Assessing 21st Century Skills: Competency Modeling to the Rescue

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine A. Sliter
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Skill Assessment ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Complex Problem Solving ◽  
Business World ◽  
Collaborative Problem ◽  
Competency Modeling ◽  
External Consultant

Neubert, Mainert, Kretzschmar, and Greiff (2015) rightly argue that today's business world requires employees to frequently engage in nonroutine, creative, and interactive tasks. The authors go further to describe two potentially important skills—complex problem solving and collaborative problem solving—which they believe can address gaps in our current understanding of employee skill assessment. I contend however that the authors might be reinventing the wheel with this framework, given that the already popular practice of competency modeling satisfies the very deficiencies that the authors argue exist. To expand on this argument, I will first provide a brief history and discussion of what competency modeling is, followed by an explanation of several key benefits of this approach in terms of addressing the authors’ concerns. Then, on the basis of my applied experience as an external consultant, I will discuss how I might use competency modeling to address one of the authors’ own example scenarios, which should help identify ways in which competency modeling subsumes Neubert and colleagues’ approach.

Questions About I-O Psychology's Future

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 269-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Morelli ◽  
A. James Illingworth ◽  
Charles Handler
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
21St Century ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Complex Problem Solving ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Collaborative Problem ◽  
The Future ◽  
Research Questions

We find Neubert, Mainert, Kretzschmar, and Greiff's (2015) article to be worth discussing and embracing because it represents not only a pragmatic offering of two important constructs for 21st century work but also an important opportunity for industrial–organizational (I-O) scholars and practitioners to consider several questions related to the future of I-O psychology. Neubert et al. correctly identified the broad trends that are influencing the economic environment that we live in and made a compelling argument that I-O psychologists should join other researchers and policymakers from ancillary fields to identify and measure the unique competencies and skills that will determine success in the future of work. In our own research on new technologies and their use in talent assessment and selection (e.g., mobile device testing), we have often considered other future-related research questions, and we would like to offer them here as a supplement to this discussion in the hopes that it might spur further forward-thinking conversation, research, and practice. Below we offer five additional themes to organize the questions that we believe are important to consider as I-O psychologists evaluate the merits and uses of 21st century skills such as complex problem solving and collaborative problem solving (CPS and ColPS).

The Assessment of 21st Century Skills in Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Complex and Collaborative Problem Solving

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 238-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas C. Neubert ◽  
Jakob Mainert ◽  
André Kretzschmar ◽  
Samuel Greiff
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
21St Century ◽  
21St Century Skills ◽  
Organizational Psychology ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Collaborative Problem ◽  
Group Settings ◽  
Industrial And Organizational Psychology ◽  
Suitable Framework

In this article, we highlight why and how industrial and organizational psychologists can take advantage of research on 21st century skills and their assessment. We present vital theoretical perspectives, a suitable framework for assessment, and exemplary instruments with a focus on advances in the assessment of human capital. Specifically, complex problem solving (CPS) and collaborative problem solving (ColPS) are two transversal skills (i.e., skills that span multiple domains) that are generally considered critical in the 21st century workplace. The assessment of these skills in education has linked fundamental research with practical applicability and has provided a useful template for workplace assessment. Both CPS and ColPS capture the interaction of individuals with problems that require the active acquisition and application of knowledge in individual or group settings. To ignite a discussion in industrial and organizational psychology, we discuss advances in the assessment of CPS and ColPS and propose ways to move beyond the current state of the art in assessing job-related skills.

Collaboration in the 21st century: The theory, assessment, and teaching of collaborative problem solving

2020 ◽  
Vol 104 ◽  
pp. 106134
Author(s):  
Arthur C. Graesser ◽  
Samuel Greiff ◽  
Matthias Stadler ◽  
Keith T. Shubeck
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Collaborative Problem

Do We Really Need New Constructs? An Argument for Adapting Individual Predictors to Dynamic Environments

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 294-301
Author(s):  
Lebena Varghese ◽  
Meghan I. H. Lindeman ◽  
Alecia M. Santuzzi
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Personnel Selection ◽  
Dynamic Environments ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Job Skills ◽  
Complex Problem Solving ◽  
Job Roles ◽  
Traditional Assessment ◽  
Traditional Assessments

Neubert, Mainert, Kretzschmar, and Greiff (2015) argue that the variable and dynamic nature of new job roles requires employees to demonstrate skills such as complex problem solving (CPS) or collaborative problem solving (ColPS). We argue that assessing CPS and ColPS in place of traditional assessment would be criterion deficient. We argue that traditional personnel assessments are important even for 21st century jobs. In this commentary we attempt to (a) highlight the contribution of currently assessed individual predictors and job skills in relation to personnel selection and (b) discuss how those traditional assessments can inform performance even in dynamic environments, such as those experienced in team-based work.

