Competency-Based Education Analysis

Introduction Competency-based education has gained attention in medical and health professional education, and it is a framework where the student proves that he or she is proficient in his or her ability, skills, and knowledge (Fan, Wang, Chao, Jane, & Hsu, 2015; Fastré, Klink, Amsing-Smit, & Merriënboer, 2014; Gruppen et al., 2016; Fitzgerald et al., 2016; Hawkins et al., 2015; Leggett, 2015; ten Cate, 2015; Touchie & ten Cate, 2016). Several factors influence proficiency, and they are knowledge, mind-set, and judgment (Gruppen et al., 2016). Proficiency changes with experience, with the clinical setting, and over time (Gruppen et al., 2016). The four components of applied objective education are that it focuses on the results of the learning
Applied objective education measures if the student has learned the material and not if the student has memorized the information (Fitzgerald et al., 2016; Gruppen et al., 2016). The competencies reflect the stakeholders needs and uses them to create the curriculum (Gruppen et al., 2016). The competency-based curriculum supports the creation and the confirmation that learning has occurred (Gruppen et al., 2016). Competency assessment education focuses on performance of skills and not just on the information that is learned (Fitzgerald et al., 2016; Gruppen et al., 2016). Since the focus is on the performance of the skills, the quality of the student’s learning is increased because the student has a better understanding of the concepts and retains the information (Leggett, 2015). It assesses the student’s skills, mindset, ethics, and leadership abilities (Gruppen et al., 2016). In healthcare professional education, assessment of competence is best achieved by evaluating students in an applied setting (Fitzgerald et al., 2016). It also increases the student’s self-evaluation and critical-thinking skills (Fan et al., 2015). Applied objective education promotes self-directed learning (Fitzgerald et al., 2016; Gruppen et al., 2016). It allows the student to incorporate his or her experiences and prior knowledge into his or her learning process (Fitzgerald et al., 2016; Gruppen et al., 2016). Since applied objective education focuses on self-directed learning, it limits when the student has to complete his or her competencies, and it allows the student to progress at his or her own rate (Fitzgerald et al., 2016; Gruppen et al., 2016; Leggett, 2015). This can increase affordability in higher education because the student retains the information and can complete the program in a shorter amount of time (Leggett, 2015). Since the learning process is not mandated by