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