Competency-based learning The UW Flexible Option gives learners the flexibility to earn a University of Wisconsin degree or certificate at their own pace
Overview In many traditional learning models, time spent in class is fixed (such as a semester) and a student s mastery of a skill or subject is variable (based on an end-of-term assessment, for example). In a competency-based learning model, the opposite is true. Students are assessed based on their mastery of skills and/or learning outcomes. As a result, the pace of learning is much more individualized. It can even be dramatically accelerated. First popularized in the 1960s in America, competency-based education (CBE) emerged as a reaction to concerns that students weren t being taught the skills they would need in life after school. 2 In recent years, many educational institutions have embraced CBE s personalized and self-paced learning approach. It s being used as a way to reach and serve a growing percentage of the student demographic adult learners who juggle competing priorities while trying to fit school into life s demands. The UW Flexible Option is the first system-wide, competency-based initiative in the United States. 3 It is led by partnerships throughout the University of Wisconsin System (UWS) and the University of Wisconsin-Extension (UW-Extension). The UW Flexible Option draws upon the expertise of faculty to offer a more personalized, convenient, and affordable way for adults and other non-traditional students to earn a degree or certificate. The UW Flexible Option has had wide-reaching impact on the teaching and learning offered through UWS. It has also encouraged other institutions across the United States to embrace competency-based learning as a viable way to meet the needs of adult learners. Today, as many as 600 organizations have created or are actively pursuing competency-based models. 4 2 AT A GLANCE Client Students 400+ Faculty 100+ Level Solution CHALLENGE University of Wisconsin-Extension Post-secondary Brightspace Competency-Based Education solution Support a competency-based learning model where emphasis is on mastery, not class time Encourage student success and ensure faculty buy-in within a competency-based education (CBE) format Facilitate communication between students, faculty, and Academic Success Coaches (ASCs) Provide a straightforward and streamlined design SOLUTION Intelligent agents facilitate communication between students, faculty, and ASCs Use browser widgets to streamline student access to content Customized style sheets for a clean look Rubrics to build objective and subjective assessments required for competency-based learning Release conditions and role-based permissions govern students mastery of competencies Groups to organize and manage faculty workload Integration with Student Information System (SIS) for seamless flow into LMS RESULT 1 350 students enrolled by March 2015 over a first year projected goal of 150 Substantial cost and time savings to participating students 1 Results and figures courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Extension 2 Malan, SPT. The new Paradigm of Outcomes-based Education in Perspective. Journal of Family Ecology and Consumer Sciences /Tydskrif Vir Gesinsekologie En Verbruikerswetenskappe 28.1 (2000): n. pag. Web. 3 UW System Receives Approval to Award Federal Financial Aid for a Competency-based UW Flexible Option Program. News. University of Wisconsin System, 2 Sept. 2014. Web. 4 Mitchell, Ted. Guidance for Competency Based Education Experimental Site Released. Web log post. HOMEROOM. U.S. Department of Education, Sept. 2015. Web.
