This document discusses skill and competence based search capabilities in OpenScout. It provides definitions of skills and competences in the context of the European Qualifications Framework. OpenScout allows for competence metadata services to enrich open educational resources with tags related to competences, skills, and difficulty levels. It features a competence catalogue and taxonomy that maps competences to resources, experts, evidence, and proficiency scales. This enables searching and browsing of resources based on competences as well as independent learning based on defined competence profiles.

1. Co-funded by European Commission
eContentplus
Skill and competence based
search in OpenScout
Dr. Wolfgang Greller,
Centre for Learning Sciences and Technologies
(CELSTEC), Open University of the Netherlands
Online Webinar, 14/05/2012

2. Skills and competences
 In the context of EQF, skills are described as cognitive
(involving the use of logical, intuitive and creative thinking)
and practical (involving manual dexterity and the use of
methods, materials, tools and instruments).
 In the context of EQF, competence is described in terms of
responsibility and autonomy.
EQF = European Qualifications Framework
© OpenScout Consortium, November 2009 2

3. © OpenScout Consortium, November 2009 3
Skill and Competence Services
OpenScout provides added value to OERs by implementing
and providing Competence Metadata Services for Enrichment
& Search.
The core of the Competence Services is the competence
catalogue. The catalogue contains competence classifications
(competence categories) and their related competences as well
as resources, experts, evidences and proficiency scales related
to these competences.
Taxonomy mapping of existing competence related taxonomies
in management education.

4. Competence taxonomy
© OpenScout Consortium, November 2009 4
Subdomain 1 Subdomain 2 Subdomain 3 Subdomain 4
Subdomain 5 Subdomain 6 Subdomain 7 Subdomain 8
Subdomain 9 Subdomain 10 Subdomain 11 Subdomain 12
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence
Competence

5. Subdomain Competence Term Difficulty
Entrepreneurship
Being able to create a
business plan
Business plan
EQF 1-8
Three level difficulty
Being able to identify and
analyze competitors
Competitor analysis
EQF 1-8
Three level difficulty
Being able to apply
different pricing strategies
Pricing strategies
EQF 1-8
Three level difficulty
Being able to identify and
act on new opportunities
within a large company
Intrapreneurship
EQF 1-8
Three level difficulty
© OpenScout Consortium, November 2009 5
Competence taxonomy

6. Enriching resources with competences
© OpenScout Consortium, November 2009 6
Expert tagging tool for sub-domains,
competences, and proficiency levels

7. © OpenScout Consortium, November 2009 7
Competence Scenarios
 Search for learning resources based on competences and
difficulty (=EQF level)
 Browse resources based on information of competence
taxonomy
 Independent learning based on competence profiles and
competence levels (organisation of learning resources
and personal competences)
 Increased usability through simplification of 8 level EQF
to familiar 3 levels (basic, intermediate, advanced)

8. © OpenScout Consortium, November 2009 8