Unit 3: Competence-Based Assessment

Competency-based learning refers to systems of instruction, assessment, grading, and academic reporting that are based on learners demonstrating knowledge, skills, and attitudes they have acquired and being able to apply them in real life situations. This kind of learning emphasizes the learner-centered approach where the learner is engaged in active and participatory learning activities.

Assessment is regarded as those formal and informal procedures that teachers and learners employ in gathering information on learning and making a judgment about what learners know and can do. As opposed to the misconception most people have always had that assessment comes after teaching, assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning.

Competency-based assessment is an assessment process whereby a learner is confronted with a complex situation relevant to his/her everyday life and asked to look for a solution by applying what has been learned (knowledge, skills, and attitudes). Evidence of learning is then collected and used as the basis on which judgments are made concerning the learner’s progress against fixed performance criteria.

Formative assessment is daily monitoring of learning that provides ongoing feedback that teachers can use to improve their teaching and that learners can use to improve their acquisition of competences. Formative or Continuous assessment is among other things, intended to help teachers to assess curriculum learning objectives at short intervals of time, and provide effective remedial instruction for weak learners, or enrichment activities for high achievers.

Summative assessments are used to evaluate learner’s skill, acquisition, and academic achievement at the conclusion of a defined instructional period, such as the end of a project, unit, course, term, school year and cycle.

This is the end of Lesson 1.