competency-based education

Definition

An approach where students advance by demonstrating mastery of specific skills rather than accumulating seat time, theoretically allowing faster progression for quick learners. Revolutionary in concept, nightmarish in accreditation paperwork.

Example Usage

Western Governors University uses competency-based education, so I finished my entire IT degree in 18 months by testing out of everything I already knew.

Origin

Roots in vocational training; formalized for higher education in the 1970s, resurging with online education in 2010s

Fun Fact

Despite enthusiasm, only about 3% of US undergraduate students are enrolled in fully competency-based programs, largely due to financial aid complications.

Source: Competency-Based Education Network standards

Related Terms

Intermediate

Learning Outcomes

Measurable statements describing what students will know or be able to do after a course, written primarily to satisfy accreditors and ignored by everyone else. They are to teaching what terms and conditions are to software -- technically important, universally unread.

🎓 Education / Academia

Beginner

withdrawal

The formal process of dropping a class after the add/drop period ends, resulting in a 'W' on your transcript rather than a grade. Strategic GPA management or admission of defeat, depending on your perspective and how many Ws you're accumulating.

🎓 Education / Academia

Beginner

blue book exam

A stapled booklet of lined paper with a blue cover, synonymous with hand-cramping essay exams and the existential dread of in-class writing. The analog ancestor of online testing that refuses to die in certain disciplines.

🎓 Education / Academia

Intermediate

teaching philosophy statement

A required essay in which faculty articulate their pedagogical beliefs and practices, theoretically for reflection but practically for job applications and tenure portfolios. It's where professors write earnestly about student-centered learning while secretly hoping students will just read the textbook.

🎓 Education / Academia

Intermediate

Tenure

A permanent employment status that makes a professor essentially unfireable, awarded after years of research, teaching, and committee work. It's the academic equivalent of reaching the final level of a video game, except after you win, you still have to attend faculty meetings.

🎓 Education / Academia

Intermediate

academic redshirting

The practice of delaying a child's kindergarten entry by a year to give them developmental advantages over younger classmates, borrowed from athletic eligibility rules. Typically employed by affluent families seeking competitive edges in academic and social domains.

🎓 Education / Academia

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