core curriculum team training workshop 1 day 2

Core Curriculum Team Training Workshop 1

June 2017

Day 2

Thomas Cobb Faculty of Education,

Université du Québec à Montréal

Follow along at http://lextutor.ca/myanmar/1/day_2.pdf

Digging In To Competency idea • First what we are not here to do:

– We cannot provide a tried-and-true, established ‘method’ for how to put in place a successful competence based curriculum (CBC)

– “A Competence approach” (CA) is more an ideal than a reality at present even in Europe / North America

– Different CA reform zones emphasize different things: • IN USA it is mainly about individual pace of learning and “mastery” types

of assessment

• In Quebec, Canada it is mainly about the need to fully contextualize learning through “situation banks”

So, we feel that:

• Myanmar will largely find its own version of a CBC, and – Anything we say should be taken as information and ideas rather than

“a method to be applied”

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From the IBE glossary * • Competence

“Within the European Union area a competence is defined as a combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the context.

Competence indicates the ability to apply learning outcomes adequately in a defined context (education, work, personal or professional development).

Competence is not limited to cognitive elements (involving the use of theory, concepts or tacit knowledge); it also encompasses functional aspects (involving technical skills) as well as interpersonal (e.g. social, ethical, organizational skills) 3

From the BIE glossary * 2

Competency-based curriculum A curriculum that emphasizes what the learners are

expected to do rather than mainly focusing on what

they are expected to learn about. In principle such a

curriculum is learner-centred and adaptive to the

changing needs of students, teachers and society. It implies that learning activities and environments are

chosen so that learners can acquire and apply the

knowledge, skills and attitudes to situations they encounter in everyday life

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Competency-Based Curriculum

IBE Glossary* p 12

• A curriculum that emphasizes the complex outcomes of a learning process (i.e. knowledge, skills and attitudes to be applied by learners) rather than mainly focusing on what learners are expected to learn about in terms of traditionally-defined subject content.

• In principle such a curriculum is learner-centred and adaptive to the changing needs of students, teachers and society.

• Competency-based curricula are usually designed around a set of key competencies that can be cross-curricular and/or subject-bound.

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These ideas should make more sense to you by now

What is a competency? Example of competencies vs “knowledge objectives”

• Traditional curricula are lists of “knowledge objectives” – “At the end of this course the learner will know the

five ways to make a cake”

• Myanmar did not have a curriculum – Nor explicit objectives – But there were implicit knowledge objectives

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Objective vs competency

Knowledge Objective

• Know how to make a cake

• Know how to perform a medical appendectomy

• Explain the reasons for an historical event

Competency

• Make a cake

• Use medical knowledge to perform an appendectomy

• Use one’s knowledge of an historical event to solve a problem in modern society

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Or in a pedagogical context

Knowledge Objective

• Know successful strategies to deal with restless learners

• Understand the learning process of a mathematical concept

• Describe the traditional role of a Myanmar teacher

Competency • Use one’s knowledge of

strategies to successfully deal with restless learners

• Use one’s understanding of a learning process to successfully impart a mathematical concept

• Use one’s understanding of the traditional role to display effective teaching in one’s present classroom

8 We will do an activity on this tomorrow

What does “learner centered” mean? That learners can do whatever they want?

No, not always anyway

It means that of all the many factors or stakeholders in any educational setting…

– The learner

– The parents

– The subject content

– The pedagogical method

– The teacher

• The teacher’s lesson plan

• The school administrators

• The government

• The Dept. of Education

• Employers

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…it is the learner who is the top priority

-- his/her longterm success & wellbeing

An example of “the learner-centered classroom”:

• The teacher does not INSIST on his/her lesson plan – A spontaneous learning opportunity presents itself

and is accommodated • The lesson plan can wait

• What is not a learner-centered classroom? – University class is typically less learner centered

• Prof is at least as concerned about the content as about the learner – Knowing Shakespeare vs. needs of learner?

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Which teaching and learning methods are compatible with a CBC ?

• Teacher-centered, whole-class lecture?

– This is to get knowledge, not use knowledge

– To be used occasionally, never full-time

• Group work

• Pair work

• Project work

• Sharing results

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• Give/get feedback

• Consult resources

What learning materials are compatible with a CBC ?

• Textbook? – Yes, too arduous to make whole course from zero – But should never be the only thing, or used slavishly – Will always need supplementation

• Especially if written in pre-CBC era

• Worksheets • In-class quizz • Library • Internet

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• Found materials in the environment

• Local experts

• Other Ss

What does the teacher do in a CBC?

Traditional

• Maintain a safe, calm environment

• Give Ss knowledge and then test them on it

• Pass Fail outcome

CBC

• Maintain safe, calm environment

• Give Ss enough knowledge and in a suitable form to learn the rest themselves by applying it to an interesting problem

• Guide Ss as they learn and apply themselves

• Test them as they go with opportunity for remediation

•

• Pass-Fail test only at then end of the process 13

Pedagogical Approaches

• “The majority of teachers will require re-orientation on the delivery methods for the competency based approach”

• We need to “empower teachers with effective, efficient, and sound instructional strategies, methodology and techniques that facilitate competency based learning” – through new degree and diploma content – through professional development programs – through In-service training

From another CBC reform but is it different in Myanmar?

