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 terms 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 knowledge that are necessary to be successful. This can be applied to successful completion of a course or success in a chosen career field. Competencies are more qualitative than quantitative, thus are less easily adaptable to a grade scale.
Many courses or plans of study in schools are being identified with core competencies. Core competencies are specifically what a student must be able to do or understand proficiently to successfully complete the course.
