ISO/IEC 20006-2, “Information technology for learning, education and training – Information model for competency – Part 2: Proficiency level information model,” has just been released. The ISO/IEC 20006 series is intended to be used by software developers, implementers, and architects of human resources systems and learning systems. The second of the three-part series provides users with an information model for exchange of data on proficiency. Use cases provide additional support.
The use of IT for learning and human resources is on the rise. For companies, it’s reflective of the rapid pace of change in so many industries. For academic settings, it’s a factor of cost-reduction. This is leading to an explosion in SaaS solutions for both learning itself and human resources staff development and record-keeping.
One element of such programs is the interchange of information. And among the information elements is proficiency or competency. Your staff has taken an e-course to update their skill set. At the end of the course, they proved that they digested the material by passing a test. What information about that do you need to keep and perhaps move from one system in your company to another?
Elements of competency include data on the action (training), who (the actor), what (the competency or skill), where (environment – to include location, duration, date and time), how (the method of measurement), , the trainer (school, university, etc.), outcome (level of proficiency), and then like. The ISO/IEC 20006 series answers the question: “How should you represent these elements within an IT system?” Part 2 focuses specifically on the identification and data elements for proficiency itself.
Since I am not a technical person, I grant you that a standard with this degree of technical information can be a challenge to review! However, it is clear that this is the document for those who need to categorize and label such information units and exchange them successfully between differing systems. First you’ll get a firm grounding in the relevant terms and relationships. Then the ISO/IEC 20006-2 covers proficiency level information modelling in depth. You’ll get the details on the proficiency composition model, the proficiency information model, and the level information model. Annex A covers the application to the EQF (European Qualifications Framework). Annex B does the same for the ITSS (Japanese National Skills Standard). A 4-item bibliography completes the document.
What’s next for the ISO/IEC 20006 series? The ISO/IEC 20006-3, “Information technology for learning, education and training — Information model for competency — Part 3: Guidelines for the aggregation of competency information and data,” is in the works. The target publication date is for 2015, so we will see…
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