Roadblocks to Creating a Competency-Based Program

Why is the idea of creating competency-based programs only recently gaining traction here at Purdue and elsewhere? "Competency-based education is an intuitive and appealing concept," said Fatma Mili, associate dean of educational research and development. "Once we consider it, we start wondering, 'Why did we wait so long?'"

In competency-based programs like the one being developed here by the Polytechnic Educational Research and Development team, students work in small teams and focus on in-context problem-based learning, mastering knowledge and skills at their own pace, and completing challenges to demonstrate competency in their chosen field of study. This style of learning stands in stark contrast to traditional programs which require students to remain in lockstep with fixed time schedules, to consume pre-made plans of study, and to memorize material out of context just in case it's on the next test.

Despite research which confirms the benefits of competency-based programs, "it's paradoxical that (these) programs remain the exception rather than the rule," Mili said.

Changing to a competency-based system presents huge challenges because the credit hour concept is deeply embedded in the processes, tools, and policies of the academic system. "In fact, the whole concept of the credit hour was introduced as an administrative tool," Mili said, "rather than a measure of educational achievement."

In a recent two-part article for The EvoLLLution, an online newspaper which covers the impact of non-traditional programs on higher education and society, Mili described three roadblocks to creating a competency-based program:

  • Upstream: A new model requires new tools. Tuition, financial aid, academic transcripts, accreditation, and faculty loading and compensation are all calculated and organized around credit hours. Moving toward competencies requires full support and cooperation from all units involved.
  • Downstream: A new currency requires new exchange banks. New competency-based degrees will live in a predominantly credit-based world. A "currency conversion" system between competencies and credit hours will have to be created.
  • Inward: New language requires new thinking. To achieve the full benefits of a competency-based system, a cultural transformation must take place by both faculty and students.

Read both parts of Mili's article here: