Dive Brief:
- National Louis University is recruiting Chicago-area students for a new competency-based, blended learning program called Harrison Professional Pathways, targeted toward first-time and first-generation college students.
- eCampus News reports the program, offered with Carnegie Mellon’s Acrobatiq platform, is open to students with a GPA as low as 2.0, offering broader access than many programs, for a relatively affordable $10,000 per year.
- The online platform eliminates the need for traditional textbooks and offers students the bulk of their instruction, which is balanced by twice-per-week face-to-face meetings and individual coaching.
Dive Insight:
Competency-based models offer opportunities for new approaches to teaching and learning. Adaptive technology, which moves at the pace students need, has the potential to better engage learners and keep them on track toward a credential. Brandman University has incorporated adaptive learning into nearly half of its competencies in its bachelor’s in business administration, a decision Chancellor Gary Brahm recommends to other administrators considering such programs.
Eliminating print textbooks also offers benefits in reducing costs for students. Across higher education, competition from open educational resources has helped stem the rising costs of course materials for students, on average. Competency-based programs, particularly, allow institutions to embed digital course materials into an online platform.