In competency-based education, the focus is on the mastery of knowledge and skills and the rigorous assessment of those competencies. Advancement is not based on the number of weeks in a classroom or the number of credit hours earned, but on performance-based assessments. In this episode, Dr. Bheda interviews Dr. Charla Long, the Executive Director for the Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN), to explore the challenges and benefits of this big idea.

Listen as we discuss:

• Evolution of competency-based education
• Differences between time-based approaches and competency-based approaches
• Benefits to institutions, faculty members, learners, and employers
• The importance of “backward design” to identify competencies and develop the learning journey that will lead to mastery
• The use of data analysis to personalize education and foster student attainment
• The Competency-Based Education Network’s quality framework and program design principles
• Results achieved by institutions that have implemented competency-based programs