Professional Learning Framework: DACUM Panels. Workshop Feedback

DACUM (Developing A CUrriculuM) was developed in Canada in the 1980s as a tool for industry to improve training. It has been championed in the USA by the Center for Education for Employment at The Ohio State University where they have conducted thousands of DACUMs and trained scores of people to conduct them. As used today, DACUM is a unique, innovative, and very effective method of job, and/or occupational analysis. It is also very effective for conducting process and functional analyses. The DACUM analysis workshop itself involves a trained DACUM facilitator and a committee of 5-12 expert workers from the position, occupation, or other area of analysis. The profile chart that results from the usual two-day workshop is a detailed and graphic portrayal of the duties and tasks performed by the workers involved. In addition to the development of precise duty and task statements, lists of the general knowledge and skills, worker behaviors, and optional lists including tools/equipment used, materials/supplies necessary to conduct the job, and future job trends/concerns are also identified.