Competency-Based Education

Integrated Planning for
Competency-Based Education
William Tammone, Ph.D.
Illinois Central College
Intended Learning Outcomes
• A clear understanding of the differences between
competency-based education and traditional
academic programs
• An appreciation of the wide-ranging impact that
competency-based education can have on
operations throughout the institution
• An awareness of the types of factors that should
be taken into consideration in developing
competency-based programs
• A familiarity with best practices in planning
competency-based education programs
Expressed as a Competency
• Use an integrated planning approach to
develop a competency-based education
program that incorporates recommended best
practices and meets expectations for quality
established by your regional accrediting
agency and the US Department of Education.
Gaming Your Way to . . .
• Solving social problems (creating a better
world)
o “My #1 goal in life is to see a game designer
nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.”
 Jane McGonigal, game designer and author of
Reality is Broken
Gaming Your Way to . . .
• Challenges in Higher Education:
o Improved student learning outcomes
o College Completion
o Workforce readiness
o Employer/stakeholder satisfaction
o Strategic and contingency planning of all kinds
Imagine a World . . .
• Where there is no ___________ [Insert
something on which you are very dependent
here].
Imagine a World without . . .
Imagine a World without . . .
Imagine a World . . .
• Where ____________ [insert frightening
event here] is about to take place.
Such as an Ebola Outbreak
Imagine a World where . . .
Imagine a World where . . .
Imagine a World where . . .
• There is no credit hour.
Credit Hours Rule Higher Ed!
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Tuition and fees / student billing
Full-time/part-time status
Financial aid / S.A.P.
State funding
Faculty workloads
Credit Hours Rule!
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Degree requirements
General education requirements
Residency requirements
Grade point averages
Transcripts and Transfer
Student Information Systems
o PeopleSoft, Banner, Jenzabar, etc.
But, Wait! It Gets Worse!
• Imagine a world where . . .
o There are no credit hours
o There are no terms (semesters or quarters)
o There are programs, but no courses
o There are no grades or GPAs
Even Scarier!
• Imagine a world where your institution
doesn’t rely on credit hours, courses,
semesters, and grades . . .
• But just about every other institution of
higher education still does.
– Try explaining that to your regional accrediting
agency!
– Try convincing the USDE your students should be
eligible to received federal financial aid!
But, this is also a world . . .
• Where students can learn at their own pace.
• Where students have more than just one high
stakes opportunity to demonstrate what they
have learned and what they can do.
• Where students know exactly what’s expected
of them if they are to earn a credential.
• Where employers know exactly what skills job
applicants posses – just by reading their
college transcripts.
Growing Enthusiasm for CBE
• “It is an understatement of near-epic
proportions to say that policy makers and
politicians are smitten with Western
Governors University’s brand of competencybased learning. . . . [The] nonprofit institution
has been embraced (if not hyped) as one
possible answer to the challenge of educating
more students (especially adults) at a lower
cost.”
• Inside Higher Ed, 4/30/12
Institutions Offering CBE
University Examples:
• Western Governors University
• Southern New Hampshire University*
– College of America
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Northern Arizona University*
Capella University*
University of Wisconsin
University of Michigan
University of Texas
Purdue University
Nation-Wide Interest
Community & Technical College Examples:
• Austin Community College (TX)
• Delaware County Community College (PA)
• Sinclair Community College (OH)
• Rio Salado College (AZ)
• Kentucky Community & Technical Colleges
• Valencia College (FL)
• Spokane Falls Community College (WA)
• Ivy Tech Community College (IN)
• Illinois Central College
Many Other Examples
• Estimated that more than 200 colleges &
universities have developed or are in the
process of developing CBE programs.
Why the Sudden Interest?
• CBE is not new
o Alverno (1973), Western Governors (1997), etc.
• So, why the sudden interest?
o Increased focus on:
o Increasing number of college grads
o Lowering college costs & student loan debt
o Meeting stakeholder expectations (Quality!)
o Money!
Grant Funding
Financial Aid
C-RAC and USDE
• The Council of Regional Accrediting
Commissions (C-RAC) issued a joint statement
and “common framework” for how to assess
and approve competency-based education
programs on June 2, 2015.
• The USDE issued further guidance to
accrediting agencies on June 9, 2015.
• Hopefully, we’re all on the same page now!
Defining Competencies
• C-RAC:
o Can include statements about knowledge or
understanding
o Primarily emphasize what students can do with
their knowledge.
o “Can do” statements
o Often tied to employer expectations.
June 2, 2015
Not Wish Lists!
• “Competencies are not wish lists”
– Clifford Adelman
• Our current “goals for student learning” (or,
“intended learning outcomes”) merely express
our good intentions for student learning.
– Not guarantees
Not Just
“Intended Learning Outcomes”
• Instead:
o Clearly articulated
o Communicated to stakeholders (students,
employers)
o Verified
o Documented
o Must be demonstrated to earn a credential
Not Negotiable
• In competency-based education,
“learning is . . . non-negotiable.”
