Teaching and Assessing by Competencies: The LOMLOE Curriculum in Practice

Rationale

Real Decreto 217/2022, implementing the LOMLOE reform, represents the single largest pedagogical retooling demanded by current Spanish education law. Teachers must shift from content-recall instruction to designing situaciones de aprendizaje, working from the Perfil de salida, and assessing competencially against the eight competencias clave. This course provides the systematic, doctoral-level grounding teachers need to enact that shift. It addresses a high-value, recurring CPD demand because the competency-based curriculum is now the legal standard for all stages, and teachers must demonstrate competence in this framework for their programaciones didácticas, for inspection visits, and for their own professional development portfolios. The course is built to be recognisable as formación permanente del profesorado under Order EDU/2886/2011 and to count, subject to each autonomous community's convocatoria, toward the sexenio training requirement.

Part I: Foundations (Lessons 1-4)

Lesson 1. From content to competence: what LOMLOE actually changed

This lesson establishes the legal and pedagogical rationale for the shift from a content-centred to a competency-centred curriculum. Participants examine the chain of reform from Ley Orgánica 2/2006 (LOE) through Ley Orgánica 3/2020 (LOMLOE), identifying the specific articles that redefine the purpose of schooling, the structure of the curriculum, and the role of assessment. The lesson traces how LOMLOE replaced the previous objectives-and-contents architecture with a competency-based model centred on the Perfil de salida, the eight competencias clave, and situaciones de aprendizaje. Participants analyse the preamble and key articles of LOMLOE to understand the legislative intent: to prepare pupils for lifelong learning, active citizenship, and employability in a complex world. The lesson includes a guided reading of the LOMLOE text and a comparative exercise mapping a pre-LOMLOE unit to the new framework. By the end of this lesson, participants can explain the legal basis for the competency-based curriculum and identify the key structural changes LOMLOE introduced.

Lesson 2. The Perfil de salida as the cornerstone of the curriculum

This lesson positions the Perfil de salida (exit profile at the end of basic education) as the reference point for every planning and assessment decision. Participants study Anexo I of Real Decreto 217/2022, which defines the Perfil de salida as the set of competencias clave that pupils must have developed by the end of compulsory education. The lesson explains how the Perfil de salida functions as the organising principle: all curricular elements (competencias específicas, criterios de evaluación, saberes básicos, and situaciones de aprendizaje) must align to it. Participants practise reading the Perfil de salida and tracing its implications for a specific subject area. The lesson includes a workshop in which participants map one subject's competencias específicas back to the Perfil de salida, identifying gaps and redundancies. By the end of this lesson, participants can use the Perfil de salida as the starting point for designing a unit of instruction and can explain to colleagues why it is the non-negotiable reference for all assessment decisions.

Lesson 3. The eight competencias clave in depth

This lesson provides a systematic examination of the eight competencias clave: Comunicación Lingüística (CCL), Plurilingüe (CP), Matemática y en Ciencia, Tecnología e Ingeniería (STEM), Digital (CD), Personal, Social y de Aprender a Aprender (CPSAA), Ciudadana (CC), Emprendedora (CE), and Conciencia y Expresiones Culturales (CCEC). Participants study the descriptors for each competency as published in Real Decreto 217/2022, understanding how the competencies are interdependent and how they cut across subject boundaries. The lesson emphasises that the competencias clave are not taught in isolation but are developed through the integrated design of learning situations. Participants engage in a card-sorting activity in which they classify learning outcomes from their own subject area under the appropriate competency, then discuss overlaps and tensions. The lesson also addresses the common misconception that competencies replace knowledge; instead, saberes básicos serve as the means through which competencies are developed. By the end of this lesson, participants can identify each of the eight competencias clave, describe its key descriptors, and recognise how it manifests in classroom practice.

Lesson 4. Descriptores operativos and how they steer planning

This lesson focuses on the descriptores operativos (operative descriptors) that make the competencias clave assessable. Participants learn that each competency is broken down into a set of observable, measurable descriptors that specify what pupils can do at different stages of their schooling. The lesson explains how the descriptores operativos are organised by cycle or stage in Real Decreto 217/2022 and how they connect the Perfil de salida to the competencias específicas of each subject area. Participants practise selecting the relevant descriptores operativos for a given unit and using them to formulate clear learning intentions. The lesson includes a planning exercise in which participants take a competency descriptor and generate three different learning activities that would allow pupils to demonstrate that descriptor. The lesson also addresses the vertical progression of descriptors across primary, secondary, and Bachillerato, ensuring participants understand how complexity increases. By the end of this lesson, participants can use descriptores operativos to steer their planning from the general competency to the specific, assessable outcome.

