Semantic Competency Directory for Constructive Alignment in Digital Learning Designs and Systems

The paper describes the semantic competency directory as a technology which can be used to support constructive alignment in digital learning designs and systems. This article describes the competency directory developed in the Open Virtual Mobility project which can be used to align competencies (learning objectives) with learning activities, e-assessment and digital credentials (Open Badges). We describe technical considerations, requirements and the implementation of the competency directory with three components, i.e. Node.js-based backend with REST API, Neo4j graph database and a web-based user interface which fetches information from the REST-API backend. The paper demonstrates the value of the competency directory for support of constructive alignment in learning designs and systems especially in context of competency alignment in digital credentials.