Peer Review

This course will help you develop an understanding of the characteristic elements of competency-based education (CBE) and how schools are implementing it. You will learn about CBE's potential for closing opportunity gaps, as well as challenges and concerns. You will get a closer look at what the implementation of CBE looks and feels like for students, teachers, administrators, families, and community members. You will consider the kinds of system-wide shifts necessary to support this innovation in education.By looking at research and hearing from experts and voices in schools, you will leave the course equipped to start or continue conversations about whether CBE is a good fit in your context.This course is part of the Open Learning Library, which is free to use. You have the option to sign up and enroll in the course if you want to track your progress, or you can view and use all the materials without enrolling.

Subject Matter This resource is a self-paced course, developed by MIT’s Teaching Systems Lab and led by Justin Reich, introduces competency-based education (CBE), focusing on its definition, classroom implementation, and system-wide adoption in K-12 settings.

Features and Description The course includes videos, handouts, and interactive activities like the Graduate Profile template. It offers research insights and expert perspectives to deepen understanding of CBE’s benefits and challenges.

Uses and Applications Designed for educators, the course equips participants to design and implement CBE frameworks, understand its impact on various stakeholders, and support system-wide shifts to close opportunity gaps. It is freely available through the Open Learning Library with optional enrollment for progress tracking.

Online Course (Selfpaced)

This course is best suited for self-paced professional development but can also be effectively used in a variety of instructional and collaborative settings like:

• Individual study: Educators can complete the course independently to build foundational understanding and reflective practice around Competency-Based Education (CBE). 

  • One might work on the course online independently, and then find time to come together to discuss what they are learning in a small group or course.

• In-class or team-based professional learning communities (PLCs): School leaders or instructional coaches can assign units or activities (e.g., the Graduate Profile or CBE Artifact tasks) for team discussion, collaborative reflection, and planning. 

  • It might be that members of a class watch certain videos on their own time and discuss those videos in-person.
  • Or an individual does self-paced assignments each week and the results or reflections are incorporated in class discussions for extra credit

• Faculty workshops or in-service training: Facilitators can embed selected videos (such as “In Conversation with Ethan Hutt”) and case study discussions (Montpelier, Crosstown, Noble) into structured workshops.

• Pre-course reading/viewing: University faculty may recommend the course as a supplementary module in teacher education or educational leadership programs to support curriculum innovation units.

• Policy or strategic planning retreats: District-level leaders and education policymakers can use the course content as a thought framework to guide CBE-related reform efforts..

Accessible via web browsers but offline users may require file extractor software and file extraction skills to be able to efficiently use the files. Also:

• Basic computer literacy
• Ability to navigate digital platforms
• Basic skills in using digital tools like highlighting, bookmarking, and searching within texts
• Access to a reliable internet connection and appropriate device

The major learning goals of this course are to provide educators and education stakeholders with foundational knowledge, practical strategies, and systemic tools to understand and implement Competency-Based Education (CBE). Specifically, the course aims to:

• Define Competency-Based Education (CBE) and explain its key principles and rationale, helping learners distinguish it from traditional education models (Unit: “What is CBE?”).

• Enable educators to apply CBE in classroom settings through practical strategies and real-world case studies that model how instructional practices can be aligned with competency-based approaches (Unit: “CBE in the Classroom”).

• Guide education stakeholders in supporting systemic adoption of CBE, addressing district- and school-level changes needed to implement CBE across an institution (Unit: “Systems Change for CBE”).

• Support learners in designing CBE-aligned curricula and engaging broader stakeholder groups—such as families, communities, and school leaders—through structured tools like the Graduate Profile activity and the creation of a personalized CBE artifact.

The course is designed primarily for K–12 educators, school leaders, instructional coaches, curriculum developers, and education policy influencers. It requires no formal prerequisites, but a working knowledge of traditional education systems and a general familiarity with instructional design principles would enhance the learning experience. Expect to 

• List haracteristic elements of CBE and debates over those elements
• Explain why CBE is an innovation some schools are embracing, as well as concerns being voiced by educators and other stakeholders
• Compare examples of approaches and strategies schools are using to implement CBE
• Brainstorm ideas for experimenting with CBE in your own context

• College Upper Division students studying education, curriculum development, or education policy.

• Graduate students enrolled in teacher education, educational leadership, or instructional design programs.

• K–12 educators who are exploring or transitioning to Competency-Based Education (CBE) models.

• School and district administrators responsible for leading systemic instructional change.

• Instructional coaches and curriculum specialists tasked with aligning practices to CBE principles.

• Education policy makers and nonprofit education consultants seeking evidence-based approaches to equity-focused innovation.

• Faculty and professional development facilitators looking for structured, research-informed materials to incorporate into teacher training or PD workshops.

The course is designed to be accessible to a wide range of users and does not require formal prerequisites. However, the following background knowledge and skills will enhance the learning experience:

• Subject matter knowledge:

  • A basic understanding of traditional K–12 education structures, including curriculum, assessment, and instructional practices.

  • Familiarity with education reform terminology (e.g., standards-based learning, personalized learning) is helpful but not essential.

• Computer skills:

  • Ability to navigate a web-based learning platform and interact with video lectures, embedded quizzes, and downloadable PDFs.

  • Basic word processing or note-taking skills for completing reflections and the CBE Artifact assignment.