Challenge CREDITS BASED ON COMPETENCY, NOT CLASS TIME The UW Flexible Option s self-paced, competency-based degree and certificate programs let learners start any month, work at their own pace, and earn credit using knowledge they already have. Including knowledge gained through prior coursework, military training, on the job training, or other learning experiences. Credits earned are based on competency, not class time. Students progress by passing a series of assessments including tests, papers, and other projects. Assessments are designed to prove they have mastered competencies and have the skills and knowledge identified by faculty as essential to the chosen degree or certificate. Learners can currently choose from seven degree and certificate programs, with more on the way. We are rethinking the model of higher education by giving students the freedom to structure learning in whatever way works for them, says David Schjebal, Dean of University of Wisconsin-Extension. From a program perspective, we want to help students who want to complete their degrees complete them quickly, reducing the burdens of cost and time. PARADIGM SHIFT IN LEARNING The impact on curricular development centers on creating opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning on competency-based assessments. This change cannot be understated. This is a paradigm shift away from a model that traditionally calculates credits based on seat time. First, competency-based education demands a shift in thinking for the faculty of an institution. Some instructors for example, those experienced in online learning or who teach applied degree programs will adapt readily to the change. Others will be slower to embrace the concept. Some may resist the model completely. CBE also requires instructors and curriculum designers to approach course design with a different mindset. They must move away from what they want to teach and toward what they want students to learn. Focus is placed on what outcomes, behaviors, and/or results stand as proof of a student s mastery of the subject matter. For many, this will require a top-to-bottom overhaul of course materials and a change in teaching styles. 3
Solution LEVERAGING THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY To deliver this innovative model of teaching and learning, UWS decided to leverage its existing Brightspace environment. Unlike traditional instructor-led, time-based online courses, the platform needed to be designed to support self-directed learning a cornerstone of the CBE philosophy. By using the current infrastructure, the UW-Extension team would be able to save time and money. They were equipped with a tool that was both widely configurable and something staff were already familiar with. We knew that technology was going to be extremely critical. It is a powerful enabler for the Flexible Option, says Ryan Anderson, Director of Instructional Design and Development at UW-Extension. If we are going to reach students where they are at and not require them to come to a physical campus, the technology infrastructure is absolutely key and essential. As a learning management platform, Brightspace meets our needs in many ways. The flexibility of the platform makes it a very powerful tool for us. We ve been able to build an interface between our Student Information System (SIS) and Brightspace that flows students into Brightspace and the various competency sets and courses. INTELLIGENT AGENTS FACILITATE COMMUNICATION Using an array of intelligent agents, students and faculty receive timely notices about relevant activities within the course. These intelligent agents have proven critical in keeping faculty and students engaged within the program s self-paced format. For learners, check-in agents send a personalized email to those who haven t accessed the course in two weeks and again after four weeks of inactivity. Messages are also sent to the Academic Success Coaches (ASCs) so they can follow up with the student and address any issues that may be standing in the way of engagement. Intelligent agents are also used to keep faculty informed of submitted assignments found in the Dropbox tool. In addition, they advise them when a new student is enrolled at the beginning of the month. These alerts allow faculty to work efficiently and proactively engage with learners. If I think about Brightspace and what makes it so helpful and beneficial in a competency-based model it boils down to three things. First, it s about intelligent agents, which allow for a level of customization and flexibility that is really wonderful. Second, it is the assessment piece. The ability to utilize rubric functionality and build in our objective and subjective assessments was a non-issue. Finally, the ability in Brightspace to customize the actual content pages has allowed us to achieve a clean, crisp look, says Anderson. THE RIGHT CONTENT WHEN IT S NEEDED The custom configuration of Brightspace for the Flexible Option also includes a built-in content browser widget. An online offering led by an instructor usually prominently features in the News tool on the homepage. This allows timely, one-to-many communications between the instructor and a cohort of students. 4
Success for Flex is defined by meeting student needs, simply put. Anytime you begin a new program, you want to make sure you are meeting student needs and people are actually engaging. For now, we are exceeding the business plan. Ryan Anderson, Director of Instructional Design and Development University of Wisconsin-Extension 5
