Indiana Commission for Higher Education Public Square February 13, 2014 Cathrael Kazin, JD, PhD Chief Academic Officer 0

1 What is College for America (CfA)? Southern New Hampshire University University College Residential Campus (1932) College of Online and Continuing Education (2007) College for America (2012) Regionally accredited Private, non-profit

CfA Timeline 2011Innovation Lab created 2012Next Generation Learning Challenges grant 2012NEASC approval 2012College for America founded 2013Pilot launch 2013US Dept. of Education “Direct Assessment” approval 2013First graduates 2013Operational Launch 2014Financial aid available 2014Additional AA and BA degrees to be offered 2

What is Competency-Based Education? Competency-Based Education (CBE): Focuses on the demonstration of articulated skills, knowledge and abilities Defines learning but makes time flexible Is not based on credit hours or seat time (though may “translate” to credit hours for administrative convenience or necessity) 3

4 Why Competency-Based Education? Need better evidence of what students know and can do  Seat-time and credit hours not good proxies for knowledge and skills Working adults come to higher education with experience and skills  Students learn at different rates Need better alignment with workplace expectations  Employers “speak competency” Efficiency and productivity  CBE increases efficiency of higher education  CBE can lower costs

5 Who is Competency-Based Education? InstitutionCBE ProgramFundingDegrees Western Governors University N/APrivate, NFPBachelor’s, Master’s Southern New Hampshire University College for AmericaPrivate, NFPAssociate’s, Bachelor’s in process CapellaFlexPathPrivate, FPBachelor’s, Master’s University of Northern Arizona Personalized Learning PublicBachelor’s University of Wisconsin Flexible OptionPublicBachelor’s

AA in General Studies with a business concentration –Low cost ($2,500 per year all-inclusive) –Flexible: online, self-paced and self-directed –Focused on 120 competencies, not courses –Based on mastery, not passing Offered through partners (employers and community organizations) First CfA offering 6

What Does CfA Mean by a “Competency”? A “can do” statement that represents a measurable and observable claim Examples: –Can negotiate with others to resolve conflicts and settle disputes –Can research an academic topic and summarize findings in writing –Can convey information by creating charts and graphs –Can analyze, evaluate and compare argumentative texts 7

8 Nine Competency Categories Foundational Skills Personal and Social Skills Content Knowledge Communication Skills Critical and Creative Thinking Quantitative Skills Digital Fluency and Information Literacy Personal Effectiveness Ethics and Social Responsibility Teamwork and Collaboration Elective (Business Essentials) Science, Society and Culture

Goals Integrate Competencies AA degree is made up of 20 Goals –Each Goal integrates 5-8 Competencies from across competency categories –Each Goal contains multiple Projects that range in size from small to large –Completion of a Goal earns a student 3 College credits 9

20 Goals Make Up AA Degree Access Information Analyze Data Apply Economic Theories Build Teamwork Through Marketing Chart the Evolution of Media Confront Culture Consider the Environment Decode Media Develop a Budget Establish a Professional Presence Evaluate Popular Psychology Examine Ethical Perspectives Experience Art Experiment with Psychology Exploring Writing Investigate Business Ethics Leverage Business Tools Manage People Plan for Success Solve Problems 10

11 Primary form of assessment is evaluation of projects using rubrics Students can revise and resubmit projects until they demonstrate mastery Trained Reviewers provide encouraging, specific and actionable feedback within 48 hours Students who complete a Goal earn 3 college credits How is Competency Assessed?

12 Primary form of assessment is evaluation of projects using rubrics Students can revise and resubmit projects until they demonstrate mastery Trained reviewers provide encouraging, specific and actionable feedback within 48 hours Students will also take 3 rd party, nationally normed assessments Sample Goal: Decode Media

13 Students Choose Path within Goal

14 Sample Overview and Directions

15 Sample Rubric

Support for Student Learning STUDENT REVIEWER COMMUNITY LEARNING PARTNER LEARNING COACH 16

Traditional AA Compared with CfA Model Standard is mastery AA degree consists of 20 Goals Each Goal = 3 college credits Goals integrate competencies Students earn 60 college credits and a degree Standard is passing AA degree = courses Each course = 1-3 credits Courses stand alone 17 TRADITIONAL MODELCfA

CfA Unbundles the Traditional Faculty Role TRADITIONAL MODEL Single faculty member Advises students Provides subject matter expertise Designs curriculum Instructs students Develops assessments Evaluates student work CfA Dedicated experts Coach students Provide subject matter expertise Design curriculum Curate instructional resources Develop assessments Evaluate student work 18

Competency-based Education (CBE) Advantages Time is removed as a barrier – students can progress at their own speed Requires clear articulation of what students should know and be able to do Provides evidence of student achievement and proficiency Makes it easy to track how students are progressing Offers potential cost savings and greater efficiency Uses language that employers understand Challenges Requires clear articulation of what students should know and can do May be perceived as undermining faculty autonomy May be perceived as devaluing “intangibles” of college experience 19