June 2014

This article originally appeared on the SkilledUp Thought Leadership blog. Even if you don’t follow higher education, you may have heard about competency-based education (CBE) — especially if you are an adult learner seeking a college degree. Programs using this model are often attractive because students can move at their own pace, and CBE can be more affordable than traditional programs. Another advantage is that the CBE model is disrupting outdated mechanisms for accreditation, forcing everyone in higher ed to think in terms of proficiency rather than seat time. And the innovations that result are helping to serve a student body that includes an increasing number of non-traditional learners. What is competency-based education (C ...

With the average time to earn a bachelor’s degree now approaching 6 years, it’s critical for adult students to have alternative, convenient and affordable pathways that reduce the time it takes to complete a degree. When you are ready to change your career and need the right academic credential to do so, you shouldn’t have to wait. Competency based education (CBE for short, also referred to as “personalized learning”) shifts the balance between time and learning - it moves away from time being the constant to learning being the constant. Through CBE programs, students can dramatically reduce their time to degree. We are proud that 7 StraighterLine partner colleges have been picked to be a pa ...