Competency-based education is gaining momentum in the United States. In Europe, however, the Bologna Accord with time-based / seat-time mandates restricts the growth and acceptance of new models of education that may help address economic needs. This presentation shares existing models of higher education that are addressing the needs of the markets they are in and provides ideas for how new models could fit within the European context.

1. Competency-based education:
Leveraging educational technology to
support emerging economic demands
Guide Conference Presentation
Athens, Greece
3-4 October 2013
Margaret Korosec
University of Hull
Paul Bacsich
Matic Media Ltd &
Sero Consulting Ltd

2. Overview
Salac, M. (2013). Framed [Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/

3. Overview
• Competency-based education
• Technology-enhanced learning
• Examples leveraging competency models
and technology
• Exploration for the European context

4. Competency
Competency-based learning* is..
 Students advance upon mastery;
 Competencies include explicit, measurable, transferable
learning objectives that empower students;
 Assessment is meaningful and a positive learning
experience for students;
 Students receive timely, differentiated support based on
their individual learning needs;
 Learning outcomes emphasize competencies that
include application and creation of knowledge, along with
the development of important skills and dispositions.
* Based on a convening between iNACOL and CCSSO in 2011.

5. Technology
Technology-enhanced learning has many forms!
Blogs, wikis, collaborative learning
platforms, video, social learning platforms, fully online
courses, smaller modules of online
learning, MOOCs….
Which educational technologies are relevant for your
institution?
Which can also be supported by your environment?
Ultimately, which will help your students learn AND
complete their degree?

6. Technology
A few noteworthy advantages of technology-enhanced
learning:
- Flexibility of learning independent of time and place.
- Learning analytics.
Available through…
• Online courses developed by learning resource
providers;
• Some open educational resources;
• Some MOOC platforms provide insight to support
students on their path to completion.

7. Useful Technology
Technology can get in the way of
change initiatives, especially if
the strategy is unclear or the goal
misplaced.
Pedagogical choices need to
leverage emerging technology for
the benefit of the
student, teaching staff/academics
and institution.
Stewart, N. (2013) Held back by technology? [Photo].
Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/

8. Leverage
Cope, M. (2007). Levers that make the wheels turn [Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/

9. Leverage
• New or revived models of education
(competency-based, assessment of prior
learning, peer learning…)
• Technology-enhanced learning such as open
educational resources (OER), MOOCs and
the emerging derivatives….
• Agile vs restricted: what will set you apart?

10. Which direction?
Just as there is not just one
model of using technology in
education, there is not one
competency-based education
model.
Identify system
Evaluate economic needs
Manage change
Lee, S. (2009). Every which way in downtown Brooklyn
[Photo].

11. Exploration for European
context?
Rufo. (2010). Bologna 6a.m. [Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/

12. Exploration for European
context?
• Competencies
• Credit units (ECTS)
• Quality
• Accreditation
• Transferability among institutions
• Degrees in demand

13. Competencies*
• Reduce the regulatory barriers against new time durations of
provision: by developing a successor to Bologna (the tariff
system for European higher education) based primarily on
competences gained not duration of study.
• Groups of learning outcomes correlated to employment needs
(but not only to these).
• UK QAA guide (A6) mandates:
• Higher education providers ensure the assessment of
students is robust, valid and reliable and that the award of
qualifications and credit are based on the achievement of
the intended learning outcomes.
* Recommendation from POERUP. See http://www.scribd.com/doc/169430544/Policies-at-EUlevel-for-OER-uptake-in-universities

14. ECTS*
• Each learning outcome is in terms of credits
• one credit corresponds to approximately 25-30 hours
of study
• Course descriptions contain
• „learning outcomes‟ (i.e. what students are expected to
know, understand and be able to do)
• workload (i.e. the time students typically need to
achieve these outcomes).
* European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System

15. ECTS
How can we shift to accommodate changing needs?
Consider the following proposal:
• Credits replaced by centicredits (cct)
• 1 cct = competences gained from studying a bite-sized
chunk (6 minutes, 1 deci-hour), reflecting on it, and
being assessed on it
• 100 cct = 1 ECTS point
This acknowledges changing learning landscape,
changing economic landscape, and global nature of
learning across boundaries of time, space and
location.

