Developing competencies rather than merely ephemeral knowledge is one of the great challenges instructors face. This can be more challenging in the online setting given the tangential connection we have to many of our students as well as the finite amount of time we have them in our classes and connecting the classroom material to a more global outcomes can prove problematic. However, more to the point, how do we develop competences within our students? Perhaps understanding what competences are is a good first place to look. Ya-hui and Li-yai (2010) indicated that competences are the interweaving of skills, knowledge, and values toward the development of the whole individual. Education by this definition should be transformational, not transaction. Hence, developing competencies involves more than simply teaching the student the material, it requires a holistic approach toward learning that encompasses real-word, academic, and spiritual/psychological development.

The issue then becomes how we achieve this in the online setting. The prescribed curriculum does afford instructors some room to maneuver in this area. However, it is incumbent upon instructors to bring their knowledge, skills sets, and values to the classroom to promote holistic learning. In other words, competencies can only develop within our students when we bring our competences to the classroom. How do you bring your whole self to the classroom? What are your strategies, what have you tried, what has worked well, and what has not?

Thanks,

Eric

Reference:

Ya-hui, S., & Li-yai, F. (2010). Assessing graduate attributes for employability in the context of lifelong learning: The holistic approach. US-China Education review, 11(5), 1-10. Retrieved from http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED503876.pdf