CBE NEWSLETTER
In This Issue
You will see how CBE is imple-
mented in the following institu-
tions:
College for America
Westminster College
Southern New Hampshire Univer-
sity
University of Wisconsin
Kentucky Community and Tech-
nical College System
Western Governors University
Sinclair Community College
Broward College
Northern Arizona University
Excelsior College
“There is a new breed of students in higher education today. While tra-
ditional college education is still alive and well, many students are now
demanding degrees that are faster, more affordable and straight to the
point. And, they are finding what they want in competency-based edu-
cation, a model of learning that awards students based on what they
know, rather than how many hours they have spent in a classroom.”
—The Complete Guide to Competency-Based Education
Issue 2 March 2015
100% online
Target working adults
Project-based learning: Students learn by mastering competencies
through real-world projects, not through lectures or classes.
Students cannot fail a project. They can resubmit their projects until they
demonstrate mastery of the required competencies.
No semesters, classes, tests/exams, or letter grades.
Self-paced and self-directed
Tuition Model: $2,500 per year, all-inclusive
Partner directly with employers to bring frontline workers a college degree
Use curated e-learning resources and open educational resources
Student Support Model
Learning Coach: Guides students through the program; first line of con-
tact for students.
Grader/Reviewer: Grades students’ projects and provides detailed feed-
back.
Online Network: Peer networks, facilitated through social media, to foster
community and provide social interaction and peer support.
Learning Partner: An individual identified by students whose role is to
support and encourage students.
Mentor: An employer or community partner identified
by students with help from College for America who provides encourage-
ment, support, and guidance.
BRINGING HIGHER EDUCATION TO WHERE STUDENTS LIVE AND WORK
Degrees Programs:
BA in Communications
BA in Health Care
Management
AA in General Studies
The hallmarks of
the emerging com-
petency models are
self-paced courses,
on-demand
academic help,
mentoring,
validated
assessments, and
all you can eat or
subscription pricing
models.
—Burck Smith,
CEO and Founder of
StraighterLine
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration
70 program competencies
Project-based curriculum
Five project sequences including 20 projects
—Professional Development
—Consumers and Markets
—Enterprise Performance
—Strategy and Leadership
—Business Planning
Projects might include financial analysis of firms, market studies for new prod-
ucts, marketing plans, or a business plan for a company student would like to
start.
Student progress is measured by successful completion of project sequence
rather than grades.
No lectures. No exams.
Students are provided with a faculty mentor and an online knowledge data-
base.
Each project sequence is preceded by a two-day, on-campus residency that
includes workshops, seminars, and tool-building sessions. Student use these
resources to learn on their own to complete each project.
Each project sequence has a full-time faculty expert who is in charge of that
sequence: evaluating student learning and progress, adjusting projects, and
coaching other faculty coaches who work with students on an individual basis.
The program typically uses part-time faculty, each of whom works with 5-10
students per semester.
There is no
single blue-
print for CBE.
Southern New Hampshire University
Three-year Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration
Designed from the bottom up around a set of competencies.
Classes are interdisciplinary “modules” rather than traditional three-credit courses.
Each module integrates course content into unique learning experiences and satisfies general education and major re-
quirements at the same time.
E.g. instead of taking Public Speaking as a separate course, students fulfill the public speaking requirement through re-
quired module-- client and public presentations.
Each semester, students participate in a week-long “integrating experience,” which is a group project in which students
use what they have learned to solve real business challenges. Faculty hold special consulting hours to provide guid-
ance and support to the student teams. Students present their team project to faculty and earn college credits.
University of Wisconsin Flexible Options (UW Flex)
UW Flex is a direct-assessment competency-based education model
launched in November 2013. UW Flex focuses on assessment rather
than credit hours. Students progress toward their degrees not through
structured courses or accumulated credits, but by demonstrating mas-
tery of competencies through rigorous assessments. Students must
pass assessments and prove mastery before they can move on. They
prepare for these assessments as they like and at their own pace,
through flexible pathways, whenever and wherever they want. If they
don’t pass the assessment the first time, they can take the assessment
again.
Mastery and time are at
the heart of competency
-based education:
A clear definition of
mastery, along with
procedures and tools
for tracking that mas-
tery
Flexible use of time,
releasing students
from seat time
Kentucky Community and Technical College System
KCTCS implemented the Learn on Demand format to offer students a higher education on their own terms.
Learn on Demand offer both parent courses and bite-size courses. A parent course is a regular, 15-week
course. A bite-size course, also called a module, is usually three to five weeks long and it covers a portion of a
parent course. Each parent course is broken into three or more modules. Students may sign up for the whole
course or enroll module-by-module, and they may earn partial credit for each successful completion. Students
can start their learning at the time of their choosing whenever they are ready and students are free to pick and
choose the courses or modules that meet their educational goals .
Learn on Demand also honors prior learning. Students can test out of a class or a module and receive credits
immediately if they have substantial educational and professional experience. With credit for prior knowledge, stu-
dents don't have to complete any of the regular class assignments or work for weeks to receive credit. Students
quickly get the credit they deserve and are free to move on to the next class .
