Written by Lindsay Whitman, Director, Pearson
While Competency-based Education (CBE) programs are still a relatively small part of the higher education landscape, they have grown tremendously in recent years. The number of students in CBE programs has grown fourfold since 1990, and by 2020 Eduventures estimates “that as many as 750 colleges will offer CBE programs and that overall enrollments will exceed 500,000 students.” Even with this growth in interest, educators find few comprehensive resources outlining how to get there. As discussions continue, the need is growing to examine the various models, approaches, and lessons learned from the early innovators in CBE programs, and to better understand how the pieces all fit together to drive measurable change in student progress.
In our recent blog post, we introduced our CBE Playbook – a framework to help administrators conceive, plan, and implement CBE programs. In this podcast, we highlight key aspects of the playbook as well as discuss the four key decisions you will need to grapple with while planning CBE initiatives. These include program management, program design approach, financial aid and accreditation, and program and degree strategy. We also break down each decision area to explain different approaches and possible models, and help weigh the critical factors you need to consider when evaluating which methods are right for your institution.
