Updated on: ; By: Emmanuelle Erny
The growing popularity of Competency-Based Education (CBE) has prompted K-12 and postsecondary institutions to make significant strides in reshaping their structures, teaching methods, and overall culture. This shift is designed to embrace the hands-on, student-centred nature of CBE, which allows students to progress by demonstrating mastery in specific competencies. Moving away from traditional education models fosters deeper learning and engagement, better equipping students for success in the modern workplace. As CBE continues to expand rapidly, it’s worth examining the emerging trends in performance-based learning.
Since the late 20th century, Quebec, Canada has played an important role in advancing Competency-Based Education (CBE) through significant public education reforms. These efforts, particularly in healthcare education, emphasized the development of cross-disciplinary competencies and a holistic approach to learning. Being adopted quickly in medical universities, the primary objective was to equip students with the ability to develop skills in real-world, practical contexts, moving beyond mere memorization of facts. CBE also marks a positive evolution in education, promoting a more equitable, individualized approach that moves away from the traditional, standardized learning. While this method has the potential to benefit various fields and programs, some sectors have been quicker to realize and embrace its advantages than others.
The field where Competency-Based Education (CBE) has become most synonymous with its principles is medical education. In this domain, clinical competencies must be mastered both theoretically and practically, as future medical professionals are required to demonstrate their ability to care for patients, medically and relationally, before entering the field. The goal of CBE is to ensure that graduates are fully prepared to step into their professional roles immediately after completing their education.
Beyond healthcare, fields such as business, information technology (IT) have also embraced CBE. For example, in 2013 Bellevue College’s Institute of Business and Information Technology (BIT), launched its first Competency-Based Online Business Software Specialist Certificate program. This program includes eight courses and equips students with key skills needed for success in the field.
The University of Massachusetts offers a competency-based Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, emphasizing its mission to prepare students for ‘career opportunities, advancement, participation and service in a variety of 21st century IT specializations.’ To earn this degree, students must demonstrate the mastery of all required competencies, ensuring they are fully equipped for success in the evolving IT landscape.
CBE is particularly popular in online education, where the flexibility of digital platforms and self-paced learning aligns perfectly with the student-centred philosophy of competency-based education. Hybrid programs, which combine in-person and online coursework, further demonstrate CBE’s potential to enhance learning outcomes.
Healthcare, business, IT, and online education all strongly favor competency-based education (CBE) practices due to their unique demands. In healthcare, the complexity and high stakes of the profession make CBE essential, ensuring that graduates have mastered the necessary skills before entering the field. The competitive nature of business also benefits from CBE, as it equips students to be job-ready immediately upon graduation. As the demand for skilled professionals in IT continues to grow, CBE prepares students to contribute effectively from day one. In online education, CBE thrives due to its inherent flexibility and ability to personalize learning to individual needs, making it an ideal approach for remote and self-paced courses.
Adult learners, including those continuing their education or seeking career advancement, are increasingly turning to Competency-Based Education. Since CBE programs are structured around job competencies and specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) learning objectives, they are more effective than other programs at recognizing a person’s workplace or life skills through prior learning assessments (PLA). CBE recognizes prior learning and work experience, enabling learners to receive credit for skills gained throughout their professional careers and personal lives -caring for an autistic child or an aged parent. By demonstrating mastery of required competencies, students can accelerate their path to earning a degree or certification, reducing the time typically needed for completion.
The word “facilitate” aptly captures the core benefits of CBE. By implementing Competency-Based Education, institutions are able to facilitate personalized learning, ensuring that learning outcomes align with workforce demands.
What sets CBE apart from traditional education is its departure from a “one size fits all” structure, allowing students to progress at their own pace. Advancement is based on the student’s mastery of specific competencies rather than the teacher’s time spent ‘covering the material’ in the classroom. This flexibility—guided by both formative and summative assessments—ensures that students are fully prepared upon graduation, having demonstrated proficiency in all required areas. This key feature of CBE offers personalized learning paths while guaranteeing that every graduate is equipped with the skills necessary for success.
As Connie Broughton, a leader at the Washington State Board for Technical and Community Colleges, notes about their fully online, competency-based associate degree in business: This sentiment captures the essence of CBE, where mastery, rather than time spent, is the key measure of progress.
In 2024, competency-based learning continues to reshape education by emphasizing flexibility, mastery, and alignment with workforce needs. Its popularity spans healthcare, business, IT, and online and hybrid programs, especially among adult learners due to its ability to accomodate individual learning paths. Emerging trends, such as mastery-based progression, the recognition of prior learning, and the integration of technology to support both students and educators are driving its growth across various fields. As institutions increasingly adapt to modern workforce demands, CBE remains a vital approach, preparing students with the skills and knowledge necessary for success in an increasingly dynamic job market.
Competency Weaver Français Navigating Ethical Concerns in AI and Education As AI makes a powerful entrance into the world of education, it’s crucial to tackle the ethical concerns it raises. Join us in navigating these challenges to foster a fair and inclusive educational landscape. Read our article latest article. Updated on: November 17, 2025 ; By:
Competency Weaver Français Why Skills-Based Organizations Are Winning the Talent War in 2025 Updated on: April 3, 2025 ; By: Emmanuelle Erny In the evolving landscape of the skills-based economy, organizations that prioritize competencies over traditional credentials are leading the pack. Skills-based hiring predicts job performance than education-based hiring and works twice as well as hiring
The saying “you learn something new every day” is more than just a fun cliché—it’s a reflection of how learning happens constantly and in all kinds of contexts, not just in a traditional academic environment. Whether through hands-on work experience, self-study, or unique life situations, people acquire valuable skills and knowledge in many ways.
As technology rapidly reshapes the economy, the workforce is evolving at an unprecedented pace. These changes bring new skill demands, and organizations need talented workers to drive growth. Unfortunately, outdated hiring practices often make it difficult to find the right candidates, leading to unnecessary labour shortages.
In the 2000s, when ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) became widespread, educators gradually started to look for ways to integrate them in teaching and learning. It quickly became obvious that the added value was not so much if ICT were used or not, but rather how they were used.
Accreditation is a crucial aspect of a post-secondary institution’s identity as it establishes credibility and legitimacy by ensuring that the institution meets high-quality standards. However, the accreditation process is often costly, labour-intensive and time-consuming, involving significant expenses for data collection and accrediting fees. Automating accreditation offers a solution to these challenges.