• Paul LeBlanc, President, Southern New
Hampshire University (2013)
Defining CBE
• C-RAC:
– Outcomes-based approach to earning a
credential
– Satisfactory academic progress is expressed as
the attainment of mastery of identified
competencies
oDoes not guarantee fulfillment of seat-time
requirements
– June 2, 2015
Two Principal Approaches
1. Course/credit-based approach
2. Direct assessment approach
Note: Hybrid approaches also possible
Course/Credit-Based Approach
• Required demonstration of competencies is
embedded into a traditional curriculum
consisting of discrete courses
• Typically term-based
• May generate two types of transcripts:
1. List of courses and credits earned
2. List of competencies demonstrated
Direct Assessment Approach
Competencies not tied to discrete courses/credits
Self-paced
Not term-based
Credentials awarded upon demonstration of all
required competencies
• No grades or G.P.A.
• Transcripts simply list competencies
demonstrated
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Credit Hour Equivalencies
• Direct assessment programs must establish
“credit-hour equivalencies”
o Equate each competency to its credit hour
equivalent (or fraction thereof)
o Draw on institution’s previously-defined policies
for awarding credit hours
o Must conform to general practice in higher ed
o Focus on equivalent learning demonstrated,
rather than equivalent seat time
Growth of WGU
• Established 1997
• Early years characterized by accreditation
challenges and underwhelming growth
• By 2003, enrollment stood at 500
• Between 2006 and 2010, annual revenue shot
up from $32 million to $111 million
• Now claims enrollment of 45,000 students
• More than 30,000 degrees awarded
Flipping the Relationship
• “The irony of the . . . credit hour is that it fixes
time while it leaves variable the actual
learning. . . .
• “Competency-based education flips the
relationship and says let time be variable, but
make learning well-defined . . . and nonnegotiable.”
• Paul LeBlanc, President, Southern New Hampshire
University (2013)
Flipping the Relationship
All You Can Learn Buffet
• How does your institution charge tuition?
o By the credit hour?
o By the term (semester, quarter, etc.)?
• Many self-paced CBE programs charge by
subscription periods
o Flat fee
o “All you can learn” model
o Similar to Netflix subscription
CBE vs. Traditional
• Even course/credit-based CBE programs differ
significantly from traditional
• C-RAC: An accreditor will consider a program
to be competency-based when:
o All of the courses have learning goals expressed as
competencies
o Students are required to demonstrate mastery of
every competency in each course to earn credit
for such courses
CBE vs. Traditional
Traditional 1
Asmt. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Score
70
70
70
70
70
70
70
70
70
Asmt. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Score
100
100
100
100
100
100
Asmt. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Score
100
100
100
100
100
100
70
Traditional 2
100
CBE
100
CBE vs. Traditional
Traditional
Asmt. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Score
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
40
Asmt. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Score
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
65
100
CBE
100
CBE vs. CPL
• Both competency based education and credit
for prior learning (CPL) require students to
demonstrate competencies in order to earn
college credits.
• However, many CBE programs do not grant
credit for prior learning.
• Instead, prior learning can help accelerate
progress through CBE program.
CBE vs. Correspondence
• Even though self-paced, CBE is not a high-tech
form of correspondence education.
• Unlike correspondence education, CBE must
be designed to ensure “regular and
substantive interaction” between students
and qualified faculty.
o USDE: Students must not be left “to educate
themselves.”
Regular and Substantive Interaction
• Institutions offering CBE programs can and
should provide students with support services
such as “success coaches” and online tutoring.
o This is not sufficient, however.
• Faculty interaction with students must be
designed into the program.
• Students must also be able to access qualified
faculty when they need to.
Regular Interaction
• While students may elect not to initiate
contact with faculty, program design must
include periodic faculty-initiated contacts.
• These contacts may be “event driven”
o Completion of certain key competencies
o Completion of some percentage of competencies
o Submission of assessments
o Etc.
Substantive Interaction
Could include, but not limited to:
• Direct instruction
• Substantive feedback on assessments
• Email or phone discussions of relevant
academic subject matter
Guide on the Side?
• It’s okay for faculty to be a “guide on the side,”
rather than a “sage on the stage,” but faculty
must provide some guidance and regular
feedback.
• Remember:
o Students must not be left to educate
themselves (USDE).
Participant Interaction
1. What are the pros and cons of the two primary
approaches?
a) Course/credit based
b) Self-paced direct assessment
2. What concerns would you have about adopting
a self-paced direct-assessment program at your
institution?
3. Who on your campus would have to be involved
if you were planning to develop a self-paced
direct assessment program?
Extra Credit / Homework
• How can community colleges across the
country collaborate to offer competencybased education programs in a high quality,
convenient, and cost effective way?
o Similar to statewide online consortia?
• Iowa Community College Online Consortium
• Michigan Community College Virtual Learning
Collaborative
• Etc.
SCUP Integrated Planning
• Integrated Planning for Higher Education:
o Integrated-strategic planning engages all
sectors of the academy—academic affairs,
student affairs, business and finance, IT, etc.
o It involves all stakeholders—faculty,
students, staff, alumni, and external
partners.
Integrated Planning for CBE
• Who needs to be involved?
o Faculty (program faculty + bargaining unit)
o Program advisory committees
o Academic administrators
o Financial Aid
o Student Services (Enrollment services, advising, etc.)
o IT staff
o Business office
o Marketing
o Others?
