A competency-based specialization course for smart city professionals

Abstract

Intelligent technologies permeate all aspects of contemporary society and urban life. It is essential to educate the workforce of smart cities in order to effectively meet emerging technological demands. In this paper, we present an e-course that focuses on discrete competencies associated with different smart city roles. Initially, we present the conceptual learning framework for the development of the competency-based learning course and we define the objectives of the research. The paper continues with a discussion of the model’s application steps and an examination of the course’s skills, competencies, and roles. The acquired knowledge was measured using pre- and post-course tests, and questionnaires were used to investigate the relevance and quality of the learning material and the learning acquisition of the participants. Evaluation results showed that the course was relevant to the concept of smart cities, useful for their work duties, while participation in the course resulted in increased overall competency in all three smart city job profiles.