Assessing Student Learning in a CBE Program

Competency-based education models reinforce the idea that teaching is not necessarily about what the teacher does in class. Instead, it is about understanding what learners gain through engaging in a course. Developing a competency-based course or program requires that we frame outcomes from the learner’s perspective. The activities and assessments in competency-based education ask learners to demonstrate what they know, how they apply what they know, the principles that guide their knowledge and application, and how those three come together to develop a professional identity.

In essence, then, assessments of learning in a competency-based model fall into four broad buckets: Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes, and Behaviors. Most courses have a variety of outcomes and assessments that could be linked to each of these learning assessment categories. Over the next four weeks, the blog entries will focus on each category in turn, providing a clear definition, example outcomes, and example learner assessment strategies.