deconstructing competency-based education: how to achieve mainstream impact?

Competency-Based EducationHow to Achieve Mainstream Impact?

Richard Garrett – Chief Research Officer

July 2016

2© 2016 Eduventures, Inc.

Three main ideas…

• CBE has great potential but dominant narrative is too narrow

• Tension between CBE theory and higher education reality

• Teaching, learning and assessment details on the ground will determine the success of CBE


Agenda

• What is the CBE Question?• Deconstructing CBE• Reassembling CBE


Systemic Challenges

productivity, quality,

affordability

Revived interest in CBE ?

What is the significance of revived CBE interest?


• Intentional & Transparent. Competency-based education combines an intentional and transparent approach to curricular design with an academic model in which the time it takes to demonstrate competencies varies and the expectations about learning are held constant.

• Alignment of Learning & Outcomes. Students acquire and demonstrate their knowledge and skills by engaging in learning exercises, activities, and experiences that align with clearly defined programmatic outcomes.

• Guidance & Support. Students receive proactive guidance and support from faculty and staff.

• Self-Paced Mastery. Learners earn credentials by demonstrating mastery through multiple forms of assessment, often at a personalized pace.

What is CBE? According to the C-BEN website…


One kind of CBE is getting all the attention…


The dominant CBE narrative…

CBE is…

Self-Paced

Online

Adult-Focused

Low Priced

Outcomes-Based

Employer-Driven


Putting CBE in Context- charting the trajectoryExplicit, Standardized

Pedagogies & Outcomes

Implicit, Local Pedagogies &

Outcomes

Coho

rt L

ock-

Step Self-Paced

CfA

Conventional Online Programs

New Generation

CBE

Pioneer CBE/CPL Schools

Correspondence Education

MOOCs

Conventional Programs

Bigger circle= higher price

Udacity’s Nanodegrees

Paid MOOCs


Agenda



In reality, CBE is quite diverse


But if CBE is so diverse…

• Where does the essence and value of CBE reside- delivery mode, personalization, competency statements, assessment methods, third party input, teaching and learning methods?

• What is essential v. optional?


To achieve scale, CBE faces two core challenges…

1) CBE is too remote from mainstream academic practice

OR2) CBE language is indistinguishable from

mainstream academic practice


What is CBE?

• Intentional & Transparent. Competency-based education combines an intentional and transparent approach to curricular design with an academic model in which the time it takes to demonstrate competencies varies and the expectations about learning are held constant.

• Alignment of Learning & Outcomes. Students acquire and demonstrate their knowledge and skills by engaging in learning exercises, activities, and experiences that align with clearly defined programmatic outcomes.

• Guidance & Support. Students receive proactive guidance and support from faculty and staff.

• Self-Paced Mastery. Learners earn credentials by demonstrating mastery through multiple forms of assessment, often at a personalized pace.

(from the C-BEN website)


The Objectivity/Subjectivity tension at the heart of CBE

“Objectivity” of CBE vision

“Subjectivity” of decentralized

academic practice

Whose competencies? Adoption v. creation?

Involve employers?

CBE as option or best practice?

Who decides what is mastery?

How to scale up intentional and

transparent design?

Why has CBE never scaled before?


Putting CBE in Context- these axes don’t tell whole storyExplicit, Standardized



Outcomes

Coho

rt L

ock-

Step Self-Paced

CfA


New Generation

CBE



MOOCs




Paid MOOCs


CBE debate needs to get down to the real questions

ExplicitImplicit

STANDARD QUESTION Clear Outcomes?

AdoptionCreation

REAL QUESTION Whose Competencies?

Self-Paced

Cohort

STANDARD QUESTIONPersonalized?

Best Practice

Artisan

REAL QUESTIONWhat Pedagogy? Whose Pedagogy?


Prospects say they want faster/cheaper; downplay social

72%

53%45% 43% 42% 40%

31%27% 24% 22% 22% 20% 18% 18% 16% 16% 14% 13% 11%

What would increase your interest in going/returning to school?(survey of c.8,000 prospects, primarily aged 25-54- 2013)

CBE seems to be responding to demand. But do consumers really have an informed view?


Tensions at the heart of many “radical” CBE programs

Self-Paced & Low Cost• no cohorts

• little student interaction• wholly distance

• atypical self-discipline

Pedagogic Good Practice• mixed delivery mode

• value of cohorts• cost and “inconvenience”


Maybe flexibility is not the problem?

Source: National Student Clearinghouse-Signature Report “Completing College” (2015). Fall 2009 cohort


Greater clarity needed beyond CBE design theory

DEMAND DESIGN PEDAGOGY ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES

Demand for what?

Bulk of Attention-but too theoretical?

Taken for granted

How to assess for mastery?

Limited data

Stages of the CBE Lifecycle

Clarity

HIGH

LOW


Agenda



Realizing CBE’s potential means contending with…

- complexity- confusion- choices

CBE is not…- a delivery mode- one thing or path- magic

CBE challenges convention on…

- curriculum- teaching- assessment- roles

Let’s get one thing straight…


Reassembling CBE

Essential

Competencies

Pedagogic Detail

Assessment Detail

Choices

Self-Paced v. Cohort

Delivery Mode

Student Type

Price

Level & Field of Study

Direct Assessment v. Credit Hours


Putting CBE in Context- CBE should think biggerExplicit, Standardized



Outcomes

Coho

rt L

ock-

Step Self-Paced

CfA


New Generation

CBE



MOOCs




Paid MOOCs

Bootcamps Real opportunity for CBE


Summary & Next Steps

• Right Instincts- CBE speaks to big tensions in higher ed, and has great potential

• Interest v. Activity- surveys show lots of interest in CBE but little scaled activity.

• Facing Confusion- variety of terminology, goals; differing preferences for particular CBE elements. Complexity and choices. Not one path.

• Customization for Scale- to scale impact, need to align CBE elements to institutional mission, type and students. Need to make CBE implementation as customized, relevant and practical as the CBE pitch to students. Need to tackle CBE reality (pedagogy and assessment) as well as theory.

• Our Project- to explore diverse CBE case studies, and track interest and activity over time (3-year project with Ellucian and American Council for Education).


Upcoming webinar

Choosing the Right CBE Model for Your InstitutionNew Research from Ellucian, Eduventures and ACE

Wednesday July 27, 1-2pm EST

Register at:

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DECONSTRUCTING CBE: how to achieve mainstream impact?

THANK YOU

R I C H A R D G A R R E T T | C H I E F R E S E A R C H O F F I C E [email protected]@eduventures.com617-532-6076