Competency-Based Education (CBE)
The most important part of competency-based education is for students to show what they know rather than focusing on “seat-time.” Students in a competency-based learning environment advance through a curriculum at their own pace, based on their attainment of certain learning outcomes (Glowa, 2013). When a student demonstrates they have mastered a set of skills, they move forward in their individual learning plan.
Needs
Following are some essential functional skills that should be emphasized in competency-based curricula. All the necessary functionality can't be achieved without integrating these apps with supporting IT programs.
The Competency Framework is made up of the unique skills and learning goals that each state, district, or school has set up (Glowa, 2013).
The student profile function pulls together all of the information about a student that is available and makes it available to other information systems (Glowa, 2013).
Learning Management integrates curriculum, instruction, communication, exams, e-portfolios, student information, and other aspects to support adaptive learning (Glowa, 2013).
The Personal Workspace enables teachers, students, and administrators to view all pertinent data in on location. It lets each user view the student’s learning strategy and overall progress (Glowa, 2013).
Assessment Management tools make it possible to give tests online, keep track of the results of tests given offline, and give personalized learning information to make competency-based learning possible (Glowa, 2013).
Learning Material Management allows the collection, distribution, and acquisition of K–12 education content from finance or procurement systems (Glowa, 2013).
The term "Curriculum Management" refers to the administrative process of ensuring that curriculum information is both correct and up-to-date in accordance with mutually agreed-upon standards (Glowa, 2013).
Performance Management is about improving the performance of an organization and helping people grow and develop. It means looking at how students are doing and using tools to help teachers and principals improve. Teachers use the analysis to think about and change how they work, set up ways to work together, and drive their own professional growth (Glowa, 2013).
Reporting and Analytics help the competency-based approach by keeping track of how well each student is doing (Glowa, 2013).
Learning Resource Management is a powerful tool that lets teachers teach based on evaluation and curriculum data by keeping track of which resources are used and how well they work (Glowa, 2013).
Pros
There are a number of benefits of CBE over more conventional approaches of teaching. First, it frees students from the pressure to simply fulfill a certain number of credits in order to graduate. As a result, students are better able to meet the challenges of the workforce and achieve their professional goals (SREB, 2018).
Second, students can move forward at their own speed and time with CBE because of its individualized nature. The time and money needed to earn a degree can be cut down, and it's easier for students to juggle their studies with other commitments like employment and family.
Last but not least, CBE is adaptable to the changing needs of businesses and the labor market. Because of this, there is a greater chance that students will learn in-demand subjects and go on to achieve professional success.
Cons
There are a number of different ways in which competency-based education (CBE) has been criticized. Critics of CBE say it fails to address wider educational goals, such as critical thinking, creativity, and civic involvement, because it is narrowly focused on the development of specific skills. CBE, in their view, might lead to students focusing too much on vocational education at the expense of a more well-rounded education.
Critics of competency-based education say that CBE's reliance on technology may reduce opportunities for human interaction between educators and their students is a common criticism of CBE. They fear that the digital divide will widen and that current educational gaps will be reinforced by the widespread adoption of new technologies.
Another concern is implementation and cost: Critics of CBE point out that it can be costly to put into practice, especially if new evaluation tools, technological infrastructure, and teacher education programs need to be created. They also point out that CBE involves major adjustments to established educational methods, which could make it difficult to put into practice.
Close
In conclusion, competency-based education is an efficient method of teaching because it places a premium on the acquisition of well-defined skills and information and can be adapted to meet the unique requirements of each student. Students are more likely to be successful in their chosen professions if they are taught to focus on competencies rather than simply finishing a certain number of courses. Although CBE has the potential to improve some aspects of education, its execution, aims, diversity, evaluation, technology, and expense have all been called into question by critics.
The U.S. Department of Education has a page dedicated to competency-based education programs. See the pdf link below.
Resources
Glowa, L. (2013). Re-engineering information technology: Design Considerations for Competency Education. CompetencyWorks issue brief. Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse.
Lumina Foundation. (2016, April 27). An overview of competency-based education. YouTube. Retrieved April 24, 2023, from https://youtu.be/7Zi2gHidALk
SREB. (2018, February). 10 issues in Educational Technology. Southern Regional Education Board. Retrieved April 1, 2023, from https://www.sreb.org/10issues
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