Action Competence (Module 5)

Action competence can be defined as the application of theoretical knowledge in the real world for the welfare of the society. The concept is gaining momentum in the modern world where the learners prefer to learn in the context. Gone are the days for traditional classroom, now the preferences are for experiential, collaborative, cooperative learning. Most of the courses are in the capacity to provide opportunities to the learners to work for the welfare of the society. For example carpentry and civil engineering students can work for the construction of houses for the poor people.

My work place is in the Horticulture Department for which I have been assigned a project on vermiculture. Keeping in mind the models of action competence, the experiential learning model fits to my learners.  

What are they doing at present?

They have been learning about worm farming. From the beginning they are engaged in the learning process as they are working on the construction and maintenance of worm farm in the nursery. How do they demonstrate action competence? I discussed with the students and the lecturer and came to know that some of them are working as volunteers in farms to encourage the farmers to adopt vermiculture. One student works in the Botanic garden to maintain the plants.

If I were the facilitator

Although the lecturer has done every possible effort to enable the students are action competent. In my opinion it would be better to encourage the students to visit the community and work with the people to make them aware about managing waste by adopting vemiculture. Not only they will spread awareness but also help them to construct and manage the worm farms. They will also visit the surrounding schools where the students and staff can be encouraged to manage the waste by worm farming. My students will apply their knowledge to construct the suitable size worm farms for the schools and also cooperate with the school to maintain the worm farms. They will discuss the scope of worm farming with the city council so that organic waste of the city can be used to produce vermicast.

I would also like to share another example of action competence from my past experience. I taught environmental education in the school. I always encouraged the students to apply their knowledge to solve environmental problems in their surroundings. For example I never told them to plant trees orally but encouraged them to plant trees in the school campus and in the community. A club had been formed to work in the community. The club organizes a rally annually to create awareness. I facilitated them and enabled them not to criticize the environmental problems in the class but visit the community and work for solving those problems.