Prospects of Developing and Assessing Generic Competencies:

Using the Minerva Model as a Compass

Abstract

  Generic competency is an important theme in educational policy and practices from primary to higher education in Japan as well as in many developed countries. This report aims to clarify the prospects and methods for developing and assessing generic competencies, using the model proposed by Minerva University (the Minerva Model) as a compass. Founded in 2012, Minerva University is well-known for its innovative education (e. g., no campus of its own with rotating 7 different cities around the world, fully active learning online, etc.). Minerva University has set the acquisition of practical knowledge as its top goal, embodied in the four core competencies (thinking critically, thinking creatively, communicating effectively, and interacting effectively) and about 80 HCs (habits of mind & foundational concepts), and has been making efforts to cultivate generic competencies through general and specialized education, formal education and co-curricular & extracurricular activities. Based on interviews with students, faculty members, and administrators at Minerva University, this report examined the design and practice of education for the cultivation of generic competencies in terms of objectives and assessment, online classes, co-curricular activities, and quality of teaching staff. The results showed that these factors are interrelated: for example, online classes enable the recruitment of highly qualified teaching staff regardless of their place of residence, and the co-curricular and extracurricular activities compensate for the lack of experience in online classes and contribute to community building. Thus, it became clear that the Minerva Model needs to be viewed as a whole, and that incorporating parts of it is not sufficient.