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Module 1: Introducing Competences for 
21st Century Schools


1.1 Introduction

Introduction to Module 1
This video outlines: a) the learning objectives of this module; b) the 6 steps you will need to take in order to fully benefit from the content and activities proposed; and c) the assessment process enabling you to earn an e-badge which goes towards obtaining your final certificate at the end of the course. Remember, you need to watch this video before being able to access the full content of this module.
In case you have difficulty in understanding the speaker, you can download the transcript just below the video.


Module 1 Introduction Video

Welcome to Module 1 on introducing competences for 21st century schools! As you may have noticed, not all the material within this module is visible to you yet – and that is because to access the rest of the module content, you firstly need to watch this introductory video and take the pre-quiz. This is to ensure that everything is clear to you from the start and that we keep you engaged and on track throughout the course. As the course coordinator, I’d like to take you through the learning objectives of this module, as well as the steps you need to take in order to fully benefit from the content and activities proposed.
The learning objectives of this module are to: 1. Understand what is meant by ‘key competences’, and why developing them at school is so important in today’s world; 2. Understand that the definition of competences as well as national and international frameworks vary but share common points; 3. Be familiar with the basic key principles for teaching and assessing key competences; and 4. Be familiar with how various countries across Europe have implemented a key competence approach in school education, particularly in Ireland which will be used as a case study throughout this course.
To successfully make your way through the module please follow the following 6 steps:
STEP 1: Take the pre-quiz. The pre-quiz is intended to test your current level of knowledge in relation to the themes focused on in the module. You are provided with a list of statements which you are asked to identify as true or false. The idea is to give you a snapshot of your starting point before you complete the module, in terms of your current understanding, assumptions and perhaps misconceptions, which are highlighted in the immediate feedback you will automatically receive on completion of the quiz. Remember that you must take the pre-quiz before you are given access to the rest of the content in this module. Please also be aware that the pre-quiz is only for your own self-reflection, so there is no required pass grade.
STEP 2: Watch the video talks. There are 5 video talks in Module 1 which are all between 5 and 12 minutes in length. We encourage you to watch each of the videos in the order they appear as they follow a logical progression. On each video page of the platform, you will also find a transcript which you can consult should you have difficulty in understanding the speaker in the video
STEP 3: Do the Learning Activity. This week’s learning activity is a self-assessment exercise. We would like you to reflect on how aligned your current teaching and assessment methods are with the key competence approach. The objective of this learning activity is for you to better understand to what extent your teaching already involves a key competence approach, and in which areas you would like to make progress. Remember to take the time to reflect properly and to be honest with yourself. Assessing your starting point truthfully will help you make progress in modules 2 and 3 of this course, and enable you to improve your practice.
STEP 4: Peer review another participant’s learning activity. Once you submit your own learning activity, normally within 24 hours you will receive an email notifying you that there is a learning activity completed by another participant ready for you to download and review. To do the peer review you simply need to fill in section B of the template you have been assigned and then upload it to the platform in the learning activity area.
STEP 5: Consult the Module library. This is a resource section providing you with suggested reports, videos, and other resources that you can consult if you are interested in knowing more. The resources are organized under sub-headings, following the video titles or topics discussed within the module, to help you more easily find resources of interest to you.
STEP 6: Take the post-quiz. The post-quiz is intended to test and reinforce your learning of the key messages from the module. You can take the post-quiz up to three times only. When you select your attempt as your final one, the answers will be revealed to you. You need to get 70% of all questions correct in order to pass the post-quiz.
In addition to these 6 main steps, an important part of this course is discussing with other teachers and educational professionals from across Europe, to share opinions, experience and resources to benefit your teaching practice. To do this we encourage you to use the course forum. To exchange with fellow course participants and instructors on content or issues related to module 1, please use the Module 1 category already listed on the forum homepage. Within the Module 1 category you will see some existing sub-categories related to the video talks and learning activity in this module. Please feel free to start a discussion, ask questions and make comments under any of these existing sub-categories.
Another way you can use the forum is to start your own discussion topic in relation to any of the course’s themes, by creating a new category. We encourage you to feel free to do this in relation to any course topic or issue of interest or concern, which you feel doesn’t fit well under any of the existing categories.
And now for some final words about assessment in this module. In order to pass module 1 and earn an e-badge you need to either pass the post-quiz, which requires you to obtain 70% correct answers, or complete the learning activity. To receive the e-badge it is sufficient to just do one or the other. However, should you wish to receive the final certificate at the end of the course, it will be necessary for you to do both, as well as peer-review another participant’s learning activity. The final deadline for submitting your learning activity is 5th December, while the final deadline for taking the quiz and completing the peer review is 12 December. However, to ensure you stay on track and maximize your benefit from the course, we strongly recommend that you complete each quiz, learning activity and peer review by the end of this week when the module ends, on Sunday 23 December by 5 p.m. Central European Time.

1.2 Pre-quiz

For each of the statements below, please indicate whether the statement is true or false. 
1. Certain transversal and higher-order skills, such as collaborative problem solving, are increasingly valued in today’s global and competitive knowledge society.
2. Social and active learning is only relevant to the teaching and learning of certain competences. 
3. Countries have introduced key competences and related learning outcomes into their national curricula for compulsory education, but they have not developed any additional strategies to implement new approaches. 
4. The increasingly digital world is an important driver in the introduction of competence-based approaches to teaching and learning. 
5. Competence-based approaches were originally used in vocational education and training before being extended to general school education. 
6. Competences can be defined as a complex combination of skills and attitudes leading to effective human action in the world in a particular domain
7. There are various national and international definitions and frameworks for key competences or 21st century skills, and although different they share common points. 
8. According to a recent international survey, stakeholders rated the need to better define and integrate key competences in national curricula as a top priority.

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