Dive Brief:
- The Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions and the U.S. Department of Education seem to be on the same page when it comes to assessing competency-based programs.
- Inside Higher Ed reports that the accrediting council released a framework earlier this month, and the Department of Education followed with a letter last week that repeated many of the same points, which should give schools clarity in creating new programs.
- The department’s letter included requirements for the faculty role in competency-based courses, outlining that qualified faculty must make periodic contact with students and be available “at least when students need or want” access, according to the article.
Dive Insight:
Competency-based education allows students to progress as fast or as slow as they need to prove mastery of course content. Traditional colleges and universities have had trouble launching competency-based models, in part because of conflicting messages from the Department of Education that accreditors must use for making program decisions. Inside Higher Ed reports that more than 200 institutions have begun offering competency-based degree programs or are in the process of creating them. These programs, which do away with the credit hour, are called direct assessment degrees. The fact that at least these two bodies are in line with each other when it comes to basic definitions and processes is good news for the future of these programs.