TenCompetence@UNESCO-IHE implications and challenges

TENCompetence Lifelong Learning workshop, Utrecht, 23 April 2009

Erick de Jong Carel Keuls

2

Global Developments

We live in a rapid changing world

People have to learn and to adapt in order to cope with changed jobs, tasks and technologies

Massification of higher education

Grow of knowledge based economies

Expansion of information technology

3

Life Long Learning

Is needed:• to be kept up to date, or• to attain a new set of competences, or• to upgrade current competences to a higher level, or• to match competences on other job profiles,  because current job is

not in demand any more.

Is needed for Continuous Professional Development (CPD)

The Personal Competence Manager is a tool to assist the learner

4

Implications of LLL for knowledge providers

Flexibility of choice

Modern didactic approaches

5

Problem based approach

professionals who have:

knowledge more clearly linked to their specific areas of application;

the ability to continue to learn throughout their career;

the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams;

the ability to effectively articulate and communicate their ideas

Life long learning

6

Current Master programmes UNESCO-IHE

Water Management

Water Science & Engineering

Environmental Science

Municipal Water & Infrastructure

Water Resources Management

Water Services Management

Water Conflict Management

Water Quality Management

Hydraulic Engineering- Coastal Eng. and Port Develop.

Hydraulic Engineering- Land and Water Development

Hydraulic Engineering and River Basin Development

Hydroinformatics

Hydrology and Water Resources

Environmental Science and Technology

Environmental Planning and Management

Limnology and Wetland Ecosystems

Water Quality Management

Water Supply Engineering

Sanitary Engineering

Integrated Urban Management

7

8

Regular and Tailor-made Short Courses - Examples

Project Management

Operations Management

Strategic Management and PPPs

Change Management

Urban Drainage in Developing Countries

Solid Waste Management

Water Transport and Distribution

Environmental Planning

Water Law and Institutions

Applied Modelling & MWR

Integrated Coastal Zone Management

Tailored

Specialized

Strategic

Managerial

Operational

Multidisciplinary

Cross-boundary

State-of-the-art

9

Online courses

Wetland Management

Wetlands for Water Quality

Public and Private Partnerships

Flood Modelling for Management

Water Transport & Distribution

Integrated River Basin Management

Water & Environmental Law and Policy

Integrated Coastal Zone Management

Cleaner Production & the Water Cycle

Eco-sanitation

SOMIS

www.unesco-ihe.org/education

10

MSc Education in Delft shifts towards joint MSc and research programs

with capable partner institutions worldwide

Increasing development and use of e-learning

Research and capacity building intensifies with partner institutions

Involvement with international and intergovernmental water sector

policy forums (N–S, S–S, S–N)

Greater involvement with the private sector

Immediate challenge - fellowships

Working in Partnership

11

Joint specialisations

12

‘Professional Competence model’ from Graham Cheetham and Geoff Chivers.

13

Staff training

• BTQ programme

• E-learning support

14

E-learning environment

Electronic learning platform

Modern fully equipped classrooms

Laptops for students

Infrastructure for

Innovative delivery

15

Without sufficient qualified professionals to manage water resources and to address water challenges any other investment is at risk

16

UNESCO-IHE specifics• Learners from developing countries

– Certification is crucial: diploma is ticket to a better future– Teacher oriented: they are, we are,

but they are and will be changing …

• Self reflection and self development planning are not ‘universal values’ (yet)

• We mainly provide formal education:– MSc, PhD programs and degrees– Diversity in (short) Courses

17

Life Long Learner: I want to learn!

formal learning

Competences/Digital Support

informal learning

Professional

associations

CoP’s, webcommunities

TenCompetence’s triggers … (1)

Professional domain

WATER SECTOR

18

TenCompetence’s triggers … (2)

(water) professional(water) professional education

How to match learning need and demand?

Topic based Grade requirements Unclear mix of

Cognitive/Skills/Attitude

Competence as base for the bridging

My Development Plan

My e-Portfolio

Sector Educational learning opportunities

1. Who is “the water professional”: what kind of jobs; tasks, responsibilities, skills, competence profile,

competences, etc.

2. What competence profile(s) and competences

are needed (in positions that UNESCO-IHE educates for)?

3. Can we deliver all competences? At all levels? If not, what competences do

we build and support?4. How are our educational offerings related to these

competences? What competence does each educational unit work

towards?

5. We work with learning goals …. How are they

related to the competence concept and what specific

competence and level?

6. When accepting learner orientedness of your

education, what does that mean for the flexibility that you offer? How far can and

should you go? 7. If UNESCO-IHE is only part of the life-long-learning track of a water professional, how can we optimise life-long-learning

offerings with other service providers?

19

TenCompetence’s triggers … (3)Questions:• Who is “the water professional”: what kind of jobs; tasks,

responsibilities, skills, etc.• What competences are needed (in positions that UNESCO-IHE

educates for)• Can we deliver all competences? At all levels? If not, what

competences do we build and support?• How are our educational offerings related to these competences? What

competence does each educational unit work towards?• We work with learning goals …. How are they related to the

competence concept and what specific competence and level?• When accepting learner orientedness of your education, what does that

mean for the flexibility that you offer? How far can and should you go?• If UNESCO-IHE is only part of the life-long-learning track of a water

professional, how can we optimise life-long-learning offerings with other service providers?

20

TenCompetence’s triggers … (4)

Two pilots at UNESCO-IHE

Flood Modelling for Management

and

Decision Support for River Basin management

• Teacher vs learner centered learning path

• Topic -> competence based UOL

• Enabling sharing of resources by participants

• Community support tools

Unfortunately only partly use and testing of tools

21

TenCompetence Infra/Tools(water) professional(water) professional education How to match learning

need and demand?

WebPDP:My Development Plan

Goal orientation/goal selection

Competence profiles

Competence X..N

Water Professional Community

Activities:Learning actions

Assessm

ents - Q

TI

Formal courses, trainings, etc

Informal expert support communities, learner communities, experience cases,etc

LearnWeb:Share my experience

Informal Learning

material repository

My e-PortfolioFormalLearning

material repository

ReCourse

22

Conclusions• The TenCompetence concepts and model of LLL fits with a future vision on

diminishing water illiteracy

• The TenCompetence infrastructure confronts you with basic educational, organisational and strategic business questions

• TenCompetence needs an application domain .. otherwise it is an empty container

• It provides new opportunities to develop and deliver learning services to LL Learners

• It could be an idea to team up with other providers of (water) professional learning services (e.g. associations, update course providers, etc.)

• What appears most difficult is the change of mindset in your own organisation, not the use of the tools… TenCompetence triggers that change!

23

Thank you!