Competency-based Education (CBE)
A Path Forward
Dr. Ross Wirth [email protected]
IACBE Annual Conference – April 9, 2014
• What is “competency-based education?”
• What leading schools are doing
• 3 Basic Approaches – complementary, but potentially confusing if all done at once
• Phased CBE Expansion– Course, degree, non-credit, blank sheet
Objectives for Today
2
• CBE can mean – low cost to purposeful design– Recognizing prior learning
• At a competency (not course) level (portfolio and/or exams)
– Lower cost, self-paced program of study (new modality)• Current assignments, projects, or competency exams
– Strengthened learning outcomes• Focus on demonstration of learning• Clear rubrics for evaluating depth of learning
– Purposeful curriculum design that is modular and independent of course structure• May include Direct Assessment of competencies
Competency-based Education
3
Students are provided with the • means to acquire the knowledge and
skills • at an individual pace • to demonstrate achievement • of specific competencies • identified as necessary to complete a
program and earn a degree or other credential.
Competency-based Model
4Source: US Dept. of Education
Leading Edge Schools
Western Governors University– Started in 1995 with self-paced CBE (no legacy programs) – 6 month enrollment windows, no limit on number of courses– 120 Competencies, but tied to traditional course structure – Advisors, graders, & some Q&A support (MS required)
• Note: Advisors are called “faculty” but advise 80-100 students
– 40,000 students currently enrolled– Starting to partner with community colleges
• Establishing articulation pathways with community colleges along withCBE course development (mostly information technology courses)
• Leveraging grants – Ivy Tech (Gates grant) & Sinclair (DoL grant)
– $5780/yr – all-you-can-learn 6-month subscription model
6
Southern New Hampshire Univ.• dba College for America (concept driven by Clay Christensen)
– Developed separate from other programs– 120 competencies – direct assessment (no courses) – P/F grading– Working toward grouping competencies into course equivalents – No time restriction for mastery; work on multiple modules at same time– ePortfolio & badge system for demonstrating progress– Advisors & content experts – very data-driven with predictive analytics– Modules also marketed separately to employers (non-credit)– AA in general business studies currently– Coming – BA in communications, with specialties in health care
management and business– Breakeven thought to be 5000 students (500 currently)
• Target enrollment of 350,000 by 2018– $2500/year – All-you-can-learn
7
Kentucky Community & Technical College System
– Two self-paced options• Learn-On-Demand – removes dead time in the academic calendar• Direct2Degree –
– Carefully designed single-train course sequence (new) - also a good advising model for other modalities - Easy to skip past courses that have been transferred in
– Working toward 24x7 faculty support with back-up available– 24 hour turnaround for grading
– Learning Resources• Textbook (adaptive learning) fee required in addition to tuition • This fee is proportionally split among all publishers based on “average
student use”
8
Kentucky Community & Technical College System
– Monthly subscription to encourage faster progression (25 mo.) – Adaptive learning enables more modules for the subscription fee– 81 modules for AS in General Studies taken individually and
organized into courses when all modules for a course are done• 3 to 5 modules per course • Adding Business Admin., Info. Tech., & Nursing
– Each module (3-8 weeks) stands alone for credit for stop-outs– 3-levels of competency across one to three courses– Financial Aid options –
• semester term (traditional student) • non-term (multiple starts each semester)• no-term monthly subscription (DoEd experimental site)
9
CBE Approaches
• Mix (from lowest to highest cost to deliver)
– Student Curated thru Directed Search • Leverage existing resources, but fill in gaps
through student searching by key words provided
– Flipped Classroom using • Existing content in LMS (Blue Quill) • Open Resources (add additional time to ID
& vet)
– Publisher’s Adaptive Learning platform• Adds to the cost to deliver, but quicker
Decision – Learning Resources
11
• 3 approaches to CBE– Additional modality for individual
courses• Opportunistic & Quick implementation
– Focused, single-train of courses• Intensive with quick response times
– Secondary brand (like College for America)• Disruptive, but leverages existing resources
Decision – CBE Approach
12
Complementary to offer but potentially confusing Students must choose one
• Course-based or Direct Assessment?• Self-paced or within existing
modalities?• Time & capital available to develop?• Development approach?– OER, Student Curated, Adaptive
Learning?
