Competencies and learning objectives are two related educational terms, but they do not mean the same

thing. Education has its own set of vocabulary that sometimes is enhanced by terms used in business. Learning objectives have been around for a while, but competencies are becoming a popular concept to include in curriculum. Sometimes the two term s are used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing. What is a Competency? Competency is an educational term relating to the skills, behaviors and knowledg e that are necessary to be successful. This can be applied to successful complet ion of a course or success in a chosen career field. Competencies are more quali tative than quantitative, thus are less easily adaptable to a grade scale. Many courses or plans of study in schools are being identified with core compete ncies. Core competencies are specifically what a student must be able to do or u nderstand proficiently to successfully complete the course. Ads by Google Teach English Travel & Teach Anywhere! Get TEFL Certified in Boston. BostonAcade myofEnglish.com/TEFL SWOT Analysis Tool Get a free 30 Day Trial of MM2012 the leading Mindmapping Too l! www.Mindjet.com What is a Learning Objective? Learning objectives are more specifically targeted to the educational outcomes o f a lesson or a course. They are typically written using Bloom s Taxonomy for educat ional objectives and are tailored for the specific lesson. When collected togeth er, the learning objectives of a course support the competencies. Learning objectives are often provided by textbook publishers as part of their c urriculum package. They might also be adapted or completely written by a school, department or learning team to reflect the specific needs of a school. Relating Competencies and Learning Objectives to a Lesson An example of a competency would be the ACM s K-12 Model Curriculum competency goal that students in grades 3-6 will, Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, Web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collabor ative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create presentations for audiences inside and outside the classroom. It is worded in general terms and m ay need several lessons or activities to achieve the goal. More on this topic Learning Contracts How to Write Competencies Importance of Role Play Learning Activities in Technology Classes Considering the previous technology competency example, it may be supported in a