The Roots of Competency-Based Education and Prior Learning Assessment

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”

Alan Kay

The best source that I've come across on this subject and the one that Chancellor Brahm referred to in his State of the University message today was posted by CAEL (Council for Adult and Experiential Learning) in this online report – http://www.cael.org/pdfs/2012_CompetencyBasedPrograms .

It is noteworthy that both Brandman University with the great work that Laurie Dodge has done and Marylhurst University where I was Academic Dean a few years back were highlighted as best practices institutions.

Two other leaders in competency-based degree completion are Western Governor's University http://www.wgu.edu/why_WGU/competency_based_approach and Excelsior College [formerly Regents College in Albany, NY] www.excelsior.edu .

Both Western Governors' and Excelsior's approaches, however, evolved from pre-new media paradigms.

A qualitatively effective model does not exist yet, but I believe Brandman is in an ideal position to develop one to complement its other innovative, student learning outcomes-based programming.

John Freed, Ph.D
freed@brandman.edu 

Associate Professor of Humanities/Liberal Studies

Brandman University
a member of the Chapman University System