Promoting Competency-Based Education

1. Promoting Competency-Based Education Key directions for the future

2. GoalStrategies to fostercompetenciesand skills needed in the labour market

3. Lessons learned • Wide variations by university, by region, by faculty, by department • Strengths in high levels of subject knowledge • Weaknesses in many departments, in undergraduate skills and competencies needed in the labour market, especially in Humanities • Strengths in a few priority disciplines

4. Current curriculum needs • Priority study programmes using outcomes-based curriculum • Industry as partner in curriculum change • Academic staff development in curriculum development and implementation

5. Students’ unmet needs • Capability, confidence and security • Work experience • Career guidance

6. Open and positive mindset Lead a team Interpersonal skills Initiative, creativity Communicate effectively, including in English Computer literacy Discipline-based knowledge Willingness to learn from a wide cross-section of people Dress sense, personal grooming, business etiquette Civic awareness and responsibility Critical thinking and problem solving Competencies desired by employers

7. Directionsfor the future:Curriculum options • Study programmes fostering competency attainment within mainstream courses • E.g. in Humanities; Management; Agriculture • Study programmes across subject areas • existing examples: engineering with sociology; agriculture with science; medicine with anthropology; science with management • Study programmes to teach English, Computing and generic competencies

8. Change management • Change in Sri Lankan Higher Education ? Difficult ? Possible ? • Available: a critical mass of committed change agents

9. Recommendations • Policy on outcomes-based curricula • Monitoring : Quality Assurance subject reviews • Incentives for professional development • Incentives to staff through promotion criteria • Review of assessment practices

10. Short-term project implementation • Course materials developed • Learning support materials developed • Library and ICT resources available • Computer labs strengthened • Review of assessment practices

11. Medium-term project implementation • English language teaching units upgraded and strengthened • Teaching of English introduced for all staff and students to allow greater use of English as medium of instruction and in administration • Language translation centres for Sinhala and Tamil strengthened

12. Funding for sustainable action • Staff development units (SDUs) strengthened • One Unit upgraded to provide national coordination and support • Discipline/Subject networks enhanced • Curriculum Development Units strengthened

13. Implementation example • National staff development activities: • Annual conferences • Publications on learning and teaching • Website • Discussion lists • Incentive Awards for quality teaching • Coordination of staff development short courses

14. Student support funding • Counselling and career guidance • Social harmony guidance • Work/community experience across disciplines • Learning support, mentoring • Skills development projects

15. Transition to world of work • Career Guidance Units • One Unit upgraded to provide national coordination and support • Tracer studies • Business Interaction Cells/Centres

16. Conclusion Educated Competent Learning Citizenry & Workforce Economic & Social Development Vision Policies Consensus Incentives Pressure ð ð Education Quality Relevance Responsiveness Equity ð