Competency-Based Education
Personalizing Learning though CBE
Varying Time, Place, Practice, Pace, Path, and Trace...
An emphasis on teaching competencies, in which the typical structures related to schooling are no longer mandatory, holds great promise for personalizing learning and putting each and every student on a successful path towards college or a career.
Vary Time
No longer do students have to learn only during the 8-3, M-F school day. Digital technologies support a wealth of learning opportunities about before, during, and after school.
Vary Place
Learning no longer occurs solely in school but is freed up to happen anywhere & everywhere, with credits earned for learning at home, in the community, at a business or within an industry---anywhere new knowledge can be gained.
Vary Path
We have differing histories, repertoires, interests, and goals. Providing multiple pathways for how each learner gets to his or his goals supports personalization and motivation for learning.
Varying Pace
Learning does not occur in a lockstep predictable pattern, so why do we often teach that way? Instruction that occurs at a flexible pace, quicker when content is known or easy, adjusting when it is not, supports real-time learning for all students.
Varying Practice
Just as we vary the path and pace for learners, we should also vary the teaching practices to match content, learner history, need, interests, and instructional goals.
Varying Trace
What can be seen as learning occurs? What is left after teaching occurs? How do we know when something is learned? When we personalize the "trace" of learning we use evidence to see learning in real time, make decisions, and inform future learning.