Competency-Based Education in Aviation: Exploring Alternate Training Pathways

Whether a trainee is studying air traffic control, piloting, maintenance engineering, or cabin crew, they must complete a set number of training 'hours' before being licensed or certified. The aviation industry is moving away from an hours-based to a competency-based training system. Within this approach, training is complete when a learner can demonstrate competent performance. Training based on competency is an increasingly popular approach in aviation. It allows for an alternate means of compliance with international regulations - which can result in shorter and more efficient training programs. However there are also challenges with a competency-based approach. The definition of competency-based education can be confusing, training can be reductionist and artificially simplistic, professional interpretation of written competencies can vary between individuals, and this approach can have a high administrative and regulatory burden. Competency-Based Education in Aviation: Exploring Alternate Training Pathways explores this approach to training in great detail, considering the four aviation professional groups of air traffic control, pilots, maintenance engineers, and cabin crew. Aviation training experts were interviewed and have contributed professional insights along with personal stories and anecdotes associated with competency-based approaches in their fields. Research-based and practical strategies for the effective creation, delivery, and assessment of competency-based education are described in detail.

Suzanne Kearns holds airplane and helicopter pilot licenses. She holds a Helicopter Flight Training diploma from Canadore College, a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Science and a Master of Science degree in Human Factors and Systems Engineering both from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a Ph.D. in Education. She is an associate professor teaching in the Commercial Aviation Management students in the Management and Organizational Studies program at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. She maintains an active research program exploring aviation human factors, training, and teaching technology related subjects.

Dr Timothy (Tim) Mavin began flying in 1983 at the age of fifteen. Since that time he has accumulated over 10,000 hours of flight time, primarily in multi crew jet aircraft. He has flown with four airlines, worked as a flight operations inspector with the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority, and worked as a simulator instructor with Boeing. Tim left flying in 2006 to follow his love of education and became an Australian high school teacher. He moved to Griffith University, Brisbane in 2009 where he currently holds a full time research position as an Associate Professor at the Griffith Institute for Educational Research, where he investigates learning and development in aviation and construction. He continues to conduct type-rating endorsements on the Boeing 737, and works closely with numerous civil airlines in Australia and New Zealand and the Australian military.

Dr Steven Hodge has a background in education, training and philosophy.