Competency Weaver

Current Trends in Competency-Based Learning in 2024

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.

Who’s it popular with? Leading sectors adopting CBE

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. 

Healthcare

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.

Business & IT

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.

Online

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

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.

Why is it popular? – Driving factors behind CBE’s popularity

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.

Mastery of competencies over time 

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.

 

"Students keep working until they’re done."

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.

Prior Learning assessment

Since learning outcomes are geared towards professional skills and competencies, CBE is more adapted to recognizing prior learning and work experience, enabling learners to receive credit for skills gained throughout their professional careers and personal lives.

Integration of Technology

Technology plays a pivotal role in the successful implementation of CBE. With the rise of advanced learning management systems (LMS) and AI-driven assessment tools, educational institutions can offer more flexible, accessible programs. LMS track student progress and competency mastery, alleviating some of the administrative burden on teachers. AI enhances this process by generating detailed assessment rubrics and offering personalized feedback, streamlining the evaluation process and supporting individualized learning.

Workforce alignment 

Central to CBE is preparing students for the workforce by aligning learning outcomes with industry needs. CBE programs are being built around employer-validated competencies, ensuring that students graduate with the relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities required in their field. The close collaboration between educational institutions and employers results in programs that are directly tied to real-world job requirements, often reinforced by internships or practical experience. This workforce alignment ensures that CBE graduates are career-ready, equipped with the expertise to thrive in their chosen field.

Shifting from education to the workplace, Competency-Based Management (CBM) is a valuable approach that helps employers assess the specific skills, knowledge, abilities, and behaviors employees need to perform their jobs effectively. These competencies are identified during the recruitment process, guide the design of training programs, and serve as benchmarks for evaluating employee performance. The competency-based approach fosters lifelong learning, ensuring that education continues well beyond postsecondary and encourages people to keep growing and developing throughout their lives and careers.

Prior Learning assessment

Since learning outcomes are geared towards professional skills and competencies, CBE is more adapted to recognizing prior learning and work experience, enabling learners to receive credit for skills gained throughout their professional careers and personal lives.

Integration of Technology

Technology plays a pivotal role in the successful implementation of CBE. With the rise of advanced learning management systems (LMS) and AI-driven assessment tools, educational institutions can offer more flexible, accessible programs. LMS track student progress and competency mastery, alleviating some of the administrative burden on teachers. AI enhances this process by generating detailed assessment rubrics and offering personalized feedback, streamlining the evaluation process and supporting individualized learning.

Workforce alignment 

Central to CBE is preparing students for the workforce by aligning learning outcomes with industry needs. CBE programs are being built around employer-validated competencies, ensuring that students graduate with the relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities required in their field. The close collaboration between educational institutions and employers results in programs that are directly tied to real-world job requirements, often reinforced by internships or practical experience. This workforce alignment ensures that CBE graduates are career-ready, equipped with the expertise to thrive in their chosen field.

Shifting from education to the workplace, Competency-Based Management (CBM) is a valuable approach that helps employers assess the specific skills, knowledge, abilities, and behaviors employees need to perform their jobs effectively. These competencies are identified during the recruitment process, guide the design of training programs, and serve as benchmarks for evaluating employee performance. The competency-based approach fosters lifelong learning, ensuring that education continues well beyond postsecondary and encourages people to keep growing and developing throughout their lives and careers.

Conclusion

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.

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