Solution continued However, since the Flexible Option is not time or cohort-based, the Brightspace content browser widget provides a streamlined interface that takes a student directly to the content they need. This personalized option supports the self-paced CBE format where there is minimal instructor presence. Students can also use the widget to return to the exact place they left off when they log back into the platform. Other custom widgets help students access the library, chat with a librarian, connect with the online writing lab, or launch a live tutorial session with a third-party provider. Brightspace platform, the UW-Extension team was able to design and develop student-centric pages and interfaces. Designs are sensitive to cognitive load concerns, ADA compliance, and contiguity principles that facilitate knowledge transfer. Integration with third party tools, such as originality checking software and online proctoring tools, help to maintain open communication between students and faculty. They also verify a student s identity when they take an online exam. RELEASE CONDITIONS ENSURE MASTERY The Flexible Option defines three essential roles to which students in the program can be assigned, depending on their enrollment status and how they choose to engage in learning. One role provides access to the entire offering including learning resources, assessments, and grades. The second role omits learning resources. The third role, for expired students, allows former students to view their grades. The role-based permissions in Brightspace allow UWS to offer customized content to students. Release conditions are also used to control access to content and assessments. Access is granted based on prior assessment level. In CBE, there are occasions where learners need to demonstrate mastery of a competency in one area before progressing to the next. Using the Group tool in Brightspace, admins are able to manage faculty workload as the program grows. The Group tool allows them to organize students into sections and conveniently divide class lists, grades, and Dropbox submissions. HELPING STUDENTS (AND FACULTY) FEEL AT HOME IN THE PROGRAM Getting students and faculty set up and oriented in the Flexible Option program is vitally important to student success. To ensure a good first experience, the program takes advantage of Brightspace for the delivery of Flex Basics. This is an introduction for students, which sets expectations and provides new students with an orientation. It also allows them to practice some of the basic technology skills they ll need to succeed. OPTIMIZED FOR STUDENT (AND FACULTY) SUCCESS With students working independently and at their own pace, it was important for the Flexible Option learning experience to be inviting and optimized for student success. Using cascading style sheets (CSS) within the Faculty resources, also available through Brightspace, provide an overview of faculty responsibilities. Reference materials instructors may find useful are also available, such as accessing and evaluating assessments, providing feedback to students, submitting grades, and reviewing originality reports from third party providers. 6
Result EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS In its original plan, UW-Extension projected it would serve 150 students in its first year of operation with the Flexible Option. The program ended up serving more than double its goal, with 350 students enrolled by March 2015. 5 UW-Extension received expressions of interest from thousands of students but purposefully kept its enrollment numbers low to ensure the best possible experience. The Flexible Option program has already celebrated the graduation of eleven of its students, with many more expected in the future. In just a short time of operation, the Flexible Option program has been able to prove it can save students time and money when achieving their degree. In one instance, a student was able to earn 33 credits in just three months. They had a financial savings of almost $8,000 and graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors. 6 In recognition of their ground-breaking Flexible Option program, D2L recognized the instructional design and development team at the University of Wisconsin-Extension with a 2015 Brightspace Excellence Award. 7 5 Figures courtesy of University of Wisconsin-Extension 6 Ibid.
About D2L D2L is the software leader that makes the learning experience better. The company s cloud-based platform Brightspace is not a common one-size-fits-all learning management system (LMS). It s easier to use, more flexible, and smart. With Brightspace, you can personalize the experience for every learner to deliver real results. The company is also a world leader in learning analytics: its platform predicts learner performance so that you can take action in real time to keep them on track. Brightspace is used by learners in higher education, K 12, and the enterprise sector, including the Fortune 1000. D2L has operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Brazil, and Singapore. www.brightspace.com CONTACT US Phone: 1-519-772-0325 (Worldwide) Toll Free: 1-888-772-0325 (North America) 0-808-234-4235 (United Kingdom and Europe) 0-800-452-069 (New Zealand) 1-800-656-210 (Australia) 0-800-891-4507 (Brazil) Fax: 1-519-772-0324 Email: info@brightspace.com Twitter: @Brightspace Web: www.brightspace.com www.d2l.com 2015 D2L Corporation. The D2L family of companies includes D2L Corporation, D2L Ltd, D2L Australia Pty Ltd, D2L Europe Ltd, D2L Asia Pte Ltd, and D2L Brasil Soluções de Tecnologia para Educação Ltda. All D2L marks are trademarks of D2L Corporation. Please visit D2L.com/trademarks for a list of D2L marks. 8