Big Audacious Conversation About
Competency-Based Education
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March 13, 2014
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Collaborate: 866-388-8674.
An archive of this webcast will be available
on the WCET website next week.
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Big Audacious Conversation About
Competency-Based Education
March 13, 2014
Big Audacious Conversation About
Competency-Based Education
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Welcome.
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Thank you Blackboard
Collaborate!
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If you have technical issues:
Megan Raymond, WCET
• Call 866-388-8674
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Use the chat box for
questions.
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Archive, PowerPoint, and
Resources available next week.
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Questions from the Audience
 If you have a question during the
presentation, please add your questions to the
chat box. We will monitor the chat box and
have time for Q&A at the end.
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Moderator
 Vernon Smith
 Special Consultant to the Provost for Online
Programs, Portmont College at Mount St. Mary’s
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Presenters
 Mary Alice McCarthy
 Senior Policy Analyst,
Higher Education
Initiative, New America
Foundation
 Linda Howdyshell
 Provost and Senior Vice
President for Academics
and Student Success,
Broward College
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The Big Picture
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What is it?
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Why now? (what’s changed?)
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Who’s doing it and how are they doing it?
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What are the challenges to doing it?
• What is the federal regulatory and statutory context?
• Institutional challenges
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What are the risks and opportunities?
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What is competency-based education?
Many definitions – but essential components are:
• Measure learning outcomes not seat-time
• Students advance upon mastery
• Competencies are explicit, measurable, and
transferable
• Programs are built around rigorous
assessment methods
• Enables personalized learning approaches
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What is competency-based education?
CBE Approach
Traditional Approach
Student Advancement
Learning
Time
Mastery
Grades (scaled)
Location Indifferent
Location Specific
Individualized
Group-based
Program Delivery
Unbundled
Bundled (instruction & assessment)
Personalized
General
Mentors
Instructors
Why Now – What Has Changed?
A “perfect storm” of conditions reinforce the growing
interest in competency-based approaches
• Increasing demand for postsecondary skills and
credentials
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Growth in the number of adult and “non-traditional”
students
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Rising cost of postsecondary education
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Doubts about actual learning outcomes in college
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Technological advances enabling individualized
learning, effecting on-line mentoring, access to
content, etc.
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Who’s Doing It and How?
A variety of models serving a diverse set of students:
•Western Governors University
•Southern New Hampshire University’s “College for
America”
•Broward College
•Kentucky Community and Technical College’s “Learn on
Demand”
•Capella University – Flex Path
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Associates, Bachelors, Masters Degrees
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Competency-based Learning
at Broward College
• TAACCCT Grant #1 – Information Technology
• Sinclair, Austin, Broward – focused on
Information Technology*
• Entry level and mid-level workers
• Returning military with skills acquired on duty
• Unemployed or under-employed
* Austin- programming, Broward - technical support, and Sinclair - networking and software
development. Results will be shared so that each college can offer multiple programs.
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Competency-based Learning
at Broward College
Program Features
• Rolling start dates
• Low cost when competency proved via
assessment (as low as $21 per course)
• Embedded technical certificates
• Career placement services
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Competency-based Learning
at Broward College
Certified Information Systems
Security Professional (CISSP)
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
CompTIA Advanced Security
Professional (CASP)
Expert
Specialist
CompTIA Network+
Security +
Advanced
Intermediate
CompTIA A+
Novice
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Competency-based Learning
at Broward College
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Scenario
George is a returning serviceman with a decade of IT experience. As a civilian he’s
anxious to get some credentials on his resume so that he can build a high-paying
career in IT, specializing in security.
George is able to build his career in security through competency-based courses,
and earns 18 credits towards an A.S. in Network Security.
Level
Novice
Industry Certification
CompTIA A+
Credit Articulation
6 credits
Intermediate CompTIA Security +
3 credits
Intermediate CompTIA Network +
3 credits
Expert
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Specialist
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
Advanced
CompTIA Advanced Security Professional (CASP)
No
6 credits
No
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Federal Regulatory
and Statutory Context
Reconciling CBE approach with Title IV requirements is
not easy
• Federal student aid eligibility and disbursements
are based on seat time measures of learning
• Definition of “Academic Year”
• Cost of attendance
• Satisfactory academic progress
• Prior learning assessment
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What is “Direct Assessment”
and How Does It Relate to CBE?
In 2005, the Higher Education Act of 1965 was amended to include the following
authority:
• “Instead of using credit hours or clock hours as a measure of student learning,
instructional programs may use direct assessment of student learning, or recognize
the direct assessment by others of student learning.”
• The application must specify the equivalent number of credit or clock hours for a
direct assessment program (including how equivalencies will be established if
students are permitted to take less than the entire program based on an
assessment conducted at the outset).
• The Secretary will use these equivalencies to determine whether the program
meets the minimum requirements for an academic year and as the basis for
payment period and award calculations.
In March, 2013, the Department issued a “Dear Colleague Letter on Direct
Assessment”, (DCL GEN 13-10 IFAP), reminding institutions of the direct assessment
option.
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Challenges for Institutions
• Finding a faculty model that works
• Providing support for students as they move
through individualized programs of study
• Developing rigorous, reliable assessments to
measure learning outcomes (and ensure quality)
• Ensuring portability/transferability of
“competencies”
• Back-office systems (LMS, student records, etc)
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Risks and Opportunities
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Are these approaches well suited to adult or vulnerable
learners?
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Are there opportunities for fraud?
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Does CBE offer an opportunity to reduce costs for students
and institutions – and at what risk to quality?
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Does Direct Assessment authority provide new avenues for
alternative providers and is that a good thing?
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Does CBE present an opportunity to change institutional
culture at college?
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Contact Information
Mary Alice McCarthy
Education Policy Program
New America Foundation
Linda Howdyshell
Broward College
Maryalice.mccarthy@newamerica.org
www.newamerica.org
lhowdysh@broward.edu
http://www.broward.edu/
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Q&A With the Presenters
 Mary Alice McCarthy
 Senior Policy Analyst,
Higher Education
Initiative, New America
Foundation
 Linda Howdyshell
 Provost and Senior Vice
President for Academics
and Student Success,
Broward College
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Learn More and Stay Connected
Register today for WCET’s Leadership Summit: Designing Alternative
Pathways to Credentials:
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http://wcet.wiche.edu/connect/summits
May 5-7, 2014 in Salt Lake City, UT
The Summit Will Cover:
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Measuring competencies
Acceptance of alternative credentials
Financial aid challenges, accreditation
Changing faculty roles and more
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Learn More and Stay Connected
 Visit the WCET’s Connect, Learn, Advance
services on our website:
http://wcet.wiche.edu/
 Attend WCET’s 26th Annual Meeting in
Portland, OR, November 19-21. Call for
proposals will be announced soon.
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Learn More and Stay Connected
Join WCET today!
http://wcet.wiche.edu/contact-us/join-wcet
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 Exclusive member only resources.
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Additional Information and Resources
 Access to the resources discussed during this
webcast, including the archive, will be
available next week.
 http://wcet.wiche.edu/connect/webcasts
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Thank you to our technology providor
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