In order to serve its nontraditional students, a university piloted a competency-based program as alternative method for its students to earn college credit. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to conduct a summative program evaluation to determine if the program was successful in order to make decisions about program revision and…

This year's Condition of Education "Action Guide" offers a series of policy and practice changes to support a student-centered approach to education. Student-Centered Learning (SCL) is any instructional approach that begins with the needs and interests of the individual learner and engages students as drivers of their own learning. SCL…

Since the publication of the "College Scorecard" by The U.S. Department of Education in 2015, comparisons between college attendance costs and institutional outcomes (i.e., graduation rates, post-graduation earnings) have come into sharp focus. This increased scrutiny requires institutions of higher learning to be more transparent about…

Competency-based education (CBE) refers to online and hybrid courses and programs that offer credit or degrees based on evidence of student learning, or competencies, rather than on the amount of time spent in a course. Students work at their own pace, receive personalized academic support, and demonstrate mastery as they progress through their…

Graduate attributes (GAs) have become a necessary framework of reference for the 21st century competency-based model of higher education. However, the issue of evaluating and assessing GAs still remains unchartered territory. In this article, we present a criteria-based method of assessment that allows for an institution-wide comparison of the…

Competency-based education works by identifying the specific things that someone needs to be able to learn and to do in order to earn a degree (or pass a course), and then allows students to move forward as soon as they have demonstrated that they have mastered the expectations. Prior leaning seeks to reward students--especially older…

"Proceedings of International Conference on Studies in Education and Social Sciences" includes full papers presented at the International Conference on Studies in Education and Social Sciences (IConSES) which took place on October 15-18, 2020 in Chicago, IL. The aim of the conference is to offer opportunities to share ideas, to discuss…

This article discusses the role of the hybrid field of law education and its status in South Africa. The authors suggest that, in their consideration of education law, it should be understood as the particular collection of legal rules that regulate all activities and relationships in education. These legal rules as applied in education are…

Given the changing landscape of higher education, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE) established the Task Force on the Future of Higher Education in March 2017 to conduct a systematic review of higher education; examine existing initiatives and best practices; and report findings and recommendations on strategies that best…

Community colleges and businesses have a shared interest in preparing students and existing workers to be successful in their careers. Community colleges seek to educate and train individuals in their community to have the knowledge and skills for current jobs and long-term career opportunities. Employers seek employees with both job-specific…

The article discusses topical issues of implementation competency-based approach in the modern educational system of Ukraine and Germany. A comparative characterization of competency models in these countries is given. The essence of "organizational pedagogical conditions" concept is enlightened. Its author's interpretation is presented.…

The new approach to the higher education modernization based on the realization of competency-building modular programs has been considered. This approach closely supports competency-building approach to professional training of modern specialists within the context of current theoretical and methodological principles. The European dimension of…

Research on the effectiveness of competence-based education (CB-education) across educational contexts and levels requires a new evaluation measurement. This study explores the face validity, construct validity, and robustness of a competency self-report instrument that is aligned with contemporary competence theory and with current educational…

The economic urgency around higher education is undeniable: the price of tuition has soared; student loan debt now exceeds $1 trillion and is greater than credit card debt; the dollars available from government sources for colleges are expected to shrink in the years to come; and the costs for traditional institutions to stay competitive continue…

Russ Poulin is director of policy and analysis for Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications (WCET), the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) Cooperative for Educational Technologies. He has been an outspoken advocate of treating distance education fairly in state and federal regulations. In recent years, he has…