Abstract
As explained in the ELI 7 Things You Should Know about Competency-Based Education, competency-based education (CBE) sets mastery of discrete knowledge and skills as the gate for learners to progress to more advanced content. As opposed to traditional education, which is based on fixed-length academic terms, CBE allows learners to move at their own pace, spending as much or as little time on each topic as necessary to demonstrate mastery. CBE challenges longstanding models of education while offering the possibility of improved student learning, shorter time to degree, and more transparency for employers.
The "7 Things You Should Read About..." series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides a concise set of resources on emerging learning technologies meant to provide a quick understanding on the topic. You may find other ELI resources useful in addressing teaching, learning, and technology issues at your institution. To learn more, please visit the ELI publications page.