16. Factors tending to cause
change
• Strong
• Impact of OER and MOOCs
• Desire to accredit workplace & vocational training
• Lack of easy credit transfer between universities
• Weak
• National inconsistencies in the process especially the time
measures and the realities of student study times
• European directives which (implicitly) require change
• Lack of compatibility of degrees world-wide
• Large quantum of credit, and of indeterminate size
• Different exit competences from the school system

17. Factors tending to resist
change
• EU politics (compare EQF for vocational)
• European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is not
under full control of EU
• Bologna Process not yet settled down

18. Assessment issues
• Assessment need not be final exams or mid-course
essays
• Wide variety of assessment interventions could be
used
• Automated assessment
• Peer assessment
• Dissertations, projects, portfolios, monitored practical
work
• Only requirement is that there is a correlation
between the competencies and what the
assessment demonstrates.

19. Quality
Quality Agencies should:
• Develop their understanding of new modes of learning
(including online, distance, OER and MOOCs) and how
they impact quality assurance and recognition;
• Engage in debates on copyright;
• Consider the effects of these new modes on quality
assurance and recognition;
• Ensure that there is no implicit non-evidence-based bias
against these new modes when accrediting institutions or
programmes, or both at the same time.

20. Examples to ponder
Claremont Colleges Digital Library (1965). Students In Class – Pitzer College. [Photo]. Retrieved from
http://www.flickr.com/

21. Examples to ponder
USA – Actual Institutions
Western Governors University (WGU)
Southern New Hampshire University
(SNHU) University of Wisconsin – Flexible
Option
UniversityNow
EUROPE – Potential Programs
iMSc Computer Science
euBSc Nursing
iPgD Postgraduate diploma in online

22. WGU
Western Governors University
• Pioneer in competency-based education established
in 1997.
• Fully online, self-paced and asynchronous.
• Not-for-profit and affordable.
• Students receive support from Mentors.
• Undergraduate and graduate degrees in relevant
fields of teaching, information technology, nursing
and business.

23. SNHU
Southern New Hampshire University
• Recently established College for America as
competency-based focus geared towards student
employability and employers needs.
• Direct partnership with local and national employers
to ensure current or potential employees are
competent from day one.

24. Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin
• Just launched (Fall 2013) Flexible Option program
directed toward adult and non-traditional students.
• Assessment of prior knowledge.
• Coach advisors provide student support.
• Recognition of MOOC completion through other
institutions.

25. University now
Social venture and parent company of two universities:
Patten University and New Charter University
• Degrees focus on skills and expertise development.
• Self-paced and affordable.
• Currently offering business undergraduate and
graduate degrees.

26. Computer Science
Currently investigating iMSc Jasig/Oracle
• iMSc likely to be “more studying” than a UK
MSc, less than some continental ones, tempting to
take the US model as the median
• Tailor-made for MOOCs and can leverage on much
existing OER
• Around 10000 cct

27. Nursing
Currently investigating euBSc Nursing
• Competences will include more focus on practical skills and
emotional intelligence than found elsewhere.
• The European Nursing degree (BSc Honours) is a qualification
that leads to professional status as a Registered Nurse. Taught
in UK - and for a year at a partner institution in
Malta, Finland, Italy or Denmark courses are designed to give
clinical and other social skills needed to work in a modern
health service.
• Nursing Associations (EFN, RCN in UK, etc) can leverage on
their substantial recent work on mutual recognition of
professional qualifications across Europe (20000 cct)

28. Postgraduate diploma in
online teaching
Currently considering iPgD
• This would be like a Masters without the final
dissertation, but with a substantial ePortfolio
• 7500 cct?
• From the T3 project on, there has been significant
agreement (documented e.g. by VISCED) across a range
of US and EU projects on the syllabus for such a course:
• ISTE NETS*T
• iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Teaching
• And several courses offer enrolment to all levels of
teacher

29. What is your next step?
MacPhail, W. (2009). Students in the Class. [Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/

30. Closing remarks
Consider
• New models of education
• New models of useful technology
• Leveraging both
Ask
• What change is possible?
• What will bring student success?
• What will fill market economy needs?

31. Margaret Korosec
University of Hull
@mdkorosec
Thank you
Paul Bacsich
Matic Media Ltd &
Sero Consulting Ltd
@pbacsich