> I get tired of explaining the difference between SCA and NVQs- I
> hope that won't have to happen here..]
Arthur, if you and If Price and others want to have a technical discussion
on Vocational Qualifications, Standards of Competence and Standards of
Performance, go to it. But if you want the international readership of
learning -org to understand, then we need and deserve more explanation of
why and how these standards can be useful..
I understand the desire for standards, but I find attempts to put
competencies and outcomes into words very narrow and one-dimensional
compared with the complexities of 'coming to know' and 'coming to be able
to do'. Like driving tests and ISO9000 certification, they are externally
rather than learner driven and are a bare minimum in giving confidence to
third parties.
I found Michael McMaster's tennis example helpful in distinguishing
between learner and coach. What I understand is that a learner can
demonstrate competence by performing, a coach can only demonstrate
competence through the demonstrable improvement of those she/he is
coaching.
Any activity in an organisation should contribute to :
a)
deliver what the customer/beneficiary needs and is willing to pay for
and/or
b)
maintain or increase the organisation's ability to attract business or
its capability to produce and deliver to customers (translate as you
will for non-profit organisations)
Any activity that contributes to neither must be critically reviewed.
--John Farago <jfarago@cix.compulink.co.uk>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>