To CBE or Not To CBE COMBASE Fall Conference: Advancing the Promise of Community Colleges Seattle, Washington September 24-26, 2016 Jean Floten, Chancellor, WGU Washington Richard Cummins, President, Columbia Basin College, WA David Rule, Former President, Bellevue College, WA
Competency Based Education (CBE) What is it? measures learning
Our dearest time-honored tradition
Who buys our milk shakes? What is our value proposition in several different and simultaneous futures? “The customer rarely buys what the company thinks it is selling him.” - Peter Drucker Drucker’s question invites us ask how to create more focused value propositions for the different ways of drinking our milk shake.
General-purpose products disrupted on job-by-job basis Pace of performance improvement Sustaining innovations Performance Major Metropolitan Newspapers Help Me: Unload this stuff Find the right car Sell or buy a home Find the right job or right employees Kill commuting time productively Become well-informed Unwind at end of day Different measure Of Performance Craig’s List AutoTrader.com Realtor.com Monster.com Metro: Blackberry CNN.com Unwind at end of day Time Non-consumers or Non-consuming occasions Disruptive Innovations: Competing against non-consumption Time
Disruption = affordability, accessibility Yesterday GM Dept. Stores Digital Equipment Delta JP Morgan Xerox IBM Cullinet AT&T Sony DiskMan Columbia Basin College Today Toyota Wal-Mart Dell Southwest Airlines Fidelity Canon Microsoft Oracle Cingular Apple iPod Straighterline.com
Fixed time, variable learning Deliver content to students Testing & assessment Progress to next grade, subject, or body of material Receive results
Competency-based learning Deliver content to students Testing & assessment Receive real-time interactive feedback Progress to next grade, subject, or body of material
Jean Floten, Chancellor To CBE . . . Current “State of the Art” Jean Floten, Chancellor
WGU offers online, competency-based education.
WHAT ARE COMPETENCIES? Knowledge and skills a student must demonstrate to pass a course, and ultimately, to earn a degree. Defined in collaboration with employers to ensure job relevance. A competency-unit is equivalent to a credit hour, but is not time-based. Demonstrated through assessments.
CBE recognizes that students have different levels of knowledge and learn at different rates and pace.
WGU students may accelerate based on prior knowledge and skills WGU students may accelerate based on prior knowledge and skills. Average time to degree is 27 months.
If WGU students accelerate, they save time and money If WGU students accelerate, they save time and money. Average cost is $15K.
Most WGU students are mid-career, working adults. Average age is 37.
Not a solo journey. WGU faculty members guide and mentor students along the way.
Annual tuition is about $6000/year for most programs FLAT RATE TUITION Annual tuition is about $6000/year for most programs . No limit on number of courses. Hasn’t changed in 8 years.
WGU 20 years old In 50 states & 4 US territories; 6 state WGUs
Annual enrollment of 75,000 students WGU Annual enrollment of 75,000 students 75,000 students
Information Technology Accredited bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in four career oriented colleges Business Health Professions Information Technology Teachers
About WGU WA
Created in 2011 to address workforce needs
10,000 students 10,000 FTES in Washington
Does it work?
EMPLOYERS’ RATINGS 99% said WGU graduates meet or exceed expectations 94% rated WGU graduates’ job performance as good as or better than the job performance of other graduates 100% said that their WGU grads were prepared for their jobs 86% of employers rate WGU nursing grads as very good or excellent in “evidence-based practice”
STUDENTS’ RATINGS 97% were satisfied with their experience 98% would recommend WGU Washington to friends and family 92% are employed in their degree field 25% are pursuing additional education
SUMMARY Less time. Less money. Superior results. WGU, an innovative and surprisingly affordable online university, a New kind of U.™ A better learning experience.
SPREADING THE WORD 4 states 7 colleges CBE4CC & CBE Journal Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation 4 states 7 colleges CBE4CC & CBE Journal
Community & Technical College Experiment The Washington State Community & Technical College Experiment Richard Cummins President, Columbia Basin College
Logistical Issues of Program Creation, Operations, and Financing Curriculum Development Business model – number and resulting contribution of each college Issues with Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Faculty involvement and curriculum/OER textbook development Program launch – marketing at individual colleges, student enrollment Enrollment history since initial program launch Current status and future plans
Former President, Bellevue College . . . . . Or Not To CBE (Maybe) David L. Rule Former President, Bellevue College
The Shrinking of the Coalition of the Willing Pressure from some faculty “Attack” on “Academic Freedom” Elitism concerning course content, competencies, and program structure Union issues of faculty selection, compensation, teaching loads – gets pulled into threats of grievances and contract negotiations “Destruction of traditional faculty role” Major disagreements within the faculty; between full and part- time, progressive and traditionalist, etc. Faculties pressure presidents to withdraw from the Coalition Faculty going to Board of Trustees
The Bellevue College Experience Initial Positive History – Bellevue College was one of the 7 colleges funded by the Gates Foundation to develop and offer a CBE certificate or degree Certificate in Business Software Specialist (37 quarter credits) through the applied business division Highly successful with approximately 300 students BC was one of first to join the Coalition of the Willing Business transfer faculty vehemently object to BC’s involvement in CBE Enlist support of the faculty from social science, humanities, and math divisions I listen, hold many open meetings, etc. but hold the line Proven model, not for all students but many, alternative modality, not mandatory for any faculty or student, etc. Business transfer faculty successful in get a petition signed by many faculty department chairs Send it to and meet with the Chair of the Board, who adds it to an upcoming meeting Board directs the president to not implement until further research BC maintains membership in Coalition of the Willing
CONCLUSIONS Adding a new model to an existing one is tricky business Must be adapted to meet the culture of the institution There will be early adopters and challengers The process of adoption is as important as embedding a new way of providing education It can be done but takes time, money, and patience
Questions? Contact information: Jean Floten, jean.floten@wgu.edu Richard Cummins, RCummins@columbiabasin.edu David Rule, david.rule@comcast.net
Bellevue College’s Certificate in Business Software Specialist Number Class Name Credits BTS 095 Introduction to Online Learning 1 BTS 110 Web Essentials for Communication 5 BTS 144 Personal Information Manager (MS Outlook 2013) 3 BTS 147 Presentation Design & Delivery (MS PowerPoint 2013) 3 BTS 161 Business Software Essentials (MS Office 2013) 5 BTS 163 Business Document Design Comprehensive (MS Word 2013) 5 BTS 165 Business Spreadsheet Analysis & Design (MS Excel 2013) 5 BTS 168 Business Data Management Tools (MS Access 2013) 5 BTS 189 Webpage Authoring (Adobe Dreamweaver CC) 5
Columbia Basin CBE’s AAS in Business ACCT& 201: Principles of Accounting I ACCT& 202: Principles of Accounting II ACCT& 203: Principles of Accounting III ART& 100: Art Appreciation BIOL& 100: Survey of Biology w/ Lab BUS& 201: Business Law CMST& 220: Public Speaking ECON& 201: Micro Economics ECON& 202: Macro Economics ENGL& 101: English Composition I ENGL& 102: English Composition II ENGL& 244: American Literature GEOL& 101: Intro to Physical Geology w/ Lab MATH 147: Finite Math MATH& 146: Introduction to Stats MATH& 148: Business Calculus POLS& 202: American Government SOC& 101: Intro to Sociology