Many consider the concept of competence based learning as new when it was prevailing in the educational community for some time now. The competence based learning or education recently came into the spot light because of the flexibility offered by competence based education. Coming into what is competence based education (CBE), simply defined CBE is a unique approach adopted for teaching and learning concrete skills rather than abstract learning. The unique methodologies and techniques incorporated into CBE helps it to stand apart from the rest of the traditional and conventional educational styles. Rather than segmenting the topics of education into modules, the learners are only working on one competency or skill at a time. Under this approach, the students or learners are evaluated separately based on his/her individual capabilities. One of the interesting attributes of this approach is that only after completing or mastering the current competency one can move onto the next one. One of the biggest advantages of CBE is the option to skip modules if the learner or student proves his/her mastery over that particular skill. Another unique aspect of CBE is that under this approach more importance is given to the topics that the students have learned over the total time spent on learning that. Now let’s take a look at the advantages of CBE and how it is unique from other styles of education.
1. Little or No Time Constraints: As mentioned before, under CBE what you have learned is given more preference and the time taken to master that skill is up to you. This gives the learners a distinctive opportunity to set the pace of their learning and complete the learning process on their time. When one feels that he/she can prove the mastery over a particular competency then one can take the assessment test and upon proving his competency of that particular skill one can start working on the next one. The absence of time constraints allows the learners to complete their learning with no added pressure. Not confined to time, CBE becomes more approachable and attractive for adult learners who may be having a hectic schedule to go for traditional educational approaches.
2. Ensuring Student Engagement: Strong student engagement is another aspect of CBE. Because they are fully in control over their learning, students or learners shows more interest towards it. The freedom of choosing when and where to learn helps them to be more interested in proving their competency and completing the program. The contents which are tailored for the students bring in a personal touch towards the entire learning process which increases the overall appeal of competence based education.
3. Flexibility at its Core: One of the most appealing factors which attract students towards CBE is its structural flexibility. The overall structure of education is more or less individualistic in nature. Students themselves guide their entire learning process which offers the opportunity to set their own personal goals and objectives and completing it in the time they feel comfortable. By taking into consideration the learner’s previous experience CBE also offers the possibility to interested learners to join the courses at any level.
4. A Much Cheaper Platform: Even though the cost incurred while studying CBE may vary depending on the institutions, in most of the cases educational organizations have introduced CBE in their portfolio to provide precise education at a lower cost. Again the real cost of education is really depended on the time taken by the learner to complete the entire program. Because of the reason that CBE programs are also available online one can join in any of those at even a lower cost.
