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Competencies and Learning Outcomes

by David Gosselin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln


Competencies and learning outcomes are two related educational terms that can create confusion.
Competencies and outcomes can be written to describe the learning gained by students in
individual courses (course outcomes) or for the program as a whole (program outcomes). They
DO NOT mean the same thing. We will follow the lead of Hartel and Foegeding (2004) and use
the following working definitions:

Competency: A general statement that describes the desired knowledge, skills, and behaviors of
a student graduating from a program (or completing a course). Competencies commonly define
the applied skills and knowledge that enable people to successfully perform in professional,
educational, and other life contexts.
Outcome: A very specific statement that describes exactly what a student will be able to do in
some measurable way. There may be more than one measurable outcome defined for a given
competency.
Key Distinction: A true learning outcome is written so that it can be measured or assessed. It
focuses on what the student is able to do at end of a program (or course). Thus, learning
outcomes are the basis for an assessment program that focuses on what a student can or should
be able to do either upon completion of a course or upon graduation from a program. The term
learning outcome is used more commonly in the context of a program or course of instruction.
The term competency is more commonly used in relation to professional fields (i.e. dentistry,
nursing).
Recommendation: Kennedy, Hyland and Ryan
(http://skc.vdu.lt/downloads/seminaro_medziaga_10062223/learning_outcomes_and_competences.pdf) recommend that when using the term competence,
the definition be provided for the specific context in which it is being used and to ensure clarity
of meaning, write competences using the vocabulary of learning outcomes, i.e. express the
required competence in terms of the students achieving specific program learning outcomes or
module learning outcomes.

Example 1: Holy Cross


At Holy Cross (http://www.hcc-nd.edu/app/webroot/files/core_competencies.pdf), they have

identified five core competencies for their students. One of these competencies is Critical and
Creative Thinking.
The specific learning outcomes for this competency are that at the end of their undergraduate
program, Students should be able to:
- apply learning in the liberal arts to everyday life
- make connections among disciplines of study
- read critically
- ask relevant, detailed, and probing questions
- recognize the differences among facts, opinions, and judgments and recognize and
meaningfully respond to logical fallacies
- express aesthetic appreciation and insight
- solicit feedback, evaluate, and revise creative products.

Example 2: Washington University


At Washington University, St. Louis, they have defined competencies and learning outcomes for
their student leadership initiative.
One competency, Self Awareness, is described as follows:
Student leaders develop a thorough understanding of themselves across multiple dimensions.
Through formal and informal reflection, they will recognize how their leadership practice and
beliefs are influenced by their values and experiences as well as how their personal behavior
affects their ability to build trust and credibility as leaders.
Learning Outcomes: Students who demonstrate competence in self-awareness can:
a. Define and articulate their personal values
b. Discern and describe their personal leadership style, strengths, and limitations
c. Appropriately apply their learning and leadership style and strengths
d. Recognize their own multiple identities, experiences and biases and how these affect their
ability to lead
e. Actively seek, evaluate, and, when appropriate, incorporate feedback
f. Evaluate and reflect on their actions and modify as necessary

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