scholarly journals Development of Perceived Complex Problem-Solving Instrument in Domain of Complex Systems

Systems ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Morteza Nagahi ◽  
Alieh Maddah ◽  
Raed Jaradat ◽  
Mohammad Mohammadi
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Complex Systems ◽  
Systems Thinking ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Complex Problem Solving ◽  
Final Model ◽  
Complex Problems ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Relationship

The ability to solve modern complex systems becomes a necessity of the 21st century. The purpose of this study is the development of an instrument that measures an individual’s perception toward solving complex problems. Based on literature and definitions, an instrument with four stages named perceived complex problem-solving (PCPS) was designed through exploratory and confirmatory stages. The instrument is validated and scaled through different models, and the final model is discussed. After completing validation and scale development of the PCPS instrument, the final model of the PCPS instrument was introduced to resolve the gap in the literature. The final model of the PCPS instrument is able to find and quantify the degree of perception an individual holds in dealing with complex problems and can be utilized in different settings and environments. Further research about the relationship between Systems Thinking and CPS revealed individuals with a high level of systems thinking have a better understanding of the characteristics of complex problems and so better perception of CPS.

scholarly journals The Collaborative Problem Based Learning Model Innovation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Endah Hendarwati ◽  
Luthfiyah Nurlaela ◽  
Bachtiar Syaiful Bachri
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
21St Century ◽  
21St Century Skills ◽  
Role Model ◽  
Problem Based Learning ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Collaborative Problem ◽  
Model Matrix ◽  
Pbl Model

Learning models that can specifically support 21st-century skills which are fundamentals and global in nature, especially in higher education, are still not available. The Problem Based Learning (PBL) model and the Collaborative Learning (CL) model have characteristics that have the potential to support these skills. The purpose of the study is to develop a collaborative problem-based learning (CPBL) model. The study's results are five model syntaxes consisting of problem orientation, organization, collaborative problem solving, presentation and discussion, and evaluation. Besides, a model matrix was produced to guide lecturer and student learning activities to achieve fundamental and global 21st-century skills, namely problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. The syntaxes and matrix of the model produced are feasible, valid, and practically implemented to produce graduates who have ready and competitive skills. Thus, the developed CPBL model can become an innovative initial role model for learning to support learning at various levels, especially higher education, to produce graduates who have skills that are ready and competitive in the current era, maybe even in the future.   Received: 18 March 2021 / Accepted: 21 May 2021 / Published: 8 July 2021

Development of collaborative proplem solving competency framework and scales for technical students

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-110
Author(s):  
Hien Dang Thi Dieu
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Competency Framework ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Collaborative Problem ◽  
Technical Students ◽  
Competency Frameworks

Collaborative problem solving (CPS) is an indispensable competency of workers as well as engineers in the 21st century. Therefore, it is very necessary to develop for students. Frameworks and scale are 2 importance factors when researches are conducted on developing of competency as well as CPS competency. There are some researchers have interested in on these issues. In the results, the CPS frameworks were divided into at least 2 components: Collaborative and Problem solving. However, with the perspective of CPS competency is not a compound competency, the structure divided into 2 parts is not really suitable, so it is necessary to develop this competency frameworks more appropriately. This article mainly focuses on research results of CPS framework, scales and criteria to evaluate CPS competency of technical students. Research results will be foundations for developing tools to measure the development of the CPS competency.

scholarly journals Inequality, Education, Workforce Preparedness, and Complex Problem Solving

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Patrick C. Kyllonen
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Collaborative Problem Solving ◽  
Complex Problem Solving ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Democracy Education ◽  
Individual Outcomes ◽  
The Future

Economic inequality has been described as the defining challenge of our time, responsible for a host of potential negative societal and individual outcomes including reduced opportunity, decreased health and life expectancy, and the destabilization of democracy. Education has been proposed as the “great equalizer” that has and can continue to play a role in reducing inequality. One means by which education does so is through the development of complex problem solving skills in students, skills used to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings. These are highly valued in the workforce and will likely continue to be so in the future workforce. Their importance is evident in results from employer surveys, as well as by their inclusion in large scale international and domestic comparative assessments. In this paper, I review various definitions of complex problem solving and approaches for measuring it, along with findings from PISA 2003, 2012, and 2015. I also discuss prospects for teaching, assessing, and reporting on it, and discuss the emerging importance of collaborative problem solving. Developing and monitoring complex problem solving skills, broadly defined, is a critical challenge in preparing students for the future workforce, and in overcoming the negative effects of inequality and the diminishment of individual opportunity.

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