From Competency Based Learning to Skill Based Learning

Upskilling, reskilling, skillskilling. You hear and see them everywhere. But where do these skills come from? Femke talks about them in her new blog on skill-based learning.

It all comes together in skill-based learning: the new step in education, especially when we talk about lifelong learning and workplace learning. Yet it does not come from nowhere. Competency-based education preceded skill-based learning. What are we building on and where did skill-based education fall short?

The era of competency-based learning 

Competency-based learning stemmed from a gap between knowledge and practice. In the 1960s, although school leavers had the knowledge, they could hardly connect it to practice. So time for a new focus: competencies. Competencies are a combination of knowledge, skills and attitude.

The fall of competency-based education 

A nice concept, but not yet the holy grail. To arrange your education in this way requires a lot of time and standard learning routes. A jack of all trades instead of a master of one, after all, you had to be prepared for everything. But you weren't. After all, how much demand is there now for a competency like dactylography; being proficient on a typewriter?

The rise of skill-based learning 

But what about skills like accuracy and time management? Distilling skills rather than handling large, unwieldy competencies ensures that what you learn is future-proof. And it also gives you the opportunity to look beyond: what skills do you have that would be useful for other jobs as well? And you probably already see it: you are already in the picture for jobs that may not yet exist, but where your skills are definitely needed!

The future: AI and skills

Speaking of jobs that don't exist yet, what do you think of the impact of AI? Many jobs will change and bridge positions. No one is trained as a ChatGPT master, but people with the necessary skills, such as creativity, accuracy and clarity, we certainly have. What skills do you already have that you need to work with AI?

Our MOOC on skill-based learning starts Oct. 31. Don't forget to register so you can start right away on the 31st.
Want to know more? Femke and Erica are happy to explain all about skills, skill based learning and the MOOC.