• Types of Assessment?• Separate or aligned with existing
courses?• Financial Aid Integration?
Approach – Decision Criteria
13
Phased Roll-outEnhancement to
Concept
1. New Modality – Individual Courses– Self-paced with Support Services
2. Extend to a full Degree Path– Single Train, Tri-modalities, or 2nd
Brand
3. Content Re-use for non-credit offering – Potential for pathway to credit
4. Full Competency Mapping– Ultimate Objective for CBE
Growing the Concept
15
Learning & Assessment Flow
16
Exam for
credit
CourseComplete
UnitPre-test
UnitPost-test
LearningActivity
ADAPTIVE
FLOW
ADAPTIVE FLOW
ADAPTIVE FLOW
ADAPTIVE FLOW
Course Pre-Test
CoursePost-Test
Series of Learning Modules
Competency-based Education (CBE)
A Path Forward
CBE requires managing in a way to avoid common trade-offs
• Cost lower• Speed quicker• Quality unchanged for
academicsimproved for student
support
Trade-off Challenge to Avoid
18
• Offers an alternative to online & F2F• Speed can be increased, but without
a reduction in student cost• Fits easily within existing financial
aid• Individual courses can be
implemented as faculty have time and interest
Mixed Modalities
19
• Can be run in parallel with existing financial aid, but without an ability to move back-and-forth between approaches– Students must choose a financial aid
plan
• Provides a student advising model
Single-train Completion
20
• Single Train course sequence–Majority of courses common to all
degrees–No alternate pathways for elective
options
• Competency-based, self-paced learning
• No-frills, low-cost student pricing• No financial aid, but with provision
for adjustment for economic situation
New Division - Business Model
similar to College for America
21
Best Practices• Successful ideas becoming common in CBE programs– Competencies grouped into self-paced courses
• Students are challenged at their level of knowledge and progress• Competency report to complement the transcript
– All-you-can-learn subscription model (monthly?)• Difficult to integrate with other term based modalities
– Single-train course sequence (also an advising model) – Adaptive learning to recognize prior learning (text included)– Authentic assessment
• Projects & portfolios
– Extensive student support system• Advisors & LMS tracking
22
• Working Adult• Prior experience in field of study• Some college, but no degree• Self-starter & able to follow
directions• Technology savvy– Information literate
Target CBE Student
23
• Learning Outcomes are defined in terms of–“Particular levels of knowledge,
skills, and abilities that a student has attained”
• Competencies take this further by –Describing learning outcomes in
terms that “describe not only what is to be learned but also the specific levels of performance that students are expected to master”
Competency vs. Learning Outcome
24Peter Ewel (2001)
• Self-paced modality– Leverages existing learning resources– Complemented with adaptive learning
• Provides a continuum of offerings– Values instructor assistance in learning– Recognizes cost of assessing across
different levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy
• Meets the challenge of lowering cost to students (if they are qualified learners)
–While maintaining quality
Phase 1 Summary
25
• Expands from individual courses to a full degree program– Targets additional self-paced courses– Integrates with existing modalities
when students require greater instructor interaction
• Expand competencies into assessing higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy– Develop additional exams (100-200 level)
and competency-based assignments (300-400 level)
Phase 2 Summary
26
• Short essay questions structured around a competency-driven grading rubric– Competency assessed with
demonstration of learning
• Peer Assessment (progress tracking)– Clearly defined rubric– Calibration exercise prior to peer
assessment–Multiple (3-5) peers doing the
assessment
Alternate Assessment
27
• Pass/Fail grading – Currently no P/F option for Franklin courses– Limit on number of P/F courses accepted?