Let’s look at some real competencies

• Recently developed in (1) Kenya (with IBE help) and Alberta, Canada (without IBE help) for school subjects

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The written form of a competency

• Most curricula have a smallish number of competencies – Six to 15 core competencies is the usual number

• Sometimes grouped into larger themes • Sometimes broken into smaller sub-competencies • Sometimes with more subject-specific competencies

• The linguistic form is normally this: – One-word competency concept – Description of the competency – Clear example of what counts as successfully performing

this competency

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The core competencies are repeated like a spiral through the curriculum

over the years

• “Cross-curricular competencies feature within and across subject areas and follow throughout the years of schooling at increasingly complex levels”

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Let’s look at IBE’s proposed prototype cross-curricular competencies

• These were carefully evolved through consultations with teachers, universities, employers

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1 Technology 2 Communication 3 Analysis and synthesis

4 Creative Thinking 5 Problem solving 6 Working with others

Let’s compare these with a bit more developed version of the “core competencies” from Canada

Alberta (Canada) version of this has 8

KENYA 1 Technology 2 Communication 3 Analysis and synthesis

4 Creative Thinking 5 Problem solving 6 Working with others

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Similarities predominate across CBC countries From KICD, Draft Curriculum Final, 2016

UNESCO comparative data

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Each one is defined Each one has a symbol

Then, in addition to core , subjects have their own domain competencies (Here it is k-9 Math)

• E.g. Alberta’s kindergarten math (v. 2016)

Each core comp. elaborated at length, e.g. problem solving in a math context … and compared to what it is NOT

From POS k-9 math

Same competencies recur over the levels in increasingly complex forms

In other words…

• The competencies allow us to organize education in a tightly organized spiraling hierarchy

– Where the same content is repeatedly revisited at an ever more complex level

These are actual objectives from a recent version of Kenya’s curriculum

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These are CBE-oriented objectives from Alberta Canada

• What main differences do you see?

34 https://education.alberta.ca/media/159597/program-of-studies-grade-6.pdf

Main differences

• A broader variety of VERBS describing what students are meant to do – And, these verbs are not all ‘cognitive’ verbs

(explain, etc) but more often ‘do’ verbs (use…)

• Many of the objectives involve not only knowing something but also using this knowledge – “use geographic tools and software to prepare

maps” – “use primary sources to interpret historical events

and issues”

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Notice the terms used in the competency-based questions

3. Application: apply, choose, demonstrate, dramatize, employ,

illustrate, interpret, operate, practice, schedule, sketch, solve,

use, write.

1. Knowledge: arrange, define, duplicate, label, list, memorize, name,

order, recognize, relate, recall, repeat, reproduce state.

2. Comprehension: classify, describe, discuss, explain, express, identify,

indicate, locate, recognize, report, restate, review, select, translate,

6. Evaluation: appraise, argue, assess, attach, choose compare, defend

estimate, judge, predict, rate, core, select, support, value, evaluate

5. Synthesis: arrange, assemble, collect, compose, construct, create, design,

develop, formulate, manage, organize, plan, prepare, propose, set up,

write.

4. Analysis: analyze, appraise, calculate, categorize, compare, contrast,

criticize, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, examine, experiment,

question, test.

R O U G H G U I D E T O K E Y W O R D S

Remember all this when…

• We look at Myanmar CBC for teachers

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Meantime, Myanmar Teacher Ed pre-CBC was a classic knowledge-based

approach 1. OBJECTIVES ARE KNOWLEDGE ONLY • Montrose 1, p. 28

– Remembering we had only an implicit curriculum, which was essentially the EC textbooks

• “The following is an example of a learning objective taken from the First Year Science textbook. In this example, the textbook lists the general and the specific learning objectives for each of the seven modules but as seen both are relatively brief descriptions.

• General objectives: – To understand the definition and importance of Basic science

• Specific objectives: – To be able to describe the definition of Basic Science

To be able to explain the importance of Basic Science” 40


approach

2. NO CONTEXTUALIZATION

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• Nothing like this: “Alcohols and phenols are found everywhere in our daily lives, for example in…”

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approach

3. PRACTICUM WAS NOT REALLY A ‘KNOWLEDGE APPLICATION’ PHASE (p. 49)

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approach

4. ASSESSMENT WAS OF KNOWLEDGE ONLY (This will be a topic in its own right tomorrow or later today)

5. There is no mention whatever of ~ - Problem solving - Learner centered

- Collaborative learning - Active learner

- Technology - Creative thinking

- Groupings other than whole-class or individual

Conclusion:

Myanmar teacher education was a classic (if implicit) case of a knowledge-based curriculum

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BREAK

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Assessment in CBC

• “Assessment is key to the whole thing”

– A topic we will return to again and again

• Let’s start with a 3-minute poll of your thoughts

– With a partner, what sort of ASSESSMENT and TESTING do you predict are needed to make a competency approach run successfully?

