Holistic Student Professional Development and Assessment: A Backward Design Approach

摘要

The study of competencies opens the door to insights about humans and human talent and potential applications for their development (Boyatzis, 2009). Successful transition from academia to the twenty-first century workplace requires that college graduates acquire technical skills in their field as well as skills for interacting effectively with people (Hayward & Blackmer, 2007). This case study examines holistic student professional development through competency based assessment. A lean manufacturing course in Iowa State University’s Industrial Technology degree program served as a foundation for utilizing the “backward design” process (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998). Results indicate that holistic professional development was achieved as measured using: (a) competency assessments, and (b) captured student perceptions through structured self-reflection. Additionally, this study provides a framework for a holistic approach to student professional development and assessment.