In April 2021, the Montana Legislature approved funding to strengthen the preparation of the state’s educators to understand and implement proficiency-based/competency-based education. One of the ways we worked to accomplish this was by offering undergraduate and graduate level courses at NO COST. 

 

EDU 491/591 Competency-Based Education, Instructor: Dr. Jeannie Chipps, [email protected]
EDU 591 Competency-Based Education, Instructor: Dr. Hailey Hancock, [email protected]

Course Description

A multitude of schools, districts, and entire states, such as New Hampshire, are shifting away from the traditional, time-based, Carnegie model of instruction. These innovators, including some rural schools in Montana, are developing and implementing what the Federal Department of Education identifies as Competency-Based Education (CBE). CBE includes personalized, mastery, project-based, and blended and/or virtual teaching/learning. This course will introduce future and practicing educators to these various teaching/learning modalities and prepare educators to compete for employment in these schools and districts or prepare educators to implement these modalities in their own classes/districts. If you are interested in seeing a sample syllabus, please email the course instructors. 

 

 EDU 491 (designed for
undergraduate pre-service teachers)		 EDU 591 (designed for
in-service teachers, & school leaders)

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will also be able to:
  1. Evaluate a number of the competency-based teaching/learning models currently being implemented in districts around the United States;
  2. Synthesize and critique the existing literature base pertaining to a competency-based teaching/learning;
  3. Articulate the challenges of, and success realized, in the development and implementation of competency-based education;
  4. Demonstrate skills in peer review, critical thinking, library research, basic research, and writing;
  5. Develop a lesson plan that is competency-based and personalized for individual learners and fits with a collaboratively designed unit of instruction.
  1. Evaluate a number of the competency-based teaching/learning models currently being implemented in districts around the United States. Practicing educators will compare and contrast competency-based learning models to their current school system;
  2. Synthesize and critique the existing literature base pertaining to a competency-based teaching/learning as applied to practicing educator’s current context (grade level or content, etc.);
  3. Articulate the challenges of, and success realized, in the development and implementation of competency-based education;
  4. Demonstrate skills in peer review, critical thinking, library research, basic research, and writing;
  5. Develop a unit that fits within a year-long scope and sequence that is competency-based and personalized for individual learners.

Content of the Course

Learners will:
  1. Read a variety of texts and peer-reviewed articles pertaining to personalized learning models 
  2. Study data and identify strengths and weaknesses within each model
  3. Participate in webinars provided by experts in the field of CBE 
  4. Be introduced to current practitioners of personalized-learning 
  5. Develop the vocabulary associated with each modality
  1. Read a variety of texts and peer-reviewed articles pertaining to personalized learning models 
  2. Study data and identify strengths and weaknesses within each model
  3. Participate in webinars provided by experts in the field of CBE 
  4. Be introduced to current practitioners of personalized-learning 
  5. Develop the vocabulary associated with each modality

 

Course Findings

Where did our learners come from? 

Our learners represented a variety of locations within Montana (and some additional learners intending to teach in other states/countries). This map shows the self-reported location that our learners intended to teach in the school year following our course. 

What information did we learn in designing and delivering this course?

This brief one-page description of what we found from course polls describes some of the main takeaways from students in the course. 

 

EDU 491_591 course outcome snapshot by J Chipps

How often was this offered? 

EDU 491/591 was offered:
Summer 2022 - 4 week course (June 13 - July 8) with daily expectations for learning
Summer 2022 - 4 week course (July 11 - Aug 5) with daily expectations for learning
Fall 2022 - 8 week course (Oct 17 - Dec 15)
Spring 2023 - 8 week course (March 13 - May 11)
Summer 2023 - 6 week course (June 26 - Aug 4)
Fall 2023 - first 8 weeks (Aug 23 - Oct 15)
Fall 2023 -

second 8 weeks (Oct 16 - Dec 14)

 

 

For the follow-up EDU 492/592 which focuses on completing an action research project in a classroom of your choosing, using the techniques and strategies learned in EDU 491/591.

EDU 492/592 was offered: 
         Fall 2022-  16 week course 
Spring 2023- 16 week course
Fall 2023 16 week course

 

 

Proficiency/Competency-Based Summer Institute

For more information on the proficiency-based learning project, be sure to check out our new webpage and learn more about what we have been working on!