How to Develop High-Quality Course Competencies

Competencies can make or break student success. Too vague—you can’t measure students’ performance. Too few—students are shortchanged. Too many—they're overwhelmed. Here's how to develop competencies that ensure students’ future success.

Start with Performance-based Learning (PBL) principles

Each competency must:

• Be written at the application level or above on Bloom's taxonomy
• Be observable and measurable
• Address one skill set or topic

‍Make the number of competencies count

The Formula:

• 1 credit hour = 3-4 competencies‍
• 1 competency = 3-4 contact hours
• 1 competency = 9-12 hours total student effort

The result:

• 1-credit course: 3-4 competencies maximum
• 3-credit course: 9-12 competencies

Put quality and quantity together

Example: English Composition: 3 Credits and 9 Competencies

Competencies:

• Employ rhetorical strategies
• Develop thesis statement(s) – begins with a verb form the right level on Bloom’s
• Compose paragraphs
• Organize document content – is measurable and observable
• Apply revision techniques to created content
• Apply the writing process to various essay types
• Employ critical reading skills
• Evaluate information from various sources
• Integrate sources into document content – addresses one skill set or topic

‍ The Bottom Line

When developing competencies, quality always beats quantity. Although a range of competencies is helpful to consider, the goal isn’t hittinga perfect number – it’s ensuring every competency focuses on authentic performance.