Online Mastery-Based and Competency-Based Education Approaches

This session will present a mastery-based approach to instruction and a competency-based approach to curriculum design. Mastery-based learning refers to a form of instruction in which a student's progression is dependent on demonstrating mastery of the material through successful completion of tasks or assessments. The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) uses Smart Sparrow, an online adaptive instructional tool, to administer formative assessments that students must pass before being able to progress to new material. Similarly, College for America (CfA) at Southern New Hampshire University utilizes competency-based education, a form of instruction that requires students to complete sets of projects to gain mastery. Projects help students learn several different competencies and apply them in a real-world setting.

Outcomes: Understand how mastery-based learning can be integrated into a course * Identify and describe the key methodologies used by CfA for creating student-centered experiences through online competency-based programs