Reference Framework for Planning Learning and Evaluation Activities

At the end of the course, students are called upon to perform a comprehensive and complex task
involving different types of learning. Before evaluating the competency for certification purposes, the
teacher should ensure that the students are able to transfer their knowledge and know-how to a
different context or to a situation equivalent to those encountered in the previous steps of the learning
process. It is crucial that they acquire the essential aspects of the competency, i.e. what is essential to
the practice of the trade or occupation.
Planning activities and the phases of competency acquisition
The systematic organization of planning is based on the competency acquisition process. However,
flexibility is important at the teaching stage. The logic behind the phases of competency acquisition is
based on the student as learner. The phases are incorporated into the teacher’s planning so that
students receive the appropriate guidance. Although the phases are presented in a logical order, they
are not necessarily linear. Students can move back and forth between them during the learning
process.
Exploration
• Relevance for the students
and links with the other
competencies
• Review of prior knowledge
and experience
• Trigger activity to motivate
and stimulate students’
interest
• Starting point
Exploration
Exploration is a first step in the application of a competency; it situates
the goals to be attained. It is an opportunity for students to understand
the relevance of the competency to the trade or occupation, to
mobilize their resources and to get started. Exploration is the
cornerstone of the competency. In the time devoted to exploration,
students can establish relationships with their own resources and
begin a process that is, or is soon to be, meaningful.
At the outset, students are called upon to explore 18 the competency and, to support this exploration,
the teacher defines the occupational activity or comprehensive task that best represents what workers
do when they apply the competency. The teacher selects a learning activity, which may be divided up
according to the learning process, or defined in terms of a real situation or specific tasks in the
workplace (e.g. problem, case study).
The tasks selected by the teacher for the exploration phase should be consistent with the elements of
the competency in accordance with the predetermined minimum performance standard. Information
and observation activities are appropriate at this stage.
18. The exploration phase addresses the relevance of the knowledge and know-how the students must construct and motivates
them, but it is not always necessary to begin with this phase.
32 Planning Activities to Help Students Acquire Competencies