The competency-based education (CBE) model can provide
flexibility and accessibility to personalized learning while allowing some students
to complete their studies in much less time than the traditional on-campus
model. Technology helps make it possible,
but it can’t be the end of the conversation.
Technology makes it easier to engage students, puts
content in front of learners at the moment it can be most effective, and
measures when they are ready to move to the next level. However, the content
and educator are still at the center of the learning experience, according to
an article in eCampus News.
A focus on content first enables technology to be used to
provide information to the learner. Then, technology can provide the
assessment tools necessary to understand how students engage with the material.
“CBE
today is redefining the delivery of education, providing new learning
opportunities that place value on the skills and knowledge a student has gained
through their life experience outside of the classroom, or in prior classrooms
throughout their learning journey,” wrote Jade Roth, CEO of Flat World
Education. “It can remove some of the roadblocks that have stood in the way of
their education. To truly serve those students, we must always remember why
they are there: not to try our new technology, but to build the knowledge and
skills they need to achieve their professional and personal goals.”