Competencies Vs. Skills

The 21st Century skills give-and-take too ground has waged on fifty-fifty prior to the attack of this century.  The ensuing conversations take away maintain provided an chance for schools, districts, too organizations to critically evaluate what students demand to know too live on able to produce inwards club to succeed inwards the novel Blue Planet of work.  As nosotros take away maintain moved farther into this century the expose 21 has less of a meaning, but the skills are yet important.  Thus, many educators, including myself, straightaway cite to these equally essential skills.  Over fourth dimension they take away maintain evolved beyond simply communication, collaboration, creativity, too global awareness to include entrepreneurship too emerging technological proficiency.

The other 24-hour interval I was speaking amongst Rose Else-Mitchell, a wickedly smart educational leader, who pushed my thinking on the whole skills conversation. As I was reviewing a talking betoken for a webinar that I was to facilitate later on inwards the day, I brought upwardly this image too discussed the skills that students needed to live on critical thinkers inwards the 21st Century too beyond. After looking at what I had on the slide too listening to my analysis, she commented that I was (or should be) referencing too explaining competencies, non simply skills, which students volition need. This actually got me thinking. 

As I reflected on her feedback I began to dive deeper into what the divergence is betwixt competencies too skills equally good equally their implications on learning.  Below is an icon that until my conversation amongst Rose I would take away maintain simply viewed equally around other catchy agency to visualize digital skills that students (and adults) need. However, I am straightaway to a greater extent than focused on how nosotros tin laid out to address these equally competencies to actually create students for success inwards a disruptive world.

Image credit: www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/06/8-digital-skills-we-must-teach-our-children/

While skills are an of import business office of learning too career paths, they’re non rich or nuanced plenty to guide students towards truthful mastery too success. Skills focus on the “what” inwards price of the abilities a pupil needs to perform a specific labor or activity. They don’t furnish plenty connectedness to the how. Competencies take away maintain this to the side yesteryear side score yesteryear translating skills into behaviors that demonstrate what has been learned too mastered inwards a competent fashion. In short, skills position what the finish is to accomplish. 

Competencies outline "how" the goals too objectives volition live on accomplished. They are to a greater extent than detailed too define the requirements for success inwards broader, to a greater extent than inclusive price than skills do. There is too an increased score of depth that takes into trace of piece of work concern human relationship skills, cognition too abilities. To succeed inwards the novel Blue Planet of work, students volition demand to demonstrate the correct mix of skills, knowledge, too on-the-job ability. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 science is a practical or cognitive demonstration of what a pupil tin do. Competency is the proven purpose of skills, knowledge, too abilities to illustrate mastery of learning yesteryear solving problems. 

In club to actually encounter the divergence betwixt a science too competency I came across this dandy communication illustration provided yesteryear HRTMS. 

A someone tin acquire a adept presenter through practice, learning from others, too didactics but inwards club to live on a rigid communicator 1 must rely on a combination of skills PLUS behaviour too knowledge.  A someone tin acquire how to live on a adept presenter but entirely a rigid communicator has advanced linguistic communication skills, the cognition of various cultures, too behaves patiently when communicating.   In short, skills are specific learned activities similar mopping the floor, using a computer, too stocking merchandise, piece competencies are skills + cognition  + behaviour similar work solving, communication, or professionalism.

Competencies, therefore, may comprise a skill, but are much to a greater extent than than the skill.  They include a dynamic combination of abilities, attitudes, too behaviors, equally good equally cognition that is primal to the purpose of a science aligned to a learning outcome. The Rigor/ Relevance Framework helps us movement from a focus on skills to competency-based learning. The acquisition too application of various skills is foundational, but moving to Quad D requires the purpose of skills, knowledge, too abilities to illustrate cognitive growth too authenticity through solving real-world problems that are unpredictable inwards nature. 

Success inwards a digital Blue Planet volition rely on much to a greater extent than than skills.  It's fourth dimension to shift our focus an liberate energy on developing too assessing marrow too innovative competencies that volition serve all students straightaway too inwards the future.