Part II: Core Practice (Lessons 5-10)

Lesson 5. Competencias específicas and their link to each area

This lesson bridges the competencias clave to the subject-level competencias específicas. Participants study how each subject area or materia in Real Decreto 217/2022 defines its own set of competencias específicas, which are the concrete, subject-specific manifestations of the key competencies. The lesson explains the relationship: competencias específicas are derived from the descriptores operativos and serve as the direct reference for designing learning situations and assessment criteria. Participants examine the structure of a subject's curriculum entry in the RD, identifying the competencias específicas and tracing their connection to the Perfil de salida. The lesson includes a mapping exercise in which participants take one competencia específica from their subject and identify which key competencies it primarily serves, which descriptores operativos it activates, and which saberes básicos it requires. By the end of this lesson, participants can read a subject curriculum entry, identify its competencias específicas, and explain how they link to the broader competency framework.

Lesson 6. Criterios de evaluación aligned to specific competencies

This lesson addresses the design and use of criterios de evaluación (evaluation criteria) that assess competence rather than content recall. Participants study how Real Decreto 217/2022 structures evaluation criteria as direct correlates of the competencias específicas, specifying the level of performance expected. The lesson distinguishes between evaluation criteria (what is assessed) and assessment instruments (how it is assessed), emphasising that criteria must be observable, measurable, and aligned to the descriptores operativos. Participants practise writing evaluation criteria for a given competencia específica, ensuring they capture the competency dimension (application, analysis, creation) rather than mere knowledge reproduction. The lesson includes a critique exercise in which participants evaluate sample criteria from existing programaciones didácticas against the RD's standards. By the end of this lesson, participants can write evaluation criteria that validly assess competency development and can identify misaligned criteria that assess only content recall.

Lesson 7. Saberes básicos: the role of knowledge in a competency curriculum

This lesson clarifies the function of saberes básicos (basic knowledge) within the LOMLOE framework. Participants learn that saberes básicos are not the curriculum's endpoint but the means through which competencies are developed. The lesson explains how Real Decreto 217/2022 organises saberes básicos into blocks for each subject area, specifying the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes that pupils need to acquire. The critical distinction is that saberes básicos are selected and sequenced to serve the competencias específicas, not taught for their own sake. Participants engage in a redesign exercise: given a traditional content-heavy unit, they identify which saberes básicos are essential for developing the targeted competencies and which can be reduced or eliminated. The lesson also addresses the flexibility built into the framework, allowing teachers to adapt the selection and sequencing of saberes básicos to their pupils' needs and contexts. By the end of this lesson, participants can position saberes básicos as the servant of competencies, not the master of the curriculum.

Lesson 8. Designing situaciones de aprendizaje

This lesson provides a systematic method for designing situaciones de aprendizaje, the required planning unit under LOMLOE. Participants study the characteristics of a situación de aprendizaje described in Real Decreto 217/2022’s Anexo III orientations: a contextualised, challenging task or problem that requires pupils to mobilise multiple competencies; a clear connection to the Perfil de salida and competencias específicas; and integration of saberes básicos. Assessment planning is governed separately by Article 15 of the RD, not by Anexo III. Anexo III is also descriptive guidance rather than binding normativa bás The lesson presents a design template and walks participants through each component: defining the context and challenge, identifying the targeted competencies and descriptors, selecting and sequencing saberes básicos, designing the sequence of activities, and planning assessment moments. Participants work in pairs to draft a situación de aprendizaje for their own subject and stage, receiving structured peer feedback. By the end of this lesson, participants can design a complete situación de aprendizaje that meets the legal requirements of RD 217/2022.

Lesson 9. Context and transfer: making learning situations authentic

This lesson deepens the design of situaciones de aprendizaje by focusing on authenticity and transfer. Participants learn that a learning situation must be contextualised in real-world or simulated scenarios that are meaningful to pupils, and it must require them to transfer knowledge and skills to novel situations. The lesson draws on the methodological orientations in Real Decreto 217/2022, which emphasise interdisciplinary, collaborative, and socially relevant tasks. Participants analyse examples of learning situations from different subjects and stages, evaluating their authenticity and transfer potential. The lesson includes a workshop in which participants revise a decontextualised task (e.g., a worksheet exercise) into an authentic learning situation by adding a real-world context, a genuine audience, and a requirement for transfer. The lesson also addresses how to scaffold transfer for pupils who need additional support. By the end of this lesson, participants can evaluate and improve the authenticity and transfer potential of their learning situations.

Lesson 10. Competency-based assessment: principles

This lesson establishes the principles of competency-based assessment as mandated by LOMLOE and Real Decreto 217/2022. Participants learn that assessment must be continuous, formative, integrated into the learning process, and referenced to the Perfil de salida and the competencias específicas. The lesson distinguishes competency-based assessment from traditional content-recall assessment: the focus is on what pupils can do with what they know, not on what they can reproduce. Participants study the assessment provisions of RD 217/2022, including the requirement that assessment criteria be applied to evaluate the degree of acquisition of the competencias específicas. The lesson includes a case study in which participants analyse a sample assessment plan and identify whether it aligns with competency-based principles or reverts to content-recall logic. Participants also discuss the implications for grading, reporting, and communicating progress to families. By the end of this lesson, participants can articulate the principles of competency-based assessment and evaluate an assessment plan against those principles.