• New compensation model is required– Roles: process advisor, content Q&A, and
grader– Unknown degree of student need for help &
time required that is likely to vary by course
Policy Gaps
28
• Develop a “total needs” curriculum that–Meets the needs of graduating students
and employee development by hiring managers
• Leverages faculty and LMS content across multiple markets with hooks for up-selling– Includes a pathway to credit that
leverages student data for suggestive marketing
Phase 3 Summary
29
• Entrepreneurship – Seminars and UG Certificate
• HRM 701 & SHRM CEUs – CCE seminars • Risk Mgt & Insurance – CCE seminars • Internet Marketing – CCE seminars • Information Analytics – Oracle Certificate • Business Forensics – UG Certificate• Inst Design & Perf Tech – GR Certificate• Turnkey “Corporate University”
Potential Pilot Projects
30
• Needs closer alignment between credit and non-credit course development & administration
• Requires curriculum to be deconstructed into a “business needs” structure
• An integrated marketing approach is required
• Will need to track competencies separate from Colleague
Phase 3 gaps to be addressed
31
• Approach Program Outcomes independent from courses (Blank Sheet curriculum development)– Competencies first, then courses as
competency groups (for transferability) – Assessment of higher levels of competency
built into the course sequence
Phase 4 Summary
32
• Industry needs, built on academic foundation– Certification focus– Competency Model Clearinghouse
(DoL)
• Academics, taking into account hiring manager needs– Degree focus– Tuning USA built on Lumina DQP
Two Approaches to Competency Specification
33
• Franklin’s current Gen. Ed. & Programs
• OBR Transfer Module (part of Franklin’s)
• Lumina Degree Qualifications Profile– Tuning USA degree specification
• Competency Model Clearinghouse (DoL)
• Modeled after other schools– Southern New Hampshire University– Western Governors University– Northern Arizona University
Existing Competency Frameworks
34
• What competencies are required of all graduates? (Gen. Ed. structure is redesigned)
• What competencies are specific to established groups of jobs? (Bus. & Prof. Core)
• How can the above competencies be structured for delivery within a “course” structure?
• How many of the required learning components and assessments already exist?
• Direct and/or course-based assessment?• How can articulation be enabled?
Blank-Sheet Program Design
35
1. Self-paced modality for courses 2. Expand competencies into
assessing higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy
3. Non-credit Integration – multiple pathways to credit
4. Purposeful curriculum development using competencies across the program
Summary Multi-phase Pilot Tests
36
• Hip Pocket slides
37
Kentucky Community & Technical College System– Learning Resources
• Textbook (adaptive learning) fee required in addition to tuition • This fee is proportionally split among all publishers based on
“average student use”
– Learning & Assessment• Credit for prior learning with pre-test passthru to post-test (grade)• Authentic assessment (projects & portfolios)
– Student Support• Extra effort made to ensure student engagement• Using brainfuse.com for on-demand tutoring, study tools, and study
groups (significant impact on learning & retention)• Starfish Retention Solutions for advising (improved retention)
38
Univ. of Wisconsin system• Flexible Option
– Rolling out a three month “all-you-can-learn” term program• Subscription model - $9000/year or $900 per “competency set”
– (expected to cover 50% of up-front development expense)• A degree is composed of eight to 15 competency sets• New 3-month “term” begins the first of each month• 1 to 85 student advising ratio
– Direct Assessment – no tie to credit hours– Incorporates Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)
• Assessed via exams, case study analysis, papers, & portfolio review
– $8,000,000 initial funding– Failed to get DoED approval for Federal Financial Aid for roll-out
• Moving toward Experimental Site status
39
Capella University (pilot test) – New self-paced modality developed for a few programs– Four to 10 competencies per course plus “final” assessment– “Direct assessment” of learning, but not really– “open ended” term – DoEd waived rules for financial aid – Limited to students of corporate partners– BS Business Admin. & MBA
40
UniversityNow– dba Pattern University & New Charter University (not accredited)
• 1000 students, mainly in Pattern University– Pattern CBE, online, self-paced
• $350/mo. Undergraduate & $520/mo. Graduate • Does not participate in Federal Financial Aid program
– Prospective students can sample classes – up to final exam
41
Southern New Hampshire Univ.• dba College for America cont.