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Assessment in CBC

• The most distinctive feature in a competency-based curriculum (CBC) is the approach to assessment

• Assessment can make or break a CBC creation or reform

• It is not possible to have a successful CBC while retaining old models of assessment

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Old models of assessment

Old = knowledge-based

= only knowledge based

The vast majority of knowledge-based curricula rely on one summative written test (or two) of what individual Ss know and remember

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In contrast, successful CBC’s test:

• more kinds of knowledge

• in more different ways

• more frequently

• in more different groupings of individuals

• In more different time-frames

• with opportunities for remediation

• with a strict limit on the weight of the final, written, summative test

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Key distinction

Summative

• Assessment of learning

Formative

• Assessment for learning

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The link CBC <=> Formative testing

CA inherently and logically requires a lot of Formative Assessment, because knowledge application unfolds over time and cannot be tested in a 3-hour written test

– Especially since the psycho-social dimension requires cooperative group work which cannot be included in 3-hr test

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Competency-Based Assessment

• Less focus on memorization of knowledge and facts

• Less focus on big, “one-sitting” examinations where everything in a course is tested at the same time

• Many small tests – Yet always constrained to the explicit competencies of

the curriculum

– Yet with clear “performance indicators” that are strictly adhered to

If we want this…

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Then we can not assess for the first part only (knowledge)

Knowledge, yes, but it is only Step One

Competency-Based Assessment will require…

• More focus on formative, less on summative

– This to be institutionalized

– This to be standardized for subjects and levels

– This to be monitored by a regulating agency

• A given percentage of the final grade to be derived from in-school formative tests

– Canada only permits 30% of grade for summative test

• Training for teachers to use formative assessment to improve learning

– Modify interventions

– Determine where change of strategy is required

– See what is working and what is not

However, testing is the end point in a long process

• The first step is to write OBJECTIVES (competencies) that force the test writer to include more than simply knowledge

• Well designed competencies constrain all these folks – The syllabus designer

– The textbook writer

– the teacher

– The test writer

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Notice the implication for other aspects of the curriculum

• Many small, formative tests?

• Followed by change of course, review of pedagogy, remediation of learning based on results? – For this to happen, the curriculum cannot be jammed

full

A competence approach to testing demands a well spaced-out curriculum

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Written tests are not the only possible kind

• Portfolios are increasingly used for Formative Assessment in North America

• What is it?

– Ss put together a portrait of their learning as they go

– And present it to teachers and colleagues at the end

My old University has put together an e-Portfolio system that it gives away free

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What sort of testing has Myanmar’s ECs had up to now?

• From Montrose Report*:

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• From Montrose Report*:

PRATICUM ASSESSMENT OBVIOUS PLACE FOR FORMATIVE, BUT DOES NOT HAPPEN “After the period of bloc teaching, student teachers also receive a score based against the monitoring checklist but it is not clear how this is incorporated into the overall assessments”

• -p. 31

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• From Montrose Report*: ONE REASON LACK OF FORM. EVAL IS LACK OF CLEAR OBJECTIVES (OR COMPETENCIES)

• “Because of the lack of subject‐specific learning objectives, it is hard for TEs to assess student teachers using formative techniques. When asked about what objectives the student teachers were assessed against, the general consensus was that the teacher educators created their own objectives based on the textbook content. The assessments therefore are often more focused on retention than application”

• -p. 31

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FORM. EVAL. SIMPLY NOT HAPPENING IN 2012

• “Introducing innovative assessment practices such as portfolio‐work, where students can learn and reflect on good pedagogical practice, or formative assessments such as open questioning or observing classroom demonstrations, are not yet a common component of the assessment practices in the ECs” – Development of a Teacher Education Strategy Framework Linked to

Pre‐ and In‐Service Training in Myanmar – for the CESR Myanmar, December 2012, 16‐19

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Q+A session: What challenges do you see

integrating formative assessment into Myanmar’s CBC?

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Testing is the end point in a long process

• The first step is to write OBJECTIVES that force the test writer to include more than simply knowledge

• DO WE HAVE MYANMAR OBJECTIVES?

• COULD DO RE-WRITE OBJECTIVES ACTIVITY HERE

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AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

FORMATIVE TEST 1

By Groups

How do each of these pictures relate to CBE ?

1 minute to collaborate a full answer

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Formative Test 2 30 minutes, written answers,

max 5 mins each

1. What are the components of a competency?

2. What are two kinds of competencies?

3. What is the role of textbooks in a CBC?

4. What kinds of tests do we find in a CBC?

5. What does learner centered education mean?

6. Can a CBC respond to the four problems in Myanmar education that we looked at earlier?! Your opinion

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core curriculum team training workshop 1 day 2

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