Part III: Application and Mastery (Lessons 11-15)

Lesson 11. Instruments for competency assessment

This lesson moves from principles to practice, equipping participants with a range of instruments for assessing competency development. Participants study rubrics, portfolios, observation protocols, performance tasks, and self-assessment tools, learning how each instrument can capture evidence of competency acquisition. The lesson emphasises that no single instrument is sufficient; a comprehensive assessment system uses multiple instruments triangulated over time. Participants practise designing a rubric for a competencia específica, ensuring the rubric criteria align with the descriptores operativos and evaluation criteria. The lesson also addresses the practical challenges of competency assessment: managing workload, ensuring consistency across teachers, and providing meaningful feedback. Participants engage in a calibration exercise in which they apply a rubric to a sample pupil product and discuss discrepancies in their ratings. By the end of this lesson, participants can select, design, and use appropriate instruments for competency assessment in their subject and stage.

Lesson 12. Formative feedback and the learning-to-learn competence

This lesson focuses on formative feedback as the engine of competency development, with particular attention to the Competencia Personal, Social y de Aprender a Aprender (CPSAA). Participants learn that feedback must be timely, specific, and actionable, guiding pupils to understand their current level of performance and the next steps in their learning. The lesson connects feedback practices to the CPSAA descriptors, which include self-regulation, goal-setting, and reflection. Participants study models of effective feedback (e.g., task-level, process-level, self-regulation-level) and practise giving feedback that builds pupils' capacity to learn independently. The lesson includes a role-play activity in which participants provide feedback on a simulated pupil performance and then analyse the feedback's impact on the pupil's self-regulation. Participants also discuss how to create classroom routines that normalise feedback-seeking and self-assessment. By the end of this lesson, participants can give formative feedback that develops pupils' CPSAA competency and can design feedback routines that support self-regulated learning.

Lesson 13. Promotion, grade repetition, and the global decision

This lesson addresses the LOMLOE provisions on promotion, grade repetition, and the global decision about a pupil's progression. Participants study the relevant articles of LOMLOE and Real Decreto 217/2022, which reframe promotion decisions as exceptional and based on whether repetition would better serve the pupil's competency development. The lesson explains that the decision is a global, collegial judgement made by the teaching team, referenced to the Perfil de salida and the degree of acquisition of the competencias clave. Participants examine the criteria for promotion and repetition, including the requirement that repetition be accompanied by a specific plan for addressing the pupil's learning needs. The lesson includes a case-study exercise in which participants analyse a pupil's competency profile and make a promotion decision, justifying it with reference to the legal framework. Participants also discuss the implications for reporting to families and for the centre's promotion policies. By the end of this lesson, participants can apply the LOMLOE promotion and repetition provisions to make and justify global progression decisions.

Lesson 14. Writing the programación didáctica under LOMLOE

This lesson guides participants through the process of writing a compliant programación didáctica (didactic programme) under the LOMLOE framework. Participants learn the required components of a programación didáctica as specified by Real Decreto 217/2022 and the autonomous community's own curricular decree: the competencias específicas, criterios de evaluación, saberes básicos, the sequence of situaciones de aprendizaje, assessment plan, and measures for attention to diversity. The lesson provides a template and a worked example from a specific subject and stage. Participants work individually or in pairs to draft a programación didáctica for one unit, ensuring alignment across all components and referencing the Perfil de salida. The lesson includes a peer-review protocol in which participants evaluate each other's drafts against a checklist derived from the RD. Participants also discuss how to adapt the programación didáctica for different contexts, including bilingual programmes and centres with a high proportion of ACNEAE pupils. By the end of this lesson, participants can write a programación didáctica that meets the legal requirements and is ready for implementation.

Lesson 15. Coherence across the centre: from PEC to classroom

This final lesson addresses the vertical and horizontal coherence of the competency-based curriculum across the entire centre. Participants learn how the Proyecto Educativo de Centro (PEC), as defined in LOE Article 121 as amended by LOMLOE, must articulate the centre's approach to competency-based education, inclusion, and assessment. The lesson explains how the PEC sets the framework for the programaciones didácticas of each department and how those programaciones must align with the centre's overall vision. Participants study the relationship between the PEC, the plan de atención a la diversidad, the plan de convivencia, and the plan digital de centro, understanding how each plan supports the competency-based curriculum. The lesson includes a workshop in which participants map the coherence chain from the PEC's competency principles down to a single classroom learning situation, identifying any misalignments. Participants also discuss strategies for leading curriculum coherence in their centre, including departmental collaboration, shared assessment moderation, and the role of the jefe de estudios. By the end of this lesson, participants can evaluate and strengthen the coherence of their centre's curriculum from the PEC to the classroom.

This syllabus was designed from primary-source research of this nation's official teacher requirements and passed independent verification. The full course, its lessons, assistant, and materials are live for enrolled educators.