– President Paul LeBlanc now spends more time in Washington and at conferences than on campus
– 5 year board commitment– $3,500,000 investment last year
– Breakeven thought to be 5000 students (500 currently)– Target enrollment of 350,000 by 2018
– Partnering with Kepler University (kepler.org) to bring low cost ($1000/yr) higher education to Rwanda
42
• Learning path – student customized– Course pre-assessment of prior learning –Meet with a “personal mentor” to
customize a learning path for the course• Mentors are F/T employees who have a
graduate degree in field they oversee
– Self-paced learning using support material
– Competency exam or assessed assignments
Western Governors University
43
Northern Arizona University– Separate from other programs (Pearson adaptive learning)
• Design process: existing courses → competencies → independent, interdisciplinary modules → courses for transferability
– BS computer information technology & small business admin.– 500 students currently – 8000 in five years to hit breakeven– Considering monthly subscription (currently six months)
• No refund once the month starts & financial aid paid at month end– “Competency report” in addition to traditional transcript– Direct assessment of learning
• Pre-test to award credit for prior learning• Has had some difficulty with accreditation in a few states
– Each learning component supported in multiple ways• Text, video, exercises, etc.
44
• In use at Northern Arizona University– Supports direct assessment of
competencies– Complements traditional course-based
transcript• Courses are composed of separate
competencies that are taken individually
– Serves as a communication device for student use with potential employers
Competency Transcript
45
• Multi-tier – Northern Arizona University– “competency” is deemed as 86% of “mastery”– Option to go deeper by doing additional assignments
that show higher comprehension • More complex application of learning• Student differentiation extends to effort expended
– However, this increases the time to develop assessments
– Competency Transcript describes competency, type of assessment, and level achieved
• Capella and College of America (SNHU) – Non-performance, basic, proficient, and distinguished – “Distinguished” level required at graduate level
(Capella)
Direct Assessment
46
Cross-institutionDegree Tuning
(Competency Alignment)
Dr. Ross Wirth
Tuning is• a collaborative, faculty-driven
process that• identifies what a student should
know and• be able to do in a chosen discipline• at the completion of a degree by– defining areas of competency– identifying learning outcomes and– scaling competencies and outcomes to a
degree level
Degree Tuning
48Source: Institute for Evidence-based Change (IEBC)
• Tuning is faculty-driven,– With input from employers and students
• Tuning does not standardize, but– Organizes what is common and accepted
• Tuning does not require new curriculum, but– Does offer an opportunity to be more
intentional
• Tuning focuses on Learning Outcomes,– Not curricula nor method of delivery
• Tuning does not all address everything,– Institutional individuality is encouraged
Tuning
49
Tuning,• a faculty-driven response to the
Bologna process, is• the process of “harmonizing”• higher education programs and
degrees• by defining student learning
outcomes• by subject area
Tuning – definition 2
50Source: Tuning Educational Structures USA
• Purposeful curriculum design that is–Mapped across progressive courses of– Increased rigor and high-impact
challenges to– Engage students in more complex levels
of achievement
Tuning – Objective
51
• Students gain clear expectations and pathways to degree completion – Elevator speech for why their degree is important for
employers– Scaffolding for underrepresented students
• Aligns coursework with civic, societal, and workforce needs– Provides a response to criticism of higher education
• Responsiveness to changes in discipline knowledge and its application
• Aligns higher education institutions• Emphasizes life-long learning• Faculty enjoy engagement in the discipline
Benefits of Tuning
52
