the concepts of competency 102 4 2 2 Scheme as a model of intelligibility 103 4 2 3 Competency: its properties and resources 104 4 2 4 Subtle assessment of an elusive and changing object 105 4 3 The need for a reference system characterized by its incompleteness 106 4 3 1 Identification and description of reference competencies 107 4 3 2 Co-developed reference system 110 4 3 3 Non-exhaustive and scalable reference system 111 4 4 Building a cluster of relevant indicators 112 4 4 1 Observable fields 112 4 4 2 Methodological conjugation 114 4 4 3 Qualitative approach 115 4 5 Adaptability, main focus of competency assessment 116 4 5 1 Adaptability assessment 116 4 5 2 From the analysis of uncertainty to acceptability judgment 117 4 6 Development, challenge and end purpose of assessment 118 4 6 1 Classifying versus dynamic use of value attribution 119 4 6 2 An assessment participating in learning 120 4 7 Conclusion 121 4 8 References 122 Chapter 5 Anchoring Social and Environmental Responsibilities in Educational and Training Practices 125 Jean-Claude COULET 5 1 Introduction 125 5 2 Reference theoretical models 128 5 2 1 Need to define the concept of competency 128 5 2 2 Modeling the dynamics of the evolution of competencies within organizations and territories 134 5 3 Operational tools 138 5 3 1 Implementing change within the activity of organizations and territories 138 5 3 2 Initiating change within education and training activities 145 5 4 Conclusion 151 5 5 References 153 Chapter 6 Program-based Approach in Teacher Development Perspective 157 Catherine LOISY 6 1 Introduction 157 6 2 Implementation of the PBA in France 159 6 2 1 The Bologna process and its translation into French national politics 160 6 2 2 Pedagogical transformation in educational policy discourses 161 6 2 3 DevSup: case study of a training system 163 6 3 Potential learning and development of teachers involved in the PBA clarification based on development theories 167 6 3 1 What do teachers involved in a PBA do? 167 6 3 2 Learning made possible for teachers 169 6 3 3 Potential development of teachers involved in a PBA 172 6 4 Research watch points and perspectives 176 6 4 1 Watch points 176 6 4 2 Research perspectives 179 6 5 Conclusion 181 6 6 References 182 Chapter 7 Implementing the Program-based Approach: a Development Perspective of the Quality of University Education 189 Mariane FRENAY, Philippe PARMENTIER, Léticia WARNIER and Pascale WOUTERS 7 1 Introduction 189 7 2 PBA at UCL: presentation and context 190 7 2 1 Bologna phase (2004–2010) 191 7 2 2 EQF phase – adoption of the European qualifications framework (2011–2014) 192 7 2 3 “Paysage” decree phase (since 2014) 193 7 3 What institutional levers supported PBA implementation? 194 7 4 Supporting PBA as a strategy for educational development at the institutional level? 197 7 5 PBA involved in the current trends of curriculum models? 198 7 6 The Louvain-Laval Collaborative Research Project on PBA, or how to view the project through a sustainability perspective 199 7 7 Conclusion 201 7 8 References 202 Chapter 8 Benchmarks for Operationalizing Program-based and Competency-based Approaches in Universities 205 Catherine LOISY, Émilie CAROSIN and Jean-Claude COULET 8 1 Introduction 205 8 2 Benchmarking between program-based and competency-based approaches 206 8 2 1 Transition to an articulation between program-based and competency-based approaches 207 8 2 2 Some pitfalls to be avoided 211 8 3 Articulating program-based and competency-based approaches from the diachronic perspective of competency 213 8 3 1 Targeted, effective and explicated competencies 214 8 3 2 The backbone of the articulation between program-based and competency-based approaches 220 8 4 General approach to be implemented 222 8 5 References 223 Conclusion 227 Catherine LOISY and Jean-Claude COULET Postface 233 Jean-Paul BRONCKART List of Authors 249 Index 251

About the Author :
Catherine LOISY, Ecole normale supérieure de Lyon (ENSL), Institut français de l'éducation (IFÉ). Jean-Claude COULET, Chercheur associé, CRPCC Université Rennes 2 et Open Lab. Exploration Innovation, CRCGM Université d'Auvergne.