Building a Competency-based Curriculum Architecture to Prepare Workplace Learning and Performance Professionals 

Professional programs seek to increase their relevance and foster transfer to workplace environments by aligning their curriculum to industry standards.  In addition, many organizations value professionals literate in principals and practices of multiculturalism.  There are no available resources that merge industry based competency modeling, curriculum development, student assessment, and instruction, with an emphasis on multiculturalism, in the field of Training and Development.  To fill this gap, I propose to: 

1. Devise a conceptual framework for competency-based curriculum architecture with an emphasis on multiculturalism that may be applied to the TRDV program and to other professional programs in diverse disciplines.  I anticipate publishing the theoretical basis for my model “Blending Competency and Culture:  Professional Curriculum Architecture and Multiculturalism in Workplace Learning and Performance” in a peer reviewed journal.

2. Write a manuscript appropriate for publication that will address the mastery of twelve areas of expertise as identified by the American Society of Training & Development Competency Study, with an added emphasis on multiculturalism   The manuscript with the working title, “Training and Development: A Competency Building Approach,” will benefit industry practitioners, faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and those seeking industry certification.  Extensive investigation revealed no other published work that focuses on the development of the twelve essential competencies and no other work in our field that addresses the timely issue of multiculturalism and competency development.  The proposal for this manuscript is currently under review at Prentice-Hall.

3. Develop an electronic knowledge base in the form of a website that would extend and update the manuscript and provide support to faculty, students, alumni, and industry practitioners.