Western Governors University
Disaggregated Faculty Role Model
Traditionally, a faculty member plays multiple roles at the same time—instructional designer
and subject matter expert and lecturer and assessor and grader, etc. WGU has adopted a
new staffing model that unbundled the faculty role, which means discrete activities typically
performed by one faculty member in a traditional institution would be handled separately by
several different individuals . At WGU, faculty and staff work in different capacities to guide
and assist students:
Student mentor: the primary faculty support assigned for each student. The student
mentor provides advice, coaching, and support from the moment a student enters
WGU to the time he or she graduates.
Course mentors: these are the subject matter experts who provide specific discipline
support for students as they engage in specific section of the curriculum. They are
knowledgeable and can address any issue that might arise related to a course, a
learning resource, or an assessment.
Program faculty: their major responsibilities include curriculum and assessment devel-
opment as well as program management.
Evaluators: they are responsible for evaluating assessment submissions.
Sinclair Community College
AAS degrees:
Network Engineering Associate
Software Development
Secure System Administration
Short-term Certificates/Nationally Recognized
Certifications:
Network Engineering Associate
Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate
Fast Track Programming
IT Fundamentals
Network +
Network Security +
What’s Different?
Rolling starts:
New classes start every Monday. Students can begin a new course as soon as the previous one is
finished. Although students are allowed to enroll in a new course any Monday through the 12th
week, they are expected to complete all coursework by the end of a traditional term.
Work at your own schedule
Flex-paced courses are fully online. Students can start class any time, with the option to finish early.
Students have the potential to finish more courses per semester for quicker program completion
80% mastery
Students are presented with ordered topics. Students advance to next topic only after demonstrating
mastery of the previous topic and the mastery is set at 80%.
Case management model
A faculty mentor and an academic coach is assigned to each student to provide support.
Broward College
Accelerated IT Training Programs
Multiple options
The program offers students the opportunity to earn an AS degree in Computer Systems Specialist,
nine IT Industry Certifications and two technical certificates: IT Analyst and IT Support Specialist.
Flexible
Mini sessions allow students to begin more classes each semester; you can take one course at a
time, or up to 4 courses simultaneously. There are multiple start dates,
Accelerated completion
Except for the Computer Literacy Course, all of the other courses allow students to demonstrate mas-
tery of competencies by passing a series of exams.
Competency-based learning
—There are NO due dates. Students submit assignments and assessments at their own pace.
—Only Unit Evaluations in a course count toward the final grade. All Unit Evaluations in a course must
be passed in order to pass the course.
—81% or greater is considered passing.
Five guiding principles for the development of high-quality CBE programs:
1. The degree reflects robust and valid competencies.
2. Students are able to learn at a variable pace and are supported in their learning.
3. Effective learning resources are available any time and are reusable.
4. The process for mapping competencies to courses, learning outcomes, and assessments is explicit.
5. Assessments are secure and reliable.
In Personalized Learning, students will receive an education that is:
Flexible – You set your own timelines and decide when, how quickly, and in what order you wish to learn key concepts. Competency-based – Lessons are built around concepts and learning outcomes with your
prior experience factored into your education plan. Self-Paced – Lessons and assignments are designed to encourage self-directed learning.
You also have access to “social’ spaces for collaboration. Mentored – In addition to regular access to discipline faculty, you will have a dedicated faculty “mentor” whose primary role is to help you succeed. Innovative – A cutting-edge user interface allows you to control every part of your online education, from course selection to tuition payment. Affordable – Your tuition for a six-month term is $2,500 with no program fees, textbooks or extra costs.
How Mastery Of Concepts Is Determined • Pretest before a lesson to determine if you can opt-out of the lesson • Posttest after the self-paced lesson is complete • Minimum 86% test score required to opt-out or advance • Optional mastery assessment to earn an “A” grade • Faculty mentors are there to help.
Competency, Not Grades
The grading scale is different when deadlines and time are
taken out of the equation. Here’s how it works:
1. You cannot fail. Instead, you return to the lesson for
continued study. A grade of 86% on the pretest or post-
test is the lowest passing grade. This translates to a “B” on
the NAU grading scale.
2. Score 86% or higher on a pretest or posttest and you
then have the opportunity to attempt Mastery.
The Mastery can be a certification, a test, a presentation, a
paper, case study, or other assessment. Achieve 95% or
higher and receive Mastery Status—or an “A” on the NAU
grading scale.
3. You will receive a traditional official transcript with
standard credit-hour courses that can be used to apply to
graduate school or transfer to another institution. Addition-
ally, you’ll receive a report that describes the skills you’ve
learned and competencies you’ve mastered.
Degrees Offered:
Computer Information Technology (B.A.)
Liberal Arts (B.A.)
Small Business Administration (B.A.)
Contact Me
Fang Chen
Presidential Fellow in CBE
505-224-4000*50304
Excelsior College
Online Associate Degree in Nursing
The program provides a pathway to a RN for LPNs, LVNs, paramedics, and military corpsmen. Students
who register for this program must have existing experience in the medical field.
The program offers a combination of online courses and credit-bearing assessments.
Credit By Exam: The school offers many exam-based options to fulfill degree requirements.
Students work on their own schedule, at their own pace.
Students can get academic support from Excelsior's learning resources, study guides, and exam-
preparation materials.
Students take the assessments whenever they are ready.
My Observation:
As you can tell, the implementation of competency-based education
varies from school to school and from program to program. There is
no single blueprint for designing a CBE program. However, that is
also one of the exciting features of CBE—it can evolve and adapt to
fit different design parameters.
—Fang Chen