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Technology and Competence

March 30th, 2011 by Graham Attwell

All software is a beta. And we are forever messing with the structure of the Pontydysgu web site. So here is a new innovation. We are going to use the front page right hand column for short news items and announcements (please feel free to send in anything you would like to be posted there). And that frees up this news column. For what? For an editorial column, I think. Or an excuse for a rant.

And here goes rant number one. I am ever more dismayed by projects claiming to use technology to measure competence. Why? Because firstly I think we should be using software to develop imagination, to let people play, to encourage creativity, not restricting the idea of what is or is not legitimate learning or achievement. And secondly simply because I don’t think we can measure competence through software. Inevitably such attempts become just lists of tasks or formal knowledge which can be ticked off – with or without the help of evidencing. Such check box lists tell little of what people can really do and next to nothing about their ability to use skills and knowledge in real world situations. It was that approach which led to the near demise of the first wave of e-Portfolio development. And it is time we learned from that lesson.

Here endeth the first rant 🙂

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 30th, 2011 at 16:13 and is filed under Competence Development, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  1. juandoming (juandoming) says:
    April 4, 2011 at 14:23

    http://www.pontydysgu.org/2011/03/technology-and-competence/ #Technologi and #Competence #elearning #education #web20

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