Audience:
Teachers, Curriculum Coordinators, Instructional Systems Specialists, Program Administrators, Career Technical Education Supervisors, Curriculum and Assessment Directors, Corporate Trainers, and Technical Trainers, may find this page helpful.
Competency models identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary for success in an occupation or industry. This information can be used to develop and evaluate competency-based curriculum to ensure workers fulfill industry needs and are prepared to face work-related challenges and activities.
Curriculum Development and Evaluation:
Development: To build a curriculum based on an existing competency model, the relevant competencies must be translated into learning objectives. Learning objectives are statements describing ways students can demonstrate mastery of the competency in an educational setting. Curriculum developers can then devise lesson plans to reach the desired competency level.
Evaluation: Competency models are a resource for evaluating existing curriculum to ensure it addresses business and industry needs. Compare the learning objectives of the curriculum to the model's competencies to identify gaps. For example, a program administrator may ask educators to align course content with a model's competencies.
Use the Curriculum Analysis Worksheet to develop or evaluate a curriculum using a competency model.
The GeoTech Center, which led the validation of the Geospatial Technology Competency Model, has used the model to develop a Curriculum Analysis Worksheet. GeoTech offers workshops and tips on how the model can improve existing curricula. Colleges nationwide use the tool to evaluate geospatial courses and programs. Read the full story at: www.careeronestop.org/competencymodel/Info_Documents/Geospatial_CaseSummary.pdf
Visit the Models in Action to learn about additional uses of competency models.
- Select or customize an industry competency model identifying the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for performance. For assistance, see the CMC User Guide - Competency Models.
- Use the model to develop or compare course content aligning with industry competencies. Use the Curriculum Analysis Worksheet to identify gaps.
- Use the competency model alongside other task and content analysis methods; it does not replace local curriculum development processes.
- Download competencies and key behaviors to the Curriculum Analysis Worksheet.
- List proposed or existing courses on the worksheet.
- Compare industry competencies to competencies taught in courses.
- Analyze results.
- Determine steps to improve curricula: add missing competencies, eliminate unnecessary duplication, or ensure repeated competencies increase mastery levels.
A curriculum gap analysis compares curriculum outcome objectives to the competencies required to perform tasks effectively, identifying missing knowledge, skills, or abilities.
To download and use the Curriculum Analysis Worksheet:
- Download from each industry model page. After choosing an industry model, click 'Download' in the Helpline section. You can also download a customized model during 'Stop and Save' in Build a Model.
- List existing course(s) in Columns B, C, etc.
- Edit text or column headings as desired; suggested headings are provided.
- Use the worksheet to identify the knowledge, skills, or abilities to include or as a check sheet to indicate the courses addressing model competencies.
- Analyze the results.
Below is an example of a completed Curriculum Analysis worksheet:
