Description
Competency-based education (CBE) first garnered attention in the United States during the late 1960’s, but interest in it has exploded more recently. In 2012, there were roughly 20 competency-based higher education programs in the United States. By 2015, over 500 programs were in some phase of development. Proponents of CBE argue that it will transform education, making it more transparent, learner-centered, equitable, and affordable. Critics argue that it will increase inequity by offering all but the wealthy a narrow, low-cost, teacherlesseducation that amounts to nothing more than individuals sitting at computers taking machine-graded tests. The reality, of course, is both messier and more interesting for those interested in transformative learning. This presentation will provide an overview of CBE as it has developed in US higher education, explaining how it is similar to and different from learning outcomes approaches, how it is related to recognition of prior learning (RPL/CPL/PLA), its merits and challenges, and the variety of ways it has been implemented. The presentation will conclude with examples of how some CBE programs have fostered transformative, competence-based learning.
Keywords
- competency-based education,
- CBE,
- teaching,
- learning
Disciplines
Publication Date
February 16, 2018
Comments
Keynote Speech at the Eighth International Conference on Effective Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon, February 16-18, 2018.
Citation Information
Michelle Navarre Cleary. "How Might Competency-Based Education (CBE) Transform Teaching and Learning?" (2018) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/navarrecleary/19/