A PRIMER ON DIRECT ASSESSMENT AND COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION (CBE)
In order to understand the proposed changes, a little background on competency-based education and direct assessment is necessary. Competency-based education (CBE) refers to a pedagogical practice where the focus is on student mastery rather than seat time. CBE can take a variety of forms, but all these share a number of characteristics:
- Students’ progress at a pace that is appropriate for their learning since all students learn differently.
- The curriculum is built around competencies regardless of whether or not it is tied to courses.
- Students are able to access learning resources, including assistance from instructional staff, that is directly aligned with the competencies.
A small subset of CBE programs are classified as direct assessment program. Direct assessment programs are no longer tied to credit hours as the default measure of student learning, and although institutions offering CBE direct assessment programs provide students with learning resources and instructional support, the focus of these programs is on assessments that allow students to show proof of mastery.