Faculty Considerations
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Define expected competencies
Define levels of mastery
Agree on assessments used to evaluate mastery
Define faculty roles
o Workload & contract considerations
• Develop curriculum
o “Curate content”?
• Establish expectations for student interactions
• What else?
Disaggregated Faculty Roles?
• Possibilities:
o Curriculum developers
o Instructors (teach courses, respond to
student questions, etc.)
o Tutors
o Assessors/Graders
Program Advisory Committees
• Participate in discussions about:
o Expected competencies
o Defining “mastery”
• What else?
Financial Aid
• Typically tied to seat time, clock hours, and
terms (semesters, quarters, etc.)
• Direct assessment programs require special
USDE as well as regional accreditor approval
• Experimental Sites Initiative
• What else?
Other Student Services
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Recruitment
Admissions
Advising
Registrar
Billing
“Success Coaches”
o Proactively engage students to help keep them on
track
• What else?
Information Technology (IT)
• Learning Management System
– Blackboard, D2L, Moodle, etc.
• Enterprise/Student Information System
– PeopleSoft, Banner, Datatel/Ellucian, etc.
• Typically designed to support term-based programs
• What else?
Business Office
• Tuition and student billing considerations
– All you can learn model?
• If so, how long is a subscription period?
• How much will you charge?
• Course repeat policy?
• What else?
Marketing
• Typical target market for self-paced programs:
– Nontraditional (adult) students with some college,
no degree
• Marketing strategy
• What else?
Important Considerations
• Screening for student readiness/fit
• Student Success Coaches
• Defining “Satisfactory Academic Progress”
(SAP)
o Number of competencies completed per
subscription period?
o Number of courses completed per subscription
period?
More Important Considerations
• Defining “repeat policies” for:
o Individual competency assessments
o Course repeats
• Process for counseling students into moretraditional programs if not successful in selfpaced model
Still More Important Considerations
• Appropriate Approvals:
o Internal (Program Advisory Committee,
Curriculum Committee, Academic Standards,
Board of Trustees, etc.)
o Regional Accrediting Agency
o Substantive Change Application
o USDE
o State?
o Others?
Is Your Institution Ready for This?
Many Outside of Higher Ed Are!
• Gallup/Lumina Foundation Study (2013):
 87% of respondents said they believe
students should be able to receive college
credit for knowledge and skills acquired
outside the classroom
Gallup/Lumina Foundation Study
• 75% indicated they would be more likely to
enroll in a higher education program if they
could be evaluated and receive credit for what
they already know.
Gallup/Lumina Foundation Study
• 75% don’t believe learning should be time
based
 If students demonstrate they have
mastered class material in less than the
traditional 16-week semester, they should
be able to get credit for the course without
sitting through the entire 16 weeks.
If You Think You’re Ready . . .
Some Important Resources:
• Regional Accrediting Agencies
• Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions
(C-RAC)
o https://www.insidehighered.com/sites/default/se
rver_files/files/CRAC%20CBE%20Statement%20Press%20Release%
206_2.pdf
C-RAC Evaluation Considerations
1. Capacity & demonstrated expertise in
assessment?
2. Competencies emphasize performance (not
just knowledge)?
3. Competencies externally referenced?
4. “Regular and substantive interaction”?
C-RAC Evaluation Considerations
5. Competencies aligned with expectations for
graduates in the field?
6. Competencies appropriate to the degree
level?
7. Expectations for “mastery-level”
performance appropriate?
8. Student must demonstrate each competency
to earn a credential?
C-RAC Evaluation Considerations
9. Institution follows good practice in
assessment?
10. High proportion of competencies represent
authentic demonstrations?
11. Institution validates the quality of the
program through appropriate measures?
Assessment Is Key
• Note that two of these evaluation criteria
reference assessment.
• Institutions offering CBE programs must be
able to state with authority and creditability
that the graduates of their CBE programs have
demonstrated the publicly-stated
competencies.
• Must be valid, reliable, and secure.
Quality Indicators
• Considerations:
o Retention
o Persistence
o Completion
o Job placement
o Employer satisfaction surveys
o Graduate follow-up surveys
More Important Resources
• US Department of Education
o http://www.ed.gov/oii-news/competency-basedlearning-or-personalized-learning
o http://www.edcentral.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/06/Role-of-AccreditingAgencies-in-Expermental-Sites.pdf
Experimental Sites Initiative (ESI)
• USDE is using ESI to provide waivers and
modifications to statutory and/or regulatory
requirements to allow a limited number of
institutions to participate in experiments that
will test alternative methods for administering
Title IV aid programs for students enrolled in
CBE programs.
o https://experimentalsites.ed.gov/exp/index.html
Other Valuable Resources
• CAEL
o http://www.cael.org/what-we-do/competencybased-education
• Lumina Foundation
o http://www.luminafoundation.org/files/resources
/competency-based-education-landscape.pdf
Thank You!
• Questions?
• Comments?
Contact Information
• William Tammone, Ph.D.
Interim President
Illinois Central College
[email protected]