A competency-based education (CBE) model can expand access to more learners and prepare graduates with skills employers need. However, the process of transitioning programs or courses to CBE can be difficult, time-consuming, and overwhelming. Our CBE and learning design experts eliminate roadblocks for institutions while helping postsecondary leaders accelerate innovation and champion student outcomes. Through our tailored training, strategic consulting, and innovative mapping and curriculum services, institutions can navigate CBE transformation in a way that aligns with their delivery model, resources, and goals.
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Learn moreLooking to transition your nursing program to competency-based education to meet current industry standards? Let our experts help you navigate your CBE Transformation.
Many industries, from early childhood education and IT to construction, require certifications and alignment to specific industry standards. Prepare learners to be ready on Day 1 by focusing on the specific knowledge they need. Our experts can help you identify competencies and design engaging learning experiences.
Competency-based education (CBE) is a transformative model that expands access for learners and improves workforce readiness. CBE focuses on what a learner knows, rather than where, how, or how long they spent learning it, providing people the opportunity to earn credit for knowledge, skills, or behaviors — also known as competencies — they have or develop.
CBE supports increased student engagement and retention, increased completion rates, alignment to local workforce needs, and increased academic equity and access. As a learner-centered model, CBE focuses on helping learners develop specific competencies they need to secure jobs and advance economically in a way that is authentic to them. By closely associating what is being taught with learners’ careers, institutions overcome concerns about the return on investment of higher education. Institutions that implement CBE in ways that change traditional course delivery or tuition models can also improve flexibility for learners and reduce costs.
CBE addresses three critical problems in higher education: return on investment (ROI), the skills gap, and unmet learner needs. some text
To learn more about why institutions choose CBE, read our blog The Relevancy of Competency-Based Education.
Backward design starts with the competencies learners need to gain, rather than general topics and learning activities. Once competencies are identified, curriculum designers determine how to assess mastery, and then plan learning experiences that align with those assessments. To learn more about backward design and its benefits, read our blog Moving Curriculum Forward With Backward Design.
There are many reasons CBE can be right for your institution. CBE can help meet employers’ demands, create equitable learner-centered environments, accelerate student outcomes, increase access, lower tuition, and advance institutional innovation. CBE is also not one-size-fits-all. You can find the implementation approach that fits your institution’s needs and goals. To learn more about finding the right CBE model for your institution, read our blog How to Identify Your School’s “Flavor” of Competency-Based Education.
CCBE employs a learner-centered model that takes into consideration what students already know and what they need to learn. Learners also value their education more because the skills they master directly tie to potential jobs and future income earnings. CBE can open opportunities for greater flexibility in when and how to learn, as well as lower tuition costs when institutions adopt CBE models that break from traditional approaches.