While it is not an acronym, “credit-based CBE courses” is a new term that we are adding to our teaching lexicon. To understand this term and why MLC elected to adopt this form of CBE, it is important to know the definition of both forms of competency-based education: direct assessment and credit-based courses.
Direct Assessment
The U.S. Department of Education provides a clear and succinct definition of direct assessment CBE programming:
Student progress in a direct assessment program is measured solely by assessing whether the student can demonstrate that he or she has a command of a specific subject, content area, or skill, or can demonstrate a specific quality associated with the subject matter of the program.
A learner in a direct assessment program completes an assessment or creates a portfolio to demonstrate their competence in a subject. Their knowledge, skills, attitude, and behavior are measured through summative assessments. The learner is not necessarily enrolled in a class, but resources may be provided to help the learner prepare for the assessment or support the learner if they need to retake the assessment.
Credit-Based
The U.S. Department of Education provides a clear and succinct definition of credit-based CBE programming:
A credit hour CBE version of the program might not require structured class sessions, but it would still require sufficient academic activity — for instance, reading and writing assignments, with feedback from an instructor — to reasonably approximate three hours of expected academic engagement per week for each credit hour. The CBE version of the program could allow this work to be completed more flexibly and at the student’s desired pace, as long as the student was otherwise making satisfactory academic progress.
A learner in a credit-based program engages with content, often the same exact content that learners in other modalities (online or in-person) use to support their growing knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors. A credit-based program still includes summative assessments to demonstrate mastery of a course competency, but their engagement with course activities and content is an important part of their learning. Learners in a credit-based CBE program can focus their time and design their own schedule with the support and encouragement of their faculty mentor to progress through the course in a way that matches their previous learning and their availability.
Why MLC Adopted the Credit-Based Model
MLC adopted the credit-based CBE model because we find it to be a more authentic reflection of our values as an institution. We do not see the process of preparing to be a teacher as something that is measured once or solely through a portfolio. We also see teaching as a profession that one continues to hone and develop over time, so the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors someone reflects at the beginning of their studies should be different from those reflected at the end of their studies, and they should continue to grow as they serve in our schools.
Definitions from U. S. Department of Education. (2025, January 14). Direct Assessment (Competency-Based) Programs.
