LoudCloud Systems Blog Seven Tips for Building Your Institution's CBE Initiative

Competency-based education (CBE) is here to stay. Need proof? Look at the numbers. According to a July 2014 article published by Inside Higher Education, more than 350 institutions are either offering or currently creating CBE programs. Additionally, a paper from the Presidential Innovation Lab recently stated, "As we move into the future the credit hour will continue to be used for administrative and financial purposes; however, learning models such as competency-based education which demonstrate improved student learning outcomes will replace seat time as a learning measurement."Why? CBE programs are a worthy alternative to traditional time-based curricula that appeal to an important learner population in a meaningful way. Additionally, CBE targets costs and schedule challenges in traditional programs. By addressing the issues of time to completion and affordability, our institution can build its brand as one increasingly interested in improving access while growing real and sustainable enrollments.Pioneer programs like Western Governors University have been offering online, competency-based degree programs since 1997. Southern New Hampshire University has earned several awards and accolades for its CBE initiatives. Other schools across the country - including the University of Wisconsin System, the University of Arizona, the University of Texas, and the University of Florida - have announced CBE programs.CBE isn't a quick fix, however - and it's not an "easy" alternative. CBE initiatives take planning, hard work, and collaboration at every level. And if your university isn't 100% prepared, your CBE initiative can face significant setbacks. Here are seven tips as you start down the path of CBE:1. Clearly define and align your competenciesIn a traditional, classroom-based university setting, faculty members haven't historically put effort into developing "granular" competencies at the course level. Instead, general learning objectives were established, and faculty members guided students toward those objectives on their well-honed instincts and experience.Because CBE focuses primarily on students' mastery of specific, clearly defined learning outcomes, there will need to be a greater focus on standardization of competencies among faculty members, and alignment across departments and the institution as a whole.What's more, a specific competency might have multiple sub-competencies - how many does a student have to master to be deemed "competent"? How do you define "mastery"? Faculty members will also have to develop assessments and grading standards to measure competency and mastery. This can be a challenging task, but it is critical for CBE success.2. Develop a robust assessment systemMany traditional programs rely on a "one-size-fits-all" model of assessment that works something like this: The faculty member lectures, students take notes and complete assignments, and then the faculty member tests the students. After testing, the class typically moves on to new material, regardless of whether students pass or fail.The problem with using this method of assessment in a CBE is that it doesn't provide students with useful, personalized feedback that lets them know what areas they need to focus on and which areas they have mastered. For a student to succeed in a CBE program, it is absolutely crucial that all assessments are directly linked to clearly defined competencies and sub-competencies. A CBE assessment system must also be linked to analytics that allow faculty members and departments to refine courses and assessment based on student performance and mastery.3. Gain faculty buy-inCBE success depends largely on a "coalition of the willing": Faculty members must be on board with the program from day one - and they shouldn't feel forced or coerced into CBE. You have to be able to understand and address their concerns early on, especially in cases where your faculty is skeptical of the transition to CBE.The best way to get buy-in? Involve faculty members in CBE program design from the beginning. Seek input on how to structure assessments and define mastery while maintaining the integrity and quality of the program. And since CBE programs typically place faculty in slightly different roles (as mentors and facilitators rather than traditional lecturers), you must make sure that all faculty members have very clear expectations about their roles and responsibilities within the program. 4. Focus effort on student support resourcesIn a typical "buffet-style" CBE program, there are no limits to class sizes, and no schedules to consider: The faculty on record may be responsible for delivering instruction to 5,000 or more students, and those students will all be working on different things. This system can quickly become unsustainable if you don't have enough faculty members serving in coaching/mentoring roles to support students.Online CBE programs are similar to online weight-loss programs. In both cases, people feel very motivated when they enroll - but without the proper support, that motivation can wane considerably. To ensure success in these types of programs, there has to be some sort of support system in place. In the case of dieters, this support system may take the form of a personal trainer. To ensure that students succeed in your institution's CBE program, you must have educated, plentiful resources - coaches and mentors - available to keep students motivated. The institutions that do CBE right ensure that there are enough coaches and mentors available. And these coaches and mentors are proactive: They look at analytics, and when they see that a student is going off track, they pick up the phone.If you try to implement an online CBE program without this critical component, it is very likely that retention would suffer. 5. Prioritize price structure discussionsAs mentioned above, one popular CBE structure is the "buffet" program, which allows students to take as many courses as they want for a fixed fee. Say you decide to charge $2,500 for an "all-you-can-learn" semester. That's a bargain for your CBE students - but what does this imply for students who are paying the same amount for one traditional course? And how are students' future employers going to look at that difference? Will they perceive a difference in quality and value?This is a complicated set of questions, but thinking through issues like CBE pricing and perceived value now can help your institution and your students avoid issues down the road. 6. Define your whyThere are a lot of really good reasons to embrace CBE programs: They are cost-effective and they allow you to address the needs of unique students with diverse background knowledge and skill sets. They save time, and they can provide a critical path to degree completion for working adults and non-traditional students.Why is your institution interested in CBE? Which reason is most important to you? Which reason aligns with your philosophy or mission? You should have an answer to this question before you try to implement a CBE program. Why should you have this answer? Answering these questions will help you define your program and set your pricing appropriately. 7. Get real analytical tools. With CBE, you're dealing with large groups of students on separate timelines. Each student may be completing coursework from thousands of miles away. You have to keep them motivated and on track. You have to make sure they achieve competency and complete the program.To do this, the right tools are critical: You need to be able to easily track students' start dates and goals they've set. You need to know who is in charge of calling and following up with students if they don't meet those goals. You need specially designed learning management platforms that can help you create robust assessments, and you need tools that can analyze individual questions to ensure that they measure mastery.This can be problematic as many of the tools currently available are data-reporting tools rather than true analytical tools. Reporting can be useful, but in a CBE program, analysis is everything: You need actionable information, and you need it as early as possible. And you can't get that with simple reporting. CBE is here to stayCBE isn't just a fad - it is a sustainable way to reduce costs and make higher education more effective and efficient. It is an alternative to the traditional (and outdated) classroom, which places emphasis on seat time instead of competency. In fact, CBE may just change the face of higher education as we know it. The current model isn't sustainable. Institutions that get on board with CBE will be ahead of the game - but they will need to be willing to embrace new ways of doing things. They will need buy-in; they will need the right technology and resources.As institutions move toward CBE they will also need to move away from their old learning management platforms. For more information and to learn about LoudCloud's robust CBE tools, and professional services contact LoudCloud.