What’s New in Competency-Based Higher Ed?

Leadership 2 min read

The college transcript has come under scrutiny, as it is inadequate in portraying what students know and do during college. Two national associations representing student affairs administrators and college registrars announced a project to develop models for a more comprehensive student transcript.
Stanford University’s registrar is experimenting with extended transcripts and digital portfolios as a means to more accurately capture what students are learning both inside and outside the classroom.
Getting Smart’s Carri Schneider agreed with that proposition in her article, where she notes that entrepreneurial businesses don’t even look at college transcripts, because the long list of cryptic course titles and credit hours don’t reveal what students actually learn.

A U.S. Senate hearing featured a familiar discussion between innovation and quality assurance, where several senators and witnesses were optimistic about competency-based education.
Michael Horn testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to explore barriers to and opportunities for innovation as reauthorization of the Higher Education Act is being considered. He elaborates on his testimony in this article.

Online and part-time competency-based programs offer skills to working adults who cannot commit to the traditional 16-week semester—in courses ranging from marine biology to public speaking. Students can begin these standardized courses at any time and they can stop after any module.
This guest commentary discusses how competency education could reduce the cost to students when transferring between colleges.
BCcampus has been monitoring advancements in competency-based education, and this article is part one of a three-part series looking at the competency-based delivery model, titled Competency to Credential.
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is considering a 15-year plan, with the overarching goal of getting 60% of the 25-34 age range a post-secondary credential by 2030.