1. Define the discipline core2. Map career pathways3. Consult with stakeholders4. Hone core competencies and
learning objectives5. Draft degree specifications
Tuning Process Components
53
• Students need– Clarity of what courses are required–How each course relates to their post-
college goals (including general education courses)
–Understanding of what is needed for success in each course and in their career
54
1. Communicate effectively (F-1)2. Evaluate arguments in a logical fashion
(F-2)3. Employ the methods of inquiry
characteristic of natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities (F-4, 7, & 8)
4. Acquire an understanding of our global and diverse culture and society (F-6)
5. Engage in our democratic society (F-6)
OBR Transfer Module
55(Franklin’s outcome)
• Graduates will 1. Communicate effectively (L-2e O-1)2. Apply logical thinking and critical analysis (L-2a O-2)3. Apply ethical analysis and reasoning (L-2c)4. Demonstrate scientific literacy (L-1 O-3)5. Use mathematical information and processes (L-2d)6. Reflect on global interdependence as it may relate to
personal responsibility and societal obligations (L-4 O-4&5)
7. Recognize, analyze, and evaluate humanities artifacts (L-1 O-3)
8. Apply fundamental concepts, theories, and research methodologies of the social and behavioral sciences into personal, social, and professional contexts (L-1 O-3)
Franklin’s Gen. Ed. Outcomes
56(Lumina & OBR outcome)
1. Broad/Integrative Knowledge (F-4, 7, & 8)
2. Intellectual Skillsa) Analytic inquiry (F-2)b) Use of information resources c) Engaging diverse perspectives (F-3)d) Quantitative fluency (F-5)e) Communication fluency (F-1)
3. Applied Learning (F-major)4. Civic Learning (F-6)5. Specialized Knowledge (F-major)
Lumina Degree Profile
57(Franklin’s outcome)
• Acquiring knowledge and understanding
• Applying knowledge and understanding
• Making informed judgments and choices
• Communicating knowledge & understanding
• Capacities to continue learning• Tuning – Subject Area Reference
Points
Bologna ProcessDublin Descriptors
58
• Degree Qualifications Profile (Lumina)– Levels of degree rigor– Cross-curriculum general ed
competencies
• Tuning (IEBC & Tuning USA)– Discipline-specific competencies– Driven by faculty, vetted by employers
• Institution-specific differentiation – Specialized curriculum & methods of
delivery
Degree Qualifications & Tuning
59
Cros
s in
stitu
tion
1. Collaboration among discipline faculty
2. Facilitation – discussion guided by data
3. Intervention – strategy grounded in data
4. Gauging progress – tracking metrics
5. Lasting change that has continual review and adjustment – Scaling what works, tweaking what
needs improvement, & discontinuing the ineffective
Evidence-based Change Model
60
• 1st wave: MN, IN, & UT– Biology, chemistry, physics, history, elementary
education, & graphic arts
• 2nd wave: TX – Engineering: mechanical, civil, chemical, & bio-
medical
• 2nd wave: KY– Business (general & marketing), nursing, social
work, biology, & elementary education
• Other states: IL, MO, & community colleges
Tuning USA Initiatives
61
• Lumina Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP)– Becoming a standard for building competencies
• Tuning USA & Institute for Evidence-Based Change – Cross-institution degree alignment (Midwest Higher Education
Compact)
• Council for Adult and Experiential Learning– Measuring student learning
• National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment– Assessment & the DQP (8 OH schools now involved)
• Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes (OECD)– Standardized testing
• The Bologna Process– Actively involved in cross-institution tuning
• Institute for Higher Education Policy– US alignment with The Bologna Process
• CareerOneStop (DoL)– Building workplace competency models
To what extent should we be involved?
62
• The eTextbook is only a repackaged text.
• What might a new concept textbook be?
Next Generation Textbook/Course
63
IntellectualCapital
Multi-mediaLearning
Resources
GamificationCompetencyRubrics
Imagine thepossibility of
building somethinghere?*