The viability of online competency based education: An organizational analysis of the impending paradigm shift

Abstract

Over the past several decades, workplace demands have changed from having an industrial emphasis on physical inputs and natural resources, to a knowledge based economy with a reliance on intellectual capabilities (Block, 1990; Ronchi, 1985; Sum & Jessop, 2013). The knowledge economy is defined as “production and service based on knowledge‐intensive activities that contribute to an accelerated pace of technological and science advance, as well as equally rapid obsolescence” (Powell & Snellman, 2004, p. 201). This definition highlights that employers and the economy at large will rely on higher‐level skills possessed by those with advanced training and certifications. This shift is embodied by competency based education (CBE), as students demonstrate what they know and have learned in a way that clearly connects learning and work. Although CBE itself is not a new model, online CBE has gained attention as a response to traditional education for adult learners and those with “some college” and no degree. The national need to increase degree completion is illustrated by declarations from former President of the United States (U.S.), Barack Obama, who in the midst of the 2009 recession, set a national goal for educational attainment: by 2020, the U.S. will lead the world in the share of its population with a college degree (Cynamon, Fazzari, & Setterfield, 2013; Nodine & Johnstone, 2015). This paper will examine barriers to adopting online CBE for institutions of higher learning using contingency theory as a lens to prepare a conceptual analysis that develops new insights into the challenges faced by traditional institutions considering implementation.