Community colleges in the state of Washington will soon
offer a competency-based associate degree in business using open educational
resources (OER) for every class.
The online, self-paced classes are designed to adapt
content and activities based on a student’s prior knowledge of the subject,
according to a report in eCampus News. Students will also have access to free online course
materials.
The 13 community colleges signed up for the pilot will
work with Lumen Learning to design the courses. Lumen Learning is also
collecting course material that will include textbooks, videos, and embedded
assessments to gauge students’ progress.
“A motivated student could complete a two-year transfer
degree in just 18 months,” said Jan Yoshiwara, deputy executive director for
education for the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.
“All this adds up to quicker completion at a lower cost, while achieving the
same learning outcomes required for traditional courses and programs.”