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Collaborative Enhancement Project

Competence-based Education

The competence-based education framework developed at the University of Hull shifts the focus from what students know to what they can actually do.

The CBE model has three domains: Self Awareness; Disciplinary and Professional Experience; and Knowledge Management, underpinned by our approach to Inclusive Education.

Competence Based Education
Self Awareness
Self-assessment and self-regulation in public and private domains
Disciplinary and Professional Experience
Dialectic action and critical thought to address real-world practice
Knowledge Management
The ability to source, understand and communicate knowledge clearly

C-BAss

C-BAss addresses key challenges facing higher education by focusing programme design on developing and assessing the competencies essential to student aspirational futures.

The 5 components of Competency-Based Assessment

C-BAss Diagram
Relevant
Aligned with the four domains of relevance to student futures: academic, life-long personal, professional, and societal.
Meaningful
Written in jargon-free language that can be understood by all stakeholders and consistently interpreted by them.
Assessable
Some form of activity or output that allows students to evidence their level of competence in a way that is quantifiable.
Valuable
Recognised by key stakeholders as being necessary for the personal and professional future of graduates of the degree.
Meaningful & Engaging
Constructively aligned, requiring students to evidence competencies in contexts that are relevant to their futures
Inclusive, Fair, and Feasible
Seeks to reduce, not reinforce, educational inequalities and awarding gaps for staff and students.
Integrated and Scaffolded
Developed at the programme level before determining disciplinary content, guiding what and when students are taught.
Appropriately Challenging
Tasks should be sufficient to stretch learners yet not be so challenging as to overwhelm or undermine their sense of self-efficacy.
Competence-based
The marking should clearly show how well the submission demonstrates the programme competencies.
Reliable
The grading process is fair, consistent, and transparent, helping students see it as unbiased across levels.
Appropriately Explicit
Criteria should be clear for all stakeholders but flexible enough to allow judgement and encourage creativity.
Developmental
Helps students clearly understand their competence level and supports their growth and self-efficacy.
Institutional literacy
Understanding Higher Education dynamics and navigating institutional rules, expectations, and resources.
Academic literacy
The wide range of skills and attitudes students need to maximise learning gain and attainment.
Attitudinal literacy
Understanding the shift from prior education to Higher Education or between Higher Education study levels.
Educational literacy
The expected skills and knowledge students have when starting the programme or a new study level.

Iterative Scholarly Reflection

Find out more

We’re currently developing the section on iterative scholarly reflection to ensure it meets our highest standards of quality, accuracy, and usefulness. C-BAss project partners are working behind the scenes to bring you something valuable, engaging, and informative.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we complete this phase of development. This section will be available soon, and we’re excited to share it with you once it’s ready.

Regular Updates

Case Studies

Competency based education in action. Find out more about education providers results.

Project Partners
University of Hull
Hull University Students' Union
Bishop Burton College
Oxford Brookes University
Cambridge University