Integrating competencies in a curriculum through developing learning paths and reflection assignments

Integration of competencies ensures that students are better prepared for their future
career in higher engineering education. One way to integrate competencies into a
curriculum is by developing a learning path together with teachers, which is guided
by an overarching system of reflection. In this paper, it is described how learning
paths can be designed together with teachers. Furthermore, a design for an activity
which stimulates the development of competencies is given. This activity comprises
a meeting related to competencies and subsequent reflection assignments, in which
students write down a take-home message, reflect on their competency
development, and set goals. Students upload their reflection assignments and goals
in their portfolio, to be able to monitor their competency development. Two examples
of integrating competencies in the bachelor Food Technology at Wageningen
University are presented. First, the design of the learning path researching is
discussed, including an example of an activity that addresses this competency.
Second, a course is introduced in which students reflect and set goals on their
competency development, which they upload in their portfolio. The presented
approaches and examples serve as an inspiration to integrate competencies in an
existing programme.