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Competence Model for Education Support Services: What Competencies Are Acquired?

The Educational Quality Assurance Office's (DOWA) training offer for individual lecturers(-in-charge) aims at enhancing your teaching competencies. Among other things, it encompasses:  

  • educational competencies that Ghent University considers essential with regard to high-quality education. These competencies have been drawn up from a growth perspective and will be used in educational support as a basis for self-reflection and further development. They do not serve towards an assessment;
  • a non-exhaustive list of teaching competencies which is open to differentiation. Lecturers can choose to specialize in specific competencies and deepen their knowledge;
  • competencies that are based on the Dutch-Flemish Basic Qualification Profiles (in Dutch: Basiskwalificatie Onderwijs - BKO), the UK Professional Framework Standards for Higher Education Lecturers and Ghent University’s career policy for the professorial staff (in Dutch: ZAP).

 

Competency Area

Competencies

1. Designing Education  

  • designing course units with an eye for their place in the curriculum and the relationship with other course units;

  • defining the final competencies of one’s course units, in alignment with the programme competencies, and policy  choices made at programme, faculty and university level;

  • creating a powerful learning environment that is at once well-suited to student population, didactic principles and policy choices;

  • developing “studiable” and research-based learning materials that include international and socially relevant perspectives;

  • involving (international) stakeholders in education design.

2. Providing Education 
  • using a broad repertoire of interactive and active teaching methods that offers all students learning opportunities to acquire the predefined competencies;
  • encouraging students to adopt an active and socially committed study and research attitude;
  • creating a safe and structured learning environment for all students based on a positive attitude towards students;
  • radiating enthusiasm for one's own academic discipline and teaching activities;
  • communicating transparently with students about a course unit’s intended final competencies, approach, planning and assessment requirements.

3. Coaching (Groups of) Students
  • giving students constructive feedback during and after the learning process;
  • encouraging students by drawing on their talents and qualities;
  • adequately tailoring student supervision to their specific needs;
  • referring students with specific problems to the appropriate contact persons or organizations when these problems exceed one’s own counselling options.

4. Assessing students
  • using valid, reliable and transparent assessment (methods) in accordance with the study programme’s, faculty’s and university’s assessment policy;
  • ensuring that all students can demonstrate the acquired competencies in an assessment as much as possible.

5. Optimizing education and lifelong learning
  • critically reflecting on one's own education views, teaching practice and teaching qualities;
  • taking a specific initiatives in terms of  education-related professional development.

6. Taking responsibility at team, programme, faculty, and university level
  • co-ordinating teaching and assessment practice with colleagues at course unit, learning pathway, study programme or faculty level;
  • taking final responsibility for the execution of teaching and assessment assignments by other lecturers in course units of which one is the lecturer-in-charge;
  • helping to shape study programme vision, study programme competencies, curriculum and assessment within the study programme;
  • playing an active role in education policy and quality assurance at programme, faculty or university level;
  • adopting a pioneering role in education innovation at team, programme, faculty or university level.

Want to Know More? 

The competency model for individual lecturers serves not only as the foundation for various educational support initiatives but also as an inspiration for:

  • the observation and discussion guide used during trial lectures for the recruitment of new ZAP staff;
  • the "Education" discussion guide for HR committees during onboarding and feedback discussions.

 

Consult the sources on which this Education Tip is based:

  • Ghent University policy documents on education policy, assessment policy, education quality assurance and career policy.
  • UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education (2011)
  • Professional Development for University Lecturers. The BKO and Beyond (VSNU, 2018).
  • TIGELAAR, D.E.H., DOLMANS, D.H.J.M., WOLFHAGEN, I.H.A.P. & VAN DER VLEUTEN, C.P.M. (2004). The Development and Validation of a Framework for Teaching Competencies in Higher Education. Higher Education, 48, 253-268.
  • SIMON, E., & PLESCHOVÁ, G. (Eds.). (2012). Teacher Development in Higher Education: Existing Programs, Program Impact, and Future Trends. London: Routledge.

Last modified Nov. 25, 2024, 4:29 p.m.