(from The EvoLLLution):
By Carlos Rivers
It’s no secret that we are currently living in an age of accountability. As new education models come into play, constituents will demand evidence of the effectiveness of these programs.
As you begin the monumental quest of building your institution’s own CBE program, remember, for validity’s sake, you need to start data collection and implementing effective metrics from program inception. Now, it is not enough to collect data. You have to make sure the metrics you put in place will provide tangible evidence that you will be able to accomplish the specific goals you set out to achieve from the beginning. Understanding what data to collect and using metrics right from the start enables data-driven decision making. You should have both short-term and long-term measurements built in to your CBE model, and keep relentless track of progress to enable continuous improvement in your program and business processes.
A major issue that we have seen for current innovative educational models, particularly for Competency-Based Education, is that we have not agreed upon a common framework to measure the effectiveness of these programs. At the Institute for Competency-Based Education, we are currently building a Metrics Framework for our CBE program in Organizational Leadership at Texas A&M-Commerce (TAMU-C). Our framework analyzes three key components since program inception:
1. Student Demographics
2. Program Performance
3. Program Efficiency
The landscape of higher education comes with immense complexity. There can be no one-size-fits-all approach, and therefore we believe this is the perfect starting point to which you can then adjust your parameters to meet the specific needs of your program(s). CONTINUE READING HERE