The presentation is structured around those themes with 5 questions for conversation around challenges faced by an online institution developing a competency-based education alternative for master’s degree completion. Challenges include competency development, program structure, assessment design, faculty models, and enrollments into the alternative and traditional degree program formats.
Ashford University is scheduled to launch its first competency-based degree, the Masters of Science in Instructional Design and Technology (MSIDT), in 2017. The development journey has presented several challenges and in this session participants will engage in a discussion of some of these challenges. Participants will have an opportunity to share their insights about common challenges faced by online institutions of higher education seeking to provide competency-based education alternatives for degree completion related to competency development, program structure, assessment design, faculty models, and ensuring students are aligned to the program format that best meets their needs and preferences. This session is structured around those themes with 5 questions for conversation to consider as follows:
- What is the most efficient method for developing and aligning competencies?
- What assessments best represent mastery of competencies and facilitate transfer of knowledge and skills into multiple workplace contexts?
- What are the advantages for developing dual programs (i.e., course-based and competency-based)?
- What is the best procedure and policy for hiring, training, and allocating workload for faculty in competency-based programs?
- How can program align students to a competency-based program that are best equipped to succeed in that model?
Following approximately 5 minutes of conversation around each question, presenters will provide a very brief summary of how they are addressing the challenges presented in the questions and open the session again for feedback. In addition to outcomes related to enhanced knowledge in the areas covered in the 5 questions framing the session, participants also can use this session as an opportunity to network with others interested in competency-based program development and create channels for future conversations and collaborations.