Instructional Content and Learning Materials in Competency-Based Education Part I

Instructional Content and Learning Materials in Competency-Based Education Part I for TAB Lab Dr. Heidi Wilkes, Sr. Director, CAD Kaitlin LeMoine, Assistant Director, CAD February 19, 2016

Session Roadmap Part I SNHU and College for America Our Students Our Academic Model Our Academic Programs Our Curriculum Development Process A Project Example Part II CfA approach to Project Design Competencies Authentic Scenarios Workplace Deliverables Resources created and curated New Frontiers for CfA

Southern New Hampshire University Southern New Hampshire University Traditional Residential Campus (1932) Private, nonprofit Regionally accredited College of Online Continuing Education (2007) Second largest private, nonprofit online higher ed provider College for America (2012) Competency-based Focused on workforce development

College for America Mission College for America is radically expanding access and improving the quality of higher education through low cost, competency-based college degrees and credentials, designed to drive success in the workplace.

College for America Student Population Approximately 3,000 students Of CfA Students Reporting (AA): Average age: 37 years old 77% female 55% single 61% at least one dependent 46 states and District of Columbia 28% have some college

CBE at College for America Project-based learning 100% online Flexible pace Authentic assessments set in workplace contexts Mastery, not grades (or seat time) Dedicated experts Learning Coaches, Reviewers, SMEs, CADs Students earn SNHU degrees

Informed by Workforce Development Research Curriculum developers learn about industry needs and the people who are in or entering jobs (potential students) to inform design: What the industry-specific current challenges and skill needs are How specific skills are applied in the workplace help us to develop realistic and relevant curriculum content/contexts What stands in the way of students having access to the education they need for the job

Academic Offerings Certificate in Healthcare Management Fundamentals (currently in pilot) AA in General Studies AA in Healthcare Management BA in Healthcare Management with concentrations in Communications and Global Perspectives BA in Communications with concentrations in Healthcare Management and Business BA in Management with concentrations in Operations and Logistics; Insurance Services; and Public Administration

Baseline Components of a Degree Program Meets general education requirements for SNHU programs 120 unique competencies 9 clusters of competencies 20 goals Sets of 3 5 projects in any given goal Each Project includes: Overview Directions Deliverable Resources Rubric

Curriculum and Assessment Development Process

Sample Project Competencies and Overview

Sample Project Directions and Deliverable

Sample Project Resources

Sample Project Rubric

Instructional Content and Learning Materials in Competency-Based Education Part II for TAB Lab Dr. Heidi Wilkes, Sr. Director, CAD Kaitlin LeMoine, Assistant Director, CAD February 19, 2016

Session Roadmap CfA approach to Project Design Competencies Authentic Context Workplace Deliverables Resources created and curated New Frontiers for CfA

Everything builds from the Competencies Goal Project Competencies Resources Assessment

What do we mean by a competency? Claim we wish to make about what graduates can do with knowledge and skills Agnostic as to how student acquired them (or how long it took) Measureable and observable Expressed as can do statements Examples: AA Level Can negotiate with others to resolve conflicts and settle disputes Can speak effectively in order to persuade or motivate Can convey information by creating charts and graphs Examples: BA Level Can develop a marketing plan for a specific product or service Can evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different management styles Can support or refute an argument using quantitative evidence

Competencies in Practice A strong competency statement: Reflects skills needed by employers Requires students to apply and demonstrate learning in a way that can be assessed Is created along with detailed rubric criteria that indicate what is required for mastery Is clear and accessible to students and employers, as well as instructors Acts as a building block to overall program mastery

Relationship Between Project Elements Context Deliverable Competency

Start with the Competency

Consider the Context In what types of workplace setting would these competencies be utilized or exemplified? In what types of roles would students actualize those competencies? How might competencies realistically build on one another?

Drip & Dry

Define Your Deliverables How will the project design enable the student to demonstrate what he/she knows? What evidence do we need to see from the student in order to know that the competency has been mastered? What is a workplace relevant deliverable?

Curate Resources Purpose To cover content critical to the goal To support the student in the creation of project deliverables SNHU Library materials Open Educational Resources

Develop Additional Resources Project Materials specific to the created context and/or deliverable May include: o Company mission statement o Background on a company o Survey Data o Logos or other brand materials

Drip & Dry Resource

Consider a Competency in Context Working in small groups, write a competency statement that: Reflects skills needed by employers Requires students to apply and demonstrate learning in a way that can be assessed Is clear and accessible to students and employers, as well as instructors Acts as a building block to overall program mastery THEN consider the context In what type of setting might students be practically engaged with this work? What does the workplace look like? What type of deliverable would students need to produce to demonstrate that they successfully mastered that competency?

CfA New Frontiers Guided practice Adaptive learning (JUICE) Video content Elements of game design New models: Micro-credentials Certificates

CfA New Frontiers We are continually evolving...

Thank You! Please feel free to reach out with any questions. Dr. Heidi Wilkes, Sr. Director CAD h.wilkes@snhu.edu Kaitlin LeMoine, Assistant Director CAD k.lemoine@snhu.edu