What are some of the best and cheapest comptency based education programs out there?

[yb1]

I know this is mostly a testout site but what are some of the competency based education programs out there I know of WGU and Hodges but what are some of the other ones?

Do they have ones as cheap as the above two that do nursing programs, business, IT programs?

Also what is the link to the nursing forum that people reference on here.

Is it allnurses.com

I've also heard of capella but that seems a bit expensive.


http://www.educationdive.com/news/7-comp...on/328382/

[swalke321]

Patten University has a self paced program. I'm not sure if it is competency based like the others but it is similar. You move at your own pace and pay per month. I believe a few people on here are currently attending Patten.

[socsci]

There is also North Arizona University.

I went with Patten and i'm very happy with my decision.
It is self paced.
Courses must be taken in order and each course has a final test and project which is usually a written paper on the subject.
A short test is taken before the start of the course, if the score is high enough then the final test is opened up.
Most courses are around 8 units, with a text book to read (provided online for free), flash cards, videos and supplemental material from other websites. There is also access to the whole online library and materials, not just the ones related to your degree. Books can be downloaded for 14 days at a time.
Each unit has a 10 question quiz to help determine if you are ready to move on, but it is not part of the grading. An unproctored pre-final test is taken to unlock the final test. The final tests are proctored.

There are two grading routes for each course: the standard and challenge.
1. Work on the unit exercises and graded assignments, take the final test and submit the project.
2. Take the final test and submit the project. The grade is given from the final test and project.

The standard has scores spread out so it is possibly a little easier but is a little more work. I have used the challenge route for all courses up to now because I prefer to just read, final test and then do the project.

You can't start the next course until the course you are in has been completed, however you can click 'work ahead' and you have access to all materials, you just can't access the final exam and project.

My experience so far has been very positive. The staff are all very helpful, especially my advisor who is pretty awesome. She stays in touch to see how things are going and always has positive things to say that help boost confidence. For the first month she checked in every week and took time to write long messages so we got to know each other.
It says allow 7 days for papers to be graded, but so far they have all been graded in 3 days. The grading sticks to the rubric and the projects are very clear. Download the project info and rubric, stick to the rubric and no problems.

[yb1]

Thanks for the insight it sounds interesting. What made you choose testing out vs competency based?

Personally I think it would be good to have a section of the forum dedicated to competency based education. There is a lot of information on here but it is scattered everywhere. It seems like a good alternative to those that are not so inclined to testing or like me who rely heavily on grants and cannot afford to test out at the present moment.

That being said I have been really eyeing Hodges University but first impression they almost come off as a degree mill. They are a regionally accredited, private school, located in Florida.

When I talked to the advisor I was told that none of the test are proctored and the adviser told me on the phone that many students complete 90 credits within 1 term.
You pay for 6-month term and you can try and complete as many classes as you want during that time.

It sounds very similar to WGU’s program without all the restraints and tedious work. However, I did not get a clear answer if the certifications were included in the fee.

[socsci]

Thanks for the insight it sounds interesting. What made you choose testing out vs competency based?

Personally I think it would be good to have a section of the forum dedicated to competency based education. There is a lot of information on here but it is scattered everywhere. It seems like a good alternative to those that are not so inclined to testing or like me who rely heavily on grants and cannot afford to test out at the present.

I haven't done any testing so I can't comment on the difference. I have only taken self-paced courses at Straighterline, Aleks and Sophia before joining Patten. I like doing self-paced as I can fit it around my busy life (work, children, sport) I am not in a hurry to finish my degree, so if I have a few weeks when I can't study it's not a problem at Patten.

Patten don't take part in federal and state financial aid programs. I am not sure about the other self-paced/competency based universities.