Maximizing Competency Education and Blended Learning: Insights from Experts. CompetencyWorks Issue Brief
Author: Patrick, Susan
Date: 2015-03-00
Type: Reports - Descriptive
Subjects: Competency Based Education,Blended Learning,Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Competence,Technical Assistance,Role,Teaching Methods,Learning Modalities,Community Involvement,Institutional Autonomy,Administrator Role,Success,Standards,Leadership Training,Professional Development,School Districts,Skill Development

Students will face enormous challenges in the coming years--from an economy shaped by ever-advancing technologies to the impact of globalization--and need the strongest foundation of academic, technical, and problem-solving skills we can offer. In an effort to improve their educational experiences, schools across the country are exploring and implementing new approaches, many of which share a common goal: to provide greater personalization and ensure that each and every student has the knowledge, skills, and competencies to succeed. Personalized learning, blended learning, and competency-based learning are becoming of increasing interest to district leaders at the front of transformation efforts. These efforts rely on support and direction from a limited pool of technical assistance providers in the field. Technical assistance providers are individuals or organizations with expertise in their respective fields who are charged with providing implementation assistance such as strategic planning, training, resources, and direct assistance to schools and districts. Each provider has expertise in some areas; few have expertise in all of them. Thus, the implication for districts is that the transformation process is staggered to allow for the implementation of one major strategy and then another, rather than taking on a broad-sweeping comprehensive approach. In May 2014, CompetencyWorks brought together twenty-three technical assistance providers to examine their catalytic role in implementing next generation learning models, share each other's knowledge and expertise about blended learning and competency education, and discuss next steps to move the field forward with a focus on equity and quality. The strategy maintains that by building the knowledge and networks of technical assistance providers, these groups can play an even more catalytic role in advancing the field. The objective of the convening was to help educate and level set the understanding of competency education and its design elements, as well as to build knowledge about using blended learning modalities within competency-based environments. This paper attempts to draw together the wide-ranging conversations from the convening to provide background knowledge for educators to understand what it will take to transform from traditional to personalized, competency-based systems that take full advantage of blended learning. The primary focus is to address the key considerations that face districts as they move forward. The authors consider the discussion offered here as a first step in a very steep learning curve that they will be making to fully maximize competency-based structures and blended learning modalities.