Changing our graduate program assessment practices to parallel what we preach to business organizations regarding the adoption of a competency-based approach will demonstrate to organizations that our students possess the competencies necessary for attaining an increasingly elusive competitive advantage. In addition, the competency-based approach mirrors a growing trend within educational psychology to link assessment, instruction, and application. Educational researchers have begun to emphasize methods of authentic assessment or portfolio assessment to contextualize evaluation. The objective of the program is to train individuals to perform psychological research, evaluation, and services in public or private sector organizations. Nine competencies were defined representing the professional topic areas emphasized in our program.
Students are responsible for selecting their evaluation format for each competency.
Thus, through consultation with the program coordinators, students are able to individually determine the process by which they will demonstrate each of the nine competencies. In addition, each student is required to have two committee members evaluate their proposal for demonstration of a competency. The value of this lies in having an internship or project supervisor from the business domain take a more active role in the student's development-adding value to the program as well as their organization. The requirement of choosing evaluation formats for each competency forces students and faculty to create what amounts to an individualized development plan for each student. Each student has an individual evaluation plan which is a living document, modified as they complete competency requirements or choose new evaluation formats.