1. Competency-Based Education What It Is & What It Is Not Alison Kadlec, Ph.D. Director of Higher Education & Workforce Programs Public Agenda May 14, 2015

2. What is the problem CBE is trying to solve?

3. May 14, 2015 Learning? ● 2/3 of provosts & chief academic officers say grade inflation is a serious problem ● The majority of employers are complaining about the quality of grads ● 70% of college grads unable to perform basic tasks

4. WHAT ARE THE (POTENTIAL) BENEFITS OF CBE?

5. May 14, 2015 Potential Benefits ● Improved educational quality ● Accelerated completion for some ● Cost savings

6. WHAT IT IS NOT

7. May 14, 2015 WHAT CBE IS NOT ● Window dressing ● Narrow job training ● Cheaper & faster ● Testing to a degree ● A harbinger of quality erosion ● Only online ● Only for adults ● A passing fad

8. May 14, 2015 WHAT CBE IS NOT CBE is not the same as Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) ● PLA is a tool to help award credit for knowledge gained prior to entering a program & can be built into a CBE program ● CBE is a pedagogical & curricular approach to academic design & delivery

9. WHAT IT IS

10. May 14, 2015 WHAT CBE IS ● A pedagogical & curricular approach that makes learning & its validation transparent to students, institutions & employers ● One choice for learners not well served by traditional models ● A potential driver of quality improvement in traditional higher education ● Very likely here to stay

11. May 14, 2015 Competency, Proficiency, Mastery ● Competencies are created to define sets of knowledge, skills, concepts & mindsets that learners need to know & be able to do ● Learners must demonstrate their proficiency in a competency, multiple demonstrations of proficiency & integration of learning lead to mastery ● Students progress based on their ability to demonstrate mastery of a comprehensive set of skills, knowledge, behaviors & mindsets at multiple times in multiple ways.

12. May 14, 2015 Universal Design Principles for Quality CBE 1. Teaching & Learning is Student Centered 2. Curriculum is Planned with Competencies in Mind 3. Competencies are Explicitly Designed, Developed & Able to Be Demonstrated 4. Assessments Evaluate Student Demonstrations of Competencies 5. Faculty & Stakeholders are Invested and Engaged 6. Staff Roles & Structures are Flexible

13. May 14, 2015 High Quality Assessment ● Valid & transparent ● Provides real-time feedback to students ● Allows for multiple demonstrations of proficiency ● Measures proficiency & application in real life settings

14. THANK YOU! Want more info? www.cbenetwork.org www.cbenetwork.org