The landscape of competency-based education (CBE) has progressed tremendously over the past few years in higher education. This session will provide a brief overview of CBE regulations, design models, and learner experience considerations, focusing on how CBE can be successfully delivered using quality frameworks. Participants will identify, discuss, and explore key inputs supporting an engaged faculty and student experience. Join three CBE leaders as they connect how their own institutions have instituted, continuously improved, and evolved various CBE models in this interactive presentation. Session Objectives: Recognize the key features and value of competency-based education for learners, workforce, and educational institutions. Explain the foundations of operationalizing CBE and the key elements of the engaged faculty and learner experience. Connect C-BEN’s quality frameworks to how CBE is implemented for three leading institutions.

1. Competency-Based
Education: Implementing Quality
Frameworks for an Engaged Faculty &
Learner Experience
Ginger Bidell, M.S., MBA
Western Governors University
Cali M.K. Morrison, Ed.D.
American Public University System
Jaymes Walker-Myers, M.S.
Southern New Hampshire University

2. What is Your Opinion about CBE?
•Intrigued
•Skeptical
•Ready to Jump In
•Already Running
PollEv.com/calimorrison709

3. Competency-based
Education Network
Definition of CBE
Competency-based education combines an
intentional and transparent approach to curricular
design with an academic model in which the time it
takes to demonstrate competencies varies and the
expectations about learning are held constant.
Students acquire and demonstrate their knowledge
and skills by engaging in learning exercises, activities
and experiences that align with clearly defined
programmatic outcomes. Students receive proactive
guidance and support from faculty and staff. Learners
earn credentials by demonstrating mastery through
multiple forms of assessment, often at a
personalized pace.

4. Higher
Education Act
Definition of
Direct
Assessment
• In the 2006 revision of the Higher Education Act of 1965,
the U.S. Department of Education defines direct
assessment as:
• …an instructional program that, in lieu of credit or
clock hours as a measure of student learning,
utilizes direct assessment of student learning, or
recognizes the direct assessment of student
learning by others. The assessment must be
consistent with the accreditation of the institution
or program utilizing the results of the assessment.
(e-CFR, 668.10(a)(1))

5. What is Direct Assessment
in plain language?
• Learners gain credit through a direct
measure of their learning: (e.g., project,
presentation, exam, portfolio).
• This is the only required activity for
credit.
• Learners move at their own pace
(slower or faster)
• Learners gain credit that is equivalent to
an institutions’ courses
• Most institutions “crosswalk” or
map courses to competencies
• Many institutions use a subscription or
“all you can learn” model

6. PLA CPLCBE

7. https://www.cbenetwork.org/resources/

8. How does this relate to other quality metrics?
Quality Matters Rubric
The eight General Standards:
● Course Overview and Introduction.
● Learning Objectives
(Competencies)
● Assessment and Measurement.
● Instructional Materials.
● Learning Activities and Learner
Interaction.
● Course Technology.
● Learner Support.
● Accessibility and Usability*
OLC (SUNY) OSCQR Quality
Measure:
Evaluates at the course level
● Course Overview and Information
● Course Technology and Tools
● Design and Layout
● Content and Activities
● Interaction
● Assessment and Feedback
https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/c
onsult/olc-quality-scorecard-suite/
https://www.qualitymatters.org/
qa-resources/rubric-
standards/higher-ed-rubric

9. Western Governors University
Founded in 1997
• Nonprofit
• Improve quality and access
• Independent of time and place
• Credible credentials

10. WGU: Key Characteristics
• Student Obsession
• Continuous enrollment
• Focus on assessment
• No additional cost for learning
resources
• Disaggregated faculty model
• Skills Map

11. WGU Lessons Learned
Program Development Perspective
• Learning Management System, Interconnected systems,
limit our design and student experience
• Limit enrollment to full time degree seekers
• Multiverse
• Focus on Assessment
• Continuous improvement

12. Background
• Started in an innovation lab
• Originally designed on a
customized salesforce
environment
• First program in the nation to
be approved for federal
financial aid for direct
assessment
Structure
• 16-week term structure
• Offered on D2L’s Brightspace
• All you can learn subscription
model
• Project-based assessments
situated in workforce
contexts/scenarios
• 1 credit : 1 competency
alignment
• Learners enroll in
competencies individually (1-
credit offerings)

13. Key Features of SNHU’s CfA
• College for America is offered
through:
• Workforce partnerships (B2B)
• Community education/support partners
• Global Education Movement
• Increasing focus and interest in the
delivery of CBE using a hybrid
online/on-campus/community
model
• Program offerings are targeted to
stackable undergrad programs:
• 30-credit cert in Healthcare Fundamentals
• AA in General Studies & Healthcare
• BA in Communication, Business,
Healthcare

14. SNHU Lessons Learned
● User experience is critical in flexibly-
paced delivery
● Many students elect to go slower
● Workforce relevance is more difficult
in practice
● Faculty engagement and expertise
brings the experience to life
● Systems, infrastructure, and platforms
for delivery are all complex and not
optimized for CBE
● Start with definitions and common
understanding

15. Programs with a Momentum™ Option
• B.A. Criminal Justice
• B.A. Emergency & Disaster Management
• B.S. Fire Science Management
• B.A. in Retail Management
Direct assessment,
competency-based learning
opportunity providing a
personalized journey from
the Associate to the
Bachelor’s degree.

16. It Takes a Team to Build & Run a CBE Program

17. APUS Lessons
Learned
● Simplicity is paramount for
faculty who are teaching in
multiple modalities as well as
for learners.
● Right Size your technology
solutions
● Persistence is imperative.

18. Cali M.K. Morrison, Ed.D.
Associate Dean, Alternative Learning, American Public University System
calimorrison@gmail.com ;
cmorrison@apus.edu
@calimorrison
https://www.linkedin.com/in/calikoernermorrison/
Jaymes Walker-Myers, M.S.
AVP, Learning Science & Assessment, Southern New Hampshire University
@jwalkermyer
s
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaymesmyers
j.myers@snhu.edu
Ginger Bidell, M.S., MBA
Manager, Development Team, Western Governors University
Ginger.Bidell@wgu.edu @bidellg
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gingermbidell/