Competency-Based Education as Curriculum and Assessment for Integrative Learning

Abstract

Integrative learning and competency-based education are both evolving as major themes in education. Integrative learning emphasizes that knowledge from different domains and contexts are brought together to enhance the learner’s experience. The emphasis on integrated learning has sparked the development of integrative curriculum, which methodically brings knowledge and skills together in ways that reinforce learning. Competency-based medical education (CBME) is an educational method that assumes integrative learning by relying on defined competencies for learners to master during their education. CBME is an illustration of both integrated learning and integrated curricula. In CBME, learners progress through their program by demonstrating acquisition of competencies, which are often integrative statements in themselves. In integrative learning, the question of how to assess a learner’s progress through their program remains a challenge. Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) are one tool utilized to assess learning in CBME. EPAs are defined, observable tasks that learners should be able to demonstrate upon entering their profession. Understanding EPAs and how they are used in CBME may provide a framework for assessing integrative learning in diverse educational contexts.