Can we use a unified approach in modeling competences for all global citizens as lifelong learners, such as students and teachers, parents and leaders, administrators and policy makers? What are the main relations between competences, data, information, knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, objectives, processes, activities, outcomes? How can this modelling provide a comprehensive framework for learning and professional development in real-life situations, and, eventually, to prepare ourselves and our students for the present and the future needs? Yannis Kotsanis, 21/01/2019 Head of R&D Dept. Doukas School R&D in Education Specialist, Member of the SEE Board Post Published for: SoFIA Education Experts

1. Models of Competences based on Inter-Connected Knowledge-Skills-Values
Can we use a unified approach in modeling competences for all global citizens as lifelong learners, such as
students and teachers, parents and leaders, administrators and policy makers? What are the main relations
between competences, data, information, knowledge, skills, values, attitudes, objectives, processes, activities,
outcomes? How can this modelling provide a comprehensive framework for learning and professional
development in real-life situations, and, eventually, to prepare ourselves and our students for the present and
the future needs?
The concepts related to "competences" and "skills" or "soft-skills" has increasingly gained importance for the
lifelong learner, in order to develop a successful career and life in the Information Society of the 21st Century.
According to IGI Global Dictionary, although there are dozens of interpretations, there is no commonly
accepted single definition of the term "competence". We focus on the following two widely accepted
definitions, that react to a situation or solve a problem in the real world:
 "Competences are defined here as a combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the
context. Key competences are those which all individuals need for personal fulfilment and development,
active citizenship, social inclusion and employment" (Key Competences for Lifelong Learning - European
Reference Framework).
 "A competence can be defined as a set of personal characteristics (e.g., skills, knowledge, attitudes) that
an individual possesses or needs to acquire, in order to perform an activity within a specific context,
whereas performance may range from the basic level of proficiency to the highest levels of excellence"
(Competence Models in Technology-enhanced Competence-based Learning)
There are many frameworks for competences and related resources such as: P21 - Partnership for 21st
Century Skills (P21.org); "C21 Canada - Shifting Minds" (C21canada.org); "CompetencyWorks" (iNACOL
Competencyworks.org); "Competency-Based Education Network" (C-BEN Cbenetwork.org), "Competencies
and Academic Standards Exchange" (CASE www.imsglobal.org/case) etc. According to the Equinox Blueprint -
Learning 2030 initiate, a well-rounded student will need to acquire the following 9 interlocking sets of basic
skills and attitudes: self-understanding, systems and design thinking, collaboration, learning as a process,
attitude, difference-making, informed decision-making, logical reasoning, and translating thought into action.
Competences can be expressed and understood in different ways, according to national context.
Competences can also be both subject-based as well as transversal in nature. As a result, it is related to the
literacies concept, which can be defined either as "the ability to read and write" or the "knowledge of a
particular subject or specified field". We choose to mention very briefly the following models and frameworks
for competences or literacies:
 The "European Reference Framework" sets out 8 Key Competences for Lifelong Learning (as a combination of
knowledge, skills and attitudes), with examples such as Developing pupil competences through eTwinning.
 Τhe "European Qualifications Framework" (EQF) has the purpose to make qualifications more readable
and understandable across different countries and systems. The core of the EQF is its eight reference

2. 2
levels defined in terms of learning outcomes, i.e. knowledge, skills and autonomy-responsibility. Learning
outcomes express what individuals know, understand and are able to do at the end of a learning process.
 The "Social and Emotional Learning Model" of the World Economic Forum (WEF) describes 16 skills in
three broad categories: foundational literacies, and character qualities.
 The "Future of Education and Skills 2030" (OECD) aims to help countries find answers to what knowledge,
skills, attitudes and values are needed for today's students to thrive and shape their world, as well as how
instructional systems can effectively develop them.
 The "Intercultural Competences: Conceptual and Operational Framework" (UNESCO).
More Models are mentioned in the Conference Paper: International perspectives on how education offers
solutions to tackle skills mismatches and shortages.
Finally, we present the general, simple and open competency-model of the SoFIATM
(School of the Future
International Academy), as a synthesis of the previous models and Digital Taxonomies (details in: Models of
Competences for the Real and Digital World). The model is based on the 3 principal pillars of competences:
knowledge, skills and attitudes-values, shown as independent three 2D pyramids or one 3D. Each side of the
pyramid has 5 action verbs that can be associated with the goals/objectives or results/outcomes of a simple
or complicated educational activities, as well as integrated literacies.
Knowledge Skills Attitudes-Values
creating
evaluating
applying
analysing
experiencing
collaborating
thinking critical - solving problems
communicating
managing information - synthesizing
well-being
respecting
social-awareness
motivating
self-managing
self-awareness
Multi-Disciplinary Literacies Inter-Disciplinary Literacies
1. Language
2. Mathematics-Logic
3. Physical Sciences
4. Social-Human Sciences
5. Digital and Cloud-based Technologies
6. Physical Fitness and Healthy Life
7. Cultural, Arts, Civic
8. Economics, Εntrepreneurship
 Cloud-based Learner-Teacher-Leader
 Learning & Teaching "1:1 Computing"
 Personal Movement Learning
 Personal Career Counselling
 Personal Professional Development
 Education Hub
The Multi-Disciplinary Literacies and the Inter-Disciplinary Literacies (transversal) constitute the other
dimension of the SoFIA’s Model, interconnected with the 3 above pillars.
Note: This post is based on the 4th Chapter of the IGI-Global Edition 2018: Educational Design and Cloud Computing in Modern Classroom Settings)
Yannis Kotsanis, 21/01/2019
Head of R&D Dept. Doukas School
R&D in Education Specialist, Member of the SEE Board
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