The Complete Guide to Competency-Based Education
CBE is helping schools, institutions and organizations deliver learning experiences that translate to practical, provable outcomes and true skill mastery.
We define CBE and look at how it can benefit students, academic institutions, and employers
Traditional education models have focused on students completing postsecondary education at the outset of their careers. However, in today’s rapidly changing economy, the learning experience is much more than gaining knowledge for specific jobs. Rather, it’s about learning how to learn and developing the necessary soft skills to succeed. A variety of models have been developed to accommodate this new fluid learning economy, such as competency-based education (CBE).
In this blog, we define CBE and look at how this learning model can benefit students, academic institutions and employers.
CBE is often referred to as problem-based learning, mastery-based learning, outcome-based learning or performance-based learning. Based on data from the literature surrounding these terms, Gervais (2016) defines CBE as an outcome-based approach to education that is used to design instructional delivery, material and assessments that enable students to master specific skills or competencies at their own pace.
Competency-based learning breaks away from the traditional classroom model where students study the same subject matter at the same speed in a cohort of fellow students. Instead, with CBE, learners can work individually to master competencies.
Rather than memorizing content and listening to lectures, CBE reconstructs the educational process toward demonstrated mastery and the application of knowledge and skills in the real world. This shift in learning benefits all stakeholders involved in the learning process, including students, academic institutions, and employers.
CBE differs from traditional education programs in that it focuses on what students learn and not on the time spent in the classroom. It has many additional benefits for students, such as:
With CBE the main goal is to provide students with the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools to prepare them for the next stage of their lives, whether that is further education or starting a career.
CBE’s approach to teaching, learning, curriculum, and assessment development is effective for colleges and universities. Higher education institutions can benefit in many ways:
It’s important to remember that there isn’t a one-model-fits-all approach to CBE. Academic institutions and faculty have the freedom to design their own CBE courses or adapt programs that suit their needs.
The CBE model not only directly benefits students and academic intuitions, but also supports the workforce. This method of instruction has many benefits for employers, such as:
With CBE programs the focus is no longer just on receiving an education and joining the workforce. Rather, it creates pathways for continual learning to develop valuable characteristics and skill sets for all kinds of students.
The student demographic is changing and many educational institutions are looking for new ways to serve a growing number of non-traditional students and meet the expected demands of working adults. The competency-based education (CBE) model is one option which holds a lot of promise for helping to meet both of these demands.
CBE is helping schools, institutions and organizations deliver learning experiences that translate to practical, provable outcomes and true skill mastery.
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