Competency Dashboards for Tracking Progress in Hands-On Learning Programs

Abstract

This study examines how competency dashboards can support progress tracking and instructional decision-making in hands-on learning programs. The study is designed to involve approximately 800 students and 50 instructors from 40 hands-on learning courses over one semester, collecting around 18,000 task-completion records, 10,500 practice logs, 6,000 teacher feedback entries, 4,200 competency milestone records, 2,800 learner self-assessment entries, and 1,600 pre-test and post-test performance scores. Key variables include task completion rate, competency milestone achievement, feedback frequency, feedback adoption rate, practice intensity, error-reduction rate, self-assessment accuracy, learner self-management score, instructor intervention frequency, and final performance improvement. The study applies learning analytics, dashboard usability evaluation, latent growth modeling, cluster analysis, multilevel regression, and path analysis to examine whether dashboard use improves progress awareness, self-regulated learning, and instructional adjustment. Dashboard effectiveness is evaluated through learner progress visibility, milestone completion rate, learning gain, feedback-use efficiency, self-management improvement, and instructor decision accuracy. The innovation of this study lies in replacing single final grades with dynamic competency tracking, allowing instructors and learners to observe how specific practical skills develop over time and to adjust learning plans based on real